The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart (2/5)

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict is a mystery novel that follows a young boy named Nicholas Benedict. Nicholas is an orphan who suffers from narcolepsy, a condition where he randomly falls into deep sleep. This mainly occurs when he is laughing/having fun. Due to his condition, he is forced to sleep in a different room from the others and has become somewhat of a social outcast. He is bullied by a group called the Spiders, and the adults at the orphanage are not a big fan of him. However, his life isn’t all bad as he meets his new friends, John and Violet. The trio end up catching wind of a secret treasure in their town, and set off to find it. While the Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict may seem interesting from the summary, from my personal experience, I can assure you it isn’t. The plot itself isn’t the problem, but rather the writing. It is written in a way that doesn’t impact the reader as much as it should be. It attempts to make readers sympathize with Nicholas, while it is actually hard to do so because of the way he is shown. There also appeared to be no double meanings to the reading either. This may just be me, but when I read, I like to find the deeper meanings behind books and perhaps an overall message. However, the writing in this novel is straightforward. This may be appealing to others, but I tend to like novels with more meaning than just what is read. I have said much about the cons, as there are many, but the book does have some of it’s pluses. As I have mentioned, the premise is interesting, and even though I did badmouth it, the simple writing is easy to understand and great for young readers looking for a novel. Also, while the main character is a bit triggering to me, his slyness and quick-mouthed remarks could prove to be comedic for the younger readers. All in all, I’d would have preferred to spend time reading a different novel, but if you are a fan of mystery and dislike complicated writing, try this novel.