I really didn't like fablehaven as a kid but I'm always seeing people recommend it. The kids were whiny and I didn't like that there were actual demons (as a Christian it felt too dark to me, mainly the way the demons were portrayed. I later read howl's moving castle and I'm fine with Calcifer as I understand demon more to mean spirit with him and he's not you know, freaking terrifying like the demons in fablehaven). The whinyness of the kids may have actually bothered me more than the demons though. They really sucked. There weren't any likable characters either, I didn't like the writing much, and the part with the massage felt weird.

I also don't like seriesof unfortunate events, the villain seems to be an actual pedo as he mentions looking forward to the wedding night with the fourteen years old girl. Ew. Aa. No.

Finally, from the mixed up files of Ms.basil e frankweiler. The girl was such an entitled brat. You get allowance, you just don't like doing chores. That's no reason to run away. As a child who had to carry the housework for my unwell mother with no friends and no allowance I just found the protagonist to be spoiled and dumb.