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Mini Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages by Trenton Lee Stewart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ok, so… it’s still really good, but for me this one didn’t quite pull me in in the way the other three books did. I guess this is the Catch-22 of being so masterful at something — like when an artist/a band releases a new album, and it’s good, but it’s just not as breathtaking as their old one(s). Same story [for me] here… firstly, Tai, while adorably characterized, felt kind of tacked on compared to all the other main characters. And is he officially a member of the Society? I assume so, but it was a little odd that he kind of just showed up while Kate, Sticky, Reynie, and Constance all had a fully fleshed-out beginning in the first book. His characterization is rather static, as well; all the other characters learned and grew and blossomed over the course of the series (and even within individual books), but Tai kind of just… kept giggling? Super cute, but I just love the development of the others. Anyway, I should quit being so hard on Tai! The book was kind of meh at first but definitely picked up & became more interesting in the second third (ish), without giving away spoilers. Overall, I totally liked it — the other ones are just so good!

Also — what did they do to the cover art! I loved the old lettering and style! Even the new one is still super similar, it just doesn’t fit in the same way the old one did. Oh well. Also, I kind of liked the old illustrations in the book more, but meh.

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