I adored this book because I love Lemony Snicket's writing and exploring the way he thinks and this book does that perfectly. It has all his dry witty humour in it with an insane situation where you end question every little thing he is discussing.

I was initially put off by this book, because it wasn't what I expected. I should know better than to have an expectation abbot Lemony Snicket!

Once I started the book with an open mind I was immediately drawn in. I am still, even after finishing the book, somewhat bewildered as to who the intended audience is.

I don't think this is written for children, although children may enjoy it. It is a philosophical story for any reader who is happy to go on this journey with Lemony Snicket and ponder some of the big questions of life. It is slow and meandering, which makes me think only certain children would enjoy it, but a perfect choice for an adult reader who wants a quick, but substantial read.

It did make me want to eat:
Tea,
with honey,
a piece of toast
with cheese,
one sliced pear,
and an egg perfectly prepared

Unsurprisingly, this was SO FUN. It's wonderful to return to the dark gristly humour of Lemony Snicket. Loved it.

This was similarly unlike a Lemony Snicket book, and VERY MUCH typical of a Lemony Snicket book - a contrast I feel he would be proud of.

The story was told in his trademark style of wit and dark humour. There were sinister characters and not so sinister characters.

The repetition of what he had for breakfast was beautifully lyrical (and I never thought I’d say that about someone listing the food they had for breakfast but there you go.)

This is a secretly philosophical book and I feel like I will get so much out of it when I use it in class with my older middle schoolersz

A self-proclaimed book of philosophy aimed at younger readers, this is really nothing of the sort. Written in Snicket's usual style, the book follows it's protagonist as he goes from place to place trying to discover who has spiked his morning meal. It's a rambling narrative, more of a stream of consciousness, allowing the main character to follow random tangents which come to mind and have little to do with anything. It reads like something Snicket wrote in one session in the time it takes to read it. Some genuine musings on the nature of life etc would have warmly welcomed, but instead the book rambles off into the distance with very little to actually say.

Lemony Snicker never lets me down. I adore his books! This was great fun and I've already started recommending it in store to the curious reader who wants something a little different!

While Lemony Snicket's writing was always captivating and entertaining to me growing up, it seems to have lost it's charm. The Lemony-isms that I loved so much in A Series of Unfortunate Events were overused, long and drawnout and failed to hold my attention here in this book. Which is an added shame, since this book is specifically marketed to readers 'of all ages' whereas I found the book very suited to children learning new vocabularly and experiencng a new way of storytelling, but I can't imagine many adults enjoying it unless they still loved that style from the ASOUE books. I also found the plot boring, very anticlimactic, and overall disappointing.

A perfect new instalment for fans of a series of unfortunate events, or for people yet to discover the master of story telling that is Mr Snickett. This follows Lemony Snickett as he goes on a journey (as all good stories do) after finding a note that tells him he had poison for breakfast. Will he get to the bottom of it before he succumbs to the poison? A cross between a childrens book and a philosophical thought experiment, this should be on everyone's christmas list!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket. I've voluntarily read and reviewed this copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately this really wasn't my cup of tea. Even though I'm familiar with A Series of Unfortunate Events, Poison for Breakfast is the first book by Lemony Snicket that I've read. Which means that I wasn't familiar with his writing style and perhaps that is also why I didn't enjoy this book at all.

The story felt all over the place to me. There were so many 'side stories' that I got totally side tracked and was questioning what I was reading and where the story was going. Maybe that's the charm but I didn't find it enjoyable. It was actually quite confusing and the ending felt very abrupt.

If you're a fan of Lemony Snicket's stories then you'll probably enjoy this.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for a review.

This was such a fantastic little book, taking me back to my younger years reading A Series of Unfortunate Events. Snicket has lost none of their humour or captivating writing style and this is definitely a must read for younger readers this autumn!

A beautiful, philosphical book from Lemony Snicket. It was lovely to return to his very unique and specific style of writing, it felt like coming home. It's a hard to describe style, but if you like poetic asides, tangents and eventual conclusions then you'll like this.

I didn't know what to expect so I read this book with an open mind and throughly enjoyed it.
I thought it could be a mystery after reading the blurb but it was something different as it's a sort of stream of consciousness that makes smile and think.
There's not a lot of plot but there's plenty of interesting reflections and a superb and witty style of writing.
I read in one sitting and it left me in a meditative mood.
I'm happy I had the opportunity to read it as I loved it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I will be honest and say that I have never picked up a Lemony Snicket book before although I don't know why!

In this instalment Snicket discovers a note informing him that he has eaten poison for breakfast. Protagonist Lemony Snicket has the same breakfast every day; tea with honey, a piece of toast with cheese, one sliced pear, and an egg. Snicket soon finds himself searching for the wrongdoer. As he does he takes the reader on a pleasurable sojourn of life, love, philosophy, literature, death and more.

I found this moving, cleverly written, funny, engaging and bewildering as an adult and imagine that the younger reader will gain much from this story. I now have a copy of 'The Bad Beginning' to read and I'm so pleased to have finally discovered Lemony Snicket.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Oneworld via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Poison For Breakfast is a compelling and singular 176-page stand-alone adventure in which protagonist Lemony Snicket finds himself searching for the culprit who seemingly laced his food with poison. Snicket begins his morning the same way every day: with a breakfast of tea with honey, a piece of toast with cheese, one sliced pear, and an egg perfectly prepared. But one morning, after finishing his meal, he finds a note on a slip of paper under his door: You had poison for breakfast. With that, one of the most famous narrators in contemporary middle-grade fiction (and chronicler of other people's mysteries) finds himself in a race against the clock to solve the mystery of his own demise. Certainly, Mr Snicket didn’t relish the dreadful task of solving it, but he had no choice. It was put in front of him, right there, on his plate. Along the way, he takes readers on a delightful journey of philosophy, literature, art, love, life, death and other bewildering subjects.

Appropriate for young readers, formerly young readers and adults who are young at heart, Poison for Breakfast is a classic in the making, an entertaining but profoundly moving book. But this is Lemony Snicket, so be prepared for an investigation like no other -- one that will take readers on a bewitching journey through breakfast ingredients and philosophy, existential questions and observations about writing, death and the preparation of a good egg. Hopefully, this witty, inspiring tour-de-force won't prove fatal. An extraordinary and fascinating novel from Lemony Snicket, an author whose playful, always thoughtful and distinctive voice brings so much joy to so many. It is penned as both a love letter to readers and reading and a meditation on the vagaries of life. I’m confident that it will stir the hearts of young and old alike, both longtime fans and new readers. Highly recommended.

When I saw this book on NetGalley I immediately requested it and was super eager to read it.

Growing up I adored the A Series of Unfortunate Events series. I remember my parents buying me the next book in the series one day to entertain myself while they went out on a date that evening. I was so enthralled that I ended up finishing it while they got ready and then spent the rest of the evening at a loss at what to do.

When the tv series came out I was so excited by it and ended up falling in love all over again with his quirky style.

Unfortunately Poison for Breakfast is my least favourite of his books. While I did enjoy many parts of it, overall I found his philosophical ramblings to be a bit too long and repetitive. I had to put it down a few times and continue at a later point.

Am I glad that I read this book? Yes. Would I read it again? No, but it does make me itch to read A Series of Unfortunate Events again.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

i never read asoue when i was wee, apart from being fully obsessed with the film, but i fell into the series when i was about 18 and i’ve been quietly obsessed ever since

the story follows lemony snicket after he has his breakfast which has allegedly poisoned him and his quest to find out which element might have been the poison and therefore his killer

it’s meandering and whimsical and lovely and it took me until the end to decide if i liked it or not

lemony snicket is very good at pulling you into the intimate conversation happening just between you and him. you feel like you’re walking around with him, fearing for his death like he’s a friend

doesn’t really mention the asoue universe apart from being lemony snicket but it feels the same and it was a fun, unexpectedly philosophical read that

I have been a huge fan of The Series of Unfortunate Events and so to are my own children.
However, I felt unsure of this title once I began. I found it confusing and didn't feel the story flowed overly well. I think I will give it another try and see if I can change my own mind.

Poison for Breakfast - Lemony Snicket

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Oneworld Publications and I am leaving this review voluntarily

For more than twenty years, Lemony Snicket has led millions of young readers through a mysterious world of bewildering questions and unfortunate events. With this latest book—a love letter to readers young and old about the vagaries of real life—longtime fans and new readers alike will experience Snicket’s distinctive voice in a new way.

This true story—as true as Lemony Snicket himself—begins with a puzzling note under his door: You had poison for breakfast. Following a winding trail of clues to solve the mystery of his own demise, Snicket takes us on a thought-provoking tour of his predilections: the proper way to prepare an egg, a perplexing idea called “tzimtzum,” the sublime pleasure of swimming in open water, and much else.

I grew up reading books by Lemony Snicket so when I saw there was a new book for request on NetGalley I jumped at the opportunity. This is such a delightful read that should appeal to people of all ages. As pointed out in the title Lemony discovers that he has eaten poison for breakfast, this takes him on a philosophical journey while he process that information.

Lemony has such a unique writing style, personally I think this book can only be described as weird. A witty and playful book, as it is only short it is definitely worth a read.

Rating 4/5

A truly bizarre and mysterious tale that takes you through the day in which he had poison for breakfast. Filled with complete and utter weirdness of wonder in true Lemony Snicket fashion. Although I have to say I am now fully put off eggs from his writing on connecting boiling an egg to the unknowingness of death, I was thoroughly enraptured by this genuinely unusual and brilliantly written narrative.
My broken heart will always love 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' the most; but if you are a true Lemony Snicket fan like myself, or simply looking for a book that it not a book but a totally bewildering mystery that takes you on a philosophical journey of.....to be honest I still do not know what, even having read the book three times now.....then look no further.

What a book.

My best advice? Take this slow and give it your full attention. This isn't a book to half read with the TV on or someone talking to you. I'm not sure it's even a novel; certainly, things happen, but the actual plot is more an excuse for Snicket to muse about various things that cross his mind as the morning passes. (Yes, I'm calling him Snicket because that's how all the characters address him. I know it's not his real name. Although by now, isn't Lemony Snicket just as recognisable as Daniel Handler?)

I recognised some of the philosophical stuff, but none of the books or films mentioned, which makes me feel like a pretty bad bookseller to be honest. I was pleased to see that they're all listed at the back - I'll be looking them up pretty quickly!

The tone was exactly like Snicket - check out this quote here;
I have always admired any store that sells only one thing, because it promises delight, the way a person who spends eight years learning how to make cake will probably make you a good cake, but a person who spends eight years as an aviator and a tailor and a math tutor and a trainer of bears in the circus will probably kill you in a plane he is flying very badly while wearing a shirt that doesn’t fit and fighting off an illbehaved bear, all the while insisting that seven times six is harmonica.

Such a Snicket thing to write! I laughed several times while I was reading. However, I did not laugh at Snicket's Roald Dahl moment, quoted below, because I was too busy trying to figure out how anyone can write something so beautiful;
We must try, all of us, a lot of the time, our best, and we must keep trying. We do not understand anything but we should try our best to understand each other. We should swim and walk in parks, thinking. We should watch movies and think about what might happen. We should buy food and think about where it comes from, and we should listen to music and wonder what it means. We should have conversations, real and imaginary, with translators handy so that everybody might understand everything we say. We may feel native to where we are, or feel displaced, or both, the way someone going on a journey is also a stranger in town, but nevertheless we should keep reading. We must read mysterious literature, and be as bewildered by it as we are by the world, and we should write down our ideas, turning our stories, as if by magic, into literature.

Just amazing. I'm so glad I read this, and I will be coming back to it over and over again.

NOTE: This book is listed as an adult book. There's nothing unsuitable for teens, but pick your teen carefully, because this is a very cerebral book that needs to be approached in a certain frame of mind. But please do try it; it's just wonderful.