The Grim Grotto: Bk. 11 (A Series of Unfortunate Events) - Softcover

Snicket, Lemony

4.02

114,980 ratings by Goodreads

9781405253864: The Grim Grotto: Bk. 11 (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 140525386X ISBN 13: 9781405253864

Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd, 2010

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There is nothing to be found in the pages of A Series of Unfortunate Events but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-seller to read. But if you must know what unpleasantries befall the charming and clever Baudelaire children read on . . .

Unless you are a slug, a sea anemone or mildew you probably prefer not to be damp. But unfortunately the Beaudelaires encounter an unpleasant amount of dampness as they descend into the depths of watery despair in The Grim Grotto. You may wish to delve into some happier book in order to keep your eyes and your spirits from being moistened.

With 5 million copies sold in the UK alone, one might consider Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events to make him one of the most successful children’s authors of the past decade. We, however, consider these miserable so-called adventure stories and the Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey that accompanied the books for children as nothing more than a dreadful mistake.

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Review:

A new Lemony Snicket book is a precious thing. After this volume there are just two episodes to go, so readers must begin to savour every word about the unfortunate adventures of the Baudelaire children. As the clock ticks down to that undoubtedly dynamic d�nouement of this whole sorry tale, readers will appreciate this typical tale of villainous miscreants, underwater frivolity and cliff-hanging endings--even if the answers every reader now craves are still tantalisingly out of reach.

The Grim Grotto begins, as ever, where the last instalment, The Slippery Slope, ends. Violet, Sunny and Klaus are cascading down the grey waters of the Stricken Stream in a toboggan and again hurtling towards inevitable doom. They are saved in the nick of time by a submarine, The QueeQueg, which is manned by a cast of fascinating characters that contains Captain Widdershins, his stepdaughter Fiona and their long lost friend Phil, from the Lucky Smells Lumbermill.

The crews’ task is to retrieve a sugar bowl before the children’s evil nemesis, Count Olaf, gets to it first. After serious study, the location of said sugar bowl is determined as the Gorgonian Grotto, coincidentally the home of the incredible poisonous mushroom, Medusoid Mycelium. It’s not long, however, before their dangerous mission is interrupted by another disaster--Sunny has come into contact with a mushroom and she needs help fast. This is exactly the sort of moment when it would be least helpful for Olaf to appear on the scene... which of course he does.

It’s difficult not to like these books--they follow the same pattern each time but consistently deliver laughs and intrigue like no other book series. Book the Eleventh is another riotous and hilarious adventure that fans will devour in their droves and new readers will find completely unfathomable--despite the regular flashbacks. (Age 9 and over) --John McLay

Review:

Praise for A Series of Unfortunate Events:

“Wicked Good Fun.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Vivid. Designed to alight on the best-seller lists.” – The New York Times Book Review

“Hilarious. Luckily for fans, the woes of the Baudelaires are far from over.” – Publishers Weekly

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