Book Synopsis:
IF YOU FAIL,
ALL IS
LOST.
Join the Mysterious Benedict Society as Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance embark on a daring new adventure that threatens to force them apart from their families, friends, and even each other. When an unexplained blackout engulfs Stonetown, the foursome must unravel clues relating to a nefarious new plot, while their search for answers brings them closer to danger than ever before.
My Review:
3.75/5 stars. I don't remember what I rated the second MBS book, but I think this might be my least favorite so far. The main plot took a while to get going, and some of the stuff in this book felt a lot more over-the-top than in the previous two. The characters were still, great, though, and there were definitely some things I liked. Overall, though, it took me a while to read because I wasn't enjoying it as much.
During the first third or so of the book, I forgot what the book was supposed to be about. The plot that the book's description mentions didn't happen for a while. That made the beginning part of the book felt like it was dragging a little. It seemed like the plot was going a few different ways, none of which actually got developed much further. Once the book got into the main plot, though, it stayed consistent.
Another thing I noticed early on, which I think was a critique I had of the second one, too, was that the exposition reminding readers of stuff from previous books - like descriptions of characters and past events - felt a little wordy and unnecessary. Since it's been a while since I've read the previous one, some of it was a little helpful, but I didn't need to be reminded of who all the characters were.
I know that this book is middle-grade and therefore meant for younger readers than me, but some of the riddles and problems the kids had to solve were too easy. I don't read many mystery books, but I'm pretty sure the puzzles in books are meant to be a fun challenge for the reader to figure out. One riddle in this book, I got right away and had to read a bunch of paragraphs about the kids trying to figure it out. In contrast, some of the riddles made no sense but the kids figured it out right away.
As I mentioned already, a lot of stuff in this book felt over-the-top. For one thing, Constance's mental powers have gotten to a literal superhero level, where she can read people's minds and send them telepathic messages. This isn't supposed to be a fantasy. In the first book, the characters were highly gifted, but on a normal level. Now, it's to an extreme.
As well as the kids' abilities, the fight scenes, especially towards the end, felt very comical and slapstick when they weren't intended to be. Both the protagonists and the antagonists were capable of an almost cartoon-level of fighting that took away from the intensity of the situation.
One thing I did like about the conflicts, however, were that they were pretty fast-paced and chaotic, so that added to the drama of it. After a slow first half to the book, it was nice to have an action-packed last third or so. There were a lot of situations that felt very dire, even though you knew everything was going to turn out okay in the end.
Another thing I liked was that we got to learn Constance's background and what she went through before she was part of the Society. I hadn't thought about that or needed it before, but I liked the inclusion of it. It added more depth to her character.
Speaking of the characters, they are the heart of the series. Their friendship with each other and their unique personalities make these books better. I loved Kate's wit and sarcasm in this book; she almost always had a clever response to something that usually succeeded in making me laugh.
The ending of this book was done well. If I remember correctly, I think the ending of the second book felt too rushed. This one didn't feel like that to me. I thought it did a great job of wrapping up the main trilogy, and it makes me excited to read the book that takes place years later, when the kids are a little older. I didn't understand whatever Constance did at the end, though.
Content Warning:
No language and no romance
There is violence, but it's not graphic. It's described, but in a more cartoonish way and not in detail.
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