The Vile Village: Book the Seventh (A Series of Unfortunate Events) »

To the uninitiated, his name may sound more like dessert than good reading; but Lemony Snicket (known to communicate through emissary Daniel Handler, shown here) is a star author to readers who are hooked on his gloomy A Series of Unfortunate Events books. You never know what will happen to those poor Baudelaire orphans next -- only that whatever it is, it's going to be a head-shaking shame.

I can think of no single reason why anyone would want to open a book containing such unpleasant matters as migrating crows, an angry mob, a newspaper headline, the arrest of innocent people, the Deluxe Cell, and some very strange hats.

It is my solemn and sacred occupation to research each detail of the Baudelaire children's lives and write them all down, but you may prefer to do some other solemn and sacred thing, such as reading another book instead.

VOYA

A Series of Unfortunate Events chronicles the perilous adventures of the Baudelaire children, thirteen-year-old Violet, twelve-year-old Klaus, and toddler Sunny. They were orphaned when their wealthy parents died in a tragic accident. Their parents' bank places them with a series of totally unsuitable guardians, from whom they must always make their escape. The evil Count Olaf lusts after their inheritance and continually tries to capture them. In every book in the series, he appears in a disguise that no adult can penetrate, yet the children always know it is he. In The Vile Village, Mr. Poe sends the Baudelaires to a village called V. F. D. The children know those initials have a dire significance for their friends, and they go willingly enough, only to find themselves in more trouble. The village council assigns them to work with the handyman, Hector, to do all the chores in the village. He is a kind man, but the village rules are impossible to follow. Then the Baudelaires discover mysterious messages from Isadora, and the village captures someone the new female police chief announces is Count Olaf—but who actually is an unfortunate fellow named Jacques. When Jacques is found dead the next morning, Detective Dupin arrives, but he is really Olaf. Naturally none of the adults except perhaps Hector believe the children, and they end up being murder suspects. Books in this series are reminiscent of Victorian melodrama. They are full of anachronisms, and the people and events are completely outlandish—readers must suspend disbelief and go along for the ride. Younger teens with a lively sense of the ridiculous will appreciate the preposterous plots and predicaments, and older teensmight enjoy the wordplay as evidenced in some of the characters' names. For others, a small dose of Snicket will go a long way. Reading the books in order—beginning with The Bad Beginning (HarperTrophy, 1999), The Reptile Room (1999), The Wide Window (2000), The Miserable Mill (2000), and The Austere Academy (2000)—is preferred, but one will not feel lost by starting with any. Libraries already owning the series in their children's departments will not need an additional set, except perhaps for larger facilities. Middle schools with generous budgets also might want to acquire the books. VOYA CODES:3Q 2P M J (Readable without serious defects;For the YA with a special interest in the subject;Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8;Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2001, HarperCollins, 272p. PLB $9.95. Ages 11 to 15. Reviewer:Kat Kan—VOYA, December 2001 (Vol. 24, No. 5)