A Series of Unfortunate Events
Brothers
Scholastic, Inc.
2000
Audiobook
162
Dear Reader,
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.
In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.
It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
WrensReads Review:
This was as good as I thought it would be.
You have three kids: an older sister named Violet who likes to build and great, a middle brother named Klaus who knows a lot of random facts, and a little baby sister named Sunny who apparently has the strongest teeth in the whole world. In the words of Lemony Snicket, “the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.” I mean, come on their parents die, then a man tries to still said money… just… the kids lead a very, unfortunate life.
This was a hilarious read. The feeling of the show (yes, I’ve seen the show [first], but I actually didn’t even know these books existed until I was an adult in my own defense!).
What I like most about this book is the fact that the kids are smart and know what they are doing. When someone tries to explain something or tell them what a word means, the kids are like “yeah we know what it means it means this… duh.”
I can see how this would be a great read for kids. Especially the audio, for kids who have a short attention span, because it is a full cast and has sound effects and keeps you engaged with the story. There is a lot of mystery to it so it is fun for the kids to try to find out what is going to happen before it does. Bad things happen, but in a light way for the reader to not feel like it is dark but humorous. This book can help a kids confidence with words, problem solving and over all just how to enjoy themselves.
I’m an adult in my mid twenties and I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series. If it is anything like the Netflix Original Show, I’m going to be smiling ear to ear in no time.
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