dork diaries: Tales from a not so fabulous life

I picked this book up when I was somewhere between 7 and 10, as I'd seen it in many places before, and it seemed to have a decent reputation. As soon as I read the first few pages, I closed the book and walked away. Even though I was the age of the “targeted audience”, I simply couldn't bear to read any farther (though eventually, I finished it, since I don't like leaving books unfinished, no matter how annoying they may be). I was expecting something like Diary of a Wimpy Kid , but with a girl as the main character, this was something utterly different, instead of a well-constructed plot and (sometimes) relatable situations like the ones demonstrated in Diary of a Wimpy Kid , I was bombarded with an onslaught of whining, complaining, sparkles, plot holes, and situations that made no sense at all. Even though the story is told from the perspective of an eighth grader, it sounds more like a first grader on a sugar high, and the only thing that seems “eighth grade” is the setting. Finally, although the book is intended for a younger audience, a character with a personality so shallow that it looks like the author didn't even intend to build upon it, and a with a plot that has no deep meaning does not provide an interesting read.

Good grief, it's about time I read this book. The author has since written ten more in this series, and has started a new (oh-so-similar) series with a male teen protagonist.

What's it about? It's about the day-to-day trials of a young teen girl, in school, with her friends, with her enemies, with boys. It's about as readable as a book can get, with fun illustrations, and contemporary vocab, and struggles every girl can relate to.

So, if you, like me, have somehow managed to skip this one, I'm afraid it's required reading these days. I had no idea so much drama went on in junior high.