Very reminiscent of Lemony Snicket books and the Mysterious Benedict Society series. What it lacked in sophistication was understandable based on the intended readers' age range. My biggest complaint is that the narrator goes on at length about how little he can reveal for the safety of reader, but the level of danger seemed underwhelming in that context. I'm not sure if I'd read more of the series, but I'd certainly give it to my kids to read (aside from wondering if I want them to read something that make a case for the necessity of lying to your parents, not that it was a huge part of the story, but still...).