*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!! ***
Another engaging installment in which the children use their unique skills both to solve Mr. Benedict's riddles and to escape the clutches of the evil Mr. Curtain. There's a bit of a lesson about how some people are capable of harming others, and some people aren't.
The book had somewhat of a slow start, but picked up once the kids got on the ship. Once again, we see how Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance have to work together to survive their journey and reach their goal. We also see a fair amount of character development in Constance and Sticky.
I was a little bothered by the children's encounter with the "boathouse prisoner". The whole incident seemed unnecessarily contentious, especially considering that Risker clearly had suffered at the hands of the Ten Man, and the children were there to help him escape, after all.
What most prevented me from giving this book 4 stars, though, was Reynie's misguided mistrust of Captain Noland. At one point mid-journey, he actually deceives his friends and cuts off all contact with Captain Noland - their one source of assistance!! - and in the end, Captain Noland was trustworthy after all. Yet, the book never addressed Reynie's miscalculation, nor the consequences it had on their journey. With Reynie always being the one the others looked to as the group leader with the best ideas, and him seeing himself in that role as well, it seems like his realization of this significant misjudgment could have been an important piece of character development.
Also, since I've already given the spoiler warning - I also didn't like the way the group took advantage of S.Q. Of course, they had to run for their lives. But I wish there could have been some way for them to avoid betraying S.Q., who had always been soft on all them. I haven't read the third book yet, but I would be sad to see S.Q. turn to the dark side out of anger and spite towards Mr. Benedict.
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