Wow. What can I even say?

This book was an absolute wild ride from start to finish. First of all, I was astonished by how funny it was. But perhaps I should have anticipated such remarkable writing from the genius behind Lemony Snicket and the Series of Unfortunate Events.

I was also quite impressed that Handler managed to create such a believable female protagonist. I was completely captivated by Flannery as an unreliable narrator, and I'm rather proud of myself for predicting the twist ending.

Handler's writing was so rich in detail and depth that I was completely carried away by this story and its characters. By the end of the book, I felt as if I too was a member of the Basic Eight, embroiled in the mystery just like any of the characters.

This book had just the right amount of suspense and drama, along with the typical YA romance and humor. I also adored the stylized journal format that Handler used to tell the story. The discussion questions for each chapter actually made me laugh out loud.

Overall, I truly enjoyed The Basic Eight and will definitely be delving into more of the YA works of Daniel Handler.

In retrospect, perhaps I made a hasty decision by reading this book so soon after finishing The Secret History. After voicing my dissatisfaction with the latter, I was informed that The Basic Eight was comparable yet superior. Regrettably, I simply couldn't bring myself to develop an affection for this one. I had no regard for the so-called "cleverness" of the novel. On the contrary, I believed it was far from being so. It failed to amuse me - and this is coming from someone who thrives on sarcasm and dry humor. Although the concept of an unreliable narrator held some promise, it ultimately only managed to irritate me. Yes, we understand that you are editing this journal as you progress, and we're unsure if we can trust anything you say, blahblahblah. However, what I loathed the most were the party scenes. Reading those parts gave me nothing but headaches. It's a chaotic novel, and I'm cognizant that it never aspired to be all orderly and pristine. Nevertheless, it simply didn't suit my taste.

I think I've reached my limit when it comes to books featuring privileged white (excluding Gabriel) children.

Marissa Pessl, Krysten Ritter, and Tana French (I love all three of you. But those particular books): take notes. How to write a high school clique and experience that feels ethereal but grounded and real.

The "Basic Eight" was everything that "Special Topics in Calamity Physics", "The Likeness", and "Bonfire" tried so very hard to be but failed spectacularly. It was thrilling, and didn't let me go for a second. This book is clever without being pretentious and that takes special skill.

It masterfully weaves together the complex dynamics of a high school clique. The characters are vividly drawn, with their own unique personalities and flaws. The story unfolds in a way that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, constantly guessing what will happen next.

Unlike some other books that try to create a similar atmosphere but end up falling flat, "The Basic Eight" truly succeeds in capturing the essence of the high school experience. It shows the joys, the heartaches, the friendships, and the betrayals in a way that feels both familiar and fresh.

This is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery or a coming-of-age story. It will leave you thinking long after you've turned the last page.

DNF'ed it around the 70-page mark.

I really had high hopes of liking this book, but unfortunately, it was overly wordy and pretentious. The oh-so-clever snarkiness and sarcasm constantly interrupted my train of thought. Seriously, if the protagonist wasn't the murderer, she was definitely making me consider becoming one because her voice was unbearable.

While I do admire Daniel Handler's writing style as Lemony Snicket, this particular book was just too self-important for its own good. The protagonist had the annoying habit of interrupting herself every few sentences to quote something she thought was clever or to praise her own cleverness. None of the characters felt remotely believable. They were all just stereotypes, and there were even names like "Winnie Moprah" and "Stephen Queen" which seemed rather cheesy.

The format was also quite confusing. It would have been much better if the story had simply played out naturally instead of having so many conflicting voices and a protagonist who couldn't stop overanalyzing every single word on each page.

In short, this book reminded me a great deal of the Dark Academia fanfiction I used to write when I was 14 years old, without the benefit of an editor. It's so similar to fanfic because every few seconds, the author would insert lines like "tee hee. This is the best part!" or "sorry guys XD I was busy with school so I'll update soon!!" or "hot smexy scene upcoming! uWu".

You're much better off reading "My Immortal", that iconic Harry Potter fanfic from your nightmares, rather than wasting your time on this pretentious drivel.

Well, damn it! This book is truly smart. I'm not so much referring to the ending (as I don't actually believe all the mechanics work out flawlessly) as I am to Flannery herself, with all her glorious unreliable narrator-ness.

The book is her diary, which she is editing for publication from prison. The treatment of time is beautifully messy and fun. You have (1) traditional diary-style storytelling, (2) annotations made at the original time of writing (for example, Flannery gives her friend her journal instead of telling her a story and then stopping and saying, wait, I'm only writing this now, that won't work), (3) annotations during the editing process, (4) entire anecdotes added in and acknowledged as dramatized (such as a scene where her friend gives her a ride and they briefly argue about their group's new nickname - The Basic Eight - and then Flannery gets out of the car and tells you that she walked to school that day, but she knows a conversation like that happened at some point, and this seemed like as good a place as any to include it), (5) conversations repeated word-for-word between different characters (actually my favorite part of the book - Flan talks to Adam, and then repeats the conversation with Gabriel, this time taking Adam's role - it's identical, down to the descriptions of expressions and such), and (6) open acknowledgement of all of it! She wants you to know she's unreliable! She wants you to see the seams where things were pieced together, and not care, because it's her story, damn it! And it's SO GOOD.

This book is truly a masterpiece.

When I first picked it up, I had the initial thought that it would simply be a pleasant book to read, nothing overly extraordinary or mind-blowing. However, as I delved deeper into its pages, I found myself completely flabbergasted.

Daniel Handler has truly outdone himself in creating this literary gem. The story is captivating, the characters are vividly drawn, and the writing style is engaging. It takes the reader on a journey filled with mystery, adventure, and emotion.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Everyone should take the time to read it and experience the magic that Daniel Handler has created. It is a book that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a copy of this masterpiece and start reading today!

After being completely enamored with Tana French’s The Likeness, I came across the information that Donna Tart’s The Secret History and Daniel Handler’s The Basic Eight were similar in nature. Without hesitation, I promptly added them to my To Be Read (TBR) list. Although I never managed to finish A Series of Unfortunate Events, it wasn’t because I disliked it. Instead, I simply got distracted and wandered off to other literary pursuits. However, I did have a great affection for Why We Broke Up.

Flannery Culp, the central character of The Basic Eight, is a murderess who is determined to have her side of the story heard. As she delves back into the journals that document her senior year of high school, Flannery regales us with tales of her pretentious group of friends, known as The Basic Eight. Their adventures include listening to opera, hosting elaborate dinner parties, experimenting with absinthe, and, oh yes, attempting to conceal a murder (or perhaps two).

This book was not at all what I had anticipated, and I’m not entirely certain if there is a way to accurately market it for what it truly is, assuming that such a thing can even be defined. I simply couldn’t compare it to anything else, and that, in itself, is a huge compliment to its originality. While I can understand the comparison to The Likeness – both novels deal with pretentious friend groups and murder – they are completely different in terms of tone, spirit, and the things they attempt to achieve. Other than the basic subject matter, they really don’t have much in common.

Between Flannery and Natasha, there are some truly powerful female characters in this novel, and they are无疑 the strongest characters in the book. The male characters, on the other hand, are much weaker and flatter, which is a refreshing change from the norm. It’s easy to take a liking to Natasha, the friend with “panache”, and I adored how she was constantly defending Flannery and putting down Flan’s love interest, Adam State, who clearly doesn’t deserve her. Flan, however, is a much more complicated character. In fact, she is one of the most deliciously complex female characters I’ve come across in quite some time. She’s not exactly likable – she spends a significant amount of time wallowing in drunken self-pity – but she is witty, occasionally fierce, and a little bit lost, which is a fairly accurate description of most people in high school.

The rest of the characters pale in comparison, and this is one area where I was slightly disappointed that the story was being told from Flannery’s perspective. Besides Natasha, she doesn’t see most of the other characters very clearly, which means that the reader also struggles to get a clear picture of them. I found it difficult to distinguish between Lily and Jennifer Rose Milton, and V___ and Kate only stood out slightly more. I渴望 more insight into the rest of The Basic Eight, but unfortunately, I never really got it.

Flan is the epitome of an unreliable narrator, which has its drawbacks when it comes to character development, but it is narratively engaging as we are constantly having to question the story that we are being told. Her sentences are often rambling or unnecessarily convoluted, and I mostly skimmed through the tedious excerpts of talk shows. However, her discussion questions at the end of some sections are often quite humorous. They don’t force the reader to make moral judgments about the characters and their actions so much as bring it to our attention that we are already doing so, which is probably the most postmodern thing I’ve ever witnessed in a Young Adult (YA) novel. I managed to guess the plot twist and then felt a bit annoyed with myself for doing so. Can my brain never just enjoy things without dissecting them? – No, that’s precisely why I write book reviews.

The Basic Eight is an interesting and well-written novel, but the one thing that I didn’t care for is the same thing that tires me in the Series of Unfortunate Events television show. I can only tolerate so much dry, tongue-in-cheek humor, bitter satire, and general cynicism. As an overall tone for the novel, it becomes exhausting very quickly. Irony is another tried and true element of postmodernism, and I believe that it has run its course – perhaps even into the ground. Handler’s sly commentary on how out of touch adults are with teenagers’ actual experiences and his parodies of talk shows and sensationalized news are amusing, but not necessarily appropriate. The adults in this novel are caricatures who, if they even notice that something is amiss, only manage to make the situation worse. I’m not a fan of that much irony and cynicism as a general worldview, but for a novel, I suppose it can be entertaining in small doses. This is not the kind of book that I will easily forget, and it may be the sort of thing that I end up liking more as time goes by.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

This was an enjoyable piece to read, yet it's not exactly the most extraordinary book one will encounter in a lifetime, contrary to what numerous reviews on Amazon.com might lead you to believe. If it is truly the most amazing book you've ever perused, perhaps I'd suggest widening your literary horizons?

On the positive side:

• The voice of the first-person narrator (and murderess), Flannery Culp, is simply captivating - intelligent, irreverent, quirky (alright, maybe a touch insane too), and highly engaging.

• Handler is a proficient writer, well-versed in structuring the story to maintain your interest. You'll surely be eager to keep turning the pages to discover how everything unfolds. His account of the horrific, climactic final party was ingeniously hilarious.

• This book showcases Handler's ability to write beyond his "Lemony Snicket" persona. Here, he delves into the "Secret History"/"Calamity Physics" realm and generally does a fairly good job. (Something I wouldn't say about his later work, "Adverbs.")

On the negative side:

• His satirization of popular culture can sometimes be overly forceful or too self-consciously clever. References like "The Winnie Moprah" show or "Benjamin Granaugh's new movie, Henry IV" are rather silly.

• Some reviews have criticized the book for its final plot twist, which isn't entirely coherent and introduces certain inconsistencies that are never adequately explained. I believe this is a valid critique, but it didn't trouble me nearly as much as some other plot-related difficulties.

WARNING: SPOILER POTENTIAL

My main issue with the book is that the entire story is completely implausible at the most fundamental level. Specifically:

Where were Flannery's parents? Their daughter is spiraling into a complete meltdown over a six-week period, and they don't even make an appearance. Now, theoretically, one could postulate parents who are so distant and uninvolved in their daughter's life that they're completely oblivious to her descent into homicidal madness. But I'm not convinced. Because - here's the thing - all of this is supposed to be happening during September and October of her high school senior year. During this time, all these kids would be focused on their college applications. And, given the upper-middle-class San Francisco setting, there's no way their parents wouldn't also be obsessively focused on the same issue. So, when Flannery fails her calculus test in early September, it's just not believable that matters would continue to deteriorate without any parental intervention. But Handler never mentions the parents, not even to account for their continued absence.

So, in the end, it's a nice little fantasy tale. But one that has absolutely no connection to the real world.

A fun read, but one that I'll likely forget within a month.

I've read all the books penned by Lemony Snicket. However, this marks the first time I've delved into a book published under Daniel Handler's actual name - his very first work from back in 1998. I truly relished this book and managed to devour the entire thing within just two days. It's been quite some time since I sacrificed sleep for the sake of reading. I adored the charmingly unlikable and unreliable narrator. My mind whirled as I attempted to distinguish what was real and what wasn't, with the narrator altering things as she pleased, almost as if she were mocking the reader. The plot held me so captivated that I even stole some moments to read during the workday, unable to endure the wait for long.

It was truly fascinating to witness the nascent stage of what would later become Snicketisms (such as referring to characters by only their initials and providing dictionary definitions). On the other hand, it was less pleasant to encounter the odd descriptions of Black characters. After visiting Handler's Wikipedia page, I reached the uncomfortable conclusion that these descriptions were likely influenced by Handler's own perspectives rather than those of the narrator.

Nonetheless, I really did take great pleasure in this book! I managed to猜出 the plot twist approximately halfway through, but it only served to heighten the suspense and horror. I was a touch disappointed to reach the end and still have lingering questions that demanded answers. Then again, that's most certainly not an unfamiliar experience for me after perusing a Snicket/Handler book.

The story is quite okay, but that doesn't really matter because the best aspect of this book is precisely the way it is written and constructed. There are many layers

(the diary, what is written explicitly and implicitly on top of it, what is not said, what didn't really happen, etc). So the reading ends up being very interesting and engaging. In the end, what remains is the feeling that there are some people who are more wrong than others, obviously, but no one is completely right, and that is really amazing. At the end, there is a plot twist that is extremely predictable, it even ends up being more of a plot twist for the protagonist herself, and it is really cool to follow that. Overall, it is very, very interesting and fun. I just didn't give five stars because, since it is a reading that ends up requiring a lot of analysis

(not a vibe of deep philosophical reflections, just an analysis of the words, phrases, voices, etc), it ended up being a bit tiring, but otherwise it is very good. I highly recommend it.

The only logical conclusion to draw from this book is that if the person you fancy doesn't like you back, the recourse is to "beat them to death with a croquet mallet."

My favorite part is definitely when the narrator has a conversation with the guy she likes (Adam), and then she word for word repeats the exact same conversation and description with a guy that likes her (Gabriel). The fact that she's supposedly writing from prison is also quite interesting, as are the snarky questions at the end of each chapter.

Study questions are provided to engage the reader further. The first question asks about the meaning of the word 'unreliable' and whether one would trust an unreliable person with their favorite book, dog, or even their life.

The second question makes the reader reflect on whether they consider themselves a reliable person.

The third question poses inquiries about the goodness of names such as Flannery Culp, Lemony Snicket, and one's own name.

The fourth question delves into the reader's opinion on twist endings and whether they enhance or cheapen the enjoyment of film, television, or literature.

Finally, the fifth question presents a series of thought-provoking inquiries about the actions of Mr. Handler and the 37 publishers who rejected the book prior to publication, as well as the relationship between Mr. Handler and Mr. Snicket. Questions like these will reoccur throughout the book, adding an element of mystery and depth to the reading experience.

I truly loved this book. The concept of an "Author writing as a precocious teen" has the potential to go horribly wrong and be cringe-worthy. However, Handler manages to nail it perfectly. What's more, she writes extremely convincingly as a woman, which is quite different from those male literary novelists who seem to think that women spend most of their time evaluating their own breasts. Flannery, the narrator, is an absolute delight. The narration is slippery in a very clever and entertaining manner.

As she tells us, the book is a typed-up copy of her high school diary. But she interpolates commentary and edits events to suit her own narrative. Then, she draws our attention to her editorializing, almost as if to say, "Look ma, I'm doing this on purpose!" She is also achingly adolescent in a particular way that is characteristic of an honors-track kid. She corrects herself whenever she ends a phrase with a preposition, making sure that we know she is well-versed in grammar and that she knows who Moliere is.

I managed to guess the twist fairly early on, and I think I enjoyed the book even more because of it. It was great fun spotting the little trail of breadcrumb clues that led to the twist. Although, if we're being picky, I have to say that Her Royal Highness Shirley Jackson did it better in Hangsaman. Nevertheless, this book is still a great read and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining and thought-provoking novel.