ALL THE WRONG QUESTIONS

"A mystery is solved with a story. The story starts with a clue, but the trouble is that you usually have no idea what the clue is, even if you think you know." 

— Lemony Snicket, All the Wrong Questions
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In Lemony Snicket's sophomore (and much shorter) series, All the Wrong Questions, we follow him as a young detective in the derelict town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea. It's here that a priceless statue has been stolen. In its streets and suburbs reside a colorful cast of suspects. Some of my favorites include: 

• Moxie Mallahan: an about-thirteen-year-old girl aspiring to one day be a big-shot journalist. Abandoned by her mother. 
  
  
• Ellington Feint: About thirteen also. She's seeking the statue for her own motives. Green Eyes. Dark Hair. Question-mark-shaped eyebrows. 
  
  
• Stew Mitchum: Slightly-older teenager. No-good bully. Picks on Lemony. Never seems to get caught especially by his parents, who are actually both cops and supposedly fantastic sleuths. 
  
  
• Harvey and Mimi Mitchum: Stain'd-by-the-Sea police officers. Notorious for constantly arguing. Stew's doting parents.
  
  
• Pip and Squeak Bellerophon: a taxi-driving duo who're too short to reach the peddles. Because they're just kids. 

Much like in A Series of Unfortunate Events, Snicket's subversive humor blends easily with pointed observations about the trials and joys of growing up, of relating to adults and other children, and of trying to navigate a new, mysterious, and sometimes even tragic,  world. Untangling the mixture of motives of these lovable characters in a new, delightfully-awkward city was quite a unique concoction. I can't wait to dive into the rest of the series and report back. 

Respectfully, 
[JG]

​ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lemony Snicket, to quote the book jacket, "had an unusual education, and a perplexing youth and now endures a despondent adulthood." His previous published works include the 13-volume A Series of Unfortunate Events, my favorite kids book series ever. Yes, even more than Harry Potter. 
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"It was not so dark that I couldn't see her strange, curved eyebrows, each one coiled over like a question mark." 

— Lemony Snicket, All the Wrong Questions
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