A review by laurenleigh
The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket

adventurous 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? It's complicated

5.0

Ben and I are leaving for a road trip today, so I’ve been enjoying these short reads that I can finish before we start the drive. That way I’ll be ready for whichever audiobook Ben picks from my list! This latest Unfortunate Events installment, The Wide Window, is really driving home what makes these novels so successful. I generally believe that underneath farce is a message or a moral. Here, it feels like through outrageousness, the lesson is subtle but important. Young people are too often not taken seriously by adults, but that doesn’t mean they should give up their convictions or sway their beliefs. The Baudelaire kids are always dealing with incompetent guardians and clueless adults, but they rely on their cleverness and sibling bonds to get them through. There’s some mild transphobia in this one, heads up. (I know the pronoun “it’s” was a part of the plot overall, but using “it’s” for a person who doesn’t fit into the gender binary hasn’t aged well to me.)
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