The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 10) by Lemony Snicket; Illustrations by Bret Helquist
HarperCollins, 2003. 978-0064410137
Synopsis: Separated from their sister and hopelessly lost in the Mortmain Mountains, Violet and Klaus Baudelaire must continue toward the headquarters of the V.F.D and hope they will run into Count Olaf on the way. While the orphans are successful in finding both the headquarters and their odious former guardian, they also find the survivor of the fire – a person who turns out to be the unlikely ally they need to solve the mystery of the V.F.D.
Why I picked it up: The previous book ended on a literal cliff-hanger.
Why I finished it: The reader gets some more meat in this book as the Baudelaries uncover more pieces of the puzzle and find more answers to the mounting pile of questions about the V.F.D., which stands for (among other things) Volunteer Fire Department – an organization that, once upon a time, fought fires instead of setting them. Then, the mysterious Beatrice stole a sugar bowl belonging to Esmé Squalor and a schism developed between the members. At least, that is my understanding of the prelude to the story of the Baudelaire orphans. Snicket gives the sense that there is a little bit more to it than that, as the children uncover after they reach the V.F.D. headquarters. I have to say that I was a little bit surprised when I found out the identity of the survivor, but in the context of the story, the introduction of this character seems to make the most sense. In addition to a new ally and some new enemies, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny also encounter a couple of familiar faces: the obnoxious Carmelita Spats (The Austere Academy) and Bruce (who took away Uncle Monty’s reptiles in The Reptile Room). There is also an amusing bit in chapter 5, which digresses into a letter to Snicket’s sister that he has hidden in the manuscript of the book. It doesn’t have much to do with the rest of the book, but it was a humorous break in the action. Amid the continued instances of child abuse and dire circumstances, the Baudelaires seem to survive yet another encounter with Count Olaf using their wits and their faith in each other, which is perhaps the more uplifting hallmark of the series. Those readers that have enjoyed the series thus far will be rewarded with more trademark dark humor and another cliffhanger ending that will have them reaching for the next book posthaste.
Other related materials: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1) by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist; The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 2) by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist; The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 3) by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist; The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 4) by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist; The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 5) by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist; The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 6) by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist; The Vile Village (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 7) by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist; The Hostile Hospital (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 8) by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist; The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 9) by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist; The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 11) by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist; The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 12) by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist; The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13) by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist; The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket; illustrations by Brett Helquist; Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography by Lemony Snicket; All The Wrong Questions series by Lemony Snicket; The Composer is Dead by Lemony Snicket; illustrations by Caron Ellis, music by Nathaniel Stookey; The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart, illustrated by Carson Ellis
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