Vile Village (Series of Unfortunate Events #7)

Unfortunately, this is one of my least favorite books in the series. Not because it is poorly written, or has plot holes, but because the Vile Village is the novel the changes the Baudelaire children's lives so drastically that I actually starting crying in the waiting room of the CPR clinic I was attending. 

The Vile Village by lemony Snicket is the seventh novel in a Series of Unfortunate Events, and begins with Violet, Klaus and Sunny sitting in Mr. Poe's office while he tries to find them a new guardian. On his desk is a pamphlet about a town who believes in the philosophy "it takes a village to raise a child" and Mr. Poe decides to send the children there after numerous calls to potential gaurdians fails. At first the Baudelaires think that it might be perfect, the village had the initials VFD, and they hope that this town might be what the Quagmires were trying to tell them about. 

Of course, it's never that simple for the Baudelaire orphans, as VFD actually stands for "Village of Fowl Devotees" and the residents have adopted the children solely to do all of their chores for them. Everything from makings ice cream sundaes and cleaning the windows, to trimming hedges and cleaning the ugly crow statue the town just had installed. The only bright spot is that the town, not wanted to be bothered feeding, educating or clothing the children, moved them into Hector’s house on the outskirts of town. Hector was a quiet man, but he liked to tinker and read. In fact, he had a warehouse full of books and mechanical devices that the town had outlawed with their thousands of insane laws.

Hector listens to the children and their concerns about Count Olaf and the Quagmires, and instead of brushing it aside believes them. Hector has been building a self sustaining flying mobile home and promises the Baudelaires that when it is finished they can all fly away together and rescue the Quagmire triplets.

Of course, who should show up in the Village of Fowl Devotees, but Count Olaf and his new girlfriend Esme Squalor pretending to be a detective and chief of police. They immediately arrest the children for a murder that they themselves have committed, and the village decides to burn Violet, Klaus and Sunny at the stake (one of the insane rules).

While in jail Violet and Klaus manage to not only break out, they are smart children after all, but realize that if Count Olaf is in town so are the Quagmires. After escaping from jail the Baudelaires look around the town and come to the conclusion that the crow statue installed just before their arrival must house their friends. Indeed, when the three smash it to pieces Duncan and Isadora are inside. The five friends embrace and run for Hector’s house, who has finally finished the airborne mobile home. Unfortunately, the Baudelaire’s bad luck prevents them from ever reaching it. Duncan and Isadora manage to climb aboard, but Esme stops the Baudelaire orphans from reaching their destination.

Still accused of murder, the Baudelaire children have no choice but to run, and keep running. This is why this book makes me so sad. The Quagmires are safe, but in all probability the friends will never get to see each other again. And while very few of the guardians the Baudelaires had were good ones, at least they had a place to rest their heads and food in their stomachs. Now, they are truly alone. No guardian, no Mr. Poe, just them trying to outrun Count Olaf.