Book Review: The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Austere Academy
Author: Lemony Snicket
Series/Standalone: A Series of Unfortunate Events (Book #5)
Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 221
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year Published: 2000
First Line: "If you were going to give a gold medal to the least delightful person on Earth, you would have to give that medal to a person named Carmelita Spats, and if you didn't give it to her, Carmelita Spats was the sort of person who would snatch it from your hands anyway."


"Dear Reader,
If you are looking for a story about cheerful youngsters spending a jolly time at boarding school, look elsewhere. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent and resourceful children, and you might expect that they would do very well at school. Don't. For the Baudelaires, school turns out to be another miserable episode in their unlucky lives.
Truth be told, within the chapters that make up this dreadful story, the children will face snapping crabs, strict punishments, dripping fungus, comprehensive exams, violin recitals, S.O.R.E., and the metric system.
It is my solemn duty to stay up all night researching and writing the history of these three hapless youngsters, but you may be more comfortable getting a good night's sleep. In that case, you should probably choose some other book.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket."

My Rating: 4.5/5

So when I read these when I was younger, this is where I left off. I thought that this book was kind of strange the first time I read it, but as an adult, I think that it was an opening point to see where the series is going. I enjoyed the ending and the research that was put into Count Olaf's character. The way that the author thought through the story so far amazes me. The foreshadowing and planning is incredible to me. The way it's written gives the reader so much more than the story of the Baudelaire orphans and I can honestly say I've never read any series quite like this one. I can't wait to venture into unfamiliar territory with this series and see where it goes.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny