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maeverose's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.75
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I liked this one a bit more than the first one I think. The writing style and humor is my favorite part. Plus this one had slightly less ableism, transphobia and pedophilia, but thatâs about it.
I know this series is obviously purposefully ridiculous, but itâs so frustrating how oblivious all the adults are. I know thatâs the point. I get it. But I hate it. I know this story isnât supposed to be taken seriously at all but it BOTHERS ME lol
maybe itâs just my autism being uncomfortable with the chaos and miscommunication idk.
I liked this one a bit more than the first one I think. The writing style and humor is my favorite part. Plus this one had slightly less ableism, transphobia and pedophilia, but thatâs about it.
I know this series is obviously purposefully ridiculous, but itâs so frustrating how oblivious all the adults are. I know thatâs the point. I get it. But I hate it. I know this story isnât supposed to be taken seriously at all but it BOTHERS ME lol
maybe itâs just my autism being uncomfortable with the chaos and miscommunication idk.
And they keep calling venomous snakes poisonous
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Alcohol, Stalking, Cursing, Fatphobia, and Transphobia
Moderate: car crash, snakes Minor: mention of physical abuselibbyhb's review
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-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
2.5
This wasn't that exciting to me - I feel like I enjoyed the later books in this series as a kid more. This one felt a little too small, contained, simple, etc. And Olaf's plan was dumber than usual? Lol. I did write down this quote, though:
It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try and readjust the way you thought of things.
Love that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Child abuse
flamesocks's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Murder, Death, and Kidnapping
steffi_23's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Grief
Minor: Murder
rain_blackbird's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
booksthatburn's review
dark
tense
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
3.0
The Baudelaire Orphans are moved to live yet another relative and they are briefly able to enjoy reading, inventing, and biting things before Count Olaf makes another odious appearance.
One strength of the narrative style is that it places interesting and (assuming a younger reader) new vocabulary and concepts in a context where they're explained in a way that conveys what they literally mean and why it's important right now in the story. It's a kind of whimsy that takes seriously the reader's desire to know more and meets it with an okay story told in a memorable way.
This is the next stage in the children's terrible non-adventure and it doesnât wrap up anything specific from THE BAD BEGINNING. It features a new storyline with several things that are introduced and resolved. It leaves a big thing for later books to pick up. The narrator is consistent with the last book. The story makes sense if you start here, but itâs likely better to start at the beginning.
It has more of a mystery/hijinks vibe in the middle when the children are trying to figure out how to avoid being alone with Olaf and how to make him reveal himself as a fraud. It's not amazing, overall, but it mostly dodges the big problems from the first book.
One strength of the narrative style is that it places interesting and (assuming a younger reader) new vocabulary and concepts in a context where they're explained in a way that conveys what they literally mean and why it's important right now in the story. It's a kind of whimsy that takes seriously the reader's desire to know more and meets it with an okay story told in a memorable way.
This is the next stage in the children's terrible non-adventure and it doesnât wrap up anything specific from THE BAD BEGINNING. It features a new storyline with several things that are introduced and resolved. It leaves a big thing for later books to pick up. The narrator is consistent with the last book. The story makes sense if you start here, but itâs likely better to start at the beginning.
It has more of a mystery/hijinks vibe in the middle when the children are trying to figure out how to avoid being alone with Olaf and how to make him reveal himself as a fraud. It's not amazing, overall, but it mostly dodges the big problems from the first book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Grief, Murder, and Death
Minor: Cursing, Ableism, Fatphobia, Blood, and Transphobia
readingincabeswater's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent
andrea_h111's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
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? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
This book honestly made me so angry. How could everyone not see what the Beaudelaires saw!? I know thatâs kinda the point but it is still very frustrating. Or sucks that they donât have a happy ending. These books suck!!
I honestly love them! â¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸
I honestly love them! â¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, and Stalking
laurenleigh's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
You know whatâs great to listen to when your attention span feels very small? Short middle-grade novels! I couldnât resist listening to the next book in the series. The first book was a bit chaotic, with the full cast and all the sound effects. I much prefer this one, with just Tim Curry. Heâs amazing, of course. This installment made me remember another aspect of the Lemony Snicket genius. He delightfully breaks the fourth wall, but in a special way that adds a whole other dimension to the story. I remember how that grows with the series, so that Lemony Snicket becomes another plot line, like a story within a story. Itâs a brilliantly subversive way to make the reader question âreality,â and it reminds me of how Lolitastarts out. I love this convention of making the author yet another character in the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder