For Beatrice - 
 I cherished, you perished, 
 The world's been nightmarished. 
 For Beatrice - 
 We are like boats passing in the night - 
 particularly you. 
 Well, I was expecting to be disappointed and I'm sad to say that I wasn't disappointed. Almost nothing is explained. We have no idea why the damn sugar bowl is so important, what was in it, why it caused a schism, etc. We don't know the purpose of VFD. We never learn what the schism was about. We have very little idea of what became of the Quagmires, Hector, Fiona, Fernald, Phil, or anybody who was at the hotel when it burned down. What was the question mark? What was so terrible about the man with a beard but no hair and the woman with hair but no beard? What happened to the Baudelaire fortune? Hell, what happened to anybody and anything? 
 We do get closure on two characters, Kit Snicket and Count Olaf (view spoiler)[(they die), (hide spoiler)] and the Baudelaire kids ride off into the sunset, so to speak. And we find out who Beatrice is, as well as who Lemony Snicket is, but it's still quite incomplete. This lack of resolution would be infuriating if I weren't expecting it from about halfway through the series. As it is, I was prepped and could take it in stride, but if you need your stories neatly wrapped up at the end, then please heed Lemony Snicket's own advice which he suggests approximately 157 times, and don't read any of these books. 
 This book could almost be a standalone as so little of what happens in it has any bearing on what went on before. We learn more mysteries from the Baudelaire children's past, and there are references to previous events galore, but the plot in here is almost wholly separate from the rest of the larger tale. I enjoyed the story. It was just as ridiculous as all the others, and had its charms. 
 I also enjoyed the journey, or at least I'm so accustomed to the style that I was able to gloss over the annoying characteristics. I'm glad I read this series, yet I'm also quite glad to be done with it. I don't foresee a reread happening. 
 You probably noticed two dedications to Beatrice above. That's because this book includes an extra chapter which serves as book 14 in its entirety. It includes an extra dedication and extra bios which you can see below. One of the many things that make one go "Hey, neato" is how all the books are set up. There are 13 books, each with 13 chapters. Introducing a 14th book with one chapter is a departure from his formula, but it still fits because he likes taking something with the potential to be in put in apple pie order and then adding a wart to it. (Please excuse me for indulging in a mixed metaphor; it's late). 
 By this point you know whether or not you want to read this, so use your own judgement. 3.5 stars rounded up to four here. 
 Bios 
 LEMONY SNICKET is the author of all 170 chapters of A Series of Unfortunate Events. He is almost finished. 
 LEMONY SNICKET is still at large. 
 BRETT HELQUIST (regular bio stuff). He is hopeful that with the publication of the last book in A Series of Unfortunate Events, he'll be able to step outside more often in the daytime, and sleep better at night. 
 BRETT HELQUIST (regular bio stuff). Unfortunately, he gets out rarely during the daytime, and sleeps very little at night.