The Basic Eight

Definitely a weird book (which I'd expect nothing less from Daniel Handler) but so charming in uniquely nostalgic way. This book takes you back to the test and trials of surviving high school and makes you adore the main character, Flannery. As someone who has always loved writing, this book had many funny moments and passages that I felt were written for those with an affinity for writing. This book was somehow funny, witty,... Read Full Review

I have never truthfully said this about any book that I have ever read, but honestly, I could not put Handler's "The Basic Eight" down. The whole book is written with such an unexplainable beauty and sadness that you cannot resist falling in love with Flannery, the main character, and the people she cares about. We are made aware of the story's inevitable tragedy in the very beginning, though Flan's narration becomes increasingly... Read Full Review

Having read the first eight Lemony Snicket books to my daughter, it occurred to me that the literary output of the author's legal, literary, and social representative, Daniel Handler, might be equally delightful. I was not disappointed. *The Basic Eight* is a gem of a book. It grows on you as you read, building eventually into a book that cannot be put down--particularly toward the end of October in the narrative--and it leaves... Read Full Review

Easily one of the best books I have read in the past 12 months. Cleverly constructed so that are surprised by the ending--I had to read the sentance twice to make sure I got it right--the book is flawless in its portrait of the upper middle class teen in San Francisco who hold formal dinner parties. The story of Flannery Culp is not an easy read, it takes time and intelligence--but you are rewarded. I laughed out loud at the... Read Full Review

This is a brilliant lampoon the whole "pretty teen drama" genre. Daniel Handler hits all his cliché targets right on the bullseye: ridiculously sophisticated teen dialogue, adults who aren't there or who "just don't understand," the token gay guy, the outrage of being called a "fat bitch," and shopping for shoes (a lot). He also manages to rip up National Organizations, Oprah Winfrey, self-appointed experts, the coffee... Read Full Review