Scan barcode
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
I have come to a conclusion (conclusions are important to me). This is not a childrens or middle-grade series. Children should never be allowed near these books thanks to the amount of murder (via arson, poisoning or being thrown into a lake full of monster leeches) and general misery in them. Middle-graders would find them patronizing. That leaves young-adults and adults. And now that that's clear, I can finally move on.
The Baudelaire orphans are once again off to a new place to live. This time, it's a lumber mill where they're forced to labour. It's a miserable place and they're very unhappy, though you're probably used to reading that by now.
The thing that's different in this case is Count Olaf. Usually, he shows up as soon as they've settled into the place. This time, he doesn't. Things still suck for the kids but it's not because of him. Not at first, at least. He still shows up later on. But that's obvious. You can't have a Phineas and Ferb episode with Candace, can you?
Anyway, the whole time he's not there, the Baudelaires are constantly looking for him. They know he's going to find them, and not knowing where he is or what he's planning is almost worse for them. I like that the author changed things up a little. It was interesting. We also got our first adult who actually listened to the kids. Not that he was any help, but still, that's progress for sure.
I liked this installment. And I like how the author changes one thing in every book to keep things fresh. I wish he would change the baby talk with Sunny, but we can't always get what we want.
I'm warming up to the word-meaning segments because they've shifted from I'm-trying-to-educate-you to funny additions. The one problem I had (that was unique to this book) involved a sword fight. It pained a bad picture in my head and was a tad too ridiculous even by this series' standards. Other than that, it were good and I'm reading the next part very soon.
The Baudelaire orphans are once again off to a new place to live. This time, it's a lumber mill where they're forced to labour. It's a miserable place and they're very unhappy, though you're probably used to reading that by now.
The thing that's different in this case is Count Olaf. Usually, he shows up as soon as they've settled into the place. This time, he doesn't. Things still suck for the kids but it's not because of him. Not at first, at least. He still shows up later on. But that's obvious. You can't have a Phineas and Ferb episode with Candace, can you?
Anyway, the whole time he's not there, the Baudelaires are constantly looking for him. They know he's going to find them, and not knowing where he is or what he's planning is almost worse for them. I like that the author changed things up a little. It was interesting. We also got our first adult who actually listened to the kids. Not that he was any help, but still, that's progress for sure.
I liked this installment. And I like how the author changes one thing in every book to keep things fresh. I wish he would change the baby talk with Sunny, but we can't always get what we want.
I'm warming up to the word-meaning segments because they've shifted from I'm-trying-to-educate-you to funny additions. The one problem I had (that was unique to this book) involved a sword fight. It pained a bad picture in my head and was a tad too ridiculous even by this series' standards. Other than that, it were good and I'm reading the next part very soon.
bjlongchamps's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
2.75
itclouie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
noorisreading's review against another edition
it was really good and interesting.
whimsicalmeerkat's review against another edition
2.0
Enjoyable for the same reasons as all the others, but not my favorite. Still engaging.
idahobekah's review against another edition
4.0
This book felt like a breath of fresh air! It was by far the funniest, wittiest book in the series thus far, and though incredibly dark, it had me laughing and on the edge of my seat toward the end.
I will say that the characters and “guardians” in this book were just not very lovable. I didn’t find myself feeling attached to anyone or wanting to spend more time with them. That’s where this book falls short of its predecessors.
The only thing that made the experience of this book fall short for me was the narration dynamics in the audiobook. Narrator portions were MUCH quieter than the loud lumber employees and the boss. I kept fiddling with my volume the entire way through.
I will say that the characters and “guardians” in this book were just not very lovable. I didn’t find myself feeling attached to anyone or wanting to spend more time with them. That’s where this book falls short of its predecessors.
The only thing that made the experience of this book fall short for me was the narration dynamics in the audiobook. Narrator portions were MUCH quieter than the loud lumber employees and the boss. I kept fiddling with my volume the entire way through.
kinley14's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kriavidar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75