“When my workday is over, and I have closed my notebook, hidden my pen, and sawed holes in my rented canoe so that it cannot be found, I often like to spend the evening in conversation with my few surviving friends.”

From Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Carnivorous Carnival.

We join young Violet, Klaus, and Sunny as they hide in the trunk of Count Olaf’s car; they are able to hear quite a bit of information from Olaf and his band of evil actors as they are unaware of the orphans’ presence. One name of great importance that they hear is that of Madame Lulu, who has apparently been informing Olaf of the Baudelaire’s location each time they are transferred to a new guardian. The children decide to take the offensive this time and disguise themselves as circus freaks (Violet and Klaus as a two-headed person and Sunny as a wolf baby), they then convince Madame Lulu to hire them as an act for her circus. Through a complicated series of events, the Baudelaires discover the secret behind Madame Lulu’s fortune telling (which could mean that one of the Baudelaire parents are still alive), Madame Lulu’s true identity, and information on the V.F.D. organization. Now Violet, Klaus, and Sunny only have to figure out a way to keep everyone safe from a lion pit attraction that Olaf set up to boost attendance and then they’ll be okay.

In the ninth book in the series, Snicket changes the traditional formula by placing the Baudelaires willingly into the situation with Olaf instead of being surprised by Olaf’s appearance (and the ignorance of every other adult). This offers a nice change of pace, but still fits well with the series as a whole. The characters are also given the chance to develop and mature beyond what is needed to outwit Olaf and save themselves; this book acts as a natural step to show the believable growth of the Baudelaire orphans. The Carnivorous Carnival holds a shift for the series that is not only acceptable, but refreshing.