This series started out well, and went on well, for the 1st three or four books. Then the author evidently encountered some personal problems, and the series went sour. Maybe it cleared up later, but I haven't been able to nerve myself up to try them.

There were some problems from the start. There's too much of a tendency to argue in justification of suffering. It's as if, having admitted that there is suffering in the world, people feel that they have to come up with a reason that it's a good (or at least ultimately worthwhile) thing. I've encountered this premise in other situations (as a justification for allowing wildfires to occur unchecked, for example--as long as they don't endanger 'structures'), and I'm not impressed. I keep seeing Steve Irwin picking up dying lizards with their legs scorched off so they can't even get away from the coals that are still burning them, and apologizing through his tears: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I'm sorry we think this is a good way to manage land."


That said, there are good points. I love the description of underground (literally) New York,especially the forgotten relics. I like the concept that the trees are creating artwork with their fallen leaves, and that human buildings disrupt this. There are a lot of really nice touches like this. And I like that some good finally came of those tedious "So You Want to Be A..." books. I was also a voracious reader as a child. I didn't get beat up much by bullies (the bullies I encountered tended to confine themselves to cutting sarcasm and ostracism. In some ways I wish they HAD broken bones. Names hurt a LOT more, and the pain lasts longer.) But I did find the library an escape from bullies of all ages. Nevertheless, I was never able to read those vocational preparation books. I found them offensively patronizing--plus they never answered the questions I wanted answered. I've never had much use for 'Frequently Asked Questions'--most of those I can answer myself. It's the INfrequently asked questions I need answered--so the personalization of the Wizard's manual is a welcome change.