Dork Diaries Book #1: Tales from a Not So Fabulous Life

Title: Dork Diaries Book #1: Tales from a Not So Fabulous Life

 

Author: Rachel Renee Russell

 

Summary: 8th grader Nikki Maxwell ends up getting a stupid diary instead of the cell phone she has dreamed of, for like, forever! Nikki begins to like that diary though, and soon, she is writing and drawing the highlights from her days. She writes about her passion and love for art, mean girl Mackenzie, the embarrassing job her dad has, her crush, and her strange sister and family. She also writes about her two new friends Chloe and Zoe!

 

Comments: This is the book where the reader meets Nikki. This is the first Dork Diaries book I've read so far and I truly wanted to relate to Nikki (the main protagonist) and to like her. But I just couldn't like her. She spent too much time giving herself self-praise and putting down her poor parents who the reader can tell are just trying to do what is best for her. (I can already tell that Nikki would probably not be a good candidate for that cellphone she desires so bad - I doubt she'd ever get off it) She is extremely pessimistic at times when things aren't going her way and she is sometimes optimistic, but only when things aren't going wrong.

Nikki is not exactly the ideal character for a younger child to emulate - and with the crushes, middle school, and race to be cool and popular, I think that this book would be best for 10+, those who are about to enter that dangerous zone themselves.

Complaints: All said in comments...

Rating: 3 stars