Personal Review and Reflection on The Novel 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball is a children's novel by Jeff Kinney and the fourteenth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. It was released on November 5, 2019. In the book, the family of protagonist Greg Hefley receives an inheritance, which they use to renovate their house. Wrecking Ball received positive reviews from critics.

Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series tells the story of young Greg Heffley, a bumbling middle school student, and his many misadventures with family and friends. The books are presented in diary form from Greg's perspective - his various entries recount each specific story, with basic cartoons that add to the story's humor and absurdity. Wrecking Ball focuses on home renovations: After an unexpected inheritance, Greg's parents decide to renovate their home, but things certainly don't go according to plan, and surprises follow.

Greg Heffley's aunt Reba has passed away, leaving a legacy to his family. Greg's mom decided she wanted to add something to the kitchen to make it bigger. Once the workers demolished the house, they found a lot of problems: rats, wasps, and mold. The construction company also made a mistake, they were so close to the neighbor's house that they had to remove the addition. There's no more money to spend than to fix what's broken. Greg's mom decided she wanted to see a better house, so the family found the nice house they all wanted. They need to sell their other house first, but no one is interested in all the questions. Finally, a family loves it and gives them an offer. The inspector found some problems with the house that had to be changed before moving. While trying to move the hot tub, a crane operator accidentally ran over Hefley's sofa and the hot tub fell from the roof. With all the damage, the buyer pulled out and the Hefleys went back to where they started.

At first glance, I'm not sure I'll find Wrecking Ball more than just a book without a substance. But as I read, I was fascinated by the characters and the story. Greg, the wimpy kid himself, clumsy and selfish, but sweet and insightful. I also find myself empathizing with several thematic situations that Greg and his family face in this story, things like the idea of 'letting go of things you once held or even the stress of a big project like home improvement'. Plus, wrecking balls are fun! The situation Greg gets into is humorous enough on its own, but the illustrations multiply the laughter so much that kids and teens, and even adults might end up laughing out loud. In short, there's a lot to enjoy about this book and I found a lot to appreciate in what was supposed to be a book for kids.