Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down by Jeff Kinney

Age Group: Middle Grade
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Publishing Date: November 1st, 2016 by Amulet Books.


Summary: Amazon ~ The pressure’s really piling up on Greg Heffley. His mom thinks video games are turning his brain to mush, so she wants her son to put down the controller and explore his “creative side.”

As if that’s not scary enough, Halloween’s just around the corner and the frights are coming at Greg from every angle.

When Greg discovers a bag of gummy worms, it sparks an idea. Can he get his mom off his back by making a movie . . . and will he become rich and famous in the process? Or will doubling down on this plan just double Greg’s troubles?

What I liked:  Like a lot of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, this book just had me reading. I loved reading about Greg's hilarious adventures. It's not that this book has laugh-out-loud jokes, but everytime I read this series, it always brightens my mood, and this book did not let me down. I also have to point out that Jeff Kinney finds a great way to transition from one event to another without making it awkward or unusual. Like, for example, he transitioned from talking about kids trying to start the cheese touch to making a movie. I don't know about you, but there aren't many authors who, without explaining much, flip over to a different subject and make it feel very flowy. Maybe you could argue that he can do it because it's just documenting his life, so anything goes, but either way, Kinney's writing ability has time and time again shown in his books.

What I Didn't Like:  If anything, I would have to say that there is not a plot to this book. Even in other books where I say there's no plot, such as in such of the Andrew Clements books, there still is a plot, but here it is just a retelling of events. There wasn't a main goal in the books, and there wasn't intense moments. But still, that's what makes the Diary of a Wimpy kid books so great. They reach out to this broader range because it doesn't take an intense reading level or amount of concentration to interpret and enjoy the books.

Rating: 9.5 out of ten

Why? Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are never bad, but as a repercussion, you should expect, they will always not be as bland as other books. It's like a burger. There are some burgers which are AMAZING but it is just meat and bun. While they are still good, sometimes you want to pile on the onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese. Not that there's anything wrong with either of which. It just depends on the mood you're in.