A Box of Unfortunate Events: The Situation Worsens (The Miserable Mill, The Austere Academy and The Ersatz Elevator) [Hardcover]

I had a 1yr hiatus between books 3 & 4. I became disinterested in the series, but for some odd reason I decided to pick the series up again. I never stopped thinking about the books or liking them, I just felt they were'nt good enough to continue reading. And maybe you've felt the same about the first 3 books as well. If you have, I encourage you to continue to read on.

In book for, though its the lowest rated on Amazon.com at 4stars, I wouldn't say its the worst, this is the book that got me hooked, the book where I really appreciated Snicket's humor and morbid writing style. Maybe it had to do with me being older, or the old saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder.", who knows? So anyways, onto the book reviews.!

Book Four: The Miserable Mill - I have a feeling that the reason this book is rated so low because of the Child Labor issue. I mean the person whom is in charge of the Mill is disqusted at the idea that some 14,12, and 1yr children should do normal children things. No, he believes that they are loafers and must make a a living for him in the Mill living on nothing but a stick of gum for lunch and a small dinner. We're talking about machines that could very easily kill children, especially babies. Not to say everyone supports this, but none of the adults are willing to oppose him so, that's how it is. I think that this book handles the issues very well. I enjoyed the book despite the touchy issue because it still had humor and such. But just be aware what you're stepping into. Also, in my opinion this boomk has Count Olaf's best disquise.

Book Five: The Austere Academy - This book deals with bullies. In the form of Carmelita Spats and Mr. Nero. They both despise orphans, and this is why any orphans are forced to live in the orphans shack. Right now, that is where the Baudelare's are residing. The former residents were the Quagmire triplets. A brother and sister whom lost their brother and parents. Sunny is forced to be an administrative assistant and the Baudelare's have to learn in classes with moronic teachers who make them memorize dumb stories and exact measurements of things. Nero also makes all students listen to his HORRIBLE violin playing in a nightly madatory 6hr concert, whoever doesn't must give him a big bag of candy. ;P Its quite absurd, is it not? But that's the joy of these books. Book 5 is the place where the books begin to take a new turn in a events. But of course I wont give that away.! But trust me, they get better here.!

Book Six: The Eratz Elevator - This book has them placed in the care of Jerome and Esme Squalor, a couple whom lives on the top of a HUGE apartment complex in a room with 70some odd rooms(Boy I wish I lived there, hehe). This book deals with the the obsession of being fashionable or as Esme would say "In". haha She is OBSESSED with being the MOST in person possible, which includes such things as going with electricity, wearing pin-stripe suites(Actually I like pin-stripes, ;P). Well, many other ridiculous things like eating at a cafe that serves only salmon dishes(including dessert). HAHA There many more things to be revealed here, but I don't want to give anything else away. Its just a lot of fun(and annoying) watching Snicket make fun of people obsessed with fashion. :D

All in all, I'd say this is a strong set. The books only get stronger after these three, so if you love these 3, you'll love the next three even more. :D So *enjoy*!!!!

God Bless ~Amy

I'd also recommend the new series by RT Byrum - the first being Mystery of Shrieking Island. You dont have to worry about witchcraft, evil or gore in any of his books.

When the orphans' legal representative runs out of living relatives after book four, the children are sent to a most unequal boarding school, where two new characters are introduced. This development resumes an active dynamism between novels, lost between the second and fourth books, where one could theoretically skip one or all of these narratives without losing a bit of the larger plot. Somewhere between these two books, Snicket appears to have found a new way to add depth and interest in his books - here only slightly, but later on with increasing strength. The author has perfected his style of adding completeness to a single novel: placing the characters in a strikingly different environment, reinforcing particular themes of vocabulary and diction, and forming each story to a blueprint which gives the reader a clear indication of position within the story's plot. Now, and finally, Snicket can work on creating a larger and slowly-revealed mystery surrounding the Baudelaires.

Book six, "The Ersatz Elevator," appears at first to continue simply with Snicket's guardian blueprint, but unresolved elements of the previous novel quickly appear and grow, rather than conclude. Book six is the first of A Series of Unfortunate Events which never felt slow to me as a reader, even as the books slowly increase in volume. Features of the grander mystery - V.F.D., the Baudelaire house fire - now begin to increase curiosity regarding questions that remain unanswered, propelling interest in the series as a whole. Though Snicket seems to be doing an awful lot of ad-libbing as he goes, readers who think his teasing won't go anywhere will later find themselves disproved. Snicket is indeed inventing a story of shifting character and escalating tension, and he continues to get better at it the more he writes.