OurColony.net

LOVE it!

Customer Rating:
It flows well, the characters are great, I think they should make it a movie!

It has a "Series of Unfortunate Events/Nanny McPhee/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" feel to it.

There are twists and turns everywhere. Bravery, puzzles (it even ends with one), suspense. I read the whole thing in 2 days, I couldn't put it down.

Terrific Book

Customer Rating:
My 5th grader and 7th grader enjoyed this book. What I really liked about the book is that each of the children are different and have different skills, but that all their skills / talents are needed.

Amazingly Wonderful!

Customer Rating:
When I first read the jacket cover of this book, I threw it into the back of my closet for awhile. The next summer I was cleaning out my closet and found the book. I immediately stopped what I was doing and sat down to read this book. It was so intriguing that I just couldn't put it down. I read it cover to cover finally finishing it. Let me just tell you one thing: Don't judge a book by it's cover. Or if you prefer, jacket cover. The jacket cover only talks about the first two chapters. Which, isn't the best part of the book.

A book for the geeky kids :-)

Customer Rating:
Have you ever found yourself feeling alone? Out of place? Too smart to be cool? If so, maybe you have what it takes to be a member of the Mysterious Benedict Society.

Reynie Muldoon is all of these things and more. When he answers an ad promising a special opportunity, little did Reynie realize that he would save the world - a task only children could accomplish!

I purchased this book (kindle edition) to read to my almost-10 year old son. Unfortunately, the long descriptions and slow pace seemed to thrill me more than him. As my son was adopted, I thought the premise would entice him (the children were all orphans or without parents) - and in that respect it really did (good for him to see it as a positive). However, I felt this book would capture the attention of kids that can relate to Reynie's feelings of being alone and "different" - and in that respect, I think it was speaking to my nerd-like bookworm tendencies. As a child, I would have loved this book for seeing brainiacs as the protagonists.

I felt the characters very believable and enjoyed their antics, especially Kate. While there is little action, there are some very tense moments that kept me on edge. And, it was (at least for me) a page turner. The feel good ending was a little too convenient, but there were some VERY surprising reveals.

If you have a boy's boy who tends to like dragon books and the like, maybe this is a pass. The lack of action seemed to be his complaint, although he said he liked it - just didn't love it. Otherwise, if you have a bookworm on your hands, it's a great read.

Note on the kindle edition: as of the date of this review, the code to figure out Mr. Benedict's first name is missing.

a minority opinion

Customer Rating:
I bought this book to read aloud to my eight-year-old son on the recommendation of our outstanding local bookshop. I am really surprised by the raves this book received. Its plot is bloated and the prose is in need of some serious editing. It almost seemed like the publisher believed it had a real blockbuster on its hands and failed to take the time to get a potentially great book ready for market. Instead the novel falls completely flat, lacking any dramatic tension or pace. I'm glad I only paid $6.99 for it.