This series (at least the first 5 books) was a favorite of my pre-teen to teen years. I read them multiple times back then, and as a result, there is a certain level of nostalgia involved in rereading now that I'm 30+. While I still generally enjoyed the series, it doesn't hold up to the degree that I would have wished.

I guess it's rare for a series aimed at kids/teens to still work when read from an adult viewpoint. And that's totally fine, honestly. Series like Harry Potter or His Dark Materials don't come along often.