The Dork Diaries series by Rachel Renée Russell, sometimes referred to as "Diary of a Wimpy Kid for girls," is an incredibly popular set of stories that follow the middle school adventures of Nikki Maxwell. The diary-like format, filled with comics and doodles, really seems to appeal to tween readers and, having seen so many squeal about the books over the years, I finally decided to read the first book, Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life, to see what the hype is about. Reader, I disliked the book as much as I suspected I would.
I assumed I would dislike the books based on two factors. First, I could not stand Diary of a Wimpy Kid because I found Greg Heffley so mean and obnoxious, and I could not imagine that reading a similar book series would appeal to me. Secondly, everything I saw about the Dork Diaries seemed to indicate that the protagonist was some sort of appearance/popularity obsessed mean girl wannabe--and I really do not enjoy reading about characters that self-absorbed. When I saw parents at the library letting a six-year-old read the series (I guess because it has pictures!), I was baffled. Nikki hardly seemed like the kind of kind, caring, strong role model most parents of younger kids look for. But I had not yet read the books themselves, just the summaries. Perhaps I was missing something.
Alas, however, reading Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life was as excruciating as I had imagined. I raced through the book, desperately hoping that I would finish soon and the agony would end. I simply could not stand Nikki, or feel at all invested in her problems, even though I recognize that she has problems meant to be relatable, like feeling embarrassed by her parents or wanting to be popular at school. The trouble is, she is so self-absorbed, she often ends up being as nasty as the other characters she criticizes.
Regrettably, Nikki undergoes zero character development in this book; she does not learn anything and she does not grow into a kinder person. She opens the book being ungrateful that her parents did not give her the cell phone she wanted and that she got a diary instead. She sounds like a whiny toddler. She then spends the rest of the book feeling sorry for herself because she does not think she is as pretty and popular as her school's resident mean girls. She is mean to her little sister, and scares her on purpose by making her afraid of the Tooth Fairy. She is ungrateful for her friends, because they are not cool enough, in her mind, even though they generally support her (minus the tattoo incident). She makes fun of her friends' love of reading. She even uses the money for her dad's Father's Day gift to buy herself a present instead. She complains about everything and seems happy for nothing.
Yes, middle school is hard and everyone wants to fit in! But Nikki does not seem to realize that having a loving family and friends who care for her might be something to cherish, even if her clothes are not trendy. Other books have managed to have characters who feel out of place, envious, and sad, and still be empathetic. Nikki just seems like another version of the school's mean girls, except in less expensive shoes. I genuinely could not understand how she could dislike Mackenzie and her friends so much, when Nikki behaves the same way they do. I eagerly await the spin-off series where Mackenzie casts Nikki as the bully! Frankly, even though I do not think all stories for children need to have a moral, I would be highly reluctant to give this series to a child, lest they think that Nikki's actions are appropriate.
One would think that a series entitled The Dork Diaries would have a character more relatable to self-described dorks. A character who has her own interests and friends. Who maybe wishes she could be prettier or more popular, who might lack some self-confidence, but who still realizes that she has some good things going for her. That she's lucky to be able to attend a prestigious middle school and use that privilege to chase her dreams. Who has bigger plans than one-upping the popular Mackenzie. Who finds some fulfillment in her love of art. How I wish this were true! That would seem more relatable to me than a protagonist who is so shallow she seems like a caricature of what people think tween girls are like.
Perhaps it could be said that I simply do not understand the appeal because I am an adult. But I know I was nothing like Nikki as a tween, and do not think I would have found her relatable or pleasant even at the time. I also know that many, many contemporary middle grade novels depict characters who feel like dorky outsiders at school--but those characters still manage to be kind to others and not completely selfish and whiny. I would hate to think that Nikki is supposed to be a depiction of how people think tween girls act--self-absorbed; overly dramatic; and obsessed with fashion, celebrities, and phones with no regard for friends or family. Girls are so much more than that! Where are Nikki's hopes and dreams? Her ambitions? Her passions and loves? Perhaps if she had more of those, she would feel more real and less like a mockery.
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