The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 4)

For the Baudelaire orphans, hope for a normal life is extinguished as quickly as a match in a hurricane. Their latest destination is the town of Paltryville and the Lucky Smells Lumbermill, a place where the scent of pine is overwhelmed by the stench of despair. Under the guardianship of the perpetually smoke-obscured Sir, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are forced into dangerous labor, paid in useless coupons, and fed a diet consisting of chewing gum. The dreary routine and hazardous machinery are dreadful enough, but a more sinister plot is unfolding.

When an accident leads one of the siblings into the care of a menacing optometrist, a strange and robotic obedience takes hold. As one Baudelaire becomes a danger to the others, Violet and Sunny must uncover the connection between the hypnotist, a new foreman, and the ever-present, eye-shaped building that looms over the mill. They must rely on their wits more than ever to break the spell and expose their relentless tormentor, Count Olaf, before the machinery of his latest scheme slices away their last chance of survival.