The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma

What would you do if you were threatened by an evil that forced you apart from you family and your friends? Forced to be kept in a safe house surrounded by security guards, protecting you from an evil that no one in town has a clue about. Not able to be seen or go further than the gates that keep you "captive". Four witty children are held in this situation in Trenton Lee Stewart's novel, The Mysterious Benedict Society to try and figure out how they can put a stop to all the nonsense they have gone through. Harnessed down by many challenges with Mr. Curtain, Mr. Benedict's evil twin brother, the Society works together to secure the town's and their own safety. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma is a great novel full of surprises in every chapter. It touches subjects such as losing someone you love and the power that kids can hold. Mr. Benedict is very protective of his "orphans" and makes sure they will be safe from the evil Mr. Curtain and his Ten Men. In this book, Mr. Benedict learns how much he really loves the society only until she is gone. This touching event makes for a very emotional twist in the book. I really appreciated how they showed that kids can have amazing futures and can do hard things, just like adults. The novel has a theme of the kids being very bright children and having special abilities. Kate is very prepared and thinks of the situation very quickly and is very brave. Reynie, who is a very bright young boy is very kind, can solve problems and riddles quickly, and is a good leader. Sticky is extremely smart. He remembers everything he hears and reads. Constance, a three year old, has a lot of potential and has a special power that is revealed in the book! I loved how the kids are the ones with the superior power, but use it for the good of others. I think that I really connected with Reynie and Kate. Reynie is smart with logical situations and is really amazing at solving out problems. Kate on the other hand is always prepared with her bright red bucket and will put herself in any uncomfortable situation. Each one works with one another to stop evil and make sure that the Whisperer, a super secret and powerful machine, is used for good purposes only. This magnificent book is the last book to a 3-book trilogy that is written by Trenton Lee Stewart, a creative yet challenging author. A writer that makes his words come to life and makes you feel like you're there with Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance. This skillfully written novel contains mystery, action, intrigue and loss in a neat package that is not just entertaining but challenges your mind to grow and imagine the situations. Brimming with rich details, Mr. Benedict's vibrant "orphans", spontaneous dialog, and vivid scenery makes this a book you will not want to put down! This book has very smooth reading because of the rich content and descriptors used. Stewart uses such description in his writing, making it feel natural. One of my favorite parts of the writing is the riddles that many of the characters used to solve the issues and get to another step. Trenton Lee Stewart is so clever with each one that you will find yourself dumbfounded when you figure out the answer. Even though it is so vividly written and it makes for a wonderful read, some of the words are challenging, therefore making it harder for young readers to understand. In addition, the book isn't very humorous, but still makes for a very eventful and entertaining read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a ton of action and mystery. I would mostly direct the book to students in grades four to eight because of the difficult word choice. I think it was an amazing conclusion to the series, but I wish there were more coming out! The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma will keep you on the edge of your seat with every turn of a page.

Great book for children and adults as well. Great story telling

This is the 3rd book of the series The Mysterious Benedict Society. As the previous ones, it is packed of adventures, twists, and trills. I couldn't put this book down,it was just so exciting! After reading the first book, I was hooked. I was already emotionally attached to the characters. In this book, SOMETHING WAS ALWAYS HAPPENING. And if you read the book closely, you'll notice that Trenton seems to always find a way to make something happen. Sometimes the characters may not expect (and the book will give hints of unsuspecting things occurring!) and other times someone has already noticed (usually Kate or Reynie). I don't know, this book is just such a thriller with twists here and there. Take my word (and others' as well) and read the sample. Just read the sample. Then you will feel this pull and your finger will already be clicking the price and buying it (either through ebooks or an actual book your hands can touch). ...this book is truly amazing.

This is either the second or third in a series of four books based on the Secret Benedict Society, a series of stories about pre-teen kids. I bought them for my 12-year-old granddaughter, and she is really enjoying them, reading them every single day. And just for her to have someone to discuss the stories with, I'm reading them alongside her, and they're even fun for me -- and I'm often critical of young-peoples' books. The over-arching story is strong, and each book has a compelling story within itself that ties in to the whole. Another thing I like is that the vocabulary is not child-like but challenges a pre-teen reader. (She has a dictionary backup on her Kindle to help her when she doesn't quite know a word.) To me this is very important. The only problem I have with the series is that it's only 4 books long!

At least, for me, it was disappointing. Let's start at the beginning though. I'll admit, I had not the slightest idea what the Prisoner's Dilemma was, and I thought it to be much more literal. My idea of what it meant went something along the lines of Martina Crowe being in a dilemma. If you look up what the real meaning is, I assure you that it will not give you much of a spoiler, because the title really does not have as much to do with the book as you would expect. Constance is discovered very early on to have a new power, which is definitely intriguing and curious, though I wonder if it only serves to make it so the ending turns out perfectly for the Society. However, I love the new things we learn about Constance. It's interesting to learn about her background, finally, and it was one of the biggest mysteries I wanted to learn about. One minor side note that I feel compelled to mention: Kate had finally thought of a rhyme to match Constance's (as another reviewer mentioned) and we never even got to hear it! Or maybe I need to reread the book again... The plot of this book is obviously centered quite centrally upon Curtain, who has devised yet another plan to get things under his control. Ultimately, the MBS (guess what it stands for?) takes it in to their hands to be the ones to stop it, and, ultimately, the adults find out and decide to take the necessary action. What follows is a clever blend of action, surprise, and some humor that makes this read enjoyable. So why did I give this book four stars? The ending for me was too perfect. There was a time when I only liked perfect ending, but that time ended long ago, and I found this so unrealistically perfect and odd. Perhaps you'll se what I mean, but I just couldn't get used to the idea of... Well, I'd prefer not to mention spoilers. But I'll just say that the ending was so finished that it felt as if it wasn't completely done. I was left with a curious sensation of wanting more, when there was no more to want.

Great book with amazing story. Quite long, although read in a week aprox. If you doubt to read it, just because you think it is unnecesary for the story, or that the ending will disappoint you, believe me: it won't. Recommanded 100%.

シリーズ3作目の解決編。今回は意外性も少なく、淡々と進んでいった感じがします。 ベネディクトの兄弟のカーティンを取り逃がしたことから、子供たちや家族は、ベネディクトの家に集まり、政府から警備のために数人のエージェントが派遣されていた。 ケイトを始め子供たちの活躍はいつもながらだが、今回は特にコンスタンスが重要な役割を果たす。

This book is very good but THERE ARE SOME VERY SCARY SCENES. If you have already read one of trenton lee stewards books then you should be fine unless you got scared of the Ten Men. TEN MEN ARE THESE MEAN MEN WHO ARE DRESSED IN SUITS AND CARRY A BREIFCASE THEY HAVE 10 WAYS OF HURTING YOU.This book is really good for 9+year olds But I WOULD NOT RECCOMEND THIS BOOK FOR CHILDREN UNDER 9. FOR PARENTS: If your child gets scared by certain things like weapons or people who are very mean then they should not read this book or this series. By Evie age 9

My children love this saga

Really good. The book came in very good condition and I really like it.