The Grim Grotto is Book the Eleventh in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, continuing the telling of the Baudelaire orphans treacherous journey after the events of The Slippery Slope. This installment, I feel, is a key factor in A Series of Unfortunate Events as it is nearing the end of the lengthy series.

The story begins with Violet, Klaus and Sunny riding down the 'slippery slope' into the Stricken Stream on a toboggan following the happening in the previous volume. Soon, the three siblings are met by a submarine, the Queequeg, concealed beneath the sea. As the orphans enter the submarine they are greeted by the cheery calls of Captain Widdershins "...aye! Move the ladder! Close the hatch behind you! Don't rush! No - take your time! Don't fall! Mind your step! Aye!..." I found this part very funny to be fair and added great humour to the book, it's a great shame that such funny scenes didn't continue throughout the story as I found the remainder of the story to be dry and boring. Anyway, the Baudelaires have located evidence to the location of the 'sugar bowl', they learnt of in the previous book, hidden deeper in the sea. When the Baudelaires and Captain Widdershin's stepdaughter, Fiona, travel to the location, it inevitably ends in disaster...

As I expected a more advanced and eventful volume in this part of the series, I was disappointed deeply as many open questions remained unanswered and this book seemed more like a desperate way to fill the gap in between The Slippery Slope and The Penultimate Peril.
Despite that, in this book we see the Baudelaires begin to show they are growing up. Sunny's signature language of blubber and nonsense starts to evolve into more distinguishable words and phrases. Klaus takes an interest in Fiona and develops a bit of a soft-spot for her, and is simply heart-broken when Fiona leaves him and hi siblings to be reunited with her long-lost brother, Fernald...who seems like a very mysterious character throughout The Grim Grotto, eventually revealing him to be someone the Baudelaire orphans have encountered many times before...

Yes, I have rated this volume a two star, because I thought the story was shit and boring. Simple as. Okay, I loved the rest of the series and shot through each book about four hours each but got bored of ths particular one and I found myself unable to read much more than a chapter a day. But, thankfully I broke my back to get to the end quickly and succeeded...still suitable for children, only not as enjoyable as the rest of the series! ( )

I'm going to review all four of the last books in this series in one review, since I read them all at one go due to the quick plot pacing, and now they've mushed together in my brain. These are wonderful! When I first started, this series, I was underwhelmed, but Snickett grows up his books like he grows up the Baudelaires. Unlike many coming-of-age stories, this one manages to avoid the trite and the untrue. Despite Snickett's fantastical style and plot twists, there is deep reality at the core of these books, which manage to show the world in all its nastiness and how difficult it is to be a "volunteer instead of a villain," and yet it conveys the desperate need for each of us to try. It also teaches voculary, is subtley hilarious if you already have a big one, and imparts a love of science, literature, poetry, and even good cooking. Highly recommended for all the young, and old, people in your life! ( )

A little slow going at first and this book feels more like an interlude between book 10 and 12, but the second half has some nice (if a bit predictable) twists and turns. The series has come a long way from a few less than inspiring episodes early on. I hope the last two titles aren't big letdowns. ( )

Orphans find a new home underwater while escaping from their nemesis.

Book the Eleventh in Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, begins with Violet, Klaus and Sunny rushing down the Stricken Stream in a toboggan. Soon they are picked up by the submarine Queequeg, piloted by Captain Widdershins, with his stepdaughter Fiona, and Phil, an old friend from an earlier book, on board. The children are in search of a sugar bowl, which has vanished into a treacherous underwater cave, so small that only the children can enter it. Unfortunately, the cave is filled with poisonous mushrooms and soon the life of one of the Baudelaires is in danger. Just as they are rushing to find an antidote Count Olaf comes aboard the submarine and tries to throw the children in the brig. Will they escape from Count Olaf? Will they get an antidote in time? Where is the sugar bowl? And where did Captain Widdershins and Phil disappear to?

Lemony Snickets answers some, but not all of those questions in this delightful entry in the series. As usual the book is filled with quirky characters, including Captain Widdershins and his constant use of the word "Aye" and his motto "He who hesitates is lost", Phil, who sees the bright side of everything, and Fiona, who knows an awful lot about mushrooms. Viola, Klaus and Sunny are all growing up, with Viola and Klaus showing interest in the opposite sex and learning that maybe their parents weren't perfect after all. Sunny is speaking more and more clearly and while it's still fun to try and decipher what she is saying, it's a lot easier than it was in the earlier books.

These books are not just for children, as an adult, I really enjoy this series. I really liked this book, but it left a lot of questions that need to be answered in the two books remaining in the series. This book does end on a happier note than any of the previous books, which I found intriguing. I can't wait for the next one! ( )