A Series of Unfortunate Events Box: The Dilemma Deepens (Books 7-9) [Hardcover]

Maybe you're just browsing through to see how good these books are because you've never read these, or because you've read up to book six and want to know if these are just as good, or up to par, or whatever. Well, fear not! These books are EVEN BETTER!!!

Since I am reviewing the box-sets, I would say this one is my favorite. Why? Well, it is because these books begin to change the series, they lead it into an entirely new direction as a whole. By the time you read these and get to the latest "The Slippery Slope", it almost feels like an entirely new series, but an a good way. The characters are more defined, the situations are more absurd, and the plots are tighter. So with that said... ONTO THE BOOK REVIEWS.! :D

Book Seven: The Vile Village - This is a book that deals with a town obsessed with birds(crows), and has thousands of rules that center around protecting them or protecting the rules. Its basically a totalitarian society. So this books focus is a primitve government that is out of hand. They have a system where you don't get a fair trial hearing, you don't get to tell your story, this is because all they care about is burning people at the stake. The reason that the children are here is because the village VFD goes by the aphorism "It takes a village to raise a child.", and so the children get to choose a village to be raised in since no one else will take them. They choose V.F.D. for obvious reasons(if you've read the previous books). So that is all I will reveal, because if I tell you more, it will ruin the story.!

Book Eight: The Hostile Hospital - I could'nt wait to get to this book.! Mainly because of the morbid cover, it looked awesome.! Anyways, this book has the children on the run(no I'm not going to spoil why.), so they find a way to become volunteers at the hospital in the Archival library in hopes of finding out information on V.F.D. and Jaques Snicket(wont ruin that either). Really their's not much I can say without ruining it. But this book is fun because it reveals a few secrets and takes some new twist in the characters and story. :D

Book Nine: The Carnivarous Carnival - This book is interesting because of how the Baudelaire's get here, what they do in it. Things they thought they wouldn't do in a million years, and over and over they find themselves doing them. I wont give anything away, its impossible to summarise the plot without giving anything away since if you're reading this you probably haven't read the other two preceding it, so I wont. But it captures the carnival atmosphere perfectly and its great.! :D

Anyways, I'd say that this is a great set to buy, of course if you can't afford it you can buy the three books seperately or go to library, but be aware that you WILL want each IMMEDIATELY after the other. So if you can, get ALL THREE AT ONCE.! + The Slippery Slope, which is in my opinion the best book yet, this series just keeps getting better.

God Bless & *enjoy* ~Amy

Let my start out by saying i loved these books (7-9) i am currently waiting for the 11th one to come out November 2004. These children Violet, Clause, and Sunny have the worst life ever recorded and lemony snicket has my deepest sympathy because he has to write these unfortunate books
In the 7th book the three are in VFD a village which is trying to help them beat olaf for good. the name VFD takes on a different meaning when they find out about all the rules and the odd nesting patterns of the VFD crows. the three meet a very strange character who helps out a lot and in the end the three barely escape the clutches of Olaf
the 8th book the hostile hospital starts out with the three on the run from count olaf and end up working in a hospital trying to unfold olaf's new pland to get their fortune there are many twists and turns to this book that u have to keep reading to find out. this book hooked me so fast that it took me about 4 hours to read.
the 9th book in the series takes place in a carnival where the children are in disguise as carnival freaks to try and figure out olafs new plot. This was one of the most exciting books i have read yet and when i finally thought that they had figured everything out __________________ happened. oh well i guess you will just have to read and find out.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has the stomach to handle all of their dispair and these books make you thankful for what you have. i would give this book the highest rating a 5 of 5 stars *****

This series seems to get more bizarre as it progresses. In the third boxed set there are twists and mysteries and ever more scary moments as the children try to make their way in the world. V.F.D. seems to crop up in ever more places without a resolution as to the meaning of V.F.D.

As a fan of this series is aware, in the last story, "The Ersatz Elevator", the Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny, had just lost their last home as one of their guardians was in league with the awful Count Olaf. On the theory that it takes a village to raise a child, Mr. Poe, the children's supposed guardian, takes the children to V.F.D., a village populated by crows and weird people in the middle of nowhere.

The children's fortunes do not improve. The townspeople force the children to do chores all day long. Many of the people for whom they do chores little appreciate what the children do. Lastly, the children and everyone in town must follow an extensive list of incredibly ridiculous rules.

Soon after the children arrive in town they find a note (a rhyming couplet) from their previously kidnapped friends, Duncan and Isadora Quagmire, kidnapped two books ago by Count Olaf. As time proceeds, the children find more couplets written by Isadora Quagmire. The children hope and believe the couplets will lead them to the Quagmires.

As always happens, Count Olaf shows up again. As usual, he has assorted followers with him, including one surprise returning character (I'm not telling!). This time Count Olaf shows up as a detective to solve a murder in the village. The victim will be an amazing surprise to every reader (and I'm not telling you that one either!).

Of course the story climaxes in a way that might lead the reader to believe that the Baudelaire's will escape. Well, the children do get away from town, but they are on the run for a crime they didn't commit. The ending of this story neatly fits into the beginning of the next book, "The Hostile Hospital."

In the eighth book in the series, we not only get to be miserable with the Baudelaire orphans, we also get to be afraid. "The Hostile Hospital" picks up where "The Vile Village" left off. The children are walking away from the village of V.F.D., trying to figure out what to do now that they are on the run from the law.

The children come to a general store in the middle of nowhere, which fortunately contains a telegraph. They try to contact Mr. Poe to tell him they did not commit the crime of which they are accused. Unfortunately, the children do not hear back from Mr. Poe before the person that delivers the newspaper arrives and shows the store owner a picture of the children in the newspaper. After a chase through the store the children escape into a van containing the most bizarre collection of hospital volunteers that you have ever seen.

The children realize they need to do some research to see if they can find more information about their family, and the murdered person in the village of V.F.D. By a strange coincidence, the hospital has a huge records department in the basement containing hundreds of file cabinets of information from all over the county. By another strange coincidence the children are able to volunteer to work in this facility.

As you can imagine, the children have to live somewhere, and they would rather not have to drive back and forth in the van lest someone recognize them. Further, where would they go anyway? So the children live in the unfinished half of Heimlich Hospital, using a canvas cover for a blanket and to keep warm.

The children's search through the records is disturbed by the arrival of, you guessed it, Count Olaf. This time we see very little of Count Olaf, and instead see another character the reader will know from a previous story (I'm not telling!). During a chase through the records room one of the Baudelaire orphans is captured, and Count Olaf and his gang of criminals plan to do an operation on the captured orphan that is planned to turn fatal.

The Baudelaire orphans left "The Hostile Hospital" in a very dangerous way. However, once again the children use their wits to figure out how to escape their predicament.

The children find themselves in a rundown carnival with another bizarre cast of characters, including several supposed "freaks." However, the freaks are not really all that freakish, one being a contortionist and one being ambidextrous. The children disguise themselves as freaks and manage to fool Count Olaf and his gang for most of the book. However, as we all know, eventually Count Olaf finds the children and another harrowing ending ensues.

Over the last two or three books we've been given tidbits about bigger mysteries surrounding the children and their parents. In this book the tidbits become much more substantial, and give us a clue as to the direction the series might take. While it may seem that my description is a bit vague, that is because I do not wish to give away any of the surprises in this book, and there is at least one very big surprise for the children and the reader, as well as a number of smaller surprises.

As I noted earlier, there are a lot of surprises in this book. Those surprises make for one of the most intriguing books in this series. I am anxiously anticipating the next volume, and even more, the end of the series, when I am hoping all the mysteries are solved.

These three books will provide readers with hours of enjoyment. The mysteries deepen with each, and all I can say at this point is, when will we see the final book in the series?!?!