The Penultimate Peril

The Penultimate Peril is the longest book in the Series of Unfortunate Events, and it took me by far the longest to read. Okay, that was mostly the fault of Hallowiener, but still. This book was exciting, with twists I didn't see coming, though I should have. And it actually provides more answers than new questions, though there are still a few mysteries remaining for the last book.

The Baudelaires are now full-fledged volunteers, and they spend much of the book trying to figure out who they can trust and what is going on. Of course they're still children and pretty new at this whole spy thing, so they don't figure out much. But they get some answers anyway.

The sugar bowl is still mostly a mystery, but by the end of the book its location is known. Olaf's motives are finally revealed and it adds a new dimension to the story, further muddying the waters between right and wrong. The mysterious J.S. is finally revealed, and some of the less awful guardians from the Baudelaires' past prove themselves to be semi-useful.

Alas we also have another fire, a tragic death, and a botched trial. The orphans end the book firmly in Olaf's clutches, though since he has now been separated from his associates, they might just have the upper hand this time around.

The series is almost over, and I'm honestly amazed at just how complicated and ambiguous it's become. Especially given the slow start, with the first six books being essentially variations on a single script. It's nice to see the orphans grappling with some truly difficult questions as they pass into adulthood (or, in Sunny's case, childhood).

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