Rating: 
Summary: I loved The Bad Beginning!
Review: I loved The Bad Beginning, the first book in
A Series of Unfortunate Events. I don't like many books! If you like stories with happy endings and beginnings put this book down immediately. This story has no happy beginning or ending.
The main characters are Violet, Klaus, Sunny, and Count Olaf. The Baudelaire kids ( Violet, Klaus, Sunny ) were very rich. One day their parents died in a fire. They were then raised by Count Olaf. Count Olaf, who is a mean, horrible man, he tries to steal the baudelair fortune. There is a whole series of these books. I'm going to try and read all of them.
Rating: 
Summary: What is this telling our kids?
Review: I am a writer and I can tell you that this series is not a good one for kids. Kids need to be taught that through hard work and dedication, happy endings are usually to follow. I don't understand what this series of childrens books is wanting to teach. Books are meant to teach lessons, such as life lessons and morals. This series of childrens books teaches that no matter how hard you try, you will always fail.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Beginning of a Great Series!
Review: For a couple of years I have been hearing about a series of Young Adult books written by Lemony Snicket. It wasn't until I taught a 7th grade Language Arts class this year that I was introduced to the first book when one of my students encouraged me to begin reading this series by lending me the first book, The Bad Beginning. I felt compelled to read it immediately and was happy to tell both this student and others, including teachers how much I loved the first book and couldn't wait to continue reading the series. And having just finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I did marvel at how children's and young adult books have changed over the years. Gone are some of the very sweet stories I was used to and found them replaced with child wizards filled with angst and a group of siblings coping with being orphans as well as villains and terrible events in their young lives.The blurb on the back of The Bad Beginning warns readers that the book they are holding is extremely unpleasant. Readers are also warned that the book will reveal an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children, known as the Baudelaires. And a sorry tale this book does tell although the reader is rooting that these children will overcome whatever befalls them. It is a credit to the author that despite the unhappy events described there is a sense of fun and some very quick thinking on the parts of the children. I did find this a fast and most enjoyable read. Particularly clever was the author's explanation of words and emotions that most children would not know. Some of the explanations found me even laughing despite the serious nature of the Baudelaire children's dilemmas. I also marveled at how Lemony Snicket so easily puts you right into these children's world. And I particularly loved the character of each child and their own inventiveness for getting them out of trouble. And the villainous Count Olaf who quickly becomes the children's nemesis is just devilish enough to entice you to continue reading. I recently finished the last book so far in the series, The Slippery Slope, and am now eagerly waiting for the next book to be published. And as if that wasn't enough I have just learned that a movie from this series with Jude Law as Lemony Snicket and Jim Carrey as Count Olaf will be coming to the silver screen shortly. Like other treasured series that children and adults alike can look forward to and remember, I predict the series of unfortunate events will have a long and happy future.
Rating:
Summary: I Don't Get It
Review: I know that this is a childrens book but some of my friends thought that I might enjoy it so I read it and guess what I hated it. I can understand how children would enjoy it because it adds to their limited vocabulary but I think that there are so many books that would be better for children to read such as Old Yeller or anything by the author Avi especially Poppy. They are such better books that children actually tend to like a lot more than adults tend to think. I would only recommend this to children ages 12 and under because if you are any older than that the humor and story may not pull you in. I hope that this review has been helpful to you!
Rating:
Summary: MUST BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This is a wonderfull book.It's the first of the best series(my opinion)of books. It has a lot of twists and turns and later revealed secrets. First, three children find out that thier parents and mansion are burned down. Then their unfortunate adventure began. They have to live with an very evil man and you can find the rest.
Rating: 
Summary: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book #1 The Bad Beginning
Review: The Bad Beginning has to be one of my favorite books of all times along with the other Unfortunate Event Books. The story is about three miserable, depressed orphans named Violet, Klause, and baby Sunny. Their parents died in a fire that also destroyed their house and personal belongings. When Violet comes of age, she will inherit her parent's fortune. But, until then, a devious, no wait, better make that a pure evil man named Count Olaf, is trying every trick in and out of the book to ruin their plans. Lemony Snicket has vowed to continue writing these tragic tales, for it is what he does best. I recommend this series to anyone who likes nonstop events one after the other.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant New Series
Review: The three Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, never complained about their life. Their parents loved them dearly, and the three children loved them back. They were allowed to attend adult parties given by their parents, read all the books that they wanted, invent whatever scientific item that came into their mind, and spend time walking and playing along the shores of Briny Beach. That is, until the good bankteller, Mr. Poe, comes to speak to them one day, and announces the death of their parents in a tragic accident. The three Baudelaire children, now the three Baudelaire orphans, are immediately swept away from their lives of love and luxury, and tossed into a gloomy old mansion with their "third cousin four times removed, or fourth cousin three times removed," known as Count Olaf. Count Olaf treats the three orphans horribly, forcing them to cook and clean for not only himself, but also for his friends, and soon the orphans are looking for a way to escape from their horrible new life. With no friends left except for Count Olaf's kind neighbor, Justice Strauss, the orphans feel lonely, and know that it's up to them to come up with a fantastic escape plan to leave their treacherous life with Count Olaf behind. In the likeness of J.K. Rowling, Lemony Snicket has created a fantastic new series, which follows the lives of three very unfortunate children. Snicket has made it so you sympathize with the three children so greatly, that all you want is to see them come out on top, and win over evil. Due to this, it is a very large challenge to try and put THE BAD BEGINNING down. Readers will be fascinated with characters who are intelligent and witty, even through their horrible dilemma, and be cheering for a happy ending. Which, might I add, never comes. A must-have book for all fans of HARRY POTTER, as the life of the Baudelaire orphans mimics Harry's life with the Dursleys greatly. Readers will be itching for the next installment, THE REPTILE ROOM. Erika Sorocco
Rating:
Summary: As sad as it is unhappy
Review: Dear less than fortunate book reader, If you are reading this review under your own free will, please stop immediately. Alternatively, if you are reading this because someone has threatened to make you eat various flavors of oddly shaped candy if you don't read this, it is even more urgent that you stop. It would be much more pleasant to read a book about horses, or maybe The Littlest Elf. I will ask you to pay no attention to the five-star rating I must have given this book when I was not thinking. While the thirteen chapters of The Bad Beginning may be printed on nice paper and be grammatically correct, the story it tells of Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire is quite unpleasant. Why, just last evening, I overheard a gentleman, whose name I do not recall, call The Bad Beginning, "A wonderful book about three orphans and the evil Count Olaf, who schemes to steal the fortune their parents left behind. But the three children stick together through it all and always find a solution to any trouble that Olaf sends their direction." Even worse than the gentleman whose name I do not recall, was the lady I overheard whose name I recall less who said, "The Bad Beginning is a book that people of all ages may enjoy, and takes a refreshing new approach for being funny." Please, I beg you, do not make the same mistake that children and adults of all ages have made, who seemed to think that this was one of the best books they ever read, by looking at this book further. I urge you to turn off your computer this instant and get as far away from it as possible. With all due respect,
Michael Strickland
Rating:
Summary: YIKES!
Review: I cannot believe this book was recommended to people who liked Harry Potter! It's an outrage. The writing is terrible and condescending. The plot is juvenile and, well, stupid. I gave it only one star because I didn't have the option to give a negative number to counter the 4 star rating displayed on this web-site. I would discourage any one from reading such garbage. What a waste.
Rating:
Summary: The first in a great series
Review: Ever read a children's book that combines humor, unfortunate events, an elusive author, and an interesting plot all in one? Unless you've read the A Series Of Unfortunate Events books, I doubt you can say that. These books chronicle the lives of three smart and clever orphans who must deal with bad, strange situations in each story. And it all starts off with just one fire... Violet, Sunny, and Klaus Baudelaire were taking a walk on the beach one day, little knowing that soon, their life would be taking a drastic change. The three Baudelaire children were comfortably growing up in a large mansion. Sunny, the youngest, loved to bite things, Klaus loved to read books, and Violet was one of the best inventors around. On that fateful day, Mr. Poe, a banker and friend of the Baudelaires, approached them and told them that their parents had died in a fire that had destroyed their entire house and had killed their parents. Mr. Poe informed them that they would be staying with a relative named Count Olaf, who lived not too far away. Sunny, Klaus, and Violet immediately know upon arrival at Count Olaf's house that he was no ordinary man. First of all, his house was full of paintings of eyes that seemed to be staring straight back at you. Second, he was an actor and had a whole theater troupe full of strange actors, including a man with hooks for hands, two women that had completely white faces, and other strange characters. Third, Count Olaf's house was filthy and disgusting. Violet, Sunny, and Klaus were given one small room with filthy curtains, a lumpy bed, a cardboard box to use as a closet, a pile of rocks to play with instead of toys, and of course, a painting of an eye. Count Olaf made each child do chores every day, such as making dinner for his troupe or cutting up firewood for no apparent reason in the yard. A couple days after the three children arrive, Count Olaf announces that he will be doing a play in which Violet, Sunny, and Klaus would have parts in. In the play, titled "The Marvelous Marriage," Violet would be the bride, Count Olaf would be the husband, and Sunny and Klaus would be two of the people invited to the wedding ceremony. Justice Strauss, Count Olaf's neighbor, would be the judge. The three children suspected that this play might be part of a plan, so Klaus and Violet borrowed some books about marriage and law from Justice Strauss' library. Klaus finally discovers that Count Olaf's play was all a plan to get the Baudelaire fortune by marrying her using an official document from City Hall, being in front of a judge (Justice Strauss), and having witnesses. Since Count Olaf was Violet's legal guardian, he had permission to allow her to marry, and once a husband had married his wife, all her money would be in Count Olaf's control. Violet, Sunny, and Klaus would have to find a way to stop Count Olaf from ruining their lives forever. The book ends at sort of a cliffhanger; so read the next book "The Reptile Room" to find out what's next in the Baudelaire's woeful lives.
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