A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

The Bad Beginning is the first book in A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (the pen name of American author Daniel Handler).

The parents of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire have perished in the fire which also destroyed their home. The executor of the will, Mr. Poe, finds the orphans a new home and a guardian, Count Olaf. Count Olaf is a vicious villain after only one thing: the Baudelaire's inherited fortune.

I read this series when I was around ten years old and I thought it would be cool to revisit the first book because I enjoyed the series so much. This is a book meant for children: the writing is simple and clearly not for adults. Words like "aberrant" and "standoffish" are defined following their use. Since the characters themselves are kids, they are definitely relatable for young readers and all but two of the adults come off as mean and oppressive. I typically don't read kids' books unless they are classics, so this was out of the ordinary for me but the detour was worth it. 

The Bad Beginning has a lot of what I look for in a book: an interesting and suspenseful plot, a varied cast of characters, and a villain who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The main flaw is the book's poor writing. Even though this book is intended for children, the writing does not have to be subpar. 

Overall, The Bad Beginning has a great plot but the writing holds it back. Three out of five stars.