We haven’t seen much of Mr. Curtain lately, but we have seen a lot of four particular children. In the beginning of this book, “The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma,” we find them on the third floor of an old house we know so well. Constance (3 years old) and Renne (11), in one room, and Kate (12) and Sticky (whose real name is George and is 11 as well) in another. Each of the pairs of children has been given a multiple-choice dilemma in which, if they both choose A (to remain silent), they would get extra kitchen duties for the rest of the day. But if both teams choose B (to betray), then they would get extra kitchen duties for the rest of the week. Lastly, if they choose C (which is if one team chooses A and the other team chooses B), then the team who chooses “A” would, by themselves, have to do the rest of the week’s dishes. But in the end, they choose option “D”—to escape!
This is just the first of many phenomenal chapters in this book, which is exciting (as in tracking clues to uncover Mr. Curtain’s evil plot), suspenseful (such as when the four children are held captive in an abandoned prison) and action-packed (as demonstrated by the breathtaking battles at the closing of the book). These are just a few of the reasons this book is one of my favorites, and why I always keep it handy for when I need a dose of action or adventure.
