 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1
- By Lemony Snicket
- Genre: Adventure
Common Sense Media says
A cliff-hanging adventure wrapped in black humor.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the bleak atmosphere of this story keeps readers holding their breath, as will the damsel-on-train-tracks adventure. Periodic gusts of humor, admittedly wicked, allow readers to start breathing again.
What's the story?
A cliff-hanging adventure wrapped in black--very black--humor marks the arrival of talented new children's writer Lemony Snicket, along with his equally fiendish (and underutilized) illustrator, Brett Helquist. The story follows the grim-fated progress of the recently orphaned Baudelaire children, and their mistreatment at the hands of their abominable uncle, right to the bittersweet, to-be-continued ending.
Is it any good?
Snicket successfully negotiates the treacherous waters of gallows humor in this first volume of his Series of Unfortunate Events. Like Edward Gorey, his success is due to the formal, deadpan quality of his fine writing, its understated way with catastrophe. The result is at once grim and sinister and terrifically entertaining.
The book doesn't get by on ghoulishness alone; it needs a story, and it has a good one. Snicket keeps readers off balance: He states flatly that things won't turn out right for the Baudelaires, then holds out some promise, only to snatch it back. The story is enlivened by artwork from Helquist, yet the illustrations are few in number -- more would have added a real visual boost to the work.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the black humor in this book. Do you enjoy this kind of humor? Does it mix well with the sinister aspect of the story?
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Kid, 10 years old
May 3, 2011
AGE
un-oh. count olaf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
like when i reviewed the movie, it's the same story. The parents die in a fire and have to live with a mean relative. count olaf. violence is a BIG problem. a boy gets hit on the face,a baby is traped in a high tower, and a hook grabs a girls shirt.the book is dark,but the movie is darker.
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AGE
This is Amazing!
This series is amazing!!! I love all the books and I've read all of them too! Once you start reading one of these books you can't stop. All of my friends have read this series and they have all come to me and have said that they loved it. I recommend this book!
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AGE
Something a little Weird
I dont like the book that much because it doesnt have a good beginning. Its not well thought out. Especially for the orphans. I cant believe the author would make such a sad book. Nah,if you are going to read it Dont!
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AGE
good book
love the series. a series everyone can read. read all the book in 6th grade. i didnt find the books nor the movie to be scary or even extremely violent
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Kid, 12 years old
February 18, 2011
AGE
kids 10 and up
count olaf drinks wine and acts drunk in front of the kids
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AGE
As an adult, it's a little underwhelming. I preferred the movie a lot more. The books are for a much younger audience, and so each one is very short and contains a lot of explanations of vocabulary. Back in my day (when we walked 10 miles barefoot in the snow to school, uphill both ways, doncha know!) we didn't have a bunch of vocabulary explanations, and we either figured out the word from the context or we used our children's dictionary to look it up.
Older readers will probably roll their eyes at the brevity and explanations in the book. However, this would be a great book for someone who is a pretty decent reader but is low on vocabulary.
I haven't reached this part in the book series yet, but in the movie the "moral of the story" is that no matter how bad things get, the good things are still there and even better for the bad times. That was very comforting to me in a dark time, cheesily enough.
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Kid, 11 years old
July 30, 2010
AGE
Very Mysterious
Sunny, Klaus, and Violet Baudelaire are very intelligent children. The thing that weirds me out, though, is Count Olaf's plan to marry Violet. Does anyone realize HOW weird that sounds? A-W-K-W-A-R-D…But it is a very good book.
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AGE
Black humor might put parents off.
I really like this book. Although parents may dislike some of the weird and dark humor, kids eight and up should be able to enjoy this somber yet funny book.
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Kid, 12 years old
September 18, 2010
AGE
Great series for more advanced readers
I started reading these books around 7 or 8 years old. It was a little over my head, but perfect for ages 10 and up. Part of this was because of the advanced dialouge and sometimes hard to follow plot. This series leaves twists and cliffhangers at every turn, but I think the role models, such as the children's many guardians, could be a bit better. Overall, this series was fabulous, always leaving me wanting more! Also, read the companion books, The Unauthorized Biography of Lemony Snicket, and The Beatrice Letters, for more info after you finish the series.
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AGE
For Mystery Lovers
The book is a bit violent for some, but not too much. For example, parents die, an uncle slaps a boy, ect. I loved the mystery in this series. It's not a crime mystery, like some might think. So if you lf you love a good mystery, this is the book for you. You might like this book if you enjoy Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys and other mystery books.
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| Author: | Lemony Snicket |
| Illustrator: | Brett Helquist |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Children's Books |
| Publication date: | January 1, 1999 |
| Number of pages: | 162 |
| Hardcover price: | $10.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 9 - 12 |
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