This one was really repetitive and too formulaic. Luckily I know it doesn't stick with that in future books or I would be questioning whether to continue this series or not. There's not a whole lot I liked about The Miserable Mill. I liked the juxtaposition of the always optimistic Phil with the overall tone of the story. That's about it. Some parts were too comical and didn't fit with the quirky-realism the rest of the series has. Although these books are never graphic, this one has a pretty gruesome ending, just a warning for younger readers. Ultimately, this book left me hoping the rest of the series will start to pick up again.