“The stretch of road that leads out of the city, past Hazy Harbor and into the town of Tedia, is perhaps the most unpleasant in the world.”

From Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Reptile Room.

Upon opening this book, the reader is quickly (re)acquainted with Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire  These three siblings have recently been orphaned, escaped the clutches of a murderous legal guardian (Count Olaf), and been carted off to a new guardian: Dr. Montgomery Montgomery. Uncle Monty’s profession as a herpetologist (scientist focused on snakes, reptiles, and other creepy animals) is frightening to the children at first, but it quickly becomes obvious that Monty is a man that truly cares for the children. Everything is going perfect (almost too perfect) for the Baudelaires and their guardian when a man named Stephano arrives; he claims to be Monty’s new assistant, but the children know he is really Count Olaf in disguise. No one will listen to them, so the children must stand alone once again against Olaf and his plans to do anything to get to their large inheritance.

Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) does a fantastic job in creating the Baudelaire’s world; things are familiar and realistic, but at the same time, nothing is really as it seems. The writing style is unique; written for children, but not demeaning to young readers… and definitely not below adult enjoyment. Snicket frequently takes a step back from the main story to humorously discuss the meaning of a word or dive into a mini story about perils that the narrator has faced in life. The second book in the series is a quick, interesting read that carries the reader easily through the entire story. Snicket creates evil villains, lovable allies, and honest heroes in a manner that is appealing to readers of all ages. Each of the Baudelaires are unique and more developed (both as individuals and a group) in this book. Each page holds twists and turns that push the story of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny forward. The Reptile Room only enhances on the positives of the first book, and it is definitely not to be missed.