A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ersatz Elevator (Snicket)

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ersatz Elevator, Lenomy Snicket (aka Daniel Handler), 2001

The is the entry in the series that didn't just bend willing suspension of disbelief, but shattered it entirely. The title elevator refers to a hidden elevator that runs from the basement to the 66th floor of a building, a floor where the main occupant is the newly-introduced relative and recurring-villain-to-be, Esmé Squalor, who worries about what is "in" and what is "out", fashionably speaking, but in every aspect of life.

What will have adults -- and probably kids, too -- shaking their heads is that during the course of these unfortunate events, the three Baudelaire not only climb down the shaft the full 66 stories, but they make several trips up and down, including the baby, Sunny, who hangs on by her teeth.

The basement holds secrets and sparks more questions than it provides answers (certainly not to the "VFD" question), fueling the next few books in the series.

One hopes that this basement is the lowpoint in the series. Unfortunately, that might not turn out to be true.