The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1)

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Summary: We loved this book!
Review: We thoroughly enjoyed this weirdly wonderful book! The story is clever and darkly comic and reminded us a bit of the Harry Potter books.

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Summary: The Bad Beginning
Review: I really enjoyed this book. The author has an enjoyable style of using words and then defining them. I found the interjected definitions witty and humorous. The style, or should I say situation, of the poor Baudelaire children is very much like that of Dahl's subjects. They are orphaned and thrust into terrible circumstances. You hope throughout the book that Violet, Klaus, and infant Sunny will have a happy ending. As we all know from the book's description, this is not to be for the Baudelaire orphans. I can only wonder what desperately unfortunate circumstances arise for these poor children later in the series. These are truly enjoyable quick reads that are full of wit, humor, and angst.

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Summary: Give them a try
Review: I have all the "Unfortunate Events" books so far and I find them very entertaining. They are written in a funny and original style that I found to be very amusing. If you are looking for quick fun read you can't go wrong with these books.

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Summary: We Can't Wait for Bedtime!
Review: My second grader and I despaired of ever finding a series that we'd enjoy reading together as much as we enjoyed Harry Potter. We found it! The Baudelaire orphans have become like members of the family. We look forward to reading the witty tales of their misfortune and to cheering these intelligent children on. It's true that the events described are tragic, but somehow, we know that Violet, Klaus, and Sunny will triumph. After all, as the narrator points out, they have each other. And they'll have us, as long as the books keep coming!

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Summary: Just as Good as Harry Potter!
Review: Very exciting and thrilling. It's so sad, that it's funny. I'm glad everything turned out alright. I think this is a good children's book, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

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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.