#the secret series

[apollosopera]

NEW UQUIZ JUST DROPPED STAY CALM

based somewhat on the current TikTok trend of people discussing obscure books from their childhood. enjoy! let me know ur favorite books from when u were a kid!

[thattripleabattery]

I love books that are written from the 2nd person where the author just pauses the story to trauma dump on the reader

[dismemberment-on-a-tuesday-night]

Glad to see people on Tumblr posting about the Secret Series and completely violating the very serious contract we signed when we were eleven.

[gmanwhore]

Lemony Snicket and Pseudonymous Bosch are a gay couple

[theblabarmy]

just kidz being kidz (investigating an alchemical cult)

[the-aliens-news-network]

biggest plot twist in writing history was max ernest not being allergic to chocolate (henceforth becoming an addict)

[kidlit-queen-competition]

Round 1 poll 30: Violet Baudelaire from A Series of Unfortunate Events vs Cass from The Secret Series

Propaganda under the cut

Violet Bauldelaire:

love a clever girl getting by with her wits and quick thinking <3

Brilliant inventor, inspiring big sister and leader in the face of many unfortunate events

Cass:

i read about cass and her survivalist backpack and then refused to wear shoes i couldn't run for my life in in an emergency

[acollectionofcuriousreblogs]

Tag yourself: Morally Questionable Narrator Edition

Lemony Snicket:

-sad all the time -committed homicide on at least 3 occasions -former theater kid -enjoys pistachios

Pseudonymous Bosch:

-traumatized from his youth -very gay -has an unhealthy addiction to chocolate -makes many poor decisions

Trenton Lee Stewart:

-hides in bushes to spy on people -would insult you in Morse code -Gifted Kid (trademark) -the dad friend

[thecharliechip]

Sometimes I forget that Pseudonymous Bosch did not come up with the concept of the Homunculus and it exists outside of the Secret Series.

[burntmarshmallowqueen]

I drew cass again

[dismemberment-on-a-tuesday-night]

I suddenly remember why this was one of my favorite books as a kid

[library-child]

Tragic villains beyond redemption

To me, one of the most interesting parallels between ASOUE and the Secret Series is how the main antagonist is written.

Both Count Olaf and Ms. Mauvais are introduced as plain, absolute evil who will stop at nothing to get what they want. They are devoid of compassion, self-centered, manipulative, controlling, and always careful to set up a glamorous, awe-inspiring image of themselves. Plus, they're super creepy toward children and have ridiculously over-complicated schemes.

But the way they freak out when they're upset hints early on that their mental health might not be the best. And then, we suddenly learn about their past and realize that they, too, are human.

They were children taken by a cult that taught them their needs didn't matter, and their only purpose in life was to serve said cult. Most likely, they have suffered from trauma: Olaf's parents were murdered by the people he grew up with, including the love of his life. And Ms. Mauvais lost her family at an early age, leaving her with Itamar as her only human connection. He made her grow dependent on him and put her through constant emotional abuse.

At some point, they must have fallen for the convenient delusion that one accomplishment will magically relieve them from their pain. For Ms. Mauvais, it's immortality and power. For Olaf, it's vengeance on the Baudelaires. They sacrifice anything and everything to achieve this, to the point where they lose their grip on reality. And when they finally realize they'll never succeed, they choose death because they can't possibly live with themselves.

What makes villains like these so powerful is there's a tragedy to them without redemption or forgiveness. They chose to commit horrible crimes because it was their easy option. They experienced misery, they inflicted misery, and they died in misery. Props to writers who trust readers with a straight descent into hell.

[theblabarmy]

secret series doodles

[justmeinabigolworld]

You wanna know why I love middle grade books so much compared to YA?

One, they feel much more optimistic than YA, and more likely to try new, off-the-wall things

And two…

They don’t have all that gratuitous romance. Like, I already don’t read a huge chunk of YA books because they’re pure romance, and even in the books that aren’t explicitly about romance, there’s romance. Just when you think you’re safe, it pops up.

Oh, look! A fantasy book with a creative setting and a female protagonist! I’m gonna read it! Okay…good so far…wait, there’s this guy…oh, I don’t like where this is going…aaaaaaand they kissed. And the guy tends to be awful, too. Really mean to the protagonist, but she loves him anyway, because…she has to. It’s YA. I mean, sometimes the guy is fine, but sometimes he’s a piece of shit.

It’s like there’s some kind of law stating that all YA with a female protagonist must give her a love interest, complete with an angsty romance subplot, no matter what the story is about or how much (or little) it fits with the actual plot.

And you know what? I’m seeing more books that give the heroine a female love interest, which is great, even though that means the book has to be marketed as a “queer book” (so as not to upset the homophobes who would otherwise pick up the book or whatever). Still, a love interest is a love interest, and even though I enjoy seeing more queer representation these days, what I’d enjoy even more is a YA section that’s not dominated by romance.

Come on, people. We teens aren’t that horny. Not every book needs romance. Like, with how prevalent love interests are in teen fiction, why are you guys surprised that teens feel bad for having never kissed anyone? Hell, I’ve never kissed anyone, and I’m 19 at the time of writing this. Do I feel like a loser? Yes. Is it because of teen media? Yes…and it’s also due to seeing my classmates in relationships and feeling bad in comparison, but shush.

Also, this is gonna sound weird coming from a girl, but I’d like to read more YA with male protagonists. Everything seems to be about girls these days, and it’s good to have female protagonists, but let’s not leave guys out. As a plus, they have less of a chance of having a love interest. Hooray.

Seriously, though, not every girl constantly thinks about romance, and not every girl wants to read about it. Okay?

Hell, who am I even talking to? It’s not like the publishers are gonna listen to me.

But, uh, yeah. Read middle grade, it’s awesome. I’ve got some recommendations if you’d like.

I’ll probably make a post that’s just a list of good middle grade books and series, but here are a few:

The Thickety by J.A. White: really good dark fantasy, stuff that would even disturb adults, great worldbuilding and characters, and yes, there’s a love interest, but there isn’t much of a romance element. Feels really unique.

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell: yes, it was a series before it was a movie, and yes, the books are better. Very different from the movies, but that’s not a bad thing. The series gets darker as it moves along and Hiccup grows up, and things the characters took for granted are looked at with a more critical eye. Really interesting.

My Life With the Liars by Caela Carter: a book about a girl who grew up in a cult. Every time I read it, it gets more disturbing because I realize things that a younger me didn’t. Still, the book is more about Zylynn’s trauma and how she begins to heal and reach out, even as her worldview crumbles.

The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch: witty, charming, and secret! Apparently, some people find the author’s frequent asides and footnotes to be annoying, but I love them. The sequel trilogy isn’t nearly as good, though.

Okay, that’s it for now. I hope at least some of you can understand my frustration, and I hope you’ll check out these books!