A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the Seventh through Book the Ninth by Lemony Snicket

I believe that these three books are where I really started to enjoy A Series of Unfortunate Event. In this little bundle, you learn more about FVD, they're definitely more mature than the previous six books, and the Quagmire's find safety-ish.

The Vile Village: Book the Seventh

(Source: Kelsey Darling)

After escaping Olaf and Esme again, the children and Mr. Poe are at a bit of a loss for where they should go. No one really wants them. However, a few towns have taken the saying "it takes a village to raise a child" seriously and are adopting children. The Baudelaire's have a variety of cities to pick from, but when they see that one of the towns is called VFD, they choose it, hoping they will find out some answers. While the children are technically taken in by the entire city, they live with Hector, the towns groundsman. They help Hector with the chores, one of which includes cleaning the new fountain that is devoted to the crows that occupy the town. In this instance, VFD stands for the Village of Foul Devotees, which goes back to the original settlers who were awestruck by the crows that live there and their interesting flight patterns. While the children are here, everyone is on the outlook for Count Olaf, with his one long eyebrow and the tattoo of the eye on his ankle. So when someone in town appears with these characteristics, the town automatically assumes it is Count Olaf and he is locked up. According to the towns by-laws, this Count Olaf look-alike will be burned at the stake. However, the next day, the man is found murdered and Detective Dupin, a.k.a. Count Olaf, is here to claim that the Baudelaire's are the murderers. While all of this is going on, the Baudelaire's are also getting mysterious couplets from the Quagmire's, but they don't know how they're being delivered. The Baudelaire's find themselves locked in prison and needing to escape, and find where the Quagmire's are being hidden so they can save them, all before the town burns them at the stake.
Rating: 9/10

The Hostile Hospital: Book the Eighth

(Source: Kelsey Darling)

Count Olaf is presumed dead and the Baudelaire's are accused of murdering him and are therefore on the run. The silver lining in all of this is that the Quagmire's were able to escape with Hector on his self-sustaining hot air balloon trailer house. While running, the Baudelaire's run into a new VFD, Volunteers Fighting Diseases, which is exactly what it sounds like, except they fight disease by singing annoying songs and giving heart shaped balloons. The Baudelaire's hide in with the volunteers and find themselves at Heimlich Hospital. The hospital is divided into two: the side that is completely finished and manicured, and the side that was never finished. The Baudelaire's take a job at the hospital helping file documents. Unlike a normal hospital, the documents they file have to do with anything and everything, and they are hopeful to find out information about the Snicket fires, their parents, and VFD. At night, they live in the unconstructed side of the hospital. One night, however, while the Baudelaire's have snuck back into the room with the files, they hear someone trying to break in. It's not Olaf, this time, but Esme Squalor. The Baudelaire's are forced to separate. Sunny and Klaus make it out, and Violet swears she'll make it back to them, but she never does. The next morning, the new Director of Human Resources Mattathias, or as we know him, Olaf, says that there will be the very first craniotomy taking place that day. Sunny and Klaus know that if they can't find Violet soon, Violet will literally lose her head. Will they get to her in time?
Rating: 9/10

The Carnivorous Carnival: Book the Ninth

(Source: Kelsey Darling)

As Heimlich Hospital went up in flames and was surrounded by angry Volunteers, the Baudelaire's had no chance for escape except by climbing into the trunk of Olaf's car. They travel for what feels like forever and end up outside Caligari Carnival, where the main event is Madame Lulu, the fortune teller. Madame Lulu and Count Olaf go way back. She has been feeding him information regarding the Baudelaire's. With nowhere to hide and the hopes of finding information, the Baudelaire's dress up as freaks and apply to join the freak show. Violet and Klaus climb into some as Olaf's clothes and appear to be Siamese twins, and they wrap Olaf's beard from when he played Captain Sham around Sunny, and she is now a wolf baby. They get to learn their fellow freaks, spy on Olaf, Lulu, and Esme, and take part in the freak show. When they learn the Lulu is actually a part of VFD and walks the line between the good side of VFD and the bad side, they try to bring her back to the good side to make an escape. However, before that can happen, things fall apart and someone dies.
Rating: 10/10

So some great things happen in these books. The Quagmires are rescued, which makes me super happy. Also, Klaus turns 13 and Sunny takes her first steps! My babies are growing up so fast! Also, Sunny starts using more and more actual words and less of her Sunny speech, which is sad, but also happy.

(Source: Giphy)

These three books, especially The Carnivorous Carnival, are extremely dark. In that one, two people are killed by lions. People burn to death in The Hostile Hospital. They are definitely more dark than Olaf trying to marry Violet. Although, a man trying to kidnap three orphans with the intent to steal their inheritance and then more than likely kill them is a pretty dark plot line, and that carries through all 13 books. But because of the darkness, it is here that I begin to question if a younger audience should read it.

In the Hostile Hospital and Carnivorous Carnival, we learn a great deal about VFD. We never learn everything we want to learn, of course, but we do learn a lot about this society, and the schism that tore it into two parts: the side that sets fires, and the side that puts them out. Olaf, if you haven't figured out, is on the fire setting side. The Baudelaire's parents were on the putting out side.

(Source: Giphy)

I am really glad that I have decided to read the series. Even though they are children's books, they are amazingly good, and they really hook you in. You need to know more. And luckily, they're really quick reads.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10
Author: Lemony Snicket
Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events (13 books)
Genres: Children's, Fiction, Fantasy