Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Book 2)

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

Author: Jeff Kinney

Year of Publication: 2008

Synopsis: Secrets have a way of getting out, especially when a diary is involved.

Whatever you do, don’t ask Greg Heffley how he spent his summer vacation, because he definitely doesn’t want to talk about it. As Greg enters the new school year, he’s eager to put the past three months behind him . . . and one event in particular. Unfortunately for Greg, his older brother, Rodrick, knows all about the incident Greg wants to keep under wraps. But secrets have a way of getting out . . . especially when a diary is involved.

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STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

This book didn’t live up to my expectations. Jeff Kinney tried to make his second book bigger and funnier by exaggerating it, instead of just following his original style. The first pointer that made me think Kenney was trying to exaggerate his story was the CAPITALIZATION of words.

“But don’t even get me started on THAT story.”

“But what he DIDN’T tell me was that the starter gun only fired BLANKS.”

“…and over the summer I COMPLETELY forgot about it.” 

Sometimes there where three capitalized words per page, and that is saying something, since this book has from five to ten sentences per page. I guess Kinney was trying to stress specific words so the story could feel like it was being told instead of written. Other books would use italics, but this is supposed to be the journal of a young teenager.  Anyway, this made me feel like Greg was complaining all the time and was trying to convince me to take his side, instead of just presenting his side of the story like he did in his first journal.

Story wise, the book wasn’t great. The synopsis of the book (see above) is not exactly the story of this book. There are a couple of mentions to “the secret” at the beginning and at the end of the book, but, overall, the book had to do with other things. It was, and felt, more like a collection of small independent anecdotes: Greg’s French class and pen pal, Greg’s dad miniature Civil War battlefield, Rodrick’s band, the talent show, homework, a practical joke on Chirag and some more.

If you read it with the right mind-set, not expecting a dramatic story involving a life-changing secret, then this book is quite enjoyable and funny. Even though, at the end, it left me wanting more: more substance, more details and more character development.