The Penultimate Peril

Series of Unfortunate Events Series

Author: Lemony Snicket

Illustrator: Brett Helquist

Book 12 in the Series of Unfortunate Events series

Pages: 353

Published: 2005

Age: 9+

After any harrowing struggle, it is nice to consider checking into a hotel for a rest. In fact, this might be just the break Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire could use after their wearying deep-sea adventure.

A hotel can be a good choice for any family vacation. With so many floors, such a variety of rooms, and a curious array of guests, spending time in the safety of the right hotel can be the perfect learning environment for children of any age. A keen researcher like Klaus, an adept inventor like Violet, and a sharp-toothed culinary master like Sunny are all sure to find engaging diversions during their stay.

Regardless of how they pass their time while at a hotel, the three siblings will be sure to take in all the interesting sights and sounds – and write them down – just in case this episode turns out to be the darkest yet in a long series of unfortunate events.

About the Series of Unfortunate Events Series

Reading age: 9+ years

This series should be read in order.

Imagine tales so terrible that as many as fifty million innocents have been ruined by them - tales so indelibly horrid that the New York Times bestseller list has been unable to rid itself of them for seven years...

This darkly humorous adventure series tells the miserable tale of the ill-fated Baudelaire siblings and their menacing relative Count Olaf. When the children receive the terrible news that their parents have died and their home has been burned to the ground, Violet, Klaus and Sunny are shipped off to live with a distant relative - the greedy and revolting Count Olaf - whose only interest lies in wheedling the poor children out of their substanial inheritance.

But unbeknowst to the conniving Count, these children are not so easily thwarted. Violet is one of the greatest inventors of her time, Klaus is a bookish-type with immense general knowledge and little Sunny possesses four razor-sharp teeth which she will not hesitate to use if threatened. The despicable Count has met his match with these three orphans! Read on if you dare...