Reviews with content warning for Adult/minor relationship - The Bad Beginning

I might be biased because I first read this series when I was in the same age range as Klaus and Violet, but I think this is overall a really great series and this book sets the tone for the rest of the series in terms of style and voice. It's not my fav of the series by any means, and reading it again as an adult I do see some problematic plot points. (Like a grown man trying to marry a 14 year old? Even though it's just to get their money it stills feels really creepy and weird.)

Also as others have said, the constant explaining of words is a bit annoying after a while. I understand this is meant for a younger audience but some of the words explained are words I knew at that age. And the author constantly uses more complicated words that aren't overly explained, so it makes the explanations seem redundant and cumbersome.

Overall this is a solid debut for an excellent series. The later books delve deeper into the story and subplots, but this one is more about introducing the concept and style of the series.

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ssweeny's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition

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dark 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

5.0

A dark children’s book but not so dark that it’s inappropriate. Definitely check the content warnings and make sure you feel this series is appropriate for your child’s age. But there is no cursing or mature content.m; it’s just dark and has realistically scary things.

We are continuing with the series as a family!

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wuthrinheights's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny informative sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was obsessed with this series as a kid. I've lost count of how many times I've watched the movie, and for many years, I've been collecting the books. I just realised my collection is complete by now so I started reading it from the first book.

It has been too long since I read this, so I forgot a lot of details, but the one thing I remember (and loved) about Lemony Snicket is how great his voice is. His writing is incredibly unique and unforgettable. It's eloquent, whimsical, humorous, and informative. I love how he would teach idioms or phrases, or explain what certain words would mean in between telling this tragic tale of the Baudelaire orphans.

The Bad Beginning was an incredible start to this fantastic series. It is (as per his warnings in every chance he could sneak in) terribly miserable and frustrating. From losing their parents at a young age to getting adopted by this unknown relative who abused them, to having adult friends who were of no help at all, it makes me want to weep for these three beautiful, smart, kind children. I know it's a series of unfortunate events, but my God. It truly is unfortunate.

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staceyinthesticks's review against another edition

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adventurous funny sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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thisismarianna's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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vibingjaren's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

As a survivor of child abuse, this book was hard to read. It felt too dark to be a children’s book. However, the word definitions felt as if I were being treated like a kid. The story was alright, not the worst but not the best. This book might interest people into darker stories, but I don’t think I’ll be continuing with the series.

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