 | 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 End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13)
- By Lemony Snicket
- Genre: Humor
Common Sense Media says
The misery ends at last -- or does it?
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the humor in this series is of the dark, bleak variety, and many kids don't get the joke -- they just see it as an adventure. Few books are seen as differently by adults and kids as this series. You'll probably enjoy it almost as much as your children -- but for entirely different reasons.
What's the story?
The Baudelaire orphans -- Klaus, Violet, and Sunny -- are cast up on a desert (but not deserted) island with their nemesis, Count Olaf, and their friend, the very pregnant Kit Snicket. There they find a group of people, led by the mysterious Ishmael ("Call me Ish"), who are determined to stay apart and safe from the world's troubles, and who are the first people besides the Baudelaires who seem to be able to see through Olaf.
But everything eventually washes up on this island, and not only is Olaf still scheming, but the island is intimately related to the Baudelaires' parents and history. Even Ishmael is not what he seems. Much will finally be revealed -- and much will not.
Is it any good?
Fans of the A Series of Unfortunate Events books have probably already read THE END, and those new to the series won't understand much of it. Adults love the mordant humor. Kids love the melodramatic adventure. And plenty of people, both kids and adults, just don't get what all the fuss is about.
Part mystery, part Dickensian melodrama, with a few touches of fantasy, all served up with a sort of glum hilarity, A Series of Unfortunate Events is like Oliver Twist narrated by Eeyore. With frequent witty explanations of vocabulary, extended cockeyed metaphors, and much tongue-in-cheek woe and misery, it's the kids' version of a mock-tragedy, a literary jape that even those who don't get the joke can enjoy. Anyone worried about the verbal and literary acuity of today's generation can relax -- judging by the popularity of this smart series, something must be going right after all.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the dilemmas in which the Baudelaire children keep finding themselves.
How have they been forced to commit acts they regret?
Did they have
other choices? Are the things they've done really bad?Is it possible
for good people with good intentions to do bad things?Also, is it
possible to be safe from the turmoils of the world? Is it desirable?
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AGE
perfect for 6th graders
Very good as the finishing book. The only better one was The Penultimate Peril. I rated this on for ages 11 and up because of the harpoon shot, the medusoid mycelium, and many of the characters die.
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Kid, 12 years old
May 14, 2011
AGE
good book
awsomeness
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AGE
Perfect books for anyone over 8
I absolutely LOVE the Series of Unfortunate Events books. I recommend them to everyone over 8.
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AGE
Evil End
This is the grand finale to the A Series of Unfortunate Events. WARNING THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW:
Ishamel (Ish) is a selfish and dishonest ruler. In the end thanks to the Mycoid Mycellium from The Grim Grotto Count Olaf and Kit Snicket both die.
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Kid, 12 years old
February 18, 2011
AGE
wrong facts
friday claims her father was devoured by a manatee but manatees are VEGETARIANS!
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AGE
These books are smart, witty and well-written, but I honestly can't get past the perpetually gloomy tone. It's frustrating to know that every time something good happens to the characters, something bad will come and ruin it again, and this book was no exception. Also, it seems to raise more questions than it answers, especially for those unfamiliar with the rest of the series.
Despite that, they're still worth reading, if only for Snicket's acrid sense of humor and intimate knowledge of the English language. Violet, Klaus and Sunny also made for resourceful and interesting protagonists, though not ones as easy to relate to as those in the Potter or Percy Jackson novels.
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Kid, 12 years old
July 31, 2009
AGE
Awesome!
If only there was a sequel....
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AGE
For Mystery Lovers Nine and Up
This is a very good book for ages 9 and up! There's some violence, though. I love how the series ends with a big mystery that isn't solved. This book is great for those who enjoy mystery books.
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| Author: | Lemony Snicket |
| Illustrator: | Brett Helquist |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Humor |
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Children's Books |
| Publication date: | October 24, 2006 |
| Number of pages: | 336 |
| Hardcover price: | $12.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 10 - 14 |
| Read aloud: | 9 |
| Read alone: | 10 |
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