I read the Mysterious Benedict Society books along with my kids and really enjoyed them, so I was excited to read the Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart. It does not disappoint! There are riddles and puzzles and a villain that will take everyone's help to defeat.

I appreciate the children's characters in this book. They are only stereotypical so far, then there is the humanity. The lack of strict black and white, good and bad. So many times, books for younger readers are written like they are being spoon-fed to the reader. Kids (especially older elementary and middle grades) can handle complexity! This author writes for them.

My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of the Mysterious Benedict Society Series, I couldn't wait to read this new book. It did not disapoint! This story had all the twists and turns I expected, though I had to admit, I was getting frustrated that Reuben wasn't doing his research in the library he claimed to love. I was releived when he finally walked through the doors. I have always appriciated that Stewart has well developed characters in all sexes, ages, and nationalities.

This book was a fantastic adventure. It's perfect for middle grade and YA readers. I loved the characters or Reuben and the Smoke. The book is fast-paced and hard to put down. In true Stewart fashion, there are some great lessons and quotes embedded within the pages of an adventure. I love this author and can't wait to read more of his work!

I loved this story. Trenton Stewart is a mainstay on my shelves at the library.

This book is in my classroom library. It is just the kind of convoluted adventure I expect from Stewart and my students love it.

Although somewhat long winded I really enjoyed this book. It has a very complex, yet has an interesting plot and very likable characters. I enjoyed seeing the friendship between Rueben and Penny develop. I also really liked Jack, Penny's brother. It will satisfy those kids who are always asking for long and complex books. I also liked the concept of a watch that makes someone disappear.

Trenton Lee Stewart keeps the magic of Mysterious Benedict Society going in a whole new world of secrets, villains and gorgeously crafted characters, tons of kick butt kids among them.

Thanks for letting me review it! My students like this author.

I wasn't super-convinced about this book at first. It starts in such a familiar way: kid and single mom living in not-great circumstances in a mild dystopia, kid finds strange object, must discover inner strength in order to solve mystery and defeat antagonist. "Been there, done that," I thought through the first few chapters. I'm really glad I stuck around, though. Although Stewart's themes and tropes are familiar, he does a GREAT job developing the characters and the story to make it feel really fresh. My ten-year-old read this with me, and one of his observations was, "This feels like it could actually happen." The main character doesn't have superpowers, and there are no parallel dimensions or crazy magic situations to deal with. There are places where Stewart totally could have done that, but instead managed to keep the narrative connected to reality. I absolutely adored that. Once the story got moving, I really couldn't put the book down. I have so much respect for an author who takes the time to figure out how things could really work instead of just falling back on, "Don't worry about it- it's magic." I highly recommend this book to anyone with a kid who loves adventure and mysteries.

Great story! I was completely taken by this story and all of its unexpected plot turns. I have already gone out and bought a copy for my 4th grade classroom. My students will love this story.

The author of The Mysterious Benedict Society is back with another tale of new friends on a dangerous adventure. This time, this kids in question are Reuben, who makes a dangerous discovery on one of his explorations in the city, and Penny, a lighthouse keeper’s daughter whose family guards a secret from a hidden evil. Pursued by the henchmen of a criminal known as The Smoke, Reuben unravels a series of clues that lead him to Penny’s lighthouse and the secret power of his mysterious discovery. Reuben, Penny, and Penny’s older brother team up to take down The Smoke once and for all.
Like The Mysterious Benedict Society, The Secret Keepers is a sometimes over-complicated adventure story featuring intelligent, resourceful, independent children as its heroes. The storyline isn’t always satisfying for me—especially when it veers into situations that feel ridiculous (The Smoke’s big booby trap of a house is one of these for me)—but the protagonists are terrific and interesting, and you want to know what happens next for them. (I wish the villains were similarly complex.) The book is at its best during its suspenseful sequences, which are clearly Stewart’s forte—he builds the kind of tension that keeps you flipping pages—and the development of the characters on the side of good, especially the children. There are places where the lengthy descriptions and explanations bog the book down a bit—I think a little editorial intervention might have trimmed some of the length without losing any of the story—but that’s a quibble. This is an adventure story and—mostly—a pretty delightful one with plenty of satisfying twists and turns, perilous exploits, and a well-earned conclusion.

If you liked The Mysterious Benedict Society, this one is definitely worth checking out on your next library trip.

Stewarr's novels are the perfect mix of extraordinary plots grounded by their setting in a world that holds the same kinds of challenges that its readers might face. There's a great mystery element, with ruthless bad guys on the chase, but also friendship, loyalty and honesty in the mix. A great read for Middle Grade readers.

I finally read this book and I loved it! What a wonderful story of mystery and intrigue with great characters.

This is a fun to read mystery/fantasy for kids. When eleven year old Ruben, a loner who sneaks around town exploring, finds an old pocket watch that had been hidden in a crack in a wall, his life becomes an adventure. He tries to find out about the watch, hoping to sell it and get money so that he and his mom can move into a better neighborhood, but he learns that the mysterious leader of his city, known only as "the Smoke", is interested in the watch, and now he and his mother are in danger. I enjoyed reading this adventure story and I will definitely recommend it to middle grade readers!

The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart is a middle grade novel. Eleven-year-old Reuben spends his days exploring, hiding, and practicing parkour among the abandoned buildings of the Lower Downs as a way to escape the rough times that have befallen him and his mom, but his discovery of an extraordinary antique pocket watch changes everything. When Reuben finds that the watch has the power to turn him invisible, he's propelled on the adventure of a lifetime. Now Reuben is being pursued by a group of dangerous men called the Directions, and someone called The Smoke. They all want the watch, and with the help of new friends, it's up to Reuben to unravel the mysteries surrounding it and protect the city from evil.

The Secret Keepers is a middle grade read, and as descriptive and long as the Mysterious Benedict Society books. I really enjoyed Reuben and his sweet nature. His concern for others, like his mother, really made my love his character. Penny and particularly her doll, cracked me up and kept me reading when I might have staggered. The descriptions of the watch, the Smoke, the Directions and other aspects of the story are very detailed- but somehow the world building did not feel complete. I liked the interplay of the characters and the adventure, no matter how misguided some of the efforts to protect others were on occasion. I got a bot bogged down in the length and descriptions, but think that was more my headspace when I started the book rather than faults within the writing.

The Secret Keepers is a wonderful adventure, and fans of the Mysterious Benedict Society will gladly get lost in Reuben’s adventures. Less adept readers might be intimidated by the book length, or the amount of description versus dialogue. I would suggest trying the audio book or reading aloud as a family for those that really want to read the book, but are not getting lost in the story. I admit that I had trouble fully engaging in the story, because I get lost in characters and dialogue much easier than this style of writing, but found listing to this style much more engaging than reading.