“The book you are holding with your two hands right now–assuming that you are, in fact, holding this book, and that you have only two hands–is one of two books in the world that will show you the difference between the word ‘nervous’ and the word ‘anxious.'”

From Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ersatz Elevator.

The young Baudelaire orphans (Violet, Klaus, and Sunny) have once again been removed from a guardian because of the wicked Count Olaf’s plans to kill the children for the family fortune. This time, the children are taken to live in the penthouse apartment of a huge building; the residents of the building try to do only what they consider to be “in,” even if that means not using the building’s elevator. After their very long, dark trip up the 66 flights of stairs, the Baudelaires are able to meet their new guardians, Jerome and Esmé Squalor. The Squalors inform the children that orphans are very “in” right now, as well as pinstripe suits and darkness. Soon Count Olaf arrives disguised as Gunther (a man that knows what is and isn’t “in”); the children recognize him immediately, but Esmé and Jerome don’t believe them since someone so “in” couldn’t be evil. Jerome takes Violet, Klaus, and Sunny out to eat while Esmé and Gunther stay to discuss an upcoming “in” auction. When the children come back from the cafe, Gunther’s whereabouts quickly creates more unanswered questions for the Baudelaires both about the building and what Olaf is planning.

Lemony Snicket’s sixth book in the series delivers all the features and devices that readers have come to expect by this point: sarcasm, a smart vocabulary, and a solid storyline. The dark theme of the series is enhanced through the the “out-ness” of light and the “in-ness” of the dark wardrobe. The mystery surrounding Olaf’s plan steps up a bit from the previous books, which is both intriguing and satisfying. The characters are unique and work well with the overall series. The challenges that the Baudelaires face are layered throughout the story, so that one answer helps solve the next question. The Ersatz Elevator is a slightly more mature addition to the series, and is definitely not to be missed.