For children grappling with unfair circumstances and seeking resilience, this book offers a darkly humorous adventure where wit and courage are their only escape from woe.
A parent might reach for this book when their child is grappling with feelings of powerlessness or the inherent unfairness of the world. This sixth installment in the popular 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' continues the darkly humorous saga of the Baudelaire orphans. Now living in a penthouse with wealthy but trend-obsessed guardians, the children must use their unique skills to unravel a new plot by the villainous Count Olaf, this time involving a dark elevator shaft, a secret auction, and a mysterious red herring. The book validates feelings of frustration and grief while championing resilience, intelligence, and sibling collaboration. It's a smart, witty read for middle graders who can appreciate irony and a story that doesn't shy away from life's unfortunate realities.
Characters are in frequent, though stylized, danger, including being trapped in a cage and dangling in an elevator shaft.
Scary ScenesMild
Scenes involving a pitch-black, empty elevator shaft and menacing villains can be unsettling for some readers.
Moral AmbiguityModerate
Adults are consistently portrayed as unreliable, foolish, or evil, challenging traditional authority figures.
Sensitive Topics
The death of the Baudelaire parents is the foundational trauma of the series and informs the orphans' constant state of peril and grief. The approach is secular and direct, though stylized. This installment deals heavily with themes of neglect, as the new guardians are either too obsessed with social status or too timid to protect the children. The resolution is not hopeful; it is ambiguous and frustrating, as the orphans fail in their rescue mission, reinforcing the series' central theme that life is not always fair.
Ideal Reader
A reader aged 10 to 13 who feels that adults don't listen and that the world is often unjust. This child appreciates verbal irony, clever wordplay, and a mystery that requires intellectual problem-solving. They are likely beginning to question authority and are drawn to stories that reflect a more complex and sometimes disappointing reality.
Parent Prep
Parents should be aware of the series' signature unhappy endings and the portrayal of adults as almost universally useless or malevolent. It's best to frame the book not as a tale of triumph, but as a story about the importance of sticking together and using your intelligence to survive difficult times. The author's habit of defining vocabulary is a key feature and offers a good opportunity for shared reading and discussion. A parent hears their child expressing frustration with unfair rules or feeling unheard, saying things like, "Nobody understands!" or "That's not fair!" The child might be feeling alienated or powerless in the face of adult or institutional logic.
Age Experience
A younger reader (9-10) will enjoy the surface-level mystery, the adventure of exploring the secret passages, and the absurdity of the characters' behaviors. An older reader (11-14) will more fully appreciate the biting social satire (the obsession with trends), the sophisticated wordplay, and the deeper philosophical questions about morality, cowardice, and the nature of justice.
What Makes It Special
This series' most unique feature is its narrative voice. Lemony Snicket's direct, melancholic addresses to the reader, combined with his frequent vocabulary lessons, create a distinct literary style. Unlike most children's literature, it actively rejects simple resolutions and happy endings, instead offering a powerful validation for children who feel that the world can be a difficult and unjust place. It champions intellectual curiosity and sibling loyalty as the ultimate survival tools.
Read plot summary
The Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, are sent to live with their new guardians, Jerome and Esmé Squalor, in a massive penthouse at 667 Dark Avenue. Esmé is pathologically obsessed with current trends, while Jerome is kind but conflict-avoidant. The children are forced to climb dozens of flights of stairs daily because elevators are considered "out." They soon discover that Count Olaf, disguised as a foreign auctioneer named Gunther, has conspired with Esmé to smuggle the captive Quagmire triplets out of the city in an item for the "In Auction." The Baudelaires must navigate a secret passageway and a dark, empty elevator shaft to attempt a rescue, but their efforts are thwarted by the incompetence and indifference of the adults around them.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Esmé Squalor is obsessed with what is 'in' and 'out.' Why do you think people follow trends? Have you ever felt pressure to like something just because it was popular?
2
When Jerome Squalor refuses to help the Baudelaires because he doesn't like to argue, is he being kind or cowardly? What's the difference between being a pacifist and being unhelpful?
3
The Baudelaires try to warn other adults about Count Olaf (disguised as Gunther), but no one listens. Why do you think the adults in the story are so unhelpful?
4
The book ends with the Baudelaires failing to rescue the Quagmires. How did this make you feel? Do you think stories always need to have happy endings to be good stories?
5
Violet uses her inventing skills, Klaus uses his research skills, and Sunny uses her sharp teeth. If you were with the Baudelaires, what special skill would you use to help them?
