Book Review: The Bad Beginning

Synopsis

After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune.

Comments

This is a pretty dark story and I think younger readers will find it distressing.  I would recommend that parents read at least a bit of this if their child wants to read it.  There is quite a bit of content that might bother some children. I do not recommend it for readers under 11.

Language

None [?]

Sexual Content

After wedding to 14 year-old girl, man says he needs to go home for his ‘wedding night’.

Drugs/Alcohol

Adults drink wine and brandy and get drunk.

Violence/Disturbing

Where to begin-ugh. Parents are killed in a house fire. Guardian puts baby in peril (including threatening to drop her and tying her hands and feet and putting her in a cage) to get the other kids to obey him. Guardian threatens to kill the other kids, including poisoning them or feeding them ground glass. Teen girl wants kerosene to make Molotov cocktails.

Social/Family

Orphaned children are treated very callously by grownups around them-pretty dispicable. A group of actors perform naked. Children wish they were ‘polygamists’. Author warns reader several times that bad things are going to happen to the small children in the story.

Religion/Spiritual

None