The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1)

Reader reviewed by Lauren

This book is about Sunny, Klaus, and Violet who are orphans. (Their parents died in a horrible fire.) They get to go leve with Count Olaf - a miserble man- they try not to be fazed with his apperance and attitude. they soon learn he just wanted them to do his chores and try to get thier fortante my marrying Violet. This book was amazing leaving you craving to find out more about thier story.

Reader reviewed by Tasmin

This is the first book in the series by Lemony Snicket. In it, Sunny, Klaus and Violet first learn that their parents have been tragically killed in a fire that also destroyed their home and so the children are homeless and orphaned. As they are only children, they are to be placed with a guardian, the evil Count Olaf, who's almost as bad as his acting. Count Olaf wants their sizable fortune, and plans to marry Violet in a play with a real judge playng the part of the judge and making it legal.

The children manage to foil his sceme and are taken away from Count Olaf, but Olaf says that he'll be back.

This is one of my favourite books of all-time. I've it many, many times and I'll definitely read it again. It's very unique and was pretty much the first of it's kind to write in this style for younger readers. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a good read because anyone could read it. They're appropriate for younger readers and for older readers, even adults. I really love this book.

Reader reviewed by Allyssa

Violet, Klaus and Sunny start off the series at a beach in their home town. Their first unfortunate event is when they find out that there house has burned down. And that their parents died in the process.
Right away, they were sent to live with their distance cousin, Count Olaf. At his house, even more unfortunate events occur. The sad part is, they've only just begun.

This first book kicks off the series well. It's interesting, and the characters are unique. Each sibling has a completely different personality, yet they are unified. That is why I liked it so much.

I remember reading this for book points in middle school. I had never read anything like it before, and it is kind of dark for such a young person to read. But, I liked it nonetheless. Little Sunny is my favorite, and I feel sorry for these kids. They go through some crazy things in this book, and that's what keeps me turning pages.

Reader reviewed by chick box

I loved this book! It isnt the kind of book i ussually read. It is the kind of book i read for fun.

This book is about 3 children called Violet Klause and Sunny. They just became orphans. They are sent to live with their supposed uncle Count Olaf. But it turns out he is an evil dude that is plotting to take their money away from them. It is a very funny book!

Reader reviewed by ninja penguin

Three kids,Violet, Klaus ,and Sunny, find out that they're parents died in a fire.They are now taken to Count Olaf,who makes them cook,do chores,and is evil.

This was a very good book and the charicters are really good and is an excellent start to the series.

Reader reviewed by Ed

Let me start this respectable review with these words.

Lemony Snicket IS THE MAN!! OH YEAH!!

He has a wonderfully British writing style, along with plenty of jokes and puzzles that kept a Sherlock Holmes addict such as myself entertained through every single page. I dare you to find one boring bit in the whole book. Really. I'll give you five dollars.

...Not really, though.

This is a creepy, atmospheric tale with a delightfully unusual narrative style. So unusual and compelling. It's definitely a dark book from start to finish, so younger readers or those easily influenced by darker themes might be a bit uncomfortable. The characters are vividly portrayed (and so different from the characters one usually sees), and this is just the beginning of a wild, strange adventure for the three orphans and their reluctant narrator.

Reader reviewed by Susan/Mrs.Fleming's Class

In the beginning, the author, Lemony Snicket, doesn't encourage you to read this book. It's strange, but the book is really good. When he is trying to describe something someone felt like, he would compare it to your life so you would get the feeling of it.

This is the first book of the series of unfortunet events. When their parents die, they get switched around from family to family-and sometimes people who they didn't know. In this one, they go to Count Olaf's place. Olaf is a person with instead of two short eybrows, has one, long one. His eyes go a glassy when he looks at the orphans and he has a tattoo of an eye on his ankle.He tries to get their fortuneby marrying Violet in a so called "play". But Violet outsmarts him by signing with her left hand instead of his right one.

I still wonder how the fire that killed their parents started though...

Reader reviewed by starstriker

Things don't look good for Violet, Sunny, and Klaus Baudelaire, when a fire kills their parents and they are sent to live with an odd relative with a tattoo of an eye on his ankle...
Now the Baudelaire orphans are caught in a deadly trap and must use Violet's inventing skills, Kaus's reading skills, and Sunny's teeth to save them.