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azalya01's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I loved this book as a kid, so I'm reading it over again. The first book in the series is really charming and sets up what the reader is meant to expect in terms of narration and pacing in the rest of the series. I love the of mystery, humor, and genuine sadness that makes you really invest in the lives of the Baudelaire children, no matter how crazy the gets. I forward to reading more of the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Violence, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
maddy707's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I’ve decided to re-read this series to try to pull me out of a massive reading slump. This was the first series I ever read as a child and I loved it. All these years later and I loved this book just as much. I love the writing of this series, I love the Baudelaire siblings, I love the mystery of VFD. The nostalgia is just what I needed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Pedophilia
smacey's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
4.75/5.00
I originally read the SoUE books as a kid growing up, back when I fit the population that this series was meant for. I loved them. I am re-reading them now as a 27-year-old, and upon finishing book #1, I am sensing why I may have always liked them so much: these books are essentially the juvenile version of trauma porn (in a good way, to those who also believe that is a thing). I thought that my enjoyment of dark, twisted, trauma-filled stories started in adulthood, but I now think that maybe I've just always been this way. Regardless of the self-reflection this book has brought about for me, this was definitely a different reading experience as an adult vs. child.
I have critiques of this book for sure, but when I take a step back and examine those critiques from the perspective of what audience this book is intended for, they mostly don't hold. My main example is how Justice Strauss and Mr. Poe are insanely inept, to the point of being entirely frustrating and seemingly unrealistic as their obvious incompetence and consistent dismissal of the three main characters goes against the expected character of a high court judge and experienced banker. However, when you view it through the lens of a young person, their inability to listen to the Baudelaire children and the way in which they miss the obvious signs of abuse, neglect, and general cruelty of Count Olaf despite allegedly being intelligent, well-meaning adults can be, and likely is often, extremely relatable as a kid around the age of Klaus or Violet.
Essentially, this book is entirely well-written in the utterly unique Lemony Snicket style which I don't believe could ever be replicated, and although the pace is quicker than I'd like and the plot isn't as complicated as I'd prefer, once again, as a piece of children's fiction, it does exactly what it was meant to - create a relatable but simultaneously far-reaching (but still believable) fictional story focused on characters the same age as its intended audience and told in both a captivating and educational manner. My only standing critique is I would have loved more detail/a slightly longer story (but I also know that happens with each expansion of the series, which I look forward to re-delving into). Despite the maturity I now have a decade since my first read, the story still holds.
I originally read the SoUE books as a kid growing up, back when I fit the population that this series was meant for. I loved them. I am re-reading them now as a 27-year-old, and upon finishing book #1, I am sensing why I may have always liked them so much: these books are essentially the juvenile version of trauma porn (in a good way, to those who also believe that is a thing). I thought that my enjoyment of dark, twisted, trauma-filled stories started in adulthood, but I now think that maybe I've just always been this way. Regardless of the self-reflection this book has brought about for me, this was definitely a different reading experience as an adult vs. child.
I have critiques of this book for sure, but when I take a step back and examine those critiques from the perspective of what audience this book is intended for, they mostly don't hold. My main example is how Justice Strauss and Mr. Poe are insanely inept, to the point of being entirely frustrating and seemingly unrealistic as their obvious incompetence and consistent dismissal of the three main characters goes against the expected character of a high court judge and experienced banker. However, when you view it through the lens of a young person, their inability to listen to the Baudelaire children and the way in which they miss the obvious signs of abuse, neglect, and general cruelty of Count Olaf despite allegedly being intelligent, well-meaning adults can be, and likely is often, extremely relatable as a kid around the age of Klaus or Violet.
Essentially, this book is entirely well-written in the utterly unique Lemony Snicket style which I don't believe could ever be replicated, and although the pace is quicker than I'd like and the plot isn't as complicated as I'd prefer, once again, as a piece of children's fiction, it does exactly what it was meant to - create a relatable but simultaneously far-reaching (but still believable) fictional story focused on characters the same age as its intended audience and told in both a captivating and educational manner. My only standing critique is I would have loved more detail/a slightly longer story (but I also know that happens with each expansion of the series, which I look forward to re-delving into). Despite the maturity I now have a decade since my first read, the story still holds.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pedophilia, Transphobia, Murder, and Alcohol
inkysplodge's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Ableism and Fire/Fire injury
seapotatohowisitalrtaken's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Confinement
Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
buzzinfly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
sierra5304's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I love the narration and illustrations. The protagonists are nice. Count Olaf is a great antagonist/terrible human. The tragedy in children’s fiction makes this series stand out. The subject matter of adults failing children is very real (but not very present in children’s fiction) handled well in an age-appropriate way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, and Grief
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
mrs_faith_owens's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Unobjectively, I hate this book. I’m just not a fan of books that are this kind of dark, even though I enjoy books about murder. But objectively, I have to say this book is really well written. While it is super dark, it isn’t too graphic for most elementary age readers, and this book does a fantastic job of introducing new and very large words to the reader in a way that fits the tone of the book.
Overall, this book — and series — is impressively written with an oddly deep lore for a children’s book. Be warned… if you read this book and continue on with the series, you will be left with more questions that answers… and the answers may not match any questions you ever thought of.
Overall, this book — and series — is impressively written with an oddly deep lore for a children’s book. Be warned… if you read this book and continue on with the series, you will be left with more questions that answers… and the answers may not match any questions you ever thought of.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Also, child marriage. If you are checking the book before your child reads it, the following sections are probably the most critical to check. Page 8 Pages 45-49 Pages 96-110amelody's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Alcohol
ash122's review against another edition
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Confinement
Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury