Grim Grotto HB 11 (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

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