Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel (Book 7)

Title: The Third Wheel

Author: Jeff Kinney

Year of Publication: 2012

Official Synopsis: A Valentine's Day dance at Greg's middle school has turned his world upside down. As Greg scrambles to find a date, he's worried he'll be left out in the cold on the big night. His best friend, Rowley, doesn't have any prospects either, but that's a small consolation.

An unexpected twist gives Greg a partner for the dance and leaves Rowley the odd man out. But a lot can happen in one night, and in the end, you never know who's going to be lucky in love.

Official Page

Official Trailer



STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

This book was a sweet surprise. I was already getting used to low quality Wimpy Kid stories. And, even though this story is not literary art, it is engaging. The Third Wheel is a relatable story about finding love and dating. Our media is filled with these type of stories, from romantic comedy movies to hilarious memoirs. Listening to such a story from an egocentric 12-years-old boy is a rather funny twist. Of course, Greg was not actually looking for true love, he only wanted a date to a dance. Still, his ideas for finding one are questionable, but unfortunately all too real. He tried to impress girls by dressing better, he surrounded himself by “bad boys”, he got a “man” on the inside (Rowley), he stalked girls, used a wingman (Rowley), and tried to impress a girl with money and/or expensive things, among other things.  Greg nailed everything people do to find a significant other. Of course, he always went for the pretty and popular girls, so, even if he did everything “right”, he never would have stand a chance.

What I love the most about this book is how it conveys the reality of kids/teenagers interactions in such a light tone. At one point Greg creates a graph that demonstrate who likes who in school and I was immediately transported to high school. The graph had many lines crossing from one place to another, but hardly any love was requited. 

I also loved the ending of the book, which gives us a glimpse of what dating is really all about. Rowley and Greg decide to go to the dance with one girl, Abigail – all three as friends. Greg spent all night trying to impress the girl. However, she leaned towards Rowley’s nice attitude and relatable personality. The cherry on top was when, in the middle of the dance, Abigail’s original date, the one that had “family obligations” and couldn’t go to the dance, enters the dance floor with another girl. In that moment I was blown away by the crudeness of the story. Kinney’s light tone, through Greg’s clueless arrogance, brushed it off as something unimportant that happened. And maybe to the reader and everyone else is unimportant. But, when something like that happened in real life, it’s not a laughing matter.

In the end, The Third Wheel did what it was supposed to, entertain. It wasn’t laugh-out-loud funny but it was still amusing. I was surprised by the underlying drama and reality of it. Now, I am certainly looking forward to the next book.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever (Book 6)

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

Author: Jeff Kinney

Year: 2011 

Official Synopsis: Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he’s innocent. Or at least sort of.

The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise blizzard hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he’s going to have to face the music, but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holidays?

Official Page

STEH SAID

Rating:

Review:

In this book, Jeff Kinney is back to his original writing style: Greg talks about many random things, then, halfway through the book, the actual story starts to develop. I don't like to read a book's synopsis and then, read a completely different story when reading the actual book. It just doesn't make sense; I was constantly expecting Greg to do something bad at school, only to read about the school yard or bullies.

On the other hand, those random anecdotes were really silly and funny. Greg's coming-of-age story is left forgotten and he is back to his wimpy ways. Kinney made some fun allusions to his own stories. And, he also made a Harry Potter allusion that was a pleasant surprise. It was completely unexpected, but fitting.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (Book 5)

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth

Author: Jeff Kinney

Year: 2010

Official Synopsis: Greg Heffley has always been in a hurry to grow up. But is getting older really all it’s cracked up to be?

Greg suddenly finds himself dealing with the pressures of boy-girl parties, increased responsibilities, and even the awkward changes that come with getting older—all without his best friend, Rowley, at his side. Can Greg make it through on his own? Or will he have to face the “ugly truth”?

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

I actually enjoyed this book a lot more than the previews ones. Although The Ugly Truth is not as funny as its predecessors, it is much more relatable.  In this installment I felt a connection with Greg; I felt sympathetic. He wasn't as annoying or selfish as before and the stories he told, though exaggerated, felt natural. Also, I actually agreed with his point of view in many instances. I think all of this change is due to Greg's new perspective and view on life.  He has changed, and it is definitely for the better. 

This is a Wimpy Kid version of a coming of age story. It's all about growing up, change and responsibility. Still, Kinney managed to give a funny twist to it. I loved that he also managed to make allusions to all the new information tweens receive at that age while, at the same time, not spoiling anything for younger readers. Greg had to endure “The Talk” from his grandma, had to survive health classes about hormones and parenting, and he read (or looked at) a book about body changes. Yet, there is enough vagueness in the subject to easily entertain young kids that haven't hit puberty yet. Still, teenagers can find it funny because they will understand what he's talking about.

The ending, unfortunately, was rushed and, on top of that, fell short. Otherwise, this has been the best Wimpy Kid story yet.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Movie

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Year: 2012

Director: David Bowers

Rating (by MPAA): PG for some rude humor

Synopsis (from IMDb): School is out and Greg is ready for the days of summer, when all his plans go wrong. What on earth is he going to do all summer?

For more information you may visit Diary of a Wipy Kid's Official Page and this movie's IMDb Page.



STEPH SAID

Rating:


Review:

Dog Days continued to improve upon the books, just as Rodrick Rules did before. This movie combined the stories from The Last Straw and Dog Days to make a better story. Moreover, this movie joined the two book's stories while, at the same time, build upon the story presented in Rodrick Rules, the movie. The result is a really funny, enjoyable and entertaining movie.

Rodrick was, once again, the character that carried the story and kept it going. He was also the source of the funniest moments. Greg was, yet again, acting in opposite ways as it suited the writers. He is completely wimpy and childish one moment, and the next he acts like a grown up, making wise decisions, especially near the end. It would be acceptable if, after it happened the first time in the first movie, Greg would stay a little wiser. However, by the beginning of the second movie he was as wimpy as before. Then he had another transformation. In the third movie the cycle was repeated. Then again, this is supposed to be the last movie, so probably Greg will stay a little wiser this time.

What I didn't like about this movie was Heather; I disliked everything about her. In the movie, Heather is the complete opposite of what the character is supposed to be. She is annoying, arrogant and a huge brat when she is supposed to be an older version of Holly. On top of this, the actress that portrays Heather looks about ten years older than the character, which completely ruined my suspension of disbelief.

The ending was kind of cheesy and a bit unbelievable, yet, it was expected. It is the kind of ending you would suspect to find in such a movie. So, overall, the series had a good ending, all things considered.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (Book 4)

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Author: Jeff Kinney

Year: 2009

Synopsis: It’s summer vacation, the weather’s great, and all the kids are having fun outside. So where’s Greg Heffley? Inside his house, playing video games with the shades drawn.

Greg, a self-confessed "indoor person,” is living out his ultimate summer fantasy: no responsibilities and no rules. But Greg’s mom has a different vision for an ideal summer . . . one packed with outdoor activities and "family togetherness.”

Whose vision will win out? Or will a new addition to the Heffley family change everything?

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

I was not expecting much from this book, since the last one was a major disappointment, but this book was actually good. It has some good jokes that made me smile and laugh. There were some moments that made me feel pity for Greg, he is so naive sometimes. The story is about what you'd expect from reading the synopsis: Greg's many occurrences and shenanigans during the summer. He played pranks, got into trouble, found love and more, all the while being as awkward as ever. However, I don't think the title of this book is accurate, because the dog only appears for a few pages. It should have been Summer Days, or something like that.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (Book 3)

Title: The Last Straw

Author: Jeff Kinney

Year of Publication: 2009

Official Site

Synopsis: Let’s face it: Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways. Somebody just needs to explain that to Greg’s father. You see, Frank Heffley actually thinks he can get his son to toughen up, and he enlists Greg in organized sports and other "manly” endeavors. Of course, Greg is able to easily sidestep his father’s efforts to change him. But when Greg’s dad threatens to send him to military academy, Greg realizes he has to shape up . . . or get shipped out.

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

There is not much to say about this book. It was better than the previous ones because it has a plot and a story arc. However, just like the other books of this series, it lacks depth, character development and engagement with the reader.

It didn’t produce any type of reaction in me; I wasn’t happy or mad, I didn’t feel better or worse after reading it. At least with the previous book I found them funny and thought they were an enjoyable light reading. With this book, on the other hand, I felt no such thing. It was like “I’m done? Oh ok.”

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Movie

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

Year: 2011

Director: David Bowers

Rating by MPAA: PG for some mild rude humor and mischief

Synopsis: Back in middle school after summer vacation, Greg Heffley and his older brother Rodrick must deal with their parents' misguided attempts to have them bond.

Official Page and IMDb Page

Official Trailer

STEPH SAID

*This review contains spoilers*

Rating:

Review:

This movie was a huge improvement over the first one. It is funny, relatable, credible and heart-warming. Watching it was a rollercoaster ride: there where highs, lows and moments were I couldn’t differentiate up from down.

It centers on Greg and Rodrick’s relationship. At first they didn’t want anything to do with one another. Rodrick would play practical jokes on Greg and Greg would hate Rodrick for it. But, as time passes, and Greg and Rodrick start to spend time together and cover each other’s backs; they start to form a bond. All of this may sound cheesy, but is Wimpy Kid we’re talking about. Greg and Rodrick start to bond over secret parties and fake vomit. Still, is bonding, which led to the most happy moments in the movie. Not only was I laughing out loud, I was actually feeling happy for Greg and Rodrick. I was engaged.

Of course, then came the lows. I mean, it couldn’t be all happiness, something bad had to happen. However, I loved this part too because it showed yet another side of Rodrick. He was really hurt for not being able to play with his band. Rodrick is actually growing up.

In the end, Greg decided to do the right thing (I’m seeing a pattern here) and the movie ended on a high note and with a hart-warming moment between Greg and Rodrick. But in this movie, unlike in the first one, Greg taking the blame felt realistic and natural. It turned out to be an amazing movie, with a very special message about siblings love.  

Movie vs. Book

Rating:

Review:

The movie’s story is the complete opposite to the book’s story! The screenwriters managed to keep key events of the book and include some parts of the Online Story. But overall, the plot and the message of the book were drastically changed, practically reversed.

In the book, “Rodrick Rules” could be interpreted as a sarcastic expression from Greg. Rodrick is constantly mocking him and picking on him. Greg sees Rodrick as responsible of all his misfortunes. In the movie, the same expression could be a cheerful statement; Rodrick and Greg start to get along, they spend time together, they help each other and Rodrick teaches Greg a thing or two.

This change was for the better. The movie has substance, depth and character development that the book doesn’t have. 

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.

Official Page

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.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Movie)

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Year: 2010

Director: Thor Freudenthal

Rating by MPAA: PG for some rude humor and language

Synopsis by Twentieth Century Fox: To Greg Heffley, middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented. It's a place rigged with hundreds of social landmines, [...] and a festering piece of cheese with nuclear cooties. To survive the never-ending ordeal and attain the recognition and status he feels he so richly deserves, Greg devises an endless series of can't-miss schemes, all of which, of course, go awry. And he's getting it all down on paper, via a diary […] filled with his opinions, thoughts, tales of family trials and tribulations, and (would-be) schoolyard triumphs. [..] So was born the Wimpy Kid's diary.

Official Site and IMDb Page

Official Trailer

ELL SAID

Rating:

Review:

I first thought this would be an extremely boring story, but I was wrong. The characters and the story are weird, but are also quite catchy. There is no greater good or epicness to it, it really is a diary of a weak kid who is trying to become famous in school. It’s fun to watch, but can at times be quite disgusting, so tread carefully. Overall, a good movie, but there’s not much to say about it.

STEPH SAID

Review:

As a stand alone movie

Rating:

The movie overall was really good; not great, not bad either. It was funny and relatable. Nonetheless, there’s not much I can say without having to mention the book.

Comparing the movie to the book.

(You may want to read my review of the book first.)

Rating:

The movie wasn’t as good as I expected. Since the author of the book, Jeff Kinney, was the movie’s executive producer, I thought the adaptation was going to be amazing. However, it left much to be desired.

The story adaptation was good. Of course, there were some changes as it’s to be expected. Many parts were left out. Nevertheless, the writers made sure to include some of the iconic moments of the book:  the tricycle incident, Halloween night, the play, Manny eating breakfast while in the potty, Rodrick waking Greg up in the middle of the night and many more. I love that we get to see Rodrick’s band play, and just as I expected: they are awful! Also, the magazine incident, in which Rodrick apologizes to women, made the movie. It was way funnier than I expected.

Some characters, on the other hand, were not adapted so perfectly. For example, I don’t remember Patty being such a brat, annoying and a smarty pants maybe, but not a brat. Maybe that’s just me. Rodrick, on the contrary, was pleasant in the movie. To me, Rodrick is the bad guy of the books, the biggest meanie. In the movie, however, he was likeable, funny and very realistic.

My biggest surprise was Greg. I know he is mean sometimes, but the movie took it to the extreme. It presented Greg as if he only cared about being popular. He tried for the wrestling team and the school’s play just for a shot at being popular, when in the book the wrestling was the topic in Phys Ed and his mom made him try out for the play. In the movie, Greg even tried to change Rowley appearance by throwing out Rowley’s “uncool” clothes and painting Rowley’s bike black. Greg, also in the movie, left the kindergarteners, the ones he has to walk home, inside a hole in the ground, under the rain, and ran away. In the book he just showed them some worms.

Additionally, I didn’t like the two out-of-character moments. Rowley’s was when he told Greg they were done. Rowley is too nice, he would’ve just walk away, like he did in the book. Greg’s out-of-character moment came at the end of the movie. Greg decided to use the cheese incident to evaluate the reality of schools and teenagers’ focus, and encourage his peers to look beyond the standards of society. Yet, he was the one that, for a whole year, tried to fit in. And I don’t think it was a change of heart which prompt him to give that mini speech; I just guess the producers wanted a happy ending.

Chloe Grace Moretz is a great actress, but her talent was wasted in this movie. She played Angie Steadman, a character created for the movie. She would just pop in and say a few lines. Her character didn’t had much depth and didn’t do much either. She was just there. From what I’ve gather she doesn’t appear in any of the sequels, so right now I’m wondering about why the character was created in the first place.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Author: Jeff Kinney

Year of Publication: 2007 

Official Site: Wimpy Kid

Synopsis: Greg records his experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley grows more popular Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship.

Read my review of the Online Story (the original Diary of a Wimpy Kid story) here.

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

The first thing you need to know about Diary of a Wimpy Kid is that it's not a story about a regular kid who found fame or glory or turned out to be the lost heir to a throne, it is actually a realistic and satirical view of a teenager’s everyday life. Greg doesn’t write about how he wishes life would be better or about his dreams of becoming a rock star. He writes about his best friend, his favorite video games, about being grounded, popularity, his problems with his brothers and with girls. And even though his stories are so mundane, they have captivated hundreds of readers worldwide. Probably because we can all relate to his story in some way. Or maybe because the way he tells his story is just plain hilarious.

The doodles help the story greatly. Nowadays kids are growing up watching movies, TV and video games, and as a result have become a very visual generation. This book appeals to this. The doodles make the story visual, funnier and easier to read because there is actually less words in each page.

However, everything that I have written in this review could also work to the book’s disadvantage. I don’t know if it was because I had already read the online story, or because the book is so small, but I actually felt like the story didn’t have any substance, and was left wanting more. It is not due to the topics presented in this story; the Online Story deals with these same topics and I found it hugely entertaining. The book lightly touched on some topics but did not develop them. This is a story that is supposed to happen in a year, so I expected more matter and thickness. Thus, this is a extra light-reading.

This book is actually the abridged version of the Online Story found at FunBrain.com. The book kept some interesting storylines but completely disregarded other. Then again, compressing a +1000 pages story into a 200 pages book is probably hard work, not everything can be fitted. I just hope the following books keep to the original storyline and don’t deviate from it.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Online Story)

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Online Story)

Author: Jeff Kinney

Year of Publication: 2003 

Official Site: Wimpy Kid

Read it here: Funbrain

Synopsis: Greg Heffley is thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving.

STEPH SAID

Rating: 

Review: 

Ever since the first movie came out I have been intrigued by this series. I didn’t actually put it in my to-read list, because I thought it was going to be a book for kids, since it says “wimpy kid” on its cover. Then, I read somewhere that the books were based on the online story and, since it is free on the internet, I decided to give it a try. If I liked it I would read the books, if I didn’t, I would’ve just read one story instead of seven (of course, at that time I didn’t knew the online story has more than one thousand pages!).

I was hooked from the beginning. This story has that "je ne sais quoi" that just makes you want to read more and more. It definitely reads like a 12 years old’s journal. He complains about his mother being unfair, about his parents preferring his baby brother, his punishments, his deals with bullies, the girls he likes, and much more. It is so real; it is a story most people will relate too, it will definitely make you re-live your younger years, especially if you have siblings. But, what makes it so irresistible is actually the wimpy tone in which is written. It is such light reading that I couldn’t get tired of reading about a boy complaining about his big brother, even when it was for the hundredth time; besides most of the anecdotes are hilarious. Also, the cartoons improved my enjoinment of the story. Sometimes he’d tell a story and I would giggle because I could see it in my mind, but then I’d see the doddle and I would definitely laugh out loud. For example, once he’s telling the story of the first time he wanted to call the girl of his dreams: Piper. To avoid his big brother Rodrick’s mockery, he went to his parents’ room, took the phone and hid under a blanket on the floor. He was about to dial when his father entered the room.

At this point I was already laughing, but when I saw the doodle that followed it, I couldn’t contain myself. I threw the laptop aside and laugh out loud until I didn’t had any air left in my lungs. 

One thing I didn’t liked about the story is how Greg manipulates, uses and takes advantage of his “best friend” Rowley. Of course, Rowley is dumb enough to fall for it almost every time. Also, Greg is doing what he is used to, because he is with Rowley the way Rodrick is with him.

I already noted that it has more than one thousand pages but don’t get scared. First, there are few lines in each page, and the letters are big because it’s shaped to look like hadwriting. Second, it has many many doodles. And thirdly the story is so easy to read, the pages will fly by. At the end you’ll keep wanting more. I know I still do. So now I will read the books and hope Kenney write a hundred more.

*Images in this post are property of Jeff Kinney and Funbrain.com