This is the second book in the "Mysterious Benedict Society" series and while it can definitely be read as a stand alone book, I would recommend reading the previous book before starting in on this one. The previous novel gives a lot of character development and some insight into the nuances of the characters as well as what to expect. Besides, the first book is great and shouldn't be missed if you can help it.

That said, we enjoyed the second book as much as the first. The same wonderful characters are present and ready for a new adventure. The setting is 1 year after the previous book ended. The children are on their way to a reunion with Mr. Benedict who has planned a sort of treasure hunt for them to hone their skills on the road to a great celebration. Unfortunately, Mr. Benedict is kidnapped before the children even arrive and thus the situation changes slightly.

The puzzles and around-the-world adventure are a ton of fun. The characters themselves have grown over the 'past year' and have some new mannerisms and skills. Constance in particular has developed some new traits that will serve the society well.

The overarching mystery in this book is once again thoughtful and fun to unravel. The framing of the adventure within a globetrotting treasure hunt is a lot of fun. Personally I would love to go on that sort of an adventure. Bringing back Mr. Curtain's threatening bodyguard/mercenary "Ten Men" added a great element of suspense to the chase. The climactic confrontation with their adversaries was fairly intense, especially for a children's book.

I found this book just as enjoyable as the first book and am glad to see that the story has been successful enough to warrant a series. I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of adventures the kids encounter in future books.

****
4 out of 5 ( )

Reviewed by Tasha for TeensReadToo.com

It's been a year since the Mysterious Benedict Society was last together. Reynie was adopted by his dear tutor, Miss Perumal, Constance was adopted by Mr. Benedict himself, Kate was reunited with her long lost father, Milligan, and Sticky returned to his parents.

Now Mr. Benedict has planned a special surprise for the children in honor of their one year anniversary and as a chance for the four friends to see each other again. Everything goes wrong when Mr. Benedict and one of his trusty companions, Number Two, go missing. The children know that this is the dastardly deed of Mr. Curtain, the same man that caused all of the trouble in the children's last story. With no other option, the children set off on yet another adventure, this time to save the man that they have come to love. With clues left by Mr. Benedict before he was captured and the aid of many friends, the children set off on a great journey in search for Mr. Benedict while being pursued by many of Mr. Curtain's henchmen.

I really enjoyed this book. It definitely lived up to the first book and may have even surpassed it. The magic of the first book returned and I fell in love with the author's style. His choice of words was great and the character development in this book was much better. The only issue I had with this book is the pace wasn't consistent. I felt like at some points I was completely riveted to the book and couldn't put it down, but there were other times where I just couldn't get into the story.

I really liked the way the characters came together in this book. They all had personality and were very likeable. I also loved the adventure the kids went on. They traveled the globe and I was able to learn quite a few things from their different adventures. Another great thing about this book is that it's not necessary to read the first book in the series. While there are a few pieces of information that aren't included, they're not crucial to the story and this book can totally stand on its own.

While this was a middle grade novel, I think older readers will also enjoy it. I know I did. Overall, I really liked this book and I recommend it to you all. ( )

Fresh off my enthusiasm of the first book in this series, I picked up the second the very next time I was in my local Barnes & Noble, brought it home, and sat down to read it. And I wasn't quite as impressed. Granted, one of the nice things about the first book (which may be said about almost any "first book" in a series) is the "getting to know the characters" phase. Since we already know these characters, I didn't get to enjoy that the second time around. Some authors remedy this by introducing new characters (which can lead to a glut, if not kept in check), which Stewart does here as well, but instead of fleshing them out, he merely drops them in "as is" with little-to-no explanation of who they are, why they are acting the way they do, nor any sort of growth and development. Pity, because I think he could have done a nice job with some of them (namely the ship's captain, if you've read the book).

The plot, also, is not as exciting. The first was (ever so lightly) a cerebral mystery (for kids, you understand). This one seemed to be more of an action/adventure. I could almost see the author, Steward, visualizing the movie that might ultimately be made from this book as he was writing it. Which, in my mind, is not a good reason to write a book, nor a good basis for one.

The writing is about the same as the first go-round. Nothing to rave about, but nothing that offended my delicate sensitivities either.

All in all, this was a passable sophomore effort. I'm always encouraged by (and I try to be encouraging of) writers who succeed in creating a universe worthy of subsequent outings. (I read a lot of "series" books as a kid.) This universe was worthy of more entries. Sadly, it didn't get what it deserved. But for all that, it's not a bad book. I'm sure kids who enjoyed the first will enjoy the second and will be anxiously waiting for the third. Myself, I think I'll move on to different pastures. ( )

This is an AMAZING book! It is enjoyable at any age. ( )

YA, children