Book Review: "All the Wrong Questions" Book 1 by Lemony Snicket
If you ever asked me for a list of my top ten favorite authors, Lemony Snicket would be on that list. This past summer I read his A Series of Unfortunate Events and I was absolutely hooked. His narrative voice is unique and I got a kick out of his dry humor. Needless to say, my faith was good when I picked up All the Wrong Questions.
This review is spoiler-free, and based on personal opinion.
Summary
This book is about a young boy with an unusual education who was taken to an unusual town with his chaperone to investigate and close an unusual case. Unbeknownst to him, there are several other things at play here than he ever would have guessed and having to be apprentice to the worst chaperone in the business doesn't really help. It involves a town by the sea with no sea, a seaweed forest, a married pair of arguing police officers, an abandoned coffee shop, a hawser and a nearly useless statue that the villain is determined to get...for whatever reason.
Author: Lemony Snicket
Genre: Fiction/Mystery
Ages: 12+ (reading level)
Rating: 5/5
I don't think I can stress enough how much of an amazing author Lemony Snicket is! His books are filled with mysteries that never give you the full answer; his humor is dry but entertaining, his narrative nearly never gets boring and there's just so much there to absorb!
(However, if you would like to read All The Wrong Questions, Book 1, I recommend reading A Series of Unfortunate Events first. Yes, A Series of Unfortunate Events is in fact, thirteen books long, but there are lots and lots and LOTS of references to it in All The Wrong Questions. )
This book is the first of a series, (I don't know exactly how long) and yes, this book ended in a cliffhanger. Good old Mr. Snicket is fabulous at those. They make you curious instead of angry.
That's what the whole book does: it makes you curious. It makes you question things. And wonder whether or not the questions that are presented are the right ones...
One thing that was really mysterious and fabulous about this book is that Lemony Snicket himself is the main character. 'Almost- thirteen'-year-old, little Lemony. He writes in such a way that you can't be sure whether this all happened or not. It sounds too crazy to be true, but to true to be fake.
The story is at a kick-start from the first page, paragraph and sentence. We are immediately thrust into the mysterious situation of Lemony Snicket, his mysterious education and his less-than-capable chaperone.
Characters
The whole story is full of a wide array of interesting characters. The personalities, mannerisms and looks are all so creative. The straightforward Moxie Mallaghan who is good at guesswork but not at haircuts; Ellington Feint with eyebrows like question marks and divided loyalties; Dashiel Qwerty (a sub librarian) with a leather jacket and a never-ending battle with invasive moths.
Everyone is just a little love able.
I Do Recommend...
Reading the A Series of Unfortunate Events FIRST. There are lots of characters and themes that went unanswered in that series. But with All The Wrong Questions, a few of those characters and themes pop up again.
I DID find one VERY subtle, VERY obscure reference to The Lord of the Rings in there. It is only mentioned momentarily and not by its name. If you read it, see if you can find it!
Lemony Snicket only barely mentions that he dislikes the book (luckily his companion disagrees), and I was a little surprised. I am an avid Tolkien fan myself, so (of course) I sided with Ellington Feint in support of Tolkien's masterpiece.
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this book to anyone, and yes, I would pay over ten dollars in order to own this collection.
I loved this book and I can't wait to get a hold of the second!
~What does the "S" stand for?~
Let's Chat!
1. Have you read "All The Wrong Questions: 'Who Could That Be At This Hour?' " If so, what did you think?
2. Have you read any other books by Lemony Snicket?
3. What is your opinion on Fiction-Mystery novels?
Summary
This book is about a young boy with an unusual education who was taken to an unusual town with his chaperone to investigate and close an unusual case. Unbeknownst to him, there are several other things at play here than he ever would have guessed and having to be apprentice to the worst chaperone in the business doesn't really help. It involves a town by the sea with no sea, a seaweed forest, a married pair of arguing police officers, an abandoned coffee shop, a hawser and a nearly useless statue that the villain is determined to get...for whatever reason.
Author: Lemony Snicket
Genre: Fiction/Mystery
Ages: 12+ (reading level)
Rating: 5/5
I don't think I can stress enough how much of an amazing author Lemony Snicket is! His books are filled with mysteries that never give you the full answer; his humor is dry but entertaining, his narrative nearly never gets boring and there's just so much there to absorb!
(However, if you would like to read All The Wrong Questions, Book 1, I recommend reading A Series of Unfortunate Events first. Yes, A Series of Unfortunate Events is in fact, thirteen books long, but there are lots and lots and LOTS of references to it in All The Wrong Questions. )
This book is the first of a series, (I don't know exactly how long) and yes, this book ended in a cliffhanger. Good old Mr. Snicket is fabulous at those. They make you curious instead of angry.
That's what the whole book does: it makes you curious. It makes you question things. And wonder whether or not the questions that are presented are the right ones...
One thing that was really mysterious and fabulous about this book is that Lemony Snicket himself is the main character. 'Almost- thirteen'-year-old, little Lemony. He writes in such a way that you can't be sure whether this all happened or not. It sounds too crazy to be true, but to true to be fake.
The story is at a kick-start from the first page, paragraph and sentence. We are immediately thrust into the mysterious situation of Lemony Snicket, his mysterious education and his less-than-capable chaperone.
Characters
The whole story is full of a wide array of interesting characters. The personalities, mannerisms and looks are all so creative. The straightforward Moxie Mallaghan who is good at guesswork but not at haircuts; Ellington Feint with eyebrows like question marks and divided loyalties; Dashiel Qwerty (a sub librarian) with a leather jacket and a never-ending battle with invasive moths.
Everyone is just a little love able.
I Do Recommend...
Reading the A Series of Unfortunate Events FIRST. There are lots of characters and themes that went unanswered in that series. But with All The Wrong Questions, a few of those characters and themes pop up again.
I DID find one VERY subtle, VERY obscure reference to The Lord of the Rings in there. It is only mentioned momentarily and not by its name. If you read it, see if you can find it!
Lemony Snicket only barely mentions that he dislikes the book (luckily his companion disagrees), and I was a little surprised. I am an avid Tolkien fan myself, so (of course) I sided with Ellington Feint in support of Tolkien's masterpiece.
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this book to anyone, and yes, I would pay over ten dollars in order to own this collection.
I loved this book and I can't wait to get a hold of the second!
~What does the "S" stand for?~
Let's Chat!
1. Have you read "All The Wrong Questions: 'Who Could That Be At This Hour?' " If so, what did you think?
2. Have you read any other books by Lemony Snicket?
3. What is your opinion on Fiction-Mystery novels?
I haven't read it yet, but I definitely will add it to my reading list this summer!
ReplyDeleteI have not...but I will soon right that wrong ;)
I LOVE Fiction-Mystery novels!!!
Yes, fiction/mystery novels are fabulous! I would ABSOLUTELY recommend Lemony Snicket. He has a bit of a quirky style, but he absolutely hooked me.
DeleteWhat Fiction/Mystery novels would you recommend?