Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning

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Summary: Everyone loves it!
Review: Once I was reading The Bad Beginning on the bus and my friend read one page of it and loved it. Then another friend read a page and loved it now there fighting over who gets to read it. It's very unexpected and very adventurous. It keeps me up at night wondering what's going to happen next it was so exciting! I think it's just as good as Harry Potter if not better! It's very adventurous and dareing it's one of the best books I've ever read!

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Summary: The Bad Beginning ( A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1
Review: My 5th grade daughter and I looked forward to each evening when together we would enjoy this witty and very different book. Truly a book that must be shared and read out loud for its greatest effect! My daughter especially enjoyed how the author would introduce a more difficult vocabulary word and then explain its meaning in an interesting fashion. Though not a book for young children or those who scare easily, certainly a wonderful read for those who love surprise, irony and humor and not your typical, predictable endings.

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Summary: Wonderful Book!
Review: I'm in 5th grade and I thought the book is great. It felt like I was in the book and I was Baudelaire child. I read the book in one whole day because I couldn't stop. The next day I read the sequel. I recommend this book to all.

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Summary: My eight, twelve and thirteen year old girls LOVED this book
Review: My eight year old daughter has always said you always know what's going to happen in the end of every story, the main character will always have a happy ending, etc., so she has loved every minute of this book. I read it out loud in the melodramatica tones the book deserves, and it was one of our most enjoyable family read alouds ever. Obviously you have to take it all tongue in cheek, as it is meant to be. I think it's a marvelous idea, and hope the series goes on a while. At the end, where it says, "if you like a happy ending, stop reading now...." I took a vote and all three of my girls said, "READ ON!"ÿ

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Summary: One Huge "Unfortunate" Event
Review: Take the book's warnings very seriously - there is nothing happy or pleasant about this book. My 7 year old was extremely upset after the first two chapters, in which the main characters are orphaned. I then "read ahead" to check on the children's adventures, reassuring my son that, of course, interesting things would follow. I read the whole, miserable story trying to find a spark of something that would interest a child. We love the Harry Potter books which, while sometimes dark, are full of fantastic adventures. This book has little of that adventure. While some adults may appreciate the book's tongue in cheek tone, I did not, and would certainly not continue reading this book to my children.

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Summary: A book to be shared and loved by all
Review: This is one of the best books i have ever had the joy of reading! It is not your cookie cutter cinderella fariy tell. The prince does not come riding in on a white horse to save these poor children instead the are forced to live a life of misery and woe. I enjoyed this book because at every turn you would think they would be saved but instead they would just be mislead I cannot wail to get my hands on the next book in this wonderful series. I think everyone should be made to read this book!

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Summary: The funniest depressing read I've ever had
Review: These beautifully bound and illustrated books are marvelous fun! The Baudelaire children are the saddest, smartest characters I've seen in a while. True, the bad guys are stock-in-trade but who cares? This book and the one after it are enormous fun. Followers of Roald Dahl in particular should gobble them up! Hooray for children's fiction that is intelligently written, witty, funny and not saccharine sweet!

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Summary: You'll love this book!
Review: I loved reading this book. It is fast and fun. The author has a fun, creative, imagnitive style of writing. I highly recommend reading his books. My daughter who hates to read loves Lemony Snicket books so I know you will too.

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Summary: Fiendishly clever! Kids will beg to have the light left on!
Review: Snicket's foray into children's literature is dark, morbid and delightful! He strikes me as the sort of person who would invite unwitting Jehovah's Witnesses into the house for tea and leave them stranded on the sofa for hours.

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Summary: Just as good as Harry Potter!!!
Review: I heard that this book was going to be good... but not this good. It was almost as good of a read as Harry Potter. I can't wait for the third book to come out. Another reason I liked the bad beggining is because it is a short read.