One day, he was just a loner who only had his tutor to keep him company. The next day, he takes a few tests, passes them as the gifted kid he is, and is suddenly on a mission to help save the world. This is the story of Reynie Muldoon and how he meets others to use their smarts and skills to defeat Mr. Benedict’s, the one who assembled them in the first place, twin brother, Dr. Curtain. The series is called The Mysterious Benedict Society, and you should definitely read it. 

Reynie is an average kid with a sagacious brain. He’s been in the orphanage for a while, only having Ms. Perumal, his tutor, for company. Until one day, when they were reading the newspaper and discovered an ad for gifted children to take tests and be able to receive special opportunities. Reynie decided to take the chance and passed all of the tests, meeting Sticky and Katie during the last few ones. They also end up meeting a bitter, ill-tempered child named Constance who will be joining them. Mr. Benedict, along with Number Two and Rhonda, his 2 assistants, gather the children for a meeting and discuss the world being in danger. Mr. Benedict explains something that is affecting everyone’s brains gradually called the Emergency, and it is making people worried and get messages in their head. It’s similar to mind-control. 

So Reynie and his fellow friends embark on a journey to help Stonetown and the rest of the world be in safe hands once again. They travel to the school that Dr. Curtain runs: Boatwright Academy, where they discover several things and act like spies to stop Dr. Curtain. They also have to worry about doing well grades-wise, which is becoming an issue for Katie and Constance. They might even have to cheat to pass. In Boatwright Academy, competition about grades can cause other students to chomp people into shreds. With the amount of worries about being discovered to be spies, having to keep their grades up, and trying not to be suspicious, can this crew handle the job? Read the book to find out!

I would rate this book 4.5 stars, as it kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters were really admirable, although Constance was really annoying at times. However, she could still be an asset to the team, which is beneficial. I would recommend this book to people who are in middle school, love  adventure and mystery, and read the Nancy Drew series. So go on and join Reynie, Sticky, Katie, and Constance as you read about their backstories and venture with them in The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.