Rating: 4 stars
Cover synopsis: Within these pages are such burdensome details as a suspicious shopkeeper, unnecessary surgery, an intercom system, anesthesia, heart-shaped balloons, and some very startling news about a fire.
I have been growing weary of this series for a while, and this book fanned the embers of my interest a bit more.
Of course, it followed the formula, but it had some differences, such as the absence of Mr. Poe, and the way the book ends. Plus, there were some intriguing clues to the overarching mystery...though Snicket has done his job in leaving me no hope that things will turn out the way it is being hinted at. Still, I'm actually anxious to pick up the next book to see what happens next.
