The Grim Grotto #11

A new Lemony Snicket book is a precious thing. After this volume there are just two episodes to go, so readers must begin to savour every word about the unfortunate adventures of the Baudelaire children. As the clock ticks down to that undoubtedly dynamic dénouement of this whole sorry tale, readers will appreciate this typical tale of villainous miscreants, underwater frivolity and cliff-hanging endings--even if the answers every reader now craves are still tantalisingly out of reach.

The Grim Grotto begins, as ever, where the last instalment, The Slippery Slope, ends. Violet, Sunny and Klaus are cascading down the grey waters of the Stricken Stream in a toboggan and again hurtling towards inevitable doom. They are saved in the nick of time by a submarine, The QueeQueg, which is manned by a cast of fascinating characters that contains Captain Widdershins, his stepdaughter Fiona and their long lost friend Phil, from the Lucky Smells Lumbermill.

The crews' task is to retrieve a sugar bowl before the children's evil nemesis, Count Olaf, gets to it first. After serious study, the location of said sugar bowl is determined as the Gorgonian Grotto, coincidentally the home of the incredible poisonous mushroom, Medusoid Mycelium. It's not long, however, before their dangerous mission is interrupted by another disaster--Sunny has come into contact with a mushroom and she needs help fast. This is exactly the sort of moment when it would be least helpful for Olaf to appear on the scene… which of course he does.

It's difficult not to like these books--they follow the same pattern each time but consistently deliver laughs and intrigue like no other book series. Book the Eleventh is another riotous and hilarious adventure that fans will devour in their droves and new readers will find completely unfathomable--despite the regular flashbacks. (Age 9 and over) --John McLay

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Wet and damp - ugh! - Rated
Unless you are a slug, a sea anemone, or mildew, you probably prefer not to be damp. You might also prefer not to read this book (which I am writing about), in which the Baudelaire siblings encounter an unpleasant amount of dampness as they descend into the depths of despair, underwater. In fact the horrors they encounter are too numerous to list, and you wouldn't want me to mention the worst of it, which includes mushrooms, a desperate search for something lost, a mechanical monster, a distressing message from a lost friend, and tap dancing. This book sounds a bit to horrible to read so only read in you really dare!

Great reading - Rated
I loved this book. I loved Klaus' ill-fated connection with the mysterious Fiona, the crisis with the mushrooms, and above all the last chapters, where the bigger mysteries of VFD finally begin coming together. The ending is probably the single best ending in the series...

I am now ready for book 12, which unfortunately I am getting only for Christmas. In the meantime a discovered a new very interesting series titled "Why some cats are rascals". Totally different story, but how captivating! I gave it for my younger sister as a Christmas gift.

True to Lemony - Rated
I thought that this book was pretty good.Lemony stayed true to himself and kept right on form.I've read every single one of his books and loved them all.This isn't his very best, but it's not his worst either.You could say that i'm addicted to all his books.As a severe addict and young (11)but harsh book critic, I'm pretty hard to please.But Snicket always succeeds in doing so and i love his books.While i was still reading his books, i never slept at night.I stayed up reading his books-and still do.

GRIM but GRIPPING! - Rated
My son (an advanced reader aged 7) read every single one of these books within 3 weeks after being introduced to the first two as a christmas present in December 04). I have since read them all myself and even as an alleged "grown up" I found them very entertaining and it's been great fun sharing the adventures with my little boy. The only word of warning I would give is that I had to threaten to cut off the electricity and confiscate torches to ensure bedtimes were not too late whilst he was reading them!!

Lemony Snciket truimphs - Rated
In this book the story of VFD goes further and some sticky incidents happen. That obviously has something to do with a grotto. I loved it and would recommend to anyone thinking of reading it! I hope you enjoy it if you buy!