What is the author's style in The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket?

The names of locations in this series typically describe something bleak or hopeless. The Austere Academy is no exception. As always, the title of the book is an alliteration, a technique used throughout the series.The adults in the story seem to be less educated than the children, or at the very least, bored. Principal Nero speaks in a mocking tone most of the time, mimicking what the children say. Throughout much of the story, the dialogue of the children is more adult than his. A new word, "cakesniffer," is introduced in this book. The exact meaning is never provided, but is an insult frequently hurled at the Baudelaires and the Quagmires by Carmelita Spats.