The Series of Unfortunate Events

In sixth grade, I was completely obsessed with one series, and one series only. These book were The Series of Unfortunate Events. I scribbled things in notebooks about the Baudelaire's adventures; I read each book with excitement. I was absolutely devoted to Lemony Snicket and his books. I even threw a party with my best friend when the last of the series came out. Recently, I looked at my bookshelf and said to myself, Oh, goodness, I haven't thought of or read those books in a while! And so, I couldn't resist pulling the first one off the shelf and leafing through its pages. Then, Lemony Snicket being Lemony Snicket, I was hooked. Sure, the books are written for kids more around the 4th grade level, but I couldn't help myself. They were quick and fun reads, and the villain in the story was one of those villains everyone loves to hate. I am currently reading the 9th one, entitled The Carnivorous Carnival. 

The whole series is based around three children named Sunny, Klaus, and Violet Baudelaire.When misfortune befalls the three siblings, they are sent to their relative's house-- a frightening, atrocious, and intimidating relative named Count Olaf. As luck would have it, Count Olaf is pure evil. He does everything in his power to steal the Baudelaire fortune, which was left to the children after something terrible happens to their parents. Each book has a different plot in which Count Olaf attempts to steal the fortune, and the poor Baudelaire's continue to have bad luck heaped upon them. Even though this series is written for younger readers, I still love it because it is different from the typical story, in which everything ends happily ever after. I would rate the entire series a 8.5 in a 10-point scale. Snicket's ability to tie things up at the end and connect everything is admirable, and makes for an interesting read.

So if one day you are looking for a quick and easy book to read, pick up The Bad Beginning, which is the first in the series. And remember to ignore Lemony Snicket's advice to put the book right back down.