I know, I know. I admitted in my last post that I have too aged out of the series to enjoy it. But I still keep coming back because I have to know how it ends. . .

I have a feeling it might be coming soon, but Russell is certainly stretching it out.

Russell said in an interview that she always wanted to do a book in the series from Brianna’s POV and as this is the fifteenth (!!!) anniversary, it was time to do it.

Like I said numerous times before, I think she is squeezing this as long as they can. This diary takes place over the course of one day plus the morning after as Nikki gets ready for the day before high school. Not that she ever says “high school” but she does say she’s ready to put all the middle school drama behind her so I’m taking that Russell hasn’t retconned Nikki from eight grader to seventh grader or something, thankfully.

Actually, it starts out promising. Nikki notes that her friends have already gotten started on new extracurriculars with Zoey working on a music-youtube channel and Chloe making friends with the drama girls, branching out and all that. I wish Russell had worked this in the previous books so it doesn’t seem to be coming so out of the left field but still, I like the idea of them branching out. Brandon is working at Fuzzy Friends as usual.

It makes Nikki feel a little insecure to see them getting ready for the next phase of their lives while she is freaking out over her first day of school outfit just like last years. So she resolves to be a more responsible friend and get her butt into maturity.

Unfortunately, the book doesn’t go deep into that. Nikki freaks out at the slightest problem and takes Brandon saying he has a job at Fuzzy Friends as evidence of being friend-zoned. Girl, he has kissed you TWICE!!! He exhibited jealousy when another guy was interested! You were his date on Valentine’s Day! You are not in the friend-zone anymore!

But there is a nice section where in picking up headphones for Zoey, she selflessly gives up her chance to shove through a mob to get limited edition headphones in order to help a frazzled employee not get trampled. It reminds the reader that at heart, Nikki is a kind person when it comes down to it. Although she has her selfish and melodramatic moments.

But that’s it because her diary ends up in the hands of Brianna when she is struck down with appendicitus. You could really tell that this is a filler book as Russell has Brianna make copies of Nikki’s illustrations from previous books with Brianna’s commentary on them. In my most optimistic opinion, she was using it as a nostalgia, looking back at funny sister moments for the 15th anniversary.

Still, there’s not much new to be gleaned from this and the moral of appreciating sisters was already done in book 8 (and better I might add).

Also, I thought this might be the one book where Mackenzie doesn’t make an appearence, signifying that Nikki is moving on to high school and won’t have to deal with her again. . . and she pops up in the last ten pages for a two page cameo. It was so. . so unnecessary that I feel like Russell is contractually obligated to shove her in. The excuse of her visiting Nikki in the hospital was implausible within the universe and without. It was kinda aggravating. She’s less nemesis and more of a pest at this point.

If you had to include Brianna, why not have Brianna be at Mackenzie’s house because she’s still friends with Mackenzie’s little sister? Easy and will feel part of a plot.

And well, that’s it. This could have been filled with potential with Nikki veering at the edge of high school and deciding to take stock of her diaries to become a more mature person who communicates with others and has self-esteem not to jump to the worst conclusions. Maybe go back to her art skills like when she won the eight grade art contest, return to her roots. But nope.

I don’t know why I have so much investment. Maybe it’s because I still want answers about Brandon like his absent parents, his French background. . . I mean I can guess that they died when he was young but like I want to hear it from him and have a meaningful moment between Nikki and Brandon where they make it official. It was such a mystery and it hasn’t been mentioned since book 5 I think? Completely dropped. Same with Theo and Marcus coupling with Zoey and Chloe. And the newspaper. And so on.

But as much as this series disappoints me with the missed opportunity, I’ll probably come back because I need to see this wrapped up.

So Dork Diaries fans, how did you feel about this 15th anniversary book? Cool or can they wrap it up already? Or non-DD fans, are there any book series that you just wish would end by now?