*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***
A fun read!
Even though the book confirms that events are taking place in the United States, there is a storybook feel, or at least a sense that the story is taking place some time ago, back when orphanages still existed, and television was the most modern and prevalent kind of technology.
It turns out there is a sci-fi bent, with an evil mastermind trying to take over the world with a crazy mind control invention that uses children.
The idea is that Mr. Benedict - the good guy - uses an elaborate method of testing to bring four uniquely clever and intelligent kids into his inner circle to help him take down the evil guy. These four children each have their own strengths and weaknesses, but they learn to work together as a team. There are all sorts of puzzles and challenges that the reader might enjoy tackling alongside the children.
The method of mind control, along with the kids' secret agent exploits, actually led to some pretty sophisticated themes like loyalty and betrayal, absolute and relative morality, reality versus perception, what it means to have fears, and how to best deal with those fears.
This probably isn't important, but there was one event that I didn't understand. At one point, the Recruiters actually break into Mr. Benedict's house and try to kidnap Constance. At first I thought they were targeting Mr. Benedict, knowing that he was an adversary, and they wanted to take one of his agents. Later on it became clear that the bad guys didn't know Mr. Benedict existed. So that means the Recruiters were just there randomly to kidnap Constance. But then, after seeing how hard everyone worked to save Constance, wasn't it weird that Constance just voluntarily showed up at the Institute? Why didn't the Recruiters recognize her and get suspicious?
Anyway, the characters and overall story, including some twists at the end, was entertaining enough that I'm giving the book 5 stars despite that bit of confusion.
P.S. There's a fun note at the back of the book directing the reader to look for a code to decipher!
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