MBS and the Perilous Journey

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (Book #2)
by Trenton Lee Stewart
440 pages
Fiction – Young Adult

Time has passed after their last adventure (Book # 1) and Mr. Benedict organizes a special scavenger hunt for Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance. The children appreciate the opportunity to reunite and exercise their gifts minds again. But something goes wrong along the way. The children ultimately realize that the challenges they face are real, not a planned scavenger hunt. Mr. Benedict has been captured and must be rescued! They must work together and use their brains to solve riddles and find solutions.

It took about 150 pages for me to get back into the world of this book, but then I was hooked and it was hard to put down! I LOVED seeing the children grow together. Sticky's bravery made me glow with pride. Constance's powers were surprising and it started to make sense why she is part of the group.

Part of me thought this really was a planned trip through most of the book. Perhaps Mr. Benedict only tricked the children into thinking it was a dangerous adventure to make it more real for them.

This is a great book. More child friendly than Harry Potter - no death and not as dark. In fact, the good guys go to great lengths to avoid killing the bad guys. Virtue is displayed and rewarded. But the children are in real danger and have no reliable adult assistance for periods of time.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Middle school children and up. Younger advanced readers may also want to try it! Adults who enjoy YA will enjoy this series. It is comparable to Harry Potter, but less dark and violent.