The Mysterious Benedict Society, Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Did you enjoy the beginning of the book? I thought it was such a interesting and engaging start to a story! I was so intrigued about the tests and the children. I definitely wanted to keep reading, so I could know more. 

Throughout this section, we meet four very different children, Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance. Wasn't it interesting to see how each child responded differently to the tests and challenges? I thought it was interesting to see how they each had such a different approach. Do you think you had a character that you enjoyed reading about the most? I loved Kate and her bucket. I loved how she was able to do so many things with the items she kept in there. Why do you think Constance is so different from everyone else? How do you think she will fit with the team? 

Weren't you so curious about the tests and their purpose? Everything just seemed so random and not like any test I have ever experienced. Do you think you would have made it across the floor without touching a blue or black square? What about the written test? I definitely don't think I would have been able to make it through the house without getting lost. Check out the video below to see how the kids navigated the room test in the Disney + adaptation. 

What do you think of Mr. Benedict? I think I don't really understand what the Emergency is. He explains that people are receiving messages unconsciously, and this is causing a panic, but I don't really understand all the specifics. Near the end of this first section, we realize that Mr. Benedict and Mr. Curtain at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened are twins. Was that a surprise? Why do you think Mr. Benedict is good, but Mr. Curtain is evil? 

Do you think it was wise that Mr. Benedict sent four children away to be secret agents? I know they know morse code and aren't supposed to do dangerous things, but still, it's hard to imagine sending children into a potentially harmful place. What do you think of The Institute? It's such a weird place. There aren't a lot of rules, but you can tell that kids are supposed to do things in certains ways. The Messengers seem to have a lot of power, and the classes seem very odd. Do you think the kids have a good plan in place? Do you think it's wise to want to become Messengers? Will that allow them to figure out all of the secrets of the place? 

What do you think will happen in the next section? Are you excited to get some more answers about all of the mysterious elements? 

Thanks for checking the blog this week! I hope you'll leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the first section! Make sure to read the next 13 chapters for next week.