Books like 'A Series of Unfortunate Events #1-4'
Readers who enjoyed A Series of Unfortunate Events #1-4 by Lemony Snicket also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy mystery action / adventure horror urban fantasy classics children dark-academia humor family
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Seasons of War by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe thirteenth thrilling novel in the internationally bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant series, SEASONS OF WAR will test the Skeleton Detective and Valkyrie like never before…War is coming. To avert catastrophe, Skulduggery and Valkyrie are sent on a secret mission that takes them away from everything they know, to a forsaken land of magic and grim, unrelenting terror... -
Between Family by W.R. Gingell
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhen someone tries to threaten me by telling me they know my name, I take that personally.G’day. I’m not really a pet anymore, but you might as well keep calling me Pet. It’s not like I’m gunna tell you my name anyway. And if I sound stroppy, well, I am. First, I was threatened. Now, someone has cut off my house from the human world and left my emotional support vampire on the human side... -
Dead or Alive by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSkulduggery, Valkyrie and Omen return in the 14th and penultimate novel in the internationally bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant series - and their most epic test yet...In a matter of days, the world will change.Billions of lives will be wiped away in a final, desperate search for the Child of the Faceless Ones - she who is destined to bring about the return of humankind's ancient overlords... -
Armageddon Outta Here by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe ULTIMATE story collection for Skulduggery Pleasant fans, now updated to include Apocalypse Kings AND six more new stories for this edition - 22 stories in all!ENTER A WORLD OF MAGIC AND MYSTERYEnter a world where Apocalypse Kings and ancient monsters stalk beside the killers, the misfits, the oddballs and the weirdos.Enter the world of Skulduggery Pleasant... -
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Jacked Cat Jive by Rhys Ford
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsStalker Kai Gracen knew his human upbringing would eventually clash with his elfin heritage, but not so soon. Between Ryder, a pain-in-his-neck Sidhe Lord coaxing him to join San Diego’s Southern Rise Court, and picking up bounties for SoCalGov, he has more than enough to deal with... -
Still Life by Jacqueline West, Lexy Fridell
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe fifth and final book in The Books of Elsewhere.Annabelle McMartin is gone for good, but something worse lurks just out of sight--watching, waiting, preparing to strike. Then a field trip to the local art museum reveals a shock...Categorized as:
children family action-adventure animal-death audiobook book children-books female-mc -
Mack's Perfectly Ghastly Homecoming by A.J. Sherwood
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMack’s over the moon to not only have Brandon but to finally be done with all their training. With the official FBI stamp of approval, they are ready to start ghost busting. The very last place he wants to be sent to is his hometown of Opelousas, Louisiana, however. But a child is being terrorized, and when he discovers it’s his favorite cousin, all reluctance is forgotten... -
A Mind Full of Murder by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA bone-shaking new trilogy begins – the latest adventure in the bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant seriesSIX YEARS AGO, THE UNIVERSE ENDED.When it restarted, blinking back into existence, it brought with it a darkness that remains hidden from the mortal population.A week ago – fuelled by unimaginable hatred and unstoppable rage – a masked sorcerer killed one of those mortals. Then he killed another... -
Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun by Guillermo del Toro, Cornelia Funke
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsFans of dark fairy-tales like The Hazel Wood and The Cruel Prince will relish this atmospheric and absorbing book based on Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed movie... -
Blue Moon by James Ponti
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMolly is ready for more nonstop, undead action in this follow-up to Dead City, which Kirkus Reviews described as “a fast-paced read for those who like their zombies with just a little fright.”When Molly Bigelow discovered that zombies shared New York with humans, she didn’t think life could get more shocking... -
The Notorious Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe now notorious outlaws Scarlett and Browne are back in their second death-defying adventure—and this time it’s not just their own lives on the line. . . .Albert and Scarlett are a formidable pair. With his ability to read minds, and her way with a weapon, no bank can keep them out and no jail can keep them in. But their notoriety may have spread a bit too far... -
Deep and Dark and Dangerous (A Ghost Story) by Mary Downing Hahn
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsJust before summer begins, 13-year-old Ali finds an odd photograph in the attic. She knows the two children in it are her mother, Claire, and her aunt Dulcie... -
Gargantis by Thomas Taylor
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the second fantasy set in Eerie-on-Sea, Herbert and Violet team up to solve the mystery of the Gargantis — an ancient creature of the deep with the power to create life-threatening storms.There's a storm brewing over Eerie-on-Sea, and the fisherfolk say a monster is the cause... -
Dead City by James Ponti
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMost kids have enough to deal with between school, homework, extracurricular activities, and friends, but Molly Bigelow isn’t your typical tween. By day, Molly attends MIST—the Metropolitan Institute of Science and Technology—but it’s what she’s learning outside of school that sets her apart from her classmates. Molly is a zombie hunter, just like her mother. This, however, is news to Molly... -
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The Witches by Roald Dahl
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 73 ratingsThis is not a fairy-tale. This is about real witches. Real witches don't ride around on broomsticks. They don't even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies... -
Midnight by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsSkulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are back in their most gripping story yet, as book 11, Midnight, picks up where Resurrection left off – and runs.For years, Valkyrie Cain has struggled to keep her loved ones safe from harm, plunging into battle – time and time again – by Skulduggery Pleasant’s side, and always emerging triumphant... -
Out for Blood by Alyxandra Harvey
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHunter Wild is the youngest in a long line of elite vampire hunters, a legacy that is both a blessing and a curse at the secret Helios-Ra Academy, where she excels at just about everything... -
The Desolations of Devil's Acre by Ransom Riggs
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe fate of peculiardom hangs in the balance in this epic conclusion to the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series.The last thing Jacob Portman saw before the world went dark was a terrible, familiar face.Suddenly, he and Noor are back in the place where everything began - his grandfather's house. Jacob doesn't know how they escaped from V's loop to find themselves in Florida...Categorized as:
children dark-academia action-adventure audiobook book coming-of-age fiction found-family -
Secret Life of a Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsNothing's sexier than an man who can keep a secret.A typical bachelor party is all about beers and beautiful women. A vampire bachelor party is no different -- except the men are drinking Blissky (whiskey-flavored synthetic blood). And no one can throw a party quite like Jack, the illegitimate son of the legendary Casanova... -
Dark Days by James Ponti
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMolly’s up against the undead—and the fate of Manhattan is in her hands—in the third and final book of the Dead City trilogy, which Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins says “breathes new life into the zombie genre.”Molly and the Omegas fight to contain the storm unleashed by Operation Blue Moon...Categorized as:
children family action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary dystopia -
Among the Stars by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMay Bird has always been a bit. . . different. While most of her classmates were riding their bikes, she was running around the West Virginia woods, dressed as a warrior princess with her hairless cat at her side... -
Black Heart by Justin Somper
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThere's a new ship of vampirates roaming the seas, leaving a trail of fear and devastation in its wake. When a high-profile pirate is slain, the Pirate Federation takes decisive action and begins training up a ship of dedicated vampire hunters. The team will be led by newly appointed Captain, Cheng Li and will include pirate prodigy Connor Tempest... -
The Black Reckoning by John Stephens
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe final book in the bestselling Books of Beginning trilogy that began with "The Emerald Atlas," which the "New York Times" called "a new Narnia for the tween set... -
Apocalypse Kings by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA brand new Skulduggery Pleasant novella for World Book Day: a hilarious and thrilling standalone story in the internationally bestselling series – perfect for new readers, and essential for Skulduggery fans…Three ancient gods are freed from their prison with only one desire: to destroy the planet and everyone on it... -
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The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsA missing God.A library with the secrets to the universe. A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away.Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts... -
The Girl Who Could Not Dream by Sarah Beth Durst
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSophie loves the hidden shop below her parents' bookstore, where dreams are secretly bought and sold. When the dream shop is robbed and her parents go missing, Sophie must unravel the truth to save them. Together with her best friend—a wisecracking and fanatically loyal monster named Monster—she must decide whom to trust with her family’s carefully guarded secrets... -
Captivada by Jacqueline West
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWith no way into the McMartin house's magical paintings, and its three guardian cats reluctant to help, Olive's friend Morton is still trapped inside Elsewhere. So when Rutherford, the new oddball kid next door mentions a grimoire--a spellbook--Olive sees a glint of hope. If she can find the McMartins' spellbook, maybe she can help Morton escape Elsewhere for good... -
Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsBad Things Always Come In Threes…As a thief, I'm good at three things: hiding in the shadows, getting in and out unseen, and uncovering secrets. I put these skills to work for the Sinclair Family, one of the magical mobs that run the tourist town of Cloudburst Falls. Everyone knows Victor Draconi wants to take over all the other Families--and kill every last Sinclair... -
Empire of Night by Justin Somper
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAfter the surprising revelation of the Tempest family history, twins Connor and Grace face a newly-defined future marked by their Vampirate roots. Meanwhile, Sidorio's evil Vampirate Empire continues its expansion, making it tragically apparent that no ship is safe. As for the pirates, they have a new mission: wipe out the vampirates... -
Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsMysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yes, Liv's dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially the one where she's in a graveyard at night, watching four boys conduct dark magic rituals.The strangest part is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream... -
The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsDear Reader, If you are looking for a story about cheerful youngsters spending a jolly time at boarding school, look elsewhere. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent and resourceful children, and you might expect that they would do very well at school. Don't. For the Baudelaires, school turns out to be another miserable episode in their unlucky lives...Categorized as:
children classics dark-academia family humor 21st-century action-adventure audiobook -
Second Nature by Jae
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsLesbian Fiction: Shape-Shifter Romance. Novelist Jorie Price doesn't believe in the existence of shape-shifting creatures or true love. She leads a solitary life, and the paranormal romances she writes are pure fiction for her. Griffin Westmore knows better - at least about one of these two things. She doesn't believe in love either, but she's one of the not-so-fictional shape-shifters... -
Hex-Ed by Sarina Dorie
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsImagine a bumbling character like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum told with the quirky tone of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but trying to get a job at Hogwarts. Clarissa Lawrence has been fired from multiple internships as a student teacher for reasons outside her control. Magical things keep happening to her . . . like the students turning into frogs... -
Changeling by William Ritter
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMagic is fading from the Wild Wood. To renew it, goblins must perform an ancient ritual involving the rarest of their kind—a newborn changeling. But when the fateful night arrives to trade a human baby for a goblin one, something goes terribly wrong. After laying the changeling in a human infant’s crib, the goblin Kull is briefly distracted from his task... -
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Unfinished Business by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCarolyn Ridder Aspenson introduces her now trademark blend of witty dialog and hilarious banter in the first book of her paranormal cozy mystery series. Filled with romance and friendships reminiscent of Chick-Lit novels, Unfinished Business is a humorous and heartwarming adventure... -
Archimancy by J.A. White
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe first book in a middle grade series that introduces three friends and their quest to unravel the secrets of Shadow School, a strange middle school in New Hampshire, from the acclaimed author of Nightbooks and the Thickety series, J. A. White. Perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Neil Gaiman, and Adam Gidwitz.Cordelia Liu knew Shadow School was going to be different...Categorized as:
children dark-academia action-adventure audiobook boarding-school book children-books contemporary -
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Cuban American boy must use his secret ability to communicate with animals to save the inhabitants of his town.All Nestor Lopez wants is to live in one place for more than a few months and have dinner with his dad.When he and his mother move to a new town to live with his grandmother after his dad’s latest deployment, Nestor plans to lay low... -
The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDark secrets and unnatural magic abound when a twelve-year-old girl ventures into a bog full of monsters to break a mysterious curse.Nothing about Kess Pedrock’s life is normal. Not her home (she lives in her family’s Unnatural History Museum), not her interests (hunting for megafauna fossils and skeletons), and not her best friend (a talking demon’s head in a jar named Shrunken Jim)... -
Les aventures de Johnny Dixon: Le crâne du sorcier by John Bellairs
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen Johnny Dixon and his friend Professor Childermass discover an old heirloom clock, the terror begins. The professor suddenly vanishes, and Johnny is left to solve the mystery--alone.Inside the clock Johnny discovers a miniature room, a room exactly like the one in which a murder took place long ago. And from the inside the little room Johnny pockets a tiny skull with magical powers...Categorized as:
children classics 20th-century action-adventure book children-books contemporary dark -
The Unholy Cause by Joe Schreiber
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA "Supernatural" novel that reveals a previously unseen adventure for the Winchester brothers, from the hit CW series Way back in April 1862, Confederate Captain Jubal Beauchamp leads a charge across a Georgia battleground... Fast forward to 2009 and a civil war re-enactment becomes all too real. When Sam and Dean head down south to investigate they find that history has got somewhat out of hand. -
Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAunt Blythe's house gives Andrew the creeps -- full of dark rooms, creaky noises, and the sound of a woman sobbing somewhere in the shadows. Then, in the middle of the night, Andrew awakens to find a boy standing in his room...a boy who is Andrew's double, except he looks as if he's come from the grave. He wants to follow him -- to a place where he will meet the spirits of long-dead ancestors.. -
Gasp by Lisa McMann
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAfter narrowly surviving two harrowing tragedies, Jules now fully understands the importance of the visions that she and people around her are experiencing. She’s convinced that if the visions passed from her to Sawyer after she saved him, then they must now have passed from Sawyer to one of the people he saved... -
Malamander by Thomas Taylor
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNobody visits Eerie-on-Sea in the winter... -
Fresh Meat by Alice Henderson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA rash of strange deaths in the Tahoe National Forest bring Sam, Dean and Bobby to the Sierra Nevada mountains to hunt a monster with a taste for human flesh. Soon walking corpses, bodies with missing organs, and attacks by a mysterious flying creature lead the trio to a cunning and deadly foe which can assume a human form and will do anything to survive... -
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Blood Captain by Justin Somper
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsTwins Connor and Grace Tempest are no strangers to adventure and mystery. Since being shipwrecked, each has discovered a new world of sea-faring friends and foes... -
The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsKatie, who has supernatural powers, attempts to start a new life in another town with her mother. The attempt succeeds until Mr. Cooper asks Katie too many questions...Categorized as:
children classics family 20th-century action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
Iron Night by M.L. Brennan
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsUnderemployed by day. Undead by night. Underachieving film theory graduate and vampire Fortitude Scott may be waiting tables at a snooty restaurant run by a tyrannical chef who hates him, but the other parts of his life finally seem to be stabilizing... -
The Secrets of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBookish puzzles, phantom mysteries, and evil curses await as Elizabeth returns to Winterhouse in The Secrets of Winterhouse, the second book in Ben Guterson's magical series.Back at the Winterhouse hotel for another holiday season, Elizabeth and Freddy dig deeper into the mystery surrounding Riley S...Categorized as:
children family 21st-century action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
The Curse of the Blue Figurine by John Bellairs
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJohnny Dixon doesn't believe that the ghost of mad Father Baart haunts the town church. But then he takes an old scroll and a seemingly harmless figurine from the church basement, accepts a magic ring from a mysterious stranger--and is plunged into a terrifying adventure that may cost him his life... -
The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhen Lorelei's old school mysteriously burns down, a new one appears practically overnight: Splendid Academy. Rock-climbing walls on the playground and golden bowls of candy on every desk? Gourmet meals in the cafeteria, served by waiters? Optional homework and two recess periods a day? It's every kids's dream.But Lorelei and her new friend Andrew are pretty sure it's too good to be true...
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