A big shoutout to Disney+ for making a series based on this book. I never would’ve known its brilliance without their advertising. I watched and loved the series, but per the norm, the book outshines the show in every way. Originally, I intended to read the entire collection (5 books in all) before I wrote about them, but after I finished book one, I just couldn’t wait. I do plan to finish the rest, simply because I loved the first one so much.
The novel follows a group of young, albeit extraordinary children as they attempt to uncover who and what is behind the world-wide crisis called “the emergency.” Gathered together by the kind-hearted genius Mr. Benedict, Reynie Muldoon, George “Sticky” Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire infiltrate a school for gifted children on a mission to trace the source of subliminal messages sent through radio and television programs. The messages are both confusing and disturbing and Mr. Benedict believes they are responsible for the global crisis. The children discover early on that Mr. Benedict’s theories are correct and the story follows their brave undercover adventure as they disrupt the evil plans of Mr. Ledroptha Curtain.
The novel is chock-full of suspense, twists and turns, and out-of-the-box ideas. The plot keeps readers on their toes. It is also ripe with content that begs for deeper discussion. Themes pertaining to current cultural issues are perfectly intertwined in this story and invite readers into a depth of critical thinking this literature-lover found delicious. If I taught 4th or 5th grade, this book would be a must read for my students. The story touches on ideas such as: the influence of streaming media, how far we will compromise our values to pacify fear and satiate our appetites, how desperately we need identity and belonging, and how deeply memory affects our identity. It’s brilliant!
The book is recommended for ages 8 and up but I believe younger, advanced readers could easily take it on. I also thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult (not something I’ve experienced with other young adult novels I’ve picked up) because both the vocabulary and the technical style exemplify crafted writing. I give my whole-hearted recommendation and tip my hat to author Trenton Lee Stewart, excellent work!
