The Hostile Hospital (A Series of Unfortunate Events #8)
Author: Lemony Snicket
Published: 2001
On Goodreads
My Rating: 
Rated D for dangerous operations at the hands of deadly, greedy villains. Where are the doctors?
Before you throw this awful book to the ground and run as far away from it as possible, you should probably know why.
It in this book that the Baudelaire’s time at Heimlich Hospital is detailed. Though they are now on the run as fugitives being framed for the murder of Count Olaf, but actually Jacques Snicket, of whom they didn’t kill, the children take refuge in the hospital as Volunteers Fighting Disease. There, they get a chance to search for answers to several of their questions, but discover more questions that need answers.
When Count Olaf and his troupe arrive at the hospital and Violet is taken for an “operation” Klaus and Sunny must think of a way to save and get away fast without getting caught.
A Series of Unfortunate Events is 1 of 3 books series I am rereading this year as a part of my New Year’s Resolution. This is book 8 of 13.
ASOUE Reviews
This one was the one that started it all for me, folks! The book that got me hooked. I know, I know. What the hell am I doing starting on the eighth book of a series!? Honestly? No idea, but I’m glad I did. Such a great, chilling book that had me on the edge of my seat. The creepiest and the best of the series in my opinion. It’s at this point that the Baudelaire’s have nobody they can rely on—certainly no Mr. Poe, not that he was ever reliable and the Quagmire triplets have gotten safely out of Olaf’s clutches—and they soon take up some of Count Olaf’s tricks in order to stay safe from him and others that seek to harm them. It makes their actions and intentions questionable, but knowing what they’ve gone through already and how they’ve been treated, I am finding the Baudelaires’ action justified.
Has to have one of the most haunting covers I’ve ever seen. It certainly gave great insight to the tone and theme of the book. Deadly and creepy. Love it so much! Also, hospitals freak me the feck out. LOL. And a hospital only halfway done? Lucky for the children, the adults that work there are ridiculously dumb. It continuously makes me wonder about them in real life.
Also, what a wicked spot and a good show that places of safety will grow scarce for the children. The Last Chance store at the very beginning as well was truly like a last opportunity for the Baudelaires, flashing like a neon sign, for them to turn back and turn themselves in. Quite a bold way to give imagery and theme.
The language though it comes off dry, is filled with wit and intelligence that I can’t get enough of. Truly stunning. Just as much as the illustrations really. I get swept away by it. It’s really a style all its own. And though the children still haven’t found the true meaning of VFD, they still follow its winding trail of which Snicket weaves expertly.
Overall
Still my favorite book in the series to this day. Chilling and action-packed, I absolutely loved everything this book did. Utterly remarkable. And the bomb drop that a parent could be alive? Whoa!
Quotables:
“There are two reasons why a writer would end a sentences with the word “stop” written entirely in capital letters STOP. The first it if the writer were writing a telegram, which is a coded message sent through an electrical wire STOP. But there is another reason why a writer would end a sentence with “stop” in all capital letter, and that is to warn readers that the book they are reading is so utterly wretched that if they have begun reading it, the best this to do would be to stop STOP.” (p. 1)
“Now you know what it feels like to be a villain.” (The Bald Man to Klaus, p. 219)
More to come soon…
-K.
P.S. Song today? Pressure by Paramore.
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The Scarlet Reader 
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