I am a big fan of middle grade fiction, especially when it's in first person, and I get to experience their thoughts and their lives firsthand. So of course I had to give Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid a try.
And I was impressed.
Greg Heffley is a smart kid. Although he may not get the best of grades (his mother complains that he doesn't apply himself), he understands a lot about the social capital of middle school and he tries to make the best of his knowledge. Along with his best friend Rowley, he navigates the complicated world of middle school, with its bullies and homework, the cooties-like Cheese Touch, and maybe most importantly, girls.
When Greg's not dealing with the stress of school, he has to deal with his family, a younger brother and (worse luck) an older brother, Rodrick, who loves to prank him. Although he gets to take his brother's teasing and pass it on to Rowley. At least, until Rowley's star begins to rise at school. Can Greg be a good friend to him and let Rowley enjoy his popularity, or will Greg burn his best friendship to the ground?
I listened to the audiobook of it, so I got to hear narrator Ramon De Ocampo put his spin on it. He tells the middle grader's stories with humor and pathos. I really enjoyed this book, and listening to it would be lots of fun for a family trip with middle schoolers, but I also got the Kindle version of it, and the audiobook misses out on a lot of the fun. A big part of the enjoyment of reading this book (or the ebook) is seeing the font that looks like the handwriting of a kid along with his crude drawings that show a flair for and an understanding of the comics pages of a newspaper. The audiobook is best as a companion to the book.
Just the first in a long series of books, audiobooks, and even movies, Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a great introduction to the characters, and it will hook you in and make you want to read more of Greg's story.