Lefty's Lowdown: A Series of Unfortunate Events #1-3 by Lemony Snicket

Dear Reader,

I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

 I started re-reading this series in preparation of the Netflix series releasing in this month! I read these books when I was a wee lil lassie, but I didn't actually remember anything about them, so I knew I needed to give them another go. Turns out. I don't regret that decision at all!

Middle grade is usually hard for me to read, but not this series! The first three books have been a delightful experience. The narrative style of these books is so fun. The very definition of unique and engaging. One thing I loved is that the narrative style didn't feel too childish. Like yes, there were obvious nods to the fact it's a children's book, but I didn't feel as if it were too simplistic or even dumbed down. It was just fun and quick and 100% entertaining.

But what really makes these books are the charming Baudelaire siblings. They've each got their distinctive personally traits--Violet loves to invent things, Klaus loves to read, and little Sunny loves to bite everything. They are intelligent children and they use their different passions to escape each horrible scrape with Count Olaf. I really just love them and of course I'm rooting for them throughout every book, and I feel horrible for them because nobody ever listens to them when THEY'RE SMARTER THAN ALL THE ADULTS. Ugh. That, I think, is the one thing that annoyed me in these books. The adults never ever listened to them. It got a bit old and repetitive and it was FRUSTRATING. I will also say that, while I tried to shut off the analytical part of my brain, I definitely spotted some plot holes. But, of course, this is a children's book, so it's not hard to overlook.

All in all, I've really enjoyed my re-read of this series so far, and I can't wait to get my hands on the remaining books, and I can't wait for the Netflix series to premiere. I do hope that the future books kind of mix up the pacing and what have you, or else this series ill get mighty redundant.

Lefty's Lowdown: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
(standalone)
Published: May 5, 2011 by Walker Books
Source: Purchased

Summary from Goodreads:
The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

 This book was not at all what I expected. I admit, going into it, I hadn't had the faintest clue what it was actually about, but it was still much different than what I figured it would be. And I think that's a good thing. I definitely think this is the type of book you should go into blind and just experience how amazing & emotional it is.

Patrick Ness has woven such a beautiful and poignant story about loss and truth and coping with pain. It will sweep you away for a few hours and never fully return you because it will steal tiny fragments of your heart. I couldn't help but hurt on Conor's behalf. He's dealing with a lot of painful circumstances that no child his age (I'm pretty sure he's like 13) should have to deal with, and it has forced him to grow up much too soon and he has kind of lost himself somewhere along the way. So of course I became very emotionally invested in him, and truly enjoyed his story arc & where Ness left his character in the end. Also, it's important to note that he could be super sassy and hilarious at times which was just truly wonderful.

The monster is an interesting aspect of this novel, in terms of characterization and what he represents, but I don't want to say too much about him because I don't want to give too much away. But this monster is different than any of the other monsters you will find in YA/MG literature and really helps set this book apart from others. I also adored the stories he told within the stories and the way he interacted with Conor.

This book is about emotion. By the end of this novel, I was sobbing. Ness brings so many memories and fears to the surface that it is impossible to not be overwhelmed by emotion. This is a quick read, but it definitely hits you where it hurts. I seriously think everyone would be able to enjoy this story and take something away from it, no matter how old you are or what walks of life you come from. Unfortunately, I bought the movie tie-in edition and that does not come with the illustrations that are in the original version of the book, which makes me so upset. I do think illustrations would have given this book completely new life, so I recommend not getting the movie tie-in.

I'm definitely going to be picking up more books from Patrick Ness now, and I'm really looking forward to the movie. I know this is the type of book that the film studio is going to have to take various creative liberties with, and I'm interested to see how they bring this book to life.

4/5