Review by Booklist Review
Introspective and instructive, the inimitable Snicket returns with a philosophical and nearly stream-of-consciousness tale about learning he had poison for breakfast. Mr. Snicket takes the reader on a tour of his mental wanderings, tangential correlations, and physical investigations into the possible source of the poison. What the reader gets in return for tagging along is a charismatic voyage into the topic of bewilderment, with detours reflecting on death; books, songs, and movies he doesn't always name (although he thoughtfully includes notes for each reference at the end of the book); things, places, and people that have wretchedly or fortunately impacted him throughout his life; and the process by which he writes his many books. He ponders signs in a supermarket, goes to a store that sells only one product, and visits a honey farm, and, along the way, he shares recollections of libraries, swimming, and a variety of dislikes and joys. That he reveals many intimate details about himself, sprinkling them liberally through the narrative, may be a sign that he is mellowing in his years (or not). Of course, he includes his famous Snicket definitions to expand readers' vocabulary, and his trademark voice will continue to tickle readers for generations to come. Watch out for the surprising conclusion! This just may be his finest hour.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Snicket (the A Series of Unfortunate Events series) returns with a delightfully quirky philosophical novel. After just finishing a meal of "Tea/ with honey/ a piece of toast/ with cheese,/ one sliced pear,/ and an egg perfectly prepared," protagonist Snicket finds a note that informs him: "You had poison for breakfast." Alarmed, he decides to trace the origins of each ingredient to discover what could have been poisoned. He visits a tea shop that keeps "daringly eccentric hours"; a honey farm; the disconcerting supermarket where he bought the bread; and the park where goats graze and where their cheese is sold. Between these inconclusive investigations, he reminisces about, among other things, a friendship with an older shoemaker neighbor, and considers the craft of writing. His final effort, to visit a library ("to breathe in a room where so much literature has been gathered... often brings a tear to my eye, although that could also be my mild allergy to dust") sets the stage for a surprising conclusion. Snicket laces the narrative with his trademark word definitions ("dicey, a word which here means as risky as rolling dice, if getting a certain number means you will drown") and ominous hints at past tragedies. This will delight fans of Snicket's singular storytelling. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, the Charlotte Sheedy Agency. (Aug.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4 Up--Snicket's latest opens with the author's assertion that it is a book about bewilderment. Writing in the first person, he shares in the first chapter that after having breakfast one morning, he discovers a note under his door that reads, "You had poison for breakfast." This discovery leads him on a search for what may have poisoned him, and he investigates the sources of each of his breakfast's ingredients. He describes his stops at the tea shop, the beekeeper, the seashore, the supermarket, the park, and (happily) the library, and along the way, he chases his thoughts as far as they will go down roads of philosophy, memory, literature, and imagination. The narrative is full of Snicket's trademark clever whimsy; it is so clever, in fact, that it almost distracts readers from the fact that the story line contains very little action. The claim of bewilderment is accurate, but it is the sort of pleasant bewilderment that comes from letting your mind wander down unfamiliar paths. Back matter includes notes about books and people mentioned in each chapter. VERDICT Steadfast fans of Lemony Snicket will surely be pleased with this new entry into his canon, but others may find it a bit too cerebral.--Sarah Reid, Four County Lib. Syst., NY
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