Book Review | Book Chatter

As a reader, it’s hard for me to understand a person who doesn’t like to read. For me, reading is the ultimate activity. For this reason it’s irks me to no end that my son does not enjoy reading. I’ve come to the conclusion that some kids are natural readers and others aren’t!

However, there are a few books that he WILL read without complaint and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney falls into that category. I had to read it myself to see what the fuss was all about.

My Thoughts:

As I was reading the book, the first thing that I noticed was the format. It’s a diary, and let’s face it, reading someone’s diary is a lot of fun. The other thing that I noticed right away is that Kinney has a really good grasp of what it’s like to be a kid. This kid being Greg Heffley, a sort of wimpy, nondescript kid that is just trying to get through the day-to-day stuff that kids go through.

I laughed out loud in some places because much of what happens in the book, has happened to my son. The references to soccer were so similar to my son’s experiences with soccer that I had to go back and re-read that section to see if what I was reading was actually written, or if I somehow imagined it.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. This book happens to be book #3 in the series. For more info on Jeff Kinney and the other books in the series, check out this website. As I said, my kid loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series so much that he just submitted an audition clip to play the lead in the upcoming Twentieth Century Fox live-action movie adaptation. Details for that are on the website too!

I received this book from Jason and Laura over at Abrams Books For Young Readers/Amulet Books. Thank you Jason and Laura!

I received a copy of The Laws of Harmony from Jennifer over at Book Club Girl as part of Book Club Girl’s on air show with Judith Hendricks. To hear a recording of the show, click here.

Here’s the blurb from Barnes & Noble:

“Sunny Cooper has been running since she was eighteen—from the New Mexican commune where she grew up . . . and from the haunting memory of the freak accident that took the life of her younger sister. Now, at thirty-two, Sunny voices radio spots in Albuquerque while struggling to hold on to a floundering relationship. But when a second tragic accident—and the devastating truths that come to light in its aftermath—turns her world upside down, Sunny runs again.

In the town of Harmony on San Miguel Island, she takes a new job, learns to ride a motorcycle, and makes some surprising new friends. But the past is never far behind. A startling discovery—along with an emotional and revelatory reunion with her estranged mother—is forcing Sunny to step out from the shadows of yesterday to embrace an uncertain future.”

My thoughts:

Sunny is a likable character. Albeit a bit scattered and not quite sure where her future will take her, but she’s easy to relate to and she is far from perfect. The story is told in three parts. The first part gives you the current, here and now info and includes some flashbacks to Sunny’s childhood growing up in a commune in New Mexico. Part two focuses on Sunny’s new life in the small town of Harmony, the friends she has made, her new job and the entire “rebuilding” process that must take place after a tragic loss. The third part focuses on resolution and her coming to terms with her new life and it’s all about her not having to rely on other people for her happiness or well being.

What was interesting to me is that the most well-developed characters were also the most supportive ones to Sunny. The characters that did little to support her, were not as well fleshed-out. To me, that worked and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was intentional on Hendricks part. An example of this would be Michael, Sunny’s boyfriend. We don’t see many sides to him and we are left wondering why she was ever drawn to him in the first place.

I also enjoyed reading about the vastly different climates. The dry, desert of Albuquerque, New Mexico versus the lush, green (fictional) town of Harmony in the Pacific Northwest. They were both appealing in their own ways. When she arrives in Harmony, you can almost smell the sea air and feel the sense of renewal that it brings.

I really enjoyed this book. If you’d like to read more about Judith Hendricks, click here to visit her website.

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