Alright so I read the latest Dork Diaries, and while it’s cute. I’m left with more questions than answers. 

When I rereading the series last year, I wrote that I felt by the 10th book, Russell was dragging it out and had lost sense of its original charm. Or I lost my nostalgia. Either way, it is dragging on and this case was no exception. 

There is a minor incident that Nikki overdramatically feels like it’s her fault when it really isn’t a big deal except for the requisite Mackenzie blackmail plot device. Which is never brought up again. 

Nikki and her friends don’t actually go to the titular Paris until halfway through the book as Russell fills it up with other minor incidents and overdramatic airport chaos hysterics.

Paris is great except Mackenzie trying to steal Nikki’s place in the photo-shoot and Brandon-Andre-Nikki love triangle miscommunication. The former is annoying, the latter was predictable but not too bad. The best parts was Nikki’s mistranslation mishap, and she and Mackenzie getting lost in the catacombs. I do like how Russell managed to fit in info of major Parisian sights so kids can learn about how tres chic and amazing it is. I also liked the art style shift in some drawings as Nikki experiments with fashion illustration. 

Now for my questions, and slight disappointments. I feel like the continuity is getting glossed over. Theo who was by far the nerdiest and dorkiest of the band originally (remember Nikki drew him as the human equivalent to Spongebob?), well now he has a glow-up and isn’t it basketball instead of wizarding. Okay, I guess people can change over the year but it feels so sudden in the art and the personality. 

Also the Chloe, Zoey, Theo and Marcus pairings are completely gone. I guess they got over their crushes to each other even though them asking each other out to the Valentines Day dance was so sweet. But nope.

I just miss it, and them being librarian volunteers and Nikki’s excitment over Tyra Banks or her advice column and other stuff that made this series feel grounded.

Also I’m just so tired of Mackenzie popping up as an obstacle like her trying to sabotoge Nikki to get a spot in the photoshoot. It makes no sense. Even if Nikki wasn’t there, they would replace her with Mackenzie because she’s NOT IN THE BAND. It’s totally implausible. I know she’s rich and gets away with stuff but it’s becoming so unrealistic and annoying.

And remember the big secret of Brandon’s parents and his past? I remember it being brought up in books 4 & 5 and it was implied there was a reason that Brandon was so good at french relating to that. This would have been an excellent chance to have some of that mysterious past revealed but nope. Not a word. I actually wonder if Russell forgot about it? 

In fact the whole Brandon and Nikki situation is the most drawn out ever and I’m starting to think that Russell is retconning it to the beginning. Nikki is still wondering if they’re friends or MORE than friends when after being kissed by him, going to the dance with him, his obvious jealousy of Andre, and going on actual dates, I think this position is quite clear. But Russell hits them squarely with the friends phrasing and minor interactions that make me feel she is holding them back. They’ve gone through such big moments and now it feels like they’re regressing, not progressing. 

Know what else is regressing? Even though the whole series is about Nikki’s eighth grade year at school, and this book takes us to the end of Aug, there is absolutely no mention of high school. Unless NY schools work differently, 9th grade should be high school and then this series would be out of items reading demographic and thus an excellent time to finish the series. 

But Nikki only says they’re returning to school, no pressure or worrying about big bad high school. Just school.

So is Russell retconning this too? In her a acknowledgements she says she’s excited to introduce a new generation to Nikki’s dork dairies so is she going to be an eternal eight grader?

Also Nikki in general has regressed and I feel she has learned nothing about appreciating what she has or freaking communication in general.

Yeah I think I have definately aged out of this since I’m so focused on these questions instead of enjoying it for what it is.