Common Sense Media Review
A clever, suspenseful mystery in series.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Based on 24 kid reviews
Kids say this book is a thrilling sequel that combines suspense, action, and educational values, although it contains mature themes such as violence and death that may not be suitable for very young children. Most reviewers appreciated the engaging writing and found the character of Uncle Monty and the appearance of Count Olaf to add tension and intrigue to the story.
- suspenseful tale
- dark themes
- engaging characters
- educational value
- recommended for older kids
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
The welcome return of the ill-fated Baudelaire orphans, whose dark-humored circumstances brighten older readers' days. Here in their second book they again match wits with their greedy and evil Uncle Olaf, and here again Lemony Snicket delights us with entertaining wordplay, the poker-faced narrator, and a droll, but cliff-hanging story.
Is It Any Good?
Snicket does not rely on shock value to keep his audience's interest, but rather animates his bleak comedy with a suspenseful mystery that gathers momentum. He ably handles unhappy emotions that steal over the Baudelaire children -- and probably are experienced by some readers as well -- such as the "dark and curious feeling of falling that accompanies any great loss."
This is the second in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events books that follow the rotten, cursed life of the Baudelaire children. This installment plays less on their ill luck -- that can safely be taken for granted -- and more on the story at hand, a mystery cunningly unraveled by the children. Snicket presents it almost like a play, with plenty of detail and a drawing-room atmosphere.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about bleak stories. Like the rest of the series, this book is dark, gloomy, and full of woe. What, then, makes it so appealing and enjoyable?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Brett Helquist
- Genre : Adventure
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperCollins Children's Books
- Publication date : January 1, 1999
- Number of pages : 191
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate