Review:: The Grim Grotto, by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Grim Grotto

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, #11

Format: Kindle

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Previously:

The Bad Beginning

The Reptile Room

The Wide Window

The Miserable Mill

The Austere Academy

The Ersatz Elevator

The Vile Village

The Hostile Hospital
The Carnivorous Carnival
The Slippery Slope

It appears that the charm of The Slippery Slope slipped away with this one. The orphans are swept downstream and end up on a submarine. Things are pretty predictable, and I just didn't feel engaged by any of it.

Review:: The Slippery Slope, by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Slippery Slope

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, #10

Format: Kindle

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Previously:

The Bad Beginning

The Reptile Room

The Wide Window

The Miserable Mill

The Austere Academy

The Ersatz Elevator

The Vile Village

The Hostile Hospital
The Carnivorous Carnival

Wait, what, three stars? Yup. This book was genuinely enjoyable, unlike most of the books minus the beginning. Either I'm inured to the author's tone or it's lighter in this book, the entire work doesn't feel like an exercise in futility, and Sunny is actually treated like a character.

Review:: The Carnivorous Carnival, by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Carnivorous Carnival

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, #9

Format: Kindle

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Previously:

The Bad Beginning

The Reptile Room

The Wide Window

The Miserable Mill

The Austere Academy

The Ersatz Elevator

The Vile Village

The Hostile Hospital

Once again, the Baudelaire orphans have to deal with an awful situation involving Count Olaf. Once again, the moment something seems to be getting better, it gets worse. Even though we're not dealing with incompetent guardians anymore, this is still really formulaic.

Review:: The Hostile Hospital, by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Hostile Hospital

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, #8

Format: Kindle

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Previously:

The Bad Beginning

The Reptile Room

The Wide Window

The Miserable Mill

The Austere Academy

The Ersatz Elevator

The Vile Village

Something novel happens. No seriously! Something changes. Is it enough to make the books any better? ...no, not really. But hey, hey. The formula has been altered.

Review:: The Vile Village, by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Vile Village

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, #7

Format: Kindle

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Previously:

The Bad Beginning

The Reptile Room

The Wide Window

The Miserable Mill

The Austere Academy

The Ersatz Elevator

I really wish I didn't feel an unhealthy desire to finish this series. Because then I wouldn't be reading them, and could be busy reading things that are awesome. At least they're quick?

In The Vile Village, the Baudelaire orphans once again get put in a horrible living situation (this time, an entire village of awful people, as it takes a village to raise a child), get ensnared in one of Count Olaf's plots (this time, with bonus Esmé), and engineer a patently ridiculous way to get out of it (this time, stretched so far the author has to hang a lantern on it). Spoilers past the cut.

Review:: The Ersatz Elevator, by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Ersatz Elevator

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, #6

Format: eBook

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Previously:

The Bad Beginning

The Reptile Room

The Wide Window

The Miserable Mill

The Austere Academy

Gasp! This one very slightly deviates from the formula! An actual plot is starting to coalesce? Does it save the series? ...not really. Spoilers in the review, but if you've been reading these reviews so far, you should realize how little that can possibly matter with books like these.

Review:: The Austere Academy, by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Austere Academy

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, #5
Format: eBook
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Previously:
The Bad Beginning
The Reptile Room
The Wide Window
The Miserable Mill

In some ways, this book was better, but in others, it was exactly the same. They're just so formulaic. I understand that some authors feel like that's important in middle grade/YA, but in my opinion, it's underestimating young readers. Sure, some kids may like it, but why not give them something that challenges them a bit?

Review:: The Miserable Mill, by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Miserable Mill

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, #4

Format: eBook

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Previously:

The Bad Beginning

The Reptile Room

The Wide Window

Well, this one wasn't as awful as the last one. But that's not saying much. We're dealing with the same formula, the same annoying narrator, and the same problems. Just with a different setting.

Review:: The Wide Window, by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Wide Window

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, #3

Format: eBook

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Previously:

The Bad Beginning

The Reptile Room

So, I was trying to spread these out a bit, but apparently I'm in too much pain to do much but read middle grade books. So I don't have another review for you yet. (Hopefully soon, though.)

There aren't a lot of things that will, on its own, take a book down to one star. Usually, it's a combination of things. Well, I'd been putting up with a lot from Lemony Snicket, which has been discussed in previous reviews. But this one really, really pissed me off.

Review:: The Reptile Room, by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Reptile Room

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, #2

Format: eBook

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Previously:
The Bad Beginning

This one felt more like a proper three stars. I greatly enjoyed the premise of having a guardian that was actually a rather nice and interesting person. Plus, the whole Sunny playing with the adorable Incredibly Deadly Viper just made the whole thing for me. However... I'm afraid the series is really going to get repetitive and frustrating.

Review:: The Bad Beginning, by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Bad Beginning

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, #1

Format: eBook

Rating: ★★★☆☆

I know I read this series at some point as a kid, but think I only read the first three books or so. I recently saw them on Overdrive and figured "Hey! I'm really having trouble with my illness right now! These might be the perfect books to read!"

(yes, that's why I've been missing. too sick...)

And really, they were in a way. Quick, fun, enjoyable reads. Although, now I'm on the third by the time I'm writing this, and they're starting to get on my nerves... I think I'm going to have to start spreading them out.