The Secret Keepers is a novel by Trenton Lee Stewart.  Stewart is well-known for writing the Mysterious Benedict Society series, but this is a stand-alone book.  The story is about a boy named Reuben who lives alone with his mother.  His mother works multiple jobs just to make ends meet, while Reuben spends much of his time roaming the streets.  One day, Reuben finds a mysterious antique watch.  At first, Reuben plans to sell the watch so that he can provide some financial support for his mother.  However, he soon discovers that the watch has magical powers.  This discovery is exciting, but it also leads to a dangerous series of events.  A villain called “The Smoke” threatens to steal the watch from Reuben.  Reuben finds himself in a race against time to stop The Smoke from executing his sinister plan.

One of my favorites elements of this book is the characters themselves.  They are very interesting and well-developed.  I enjoyed learning about their backgrounds as the story progressed.  I also enjoyed the mystery of this story.  The plot includes many twists and turns, and several surprises.  The magical aspects of the story give it a surreal feeling that I enjoyed very much.  Overall, the book is very engaging throughout, and I often felt anxious to find out what would happen next.

I am a big fan of the Mysterious Benedict Society series, which led me to this book.  Even though this book is based in a different universe, I found it just as enjoyable as the Mysterious Benedict Society books.  The story is highly adventurous and suspenseful.  I would highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who enjoys Stewart’s other books.

The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.