The Downfall of Diary of a Wimpy Kid

[@randomcommenter2504]

A theory I’ve heard is that Susan sold his earlier diaries. Greg was pissed until they actually proved profitable. After running out of diaries to sell, Greg started making up stories of him in middle school, despite him being a grown man by this point. That’s why they get progressively wackier and lower quality.

[@firephoenix7788]

That...actually makes sense.

[@FatsoFit]

Yo this should get pinned

[@giantclaw138]

Okay, that's brilliant

[@GMP1isReal]

Didn't he literally say in the first book that he is writing because he "knows" he'll get famous and is writing the books so he doesn't have to explain his story over and over and do other things instead?

[@deanbunion]

@@GMP1isRealHe said that because he’s a narcissist. He would have said that even if he didn’t get famous.

[@TeboeCubes]

Born too late for 90s nostalgia Born too early for TikTok brainrot Born just in time for the prime Wimpy Kid era

[@ElDiosMashiar]

You have 2000s brainrot nostalgia

[@edwardgrierson1460]

Zillennial gang rise up!

[@djstanley1300]

This hit

[@caithlyn1510]

TEBOEEEE

[@sparklingblood09]

Us

[@The-e8p]

Rowley doesn't even have a role anymore. He's basically a Stan Lee cameo.

[@stefunnyo]

true

[@glowstonelovepad9294]

It's because the last book took place during summer, not at school.

[@athenictragedy751]

Sadly

[@Cardbored359]

@@glowstonelovepad9294 yea but in the last book (2023) where THE WHOLE STORY was about the school, but Rowley only has like 5 pages max

[@Quaxo21]

He may as well be a fucking cardboard cutout that only says ZOO WEE MAMA

[@consciousiota2161]

The reasons: -Greg not aging -The series becoming unrealistic -Jeff Kinney using the series as his soapbox -The series maintaining the status quo

[@Mario87456]

@@consciousiota2161 -Bad things happening to Greg that he didn’t even deserve to have happen to him to the point where it’s just cruel and not even funny.

[@consciousiota2161]

@@Mario87456 DOAWK is a victim of its success.

[@Mario87456]

@@consciousiota2161 I am afraid it is and I am pretty sure it was meant to end in Book 3 since that book had The End printed out in big letters on the last page.

[@consciousiota2161]

@@Mario87456 If it ended with Hard Luck I think that its legacy would be untarnished. Instead, it continued and made decisions that caused it to jump the shark.

[@Mario87456]

@@consciousiota2161 The series is also too afraid to try anything new as well which also doesn’t help either since in Wrecking Ball and No Brainer there was a perfect opportunity for the setting of Greg’s house to change in the former and school in the latter but noooo since Greg is a cosmic plaything almost NOTHING goes right for him nor can the status quo change since in both books something so contrived forces Greg back into his old house and school. I have honestly been thinking of writing to Jeff Kinney and politely suggesting some new ideas that he could try in his future books, like the Heffleys winning a trip to Japan or Brazil or something or them going to a dude ranch to ride horses. I doubt he would listen but hey it’s worth a shot if you ask me.

[@Swxggybear]

Anyone remeber sweetie the dog

[@Dreidelium]

they appeared in hot mess so yea

[@SophieNotNora]

literally the best DOAWK character

[@FursonaIdentityCrisis]

I always think back to that one part in the movie where Rodrick is sent to buy a dog bowl and it says ‘Sweaty’ but he’s like “I’m pretty sure it spells Sweetie dad 🙄”

[@SophieNotNora]

@@FursonaIdentityCrisis extremely funny /srs

[@CieloSoriaEscobar]

Of course I remember sweetie I love him

[@RenéSotoPenalba]

I feel that the reason some of the endings feel rushed now is that every book is always 217 pages long. That’s not much. It worked before when Greg only wrote about small events with the occasional big events. But now, with the longer intros, bigger drawings, and more complex storylines, suddenly 217 pages is nothing.

[@juuzou7381]

I feel like the 217 page format is kinda outdated now? Because of the bigger plots and storylines it causes it to feel more so rushed imo

[@brandonandstuff239]

We can’t change it now though. Jeff wanted every book to be the same length.

[@technetium9653]

​@@brandonandstuff239 he could just, not

[@folasade7433]

The get away ending is so BAAM like things were going going going going and the book ends

[@gooeydude574]

From what I understand, it turned into the children’s book equivalent of the Simpsons

[@AlessandroPioltelli]

Yeah it’s basically that…. It’s so cartoony at this point it’s not a stretch to say that

[@CCABPSacsach]

Dysfunctional family, flanderised roles, disappearance of character meaning… yeah it checks out

[@consciousiota2161]

Whenever I see these pieces of media going on too long I always wonder what’s going on behind the scenes.

[@Petalpool]

@@consciousiota2161 Yeah same, are they forced to do this, so that's why? There can be endless reasons, but I guess we will never know.

[@consciousiota2161]

@@Petalpool From what I’ve heard, Scholastic has made him sh*t out book after book along as they still make a lot of money.

[@matrixanimations]

Why wouldn’t he make Greg grow up into high school? It could still be kept for kids and there would be a lot more to write about

[@consciousiota2161]

@@matrixanimations It’s sold through Scholastic and so Jeff Kinney isn’t allowed to write Greg doing mature things.

[@Twister39]

What is the point of putting Greg in high school if he can’t to age up the books.

[@HimenoWYD]

It would also follow the main fanbase as the readers grow

[@maximotorn3113]

Wait wasn't Greg always in high school in most of the books? I never read the original English books but in the French translations it's stated that he actually is in highschool and that it is where most of his adventures happen

[@Ho_Lee_Fook]

​@@maximotorn3113 he is in middle school

[@Necostamps]

I started noticing this change when I found out that Chirag Gupta last appearance was in cabin fever. And other characters like holly stopped appearing as well

[@ultimatetnt6245]

holy crap your, wasn't holly Gregs biggest crush aswell?

[@hunterolaughlin]

@@ultimatetnt6245In the movies, but in The Last Straw it was very brief and he gave up on her after she mistook him for Fregley.

[@Strong_TGK]

We don’t talk about Patty Farrel

[@redi.c.e.6046]

Eh, personally for me, it’s as visible as a high vis jacket that the downfall actually begins, and follows the last ‘true’ one of Hard Luck, at the Long Haul, which tbc, is a book I still really like nonetheless- that’s just simply where it’s clear to see the series… weeell… if I wanted to borrow coined terms from series like Sonic or FNAF… entered ‘modern DOAWK era’, if you will. That’s the difference, and that’s where I believe the turning point actually was.

[@BlackSabbathfan]

Don't forget Patty. She hasn't appeared since the last straw.

[@kylenielsen5083]

In the most recent book i read, one from 2023, Greg was basically a narrator. He wasn't really a character with wants or goals to achieve, he basically sat around and watched things unfold.

[@edinsworld487]

Was that Diper Overload?

[@stefunnyo]

@@edinsworld487 no, no brainer, but the same thing happened in it, in my opinion

[@kylenielsen5083]

@edinsworld487 No Brainer. Didn't read Diper Overlode but from what I heard it at least is a Rodrick story. No brainer can't even be said to focus on side characters since they don't have arcs. It was like some kid at your school telling you a bunch of rumors.

[@EvolutionFan1]

I just realized that book 17 of doawk focused more on rodrick than Greg

[@kylenielsen5083]

@EvolutionFan1 Still better than No Brainer, at least Rodrick's a decent character, especially opposed to Greg's school.

[@bullmonty764]

The fact that the books have officially been “lol so random” for longer than they were down to earth is really sad for me as a life long Wimpy Kid fan.

[@Goodroosters]

It's the simpsons things. The "golden age", even if you take the broadest opinion of it being seasons 1 through 10, is only a fraction of its 36 seasons that are now mostly not very good.

[@danielfript1701]

​​@@Goodroosters spongebob and its whopping 3 amazing seasons outta like 13

[@littleawesomeapple]

@@danielfript1701next big meme face

[@rigboy1234]

​@@danielfript1701Season 4 had some pretty good episodes too, but by the end most of its episodes were kinda bad

[@Spider-Guy62]

@@Goodroosters you do know ppl like s36 right

[@SylviaGrome]

Diary of a wimpy kid has now become the very thing it mocked We now just need a moment where Greg loses his glove with it being a huge plot point of a book and it’ll all come full circle

[@_BubblGum_]

i have a feeling jeff added that specifically to remind his future self not to become that, lol

[@milesedgeworth4845]

He kinda of did in the meltdown with the sock puppet replacing a missing glove (Page 90)

[@trevor_4]

Explanation please?

[@Aostrele]

@@trevor_4From what I recall, there’s a fictitious book series in the earlier books that shows the adventures of two girls. The in-universe writer got really lazy and made stories such as “Girl loses her glove” or “Girl steals the lipstick”.

[@hakaidagoat]

​@@trevor_4 in one of the old wimpy kid books, Greg talked about a book series he liked. He said the first few books were really good but progressively the author ran out of ideas and made a book called "Lindsey loses her glove" which was the whole books plot. So it would be ironic if Jeff Kenney ran out of ideas and made a book of Greg losing his glove

[@gregheffley715]

One huge problem in the new books is that greg doesnt do anything special in them he just narrates the world around him.

[@italian_weirdo]

damn, even greg himself is disappointed.

[@s_cabbage]

There goes Greg talking in the third person again

[@CCABPSacsach]

Monday One huge problem I’ve noticed recently is that I nowadays tend to narrate the world around me. I think that should change. Today, I’m going to…. [input rest of story here]

[@ChevyTheCat]

I think that No Brainer is the worst offender of this. There's very few moments that tie to Greg, or when he gives his personal opinion

[@Petalpool]

Greg fr became the narrator

[@georgemuniz3117]

One of my biggest problem with the newer books is that too much wacky stuff happens TO Greg, while in older books it was about Greg getting himself INTO shenanigans.

[@pinefreshofficial]

yeah like before there was a recurring karma theme where greg has to fix things himself and now he doesn't even deserve half the things that happen to him

[@georgemuniz3117]

@@pinefreshofficial Not only that but this new dynamic makes the series seem more boring. Like, I don't know about you, but I find it more interesting to read a book about someone who DOES things than a book about things that HAPPEN to a person. Like, if the person's not even doing much, it's boring! One of Greg's most interesting attributes in the older books was his crazy schemes. He would always be up to some mischief, like making a weight set out of empty milk bottles full of sand, trying to impress Holly Hills, making lettered shirts to get Rowley elected to the student council, trying to make a lawn-mowing business, making a Holiday Bazaar and a newspaper and getting himself into trouble, and making a time capsule. On its own, Greg's life was pretty uneventful but he managed to get himself into crazy situations on his own which was really funny. And now, Greg doesn't really do any crazy schemes anymore, now he just floats through the wind letting stuff happen to him. Which is why the newer books just seem depressing in comparison.

[@Andrewtherapper.]

@@georgemuniz3117DUDE exactly! That’s also the reason movie Greg worked so well. Always making schemes to get popular or make things easy for himself only to pay the price. And each movie he genuinely matures but still has his faults or selfish moments. The book Greg has become a passive character that suffers for no reason other than his family is just nuts 😂😂

[@georgemuniz3117]

@@Andrewtherapper. That's what I loved about the movies. Greg had the more outgoing personality he had in the older books, but turned up to eleven, and his crazy schemes, extroversion and popularity-obsessed personality were what gave the first three movies and the earlier books their charm. Over time, Greg became more introverted and he just became a very boring character in the newest books. Now all he does is go on family trips and he doesn't even mention Rowley much anymore.

[@samsonkj6557]

NGL the snowball fight was pretty intense in The Meltdown, especially the part when it went all out and the drawing covered two pages showing absolute chaos

[@Syzygy-yn5tu]

Yea, I remember that... Just me and my friends pointing out the absolute carnage going on in those two pages.

[@dannyhernandez265]

One good scene out of how many books? Lol 😂

[@RabidLeech1]

Loved that whole story. Probably one of the better parts of the recent DOAW books.

[@PonConAgain9718]

@@Syzygy-yn5tu There were so many little details hidden in those two pages, it was WILD

[@RickGrayson-bz1kx]

The silence after the snow plow came in was so insane. It’s like they’re at war and don’t know what to do anymore

[@SquawkingtheTalk]

The newer books remind me of a child lying their ass off about what they did during summer break

[@RobertSoul123]

Lol

[@mrmegamarksman]

A thing that a lot of people seem to forget is that Greg wasn’t entirely a bad person. The climax of the original book/movie was “I ate the cheese.” Throughout the entire book, he alienated himself from Rowley in order to look cool. In the end though, he realized it didn’t matter, and he claimed to be the cheese-eater to save Rowley’s reputation. This was a pretty good moral lesson and is part of what made the original book/movie so enjoyable to both kids and adults (I remember that lesson to this very day). I haven’t read/watched anything past book 4, so idk if there’s any morals there, but I feel like that could be another thing causing newer entries to not be as good.

[@delusion5867]

He also takes the fall for Rowley in Cabin Fever when he accepts the punishment for vandalising the school himself instead of telling on him. Greg isn't evil; he's just a kid who has his bad moments and good moments.

[@daecrazyperson3208]

Yeah like I think Greg is a jerk at first, but he has good moments to show us some development he'd or it was just funny ether way they were good then but not now

[@pballsgaming123]

He also helps out his brother on Rodrick rules even after he tried to ruin his reputation

[@yannickgrignon2473]

Yeah for sure, like a lot of kids, especially tweens, he's selfish, self-important, and doesn't do much introspection, but he still HAS a moral compass and sense of right and wrong, it can just take a while to get it going sometimes. He's not a sadist, he's.... thirteen.

[@lapplandkun9273]

@@yannickgrignon2473 That was the point. Jeff Kinney wrote it to say that Greg is just a ignorant child and was a representation of every child at one point, but everyone does stupid things. He's is selfish and narcissistic. Now? He just feels like a sociopath which Kinney has kept denying. The series also lost its sense of realism

[@RandomCrapIUpload]

I agree so damn much with the “off the wall” stuff being annoying, the first few books did have their moments here and there, but they weren't stuff like dogs being able to text or cleaning robots attending classes, don’t even get me started on the damn PIG

[@gavinstricklin9512]

I always thought the pig was made up by Greg so that when he says he’ll be famous and people read his dia-, I mean journal, they would have a laugh

[@fireentertainment5]

Every time I see the pig, it made me want to eat bacon

[@Mario87456]

@RandomCrapIUpload Thankfully that awful pig literally disappeared during the events of The Getaway as confirmed by The Meltdown, the funny thing is that it’s basically all Manny’s fault because by chance he just happened to guess the weight of the pig correctly and well although Susan did try to say they didn’t actually want the pig in spite of her blatant favoritism for Manny the people there wouldn’t take no for an answer for some reason. And then they eventually did get rid of the pig briefly but unfortunately Manny was able to get it back because he somehow was the only one who could speak to two Spanish men who couldn’t speak English. It’s genuinely just ridiculous since I am pretty sure translator apps like Google Translate exist and that they were a thing at the time the Long Haul was released.

[@consciousiota2161]

@@Mario87456 They made Manny be an unrealistic child genius. In the later books you see him building a house by himself and controlling a vehicle in moving water and putting it in the missing part of a broken bridge.

[@Mario87456]

@@consciousiota2161 True and all it does is send some disturbing messages since Manny will likely grow up into a psychopath considering his troubling unchildlike behavior especially in the past books.

[@GenericPlasticWaterBottle]

Greg deadass had a gang war with snowballs. I don't even know what to think anymore

[@ChickenMcKicken]

it was kinda awesome icl

[@nevergonnagiveyouupnevergonnal]

And it was fire

[@average_war_criminal]

i mean meltdown was a fun book tbf, but yeah that shit felt like grove street vs ballas type of rivalry

[@chrisrockett5897]

That's sick, dude. Sure, the series is grounded, but not as grounded as y'all think.

[@averiWonBTW]

nahhh fr on skibidi my blud that was craaazy affff deadass ong 🔥🔥🔥

[@dilomotion]

I feel like the reason why these books are getting so unrealistic is cause of how the wimpy kid popularity has been dying, and i guess jeff kinney thought that continuing to make simple, relatable books, wouldnt sell. So he decided to make these books so out of hand and zany in order to reel in more kids and all that

[@Moli2222]

Makes sense

[@consciousiota2161]

@@dilomotion I was a kid when the book series was at its peak and I loved it. Everyone loved it. It becoming unrealistic alienated a lot of fans.

[@lowqualityvideos8091]

@@consciousiota2161well to be fair, how many books could you make about a fairly typical middle schooler living a life that's relatable to most people? im not saying the new direction is great, far from it, but the old formula would've gotten boring, and the books would start to feel too similar to one another honestly, the best choice really was to just age up greg and have him go through high school, that brings up tons of potential with stories and comedy, but i guess i understand if they still want to make books for elementary to middle schoolers, cause there isn't that much more potential for greg in high school if that's still gonna be the audience

[@lapplandkun9273]

The thing is, he lost any sense of realism and constantly pushed greg, and even his family now, into bad scenarios over and over without giving any of them a sense of development and understanding. There is no plot to it anymore.

[@lapplandkun9273]

@@lowqualityvideos8091 Greg is in high school already now. If anything, he should be in college but somehow Rodrick isn't either

[@Toxoplasmosis679]

It appears that Lindsay lost her mitten

[@danikvelocity3120]

That was clever. Nice reference.

[@thedeutschman9905]

Diary of a wimpy kid became the very thing it mocked.

[@BandKidBambi]

W reference

[@butmyselfandmarty]

Jeff Kinney went from making gags about unnecessarily long book series, to making an unnecessarily long book series. He became the very thing he disliked from the beginning!

[@Toxoplasmosis679]

@@butmyselfandmarty could you blame him though? He seems to make pretty decent money off of book sales

[@andrewgin9478]

I actually think The Long Haul is where the series started to fall off. I remember reading that as a kid and being really put off by how overly wacky and drawn out it was. Not only is it where they introduce the pig, but it just feels like it goes on and on with nonstop bad luck that never gets to breathe. I'm pretty sure one of the daily entries is over 80 pages long. It also feels out of line with the sense of karma from the early books because Greg doesn't even really deserve most of the stuff happening to him; he's being forced onto this awful road trip against his will only for everything to go wrong just because. Your opinion is your opinion of course, but The Third Wheel and Hard Luck were way more in line with the classic style to me. They tell way more grounded stories then the ones that came after.

[@GiganX1]

I do think that 10 is a mainstay though, other than that opinion good

[@TurtleGod2]

I hate that you're right because The Long Haul was my favorite book in the series growing up. I haven't read the series since before covid, (except for The Deep End) and I'd say my favorite is Cabin Fever or Dog Days. Also The Deep End is just a shitty version of The Long Haul. Why tf does manny drive the RV in the river at the end? I haven't read the book since the school year after covid so my memory could be a bit foggy.

[@ladria9743]

I think that's the last book I actually read.

[@benhinchion9397]

Couldn't agree more longest haul and old school were still readable tho. After double down the quality drops alot

[@Mario87456]

@@andrewgin9478 Thankfully that awful pig literally disappeared during the events of The Getaway as confirmed by The Meltdown, the funny thing is that it’s basically all Manny’s fault because by chance he just happened to guess the weight of the pig correctly and well although Susan did try to say they didn’t actually want the pig in spite of her blatant favoritism for Manny the people there wouldn’t take no for an answer for some reason. And then they eventually did get rid of the pig briefly but unfortunately Manny was able to get it back because he somehow was the only one who could speak to two Spanish man who couldn’t speak English. It’s genuinely just ridiculous since I am pretty sure translator apps like Google Translate exist and that they were a thing at the time the Long Haul was released.

[@Waddleclaws]

Funny how when I started reading these books I was in 2nd grade and now I'm in my Freshman year of high school. And Greg is still in middle school.

[@Cheez_Doodlezz]

Im a softmore in high school i started reading these at like elementary school😂

[@ethanol1586]

I was in elementary school when I started reading these books, and now I'm a senior in university, and he's still in middle school. At this point, I'm convinced im gonna finish uni before he graduates middle school 😂😂

[@arthurr.r.lucasspublicdoma5621]

The first book came out a week before my 7th birthday. I'm 24 now yet Greg is still in middle school.

[@markipliersolo]

same

[@real4kGaming]

OMG SAME I started reading in 2nd and now I'm in 9th

[@Cherno35]

i think the biggest problem is that they are aging DOWN. unlike other series, like percy jackson, and harry potter, who got more mature as their audience grew up, DOAWK is actually getting less mature and less serious as it goes on, making it less appealing to the people who grew up with the books.

[@lapplandkun9273]

Exactly, Greg as the MC, still acts like a child and this behavior of his isn't relatable anymore. Greg, as a middle schooler, represented some of the thoughts of boys. Obsessed with video games, thoughts of popularity, and social stigma. But now, most of the original audience are college students and adults and are more concerned about their future career. Greg still acts like a middle schooler. He isn't given a chance to develop partially from this at all.

[@Cherno35]

@lapplandkun9273 honestly, Jeff Kinney should have retired DOAWK and used his fame off of writing one of THE MOST successful book series of all time to do more.

[@GoatedNoob1]

Yess percy jackson

[@CanopiedwithBowers]

Yeah, but there's no reason to age up the characters because the series' target audience will always be children. You can't predicate a children's series' success on appealing to those who grew up with the original books. The only motivation in having the characters age would be if Kinney was hoping to end the series, but these books have made him one of the most successful writers of all time, so obviously, he has no intention of stopping anytime soon.

[@Cherno35]

@CanopiedwithBowers probably the best take ive heard on this

[@alexrobi1176]

I sort Diary of a wimpy Kid into 3 eras The classic era: books 1-6 The transition era: books 7-10 The new era: books 11-now The first 6 books are the best and the ones everyone loves. Books 7-10 are still pretty good but missing some of the original charm. Double Down is when the series really drops off and it hasn't been able to recreate that original magic.

[@lapinajustleft]

You could say they really DOUBLED DOWN on the the new era's general style 🥁🥁 okay… ill see myself out 🚪

[@Noone-d6u]

I feel like 11- 13 is it's own era

[@mrconroy4672]

Honestly, Jeff Kinney should just retire the series and move on already. This series isn’t any relevant anymore.

[@1kracuauker797]

Double Down is such a forgettable and generic book that I don't even remember what the plot was anymore.

[@nothing-qp1qh]

I forgot Double Down even existed, but I do like The Getaway tho

[@kooldogkid149]

Honestly though, after reading No Brainer, I have a feeling Kinney WANTED to change the status que and allow for changes, but someone at the publishing firm told him he couldn’t do it. Hence why No Brainer is a mess.

[@mrconroy4672]

Honestly, I would love it if Kinney just retire the series already.

[@Mario87456]

@@kooldogkid149 I am not sure to me it seems like he is too afraid to do so even though he could do that very easily.

[@MiaSawStars]

I don’t even know what grade Greg is in anymore

[@TurtleGod2]

Probably the same in the first book

[@xxVOIDxx413]

@@TurtleGod2can’t because there’s been multiple halloweens and christmases throughout the series

[@medib1]

8th. That means every book since dog days have been one giant crazy 8th grade school year..don’t ask me how it can be summer and winter 5 times in the same year though

[@veryangryduckpl2122]

​@@medib1Phineas and Ferb summer be like:

[@spaghettiisyummy.3623]

​@@xxVOIDxx413Greg is simply lying. He graduated ages ago.

[@Coolman12333]

when was the last time rowley has had a plot role 😭🙏

[@RoccosVids]

Really never atp he just another forgotten background character

[@MoeSzyslak20]

Since the first 8, Ithink old school, double down and the meltdown are the only ones he's been prevalent in. Even in old school he wasn't that involved though

[@mrduck289]

@@MoeSzyslak20he was in old school irrc

[@brandonandstuff239]

In Wrecking Ball, he was genuinely distraught that Greg was moving away and both of them shared a tearful hug. Of course, the typical DOAWK bullshit happened and Greg didn’t move

[@EricDavidovich]

Wrecking ball and maybe No Brainer.

[@ethanol1586]

I'm convinced I'm going to graduate uni before Greg finishes middle school

[@thesuperostrich]

I was in kindergarten when the first book came out with Greg starting middle school. I am 24 now and he is still in middle school.

[@genocider9782]

i was 1 year old when he was in middle school☠️and now I'm in my 2nd year of uni and he's still in middle school😭😭

[@benobrien7920]

Lol me too at this rate

[@trollsansofficial]

They will add lucifer to ultrakill before greg finishes middle school

[@abhay4147]

Lmao I was in the 6th grade when cabin fever was released (the first one I read) and I have graduated now, starting masters next year. Even if the series keeps pumping out bland stories, I hope it ends with a good one, if there is an end.

[@MarmaladeMannn]

If I’m being honest old school was quite a good one, felt like the first books again

[@cchocolacola]

Old school was the best one tbh

[@slaoqeubotoaq]

Fr

[@cchocolacola]

@@slaoqeubotoaq freaky ahh mephone pfp

[@Petalpool]

@@cchocolacola Ironic because the book is legit called 'Old school'

[@DestoDoodles4u]

The last good book

[@GomerCranjis]

No-Brainer is genuinely one of the worst books I’ve ever read. I’ve never sat through a book so muddled and confused before in my life.

[@miodaiu]

jeff might be using ghostwriters

[@anonmusbrothers6577]

Fitting title then

[@zacktyler2810]

Disagreeable, but I respect your opinion

[@noahmaldonado5461]

I guess you could say it left you a no-brainer

[@binheve]

That is the worst book in the series, I swear I was so hyped and got hit by a brick wall

[@lynnx4345]

i feel like instead of the book's plot getting more nonsensical, he should have gone to highschool to mix up the seiries and change up the books in a more reasonable and sensable way.

[@lapplandkun9273]

Greg is in high school. I'm pretty sure it was stated in one of the later books that he's now in high school. But the problem is that Greg still acts like a middle schooler and greg isn't allowed to develop

[@jtb1324]

Who esle thought that "no brainer" would be the series' redemption just to be greeted with yet another completely unrealistic and unrelatable storyline and a girlfriend that barely lasted 10 pages?

[@Indocryptic]

I read that book last year and legit forgot everything about it

[@itshol_dal]

Jeff should have made Holly Hills come back or something

[@Bao-zhuCheng]

It was awful. Worst installment

[@RukiaChinq]

The fact that I can remember major plot points from every book up until no brainer, where I hardly remember a thing speaks volumes about it.

[@Lifetime10154]

I don’t care what anyone says but The Getaway is insanely underrated. People just dislike it because it’s a vacation book.

[@coolestmostawesome]

Ikr

[@luctube6591]

Real

[@EricDavidovich]

meltdown is goated too

[@Lifetime10154]

@ Agreed.

[@gordonellissenanuziddah6202]

U mean family vacation?

[@StickIQ]

I remember when the Meltdown was the latest book in 2018, and I was 8 years old. It thought it was the perfect balance between a story that's relatable but still exaggerated to make it more fun. When wrecking ball came out, I thought it was about to get about interesting with greg moving and starting a new life, only for the most unrealistic event to stop that from happening. And as for deep end, that's where it's just straight up fantasy

[@zenplays8090]

Yoo I’m 14 too 🙌🏽

[@memyselfandi1939]

I didn’t continue after getaway and meltdown in 5th grade 2018-19 and turns out I didn’t miss out on anything. After this thank god🙂

[@legendalt123]

Meltdown was the first book I read

[@Planetyyyy]

I remember when The Ugly Truth was the latest book 😂

[@g-forceguy]

@@zenplays8090little one, I’m 15 😂

[@TurtleGod2]

I think The Getaway and The Meltdown were the peak of "Modern DOAWK". DOWAK instantly became shit after The Meltdown imo

[@ecowanderer6099]

The Getaway showed them travelling overseas for once which was a fresh new perspective

[@killersnowgoon2661]

Meltdown was awful

[@M0RG5N]

Meltdown was ass imo, but the getaway is underrated and deserves more.

[@fruitpie19]

You could say it started "melting down" after that xD

[@TurtleGod2]

yeppers

[@av12.8]

A big problem is that the events in the book don't influence the next book at all. I remember being halfway through Wrecking Ball and being like "nice, the next book could deal with Greg having to adjust to a new school", but then the entire book get reversed in the last page

[@RGC_animation]

I think the later books (especially since Wrecking Ball) have another problem where they stick to whatever the gimmick is way too much, almost to a fault. Like in the book about sports, sports is literally the only thing that ever happens, and in the book about Rodrick's band, his band is also the only thing that ever happens, so instead of feeling like we get a peek in Greg's life with many different storylines that come together nicelyin the climax, it feels like we're getting forced stories of a single plot point that drags on for way too long while neglecting every other aspect.

[@evelynn303]

That's such a good point, the newer books do seem to be very theme-centric. On thing I do like though it how creative the covers have gotten because they usually incorporate some elements of the theme.

[@G00BTH3N00B]

one thing I've noticed: (almost) all of the later books are set in summer where greg goes on vacation. They have less reoccuring characters (Chirag, Fregley even Rowley.) and the only times he is in school it's just ending it.

[@cameronkedas3375]

It’s basically the “Lindsay loses a Mitten” book series happening to the DOAWK series

[@Livsedan]

As someone who grew up reading the DOAWK series, I absolutely hated No Brainer, in fact I kinda gave up on the series after that. DOAWK has changed too much throughout the years and I believe it’s lost way too much of its original charm. My favourite book is The Last Straw, because it’s really relatable, feels realistic and it’s also entertaining. The newer books just aren’t that, here’s why (in my opinion): 1. In the early DOAWK books, Greg was the main character. He lived a normal life of a middle school kid who went through real relatable events and situations. He was someone I could heavily relate to. Now he’s a cartoon character who just tells the story of what’s around him. The story becomes less about him, but instead of a fictional story. I miss the old books that had no plot. It was just the real life of a middle school boy. 2. Loss of realism. At first the main challenges faced by Greg were real life struggles and situations that are relatable to many people his age. Such as the fear of growing up and puberty, fixing relationships with family members and friends, trying to become a better self. In the more recent books it’s just unrealistic situations one after the other. The Heffleys went from feeling like a real life family to a corny sitcom family. 3. Greg and people around him have changed. In the early books, DOAWK was set in the 2000s, with Greg watching tv for entertainment, using a house phone and other 2000s things. Now it’s all modernised and it feels weird, like since when does Greg own a smartphone? Also, what happened to Chirag Gupta, Patty Pharell, Fregley and other characters from the early books? One last thing I’d like to add is I’m not a fan of the newer character designs. I prefer how the characters were designed in the early books: a lot less cartoony and more simplistic (which feels more realistic coming from the drawings of a middle schooler).

[@matthewhecht9257]

Greg does not have a phone even in the current books. Patty and Chirag were never more than one note side characters. Fregley ever since book 2 has been appearing every now and then.

[@scholartheterminator94]

More like a funny cool sitcom family YOU WOKE PLONKER LIBERAL MUPEET 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ChickenMcKicken]

didn’t greg technically have a phone since dog days? i think he got a smartphone in one of the early books too iirc

[@matthewhecht9257]

@@ChickenMcKicken No, the ladybug vanished and he never got a smartphone. He got his mom's old phone, and the very same day he permanently ruined it. The most recent book confirmed he does not have a phone.

[@ChickenMcKicken]

@@matthewhecht9257 alr then thanks, it’s been a while since i read the books lol

[@Aiden-ham]

The pig character seems like something someone would gaslight you into believing, like Graggle in the Simpsons

[@ratos62]

For real, i havent read a wimpy kid book in like 10 years and when i found out about the pig i couldnt grasp how that even happened

[@skip-4259]

My last one was Deep End for 2 reasons: 1. I just generally lost interest by age (not the series fault) 2. It was bad (the series fault)

[@Preppybabiess]

:(

[@Hazaroth]

My last was Double Down for the same reasons

[@EastGermany-pc2lw]

My last one was the getaway but i really had to force my self to read it.

[@EmeraldProtogen]

Hear me out: greg died in the long haul and thats the reason reality for him has been getting wackier and stuff that couldnt happen irl is suddenly happening, also why he is in middle school still

[@Rock-Child]

GET OUT-

[@アレファイト]

while you still can.

[@s1llysunnyyy]

building on that theory! the Heffley family got into a car crash on the way to the motel. greg was the only one who didnt make it, the family distraught. his diary goes missing but entries keep on getting filled because greg is in heaven (or hell) writing in them. the reason they're so unrealistic is because gregs afterlife is so vastly different from earth, the stories make sense to him, but not to everyone else. or they're just exaggerated for them to seem cooler because of his narcissism. everything after the long haul has been a figment of his imagination, and the reasons why certain characters disappear or get smaller roles is because greg either forgets how they act or actually forgets them completely.

[@nickih1267]

nah the pig killed him and took over the diaries

[@CCABPSacsach]

“Bubby said I was mean!!” “Manny, it’s been 2 years since the accident. It’s alright.”

[@Vortex_329]

Jeff Kinney ran out of ideas. That’s basically what happened. He said what he had to say, but the books were/are profitable and therefore the series endures. But that’s it. There’s a yearly new addition to the series which comes out right around Christmas to keep the money flowing. It’s a cash grab, with no originality anymore, hence why things keep getting more ridiculous. As the series gets more off the rails, each book has to top the previous entry.

[@lapplandkun9273]

And even then, they're not. Most of the plot is formulaic with no growth

[@injectablebacon1891]

As someone born in 2007, living in 2024, that thumbnail hits waaaay too close to home.

[@ASH4Ix]

I see custom subtitles, I subscribe

[@seth-ek1uo]

same

[@DinosaurDUDE1]

apes

[@barkingsandwich]

love when people do that.

[@PokeShadow77]

Big nate cashed out in time

[@ChipmunkVR780]

Real, big nates goated

[@jasraj155]

Big nate's so underrated

[@Keyring7031]

I agree, but in all fairness Big Nate was a comic strip for almost 20 years before the books came out. The series already had a pretty solid baseline that the books could work off of.

[@VladDracula_Tepes]

BigNate is the goat, compelling plot, all characters do important things, and just funnier. Him and Timmy Failure are underrated

[@GodzillaMinusOne-ft8fd]

@@VladDracula_Tepes TIMMY FAILURE MENTIONED

[@MugmanTheMugOfficial]

I hate when people say book 1-6 are the golden age. No, book 1-8 are.

[@zer0_iz_d34d]

it’s because 7 and 8 are supposedly darker and more mature so they count those separately, but it really doesn’t make them that different

[@cowmeatius7151]

@@zer0_iz_d34dI always figured it was because 1-6 were sold as a box set at Wimpy Kid's peak, which makes them the most read and nostalgic

[@OrangeMacawWorld]

Agreed. I haven’t read it since it came out, but The Long Haul really rubbed me the wrong way in its (probably contrived) sadism towards the characters. I remember chuckling during that reading maybe twice, definitely nowhere near as much as when I read the earlier books. Hard Luck was one of my favorites as a kid.

[@MugmanTheMugOfficial]

@@zer0_iz_d34d book 1-8 really tell a whole arc for Greg. And 8 seems like the perfect finale for the franchise as a whole, until the long haul came out which was the worst one so far by a good margin. Old school sort of picked things up a bit, but not for long, so yeah.

[@overlord3481]

that would be true, if the 7th book wasn't so terrible. Nobody cares about the dating dynamics of middle school

[@thepetekidyt]

No brainer was the biggest missed opportunity in the history of the series, book 18 could have had such a great story and characters, yet jeff kinney made a boring centered book with only school related stories

[@M0RG5N]

I know. I was so hyped only to be disappointed.

[@Bao-zhuCheng]

Wasn’t even believable

[@ilhanmohamed3495]

I think No Brainer was when I just sighed and read DOAWK for the last time. The story is just so illogical in so many ways.

[@Litchy51]

They’ve already released the new book after it and for the first time ever I didn’t bother to get it.

[@MoeSzyslak20]

The first 8 and old school were great. The long haul was better than the new stuff but too outlandish. The meltdown is my favourite past 11, and is honestly pretty solid. I dont hate the getaway either. The others are mostly bad even though i enjoyed aspects of all of them

[@bamacomics9301]

thats basically my opinion lol books 1-8 were peak and old school was still solid, i dont care for the others though honestly

[@Rhyciz]

I first noticed that this series wasn’t what it once was when the hot tub fell off of the crane and left a huge hole in their house. Then I went back and realized just how long the series had been a Looney Tunes cartoon for. I’d guess that maybe a part of the increase in the unrealistic events is the changing audience. Kids these days are used to having constant stimulation, and they wouldn’t see an incentive to pick up a book unless it was actively exciting. But that’s just a theory

[@colegilbert673]

A GAME Theory!

[@NormalChannel95]

Im pretty sure Greg is a full adult at this point and that's why his adventures are so unrealistic, unrelatable and wacky. Teenagers from early 2010s wouldn't understand Teenagers from late 2010s.. Early 2020s, as we get older we get lonelier which is why barely see Rowley, Craig, Holly, Heather, even Fregley too anymore.

[@DonsStudios]

The latest book centered around the Grandma lying about a secret meatball recipe. Just put the fries in the bag Jeff

[@nickstone696]

3:14 meltdown and getaway are solid

[@destinysoppsdead]

yeah the getaway was good to me

[@ultimateellis7639]

Ya,I agree 💯

[@cryptidsystem890]

Yeah I thought meltdown was alright

[@RM-um9xx]

I decided to reread the series as an adult and the first handful got a couple genuine laughs from me. But the later ones like Old School I didn't even finish. Maybe they think kids don't like clever situational comedy or something?

[@ImTitan16]

The new book hot mess i think is the start of a new direction for DOAWK. Because its actually a somewhat orginal idea

[@RandomCrapIUpload]

Funnily enough, it was the dog in that book that made me realise how much the series has deteriorated

[@PeppersRpreppy9000]

That was literally so unhinged

[@waterscrice]

i liked the family lore in the book, but i hope its going to be the last one revolving around gregs family and him going on vacations for a while

[@taxevasion4870]

The Getaway is special to me because going on a chaotic family holiday in a resort is pretty resonant to me as a British guy (we do that a lot). However it shows to me how special Long Haul is because I've never been on a road trip but I 100% got the vibe

[@wonjest23]

i have a theory regarding the difference in early and later books… DOAWK, being a book in the perspective of an unpopular and narcissistic narrator whose sees himself being famous and wealthy in the future. He makes the earlier editions that seem simple and much more accurate as a middle schooler, referencing his day-to day life. As the books go on, Greg may realize that his “visualization” of his future won’t be achieved if he doesn’t stretch the truth in his writings. So books like The Getaway, Wrecking Ball, or The Deep End which have absolutely crazy and stretched events may make this theory true. Greg is telling the truth, but it’s filled with lies to get closer to his very unrealistic perspective of his future. In short, Greg stretched the truth in later editions in order to fulfill his personal goal which stems from his narcissism.

[@atavious2491]

I'm probably biased when I say this, but to some extent, I think the first four books and the first three movies that the early books were based on from the early 2010s are my definitive headcanon of whole Wimpy Kid story. Everything from the first Wimpy Kid entry to Dog Days are my headcanon. Anything after that doesn't count to me. I was already in middle school just right around the same exact time as the original movies were still coming out and the first couple of stories felt so relatable to me at the time. I once heard rumors that The Last Straw was supposed to be the final book and Kinney originally just wanted it to just be a trilogy before making more books. So I kind of envisioned either Dog Days or The Last Straw being the final chapter as being some kind of figurative open ended conclusion where we aren't really supposed to see a definitive end to Greg's middle school years. The whole point was to just focus on that specific time of pre-adolescence and not go beyond that. But mostly I think the movies illustrated that point quite beautifully in my opinion. With the movies having the Heffly brothers finally getting together with the Hills sisters and Greg's summer going the way he wanted. That ending honestly felt very definitive to me that anything to come after would've just been pointless. 8th grade and high school I think should've all just been up to the imagination of the reader/viewer. However, I could give The Third Wheel some credit as trying to be a real genuine attempt of Greg finally trying to mature somewhat and leaving his old friend group behind. Holly Hills I think is no longer in the picture and Greg seemed to have moved on from Rowley also. A very real thing that can happen with kids when transitioning into high school and college and reaching the end of your teenage years and starting early adulthood. That is what I can say can be a believable depiction of Greg in his final year of middle school. But I felt out after reading Hard Luck.

[@benobrien7920]

You say you only consider the first 4 canon like the 6th book isn't the best one in the series.

[@atavious2491]

@benobrien7920 hey, stop it. Leave my headcanon alone.

[@MrPolandball]

Had The Last Straw been a final book, then we would’ve not gotten Cabin Fever book. Personally he should’ve ended the series somewhere in the Third Wheel.

[@CandFBrickfilms]

I gave up when Manny built his own house

[@NokiaTheReuploader]

They honestly made manny a typical "extremely intelligent toddler" character instead of just a annoying younger brother, he just feels like a stewie ripoff

[@sandyr5407]

And he was able to throw a party when it was said in an earlier book (forgot which one) that he doesn't have any friends his age. Edit: I want to further explain that I think it's because he doesn't get along with them. I'm sure that's what the book said.

[@finntube8278]

I used to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid when I was younger but as entered into 8th grade, I’ve fallen out of love with these books, they just aren’t the same anymore. The last book I read was Big Shot and I haven’t read another one since. I don’t know what happened, I just have developed new interests and I just kinda grew out of Diary of a Wimpy Kid

[@_Devil]

My favorite one, and coincidentally what I consider to be the last good one, is Hard Luck. The fact that Greg selfishly kept a prized family heirloom hidden in case it could make him millions in the future has to be the most Greg Moment of all time

[@ibissquad4637]

After book nine in my opinion was when the classics ended

[@Plushtonium]

Old school is the first of the new books but it is also the only good one. Honestly one of the best. Better than some old ones.

[@rocbot9479]

The ninth book is my least favourite, and the tenth one is my second favourite lol.

[@nickih1267]

The meltdown was okay 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@supermarioplushes2517]

Old school was the last good one, and the meltdown was fine, but everything velar between and after is just a mess

[@Lifetime10154]

The getaway, meltdown, old school, and big shot are great

[@snickerdoodle3]

I thought I just grew out of them (I skipped " Diper Overload" and dropped the books around "The Deep End" but I held on for quite a while prior). But recently I went back, and reading the older books I realize that was not the case. They could be genuinely witty and I continue to enjoy them. You articulated my thoughts so well. They grew from being relatable scenarios to increasingly far fetched and cartoonish. You could just tell he was running out of ideas. Unlike you, I did not enjoy The Deep End much because it followed a new pattern I disliked: totally crazy, unrelatable endings.

[@catmobile20]

The books were good until Third Wheel. Hard Luck was good, and since then the only really good books were Old School and Meltdown.

[@C.O.B.R.A.-tu9dl]

Agree

[@uzziahlatour1052]

Third wheel actually makes you feel bad for greg. This is impressive because hes a POS

[@toyotagazooracer4455]

Third Wheel basically introduces the drawn out plots. It’s basically just endless blabber that sets the scene for the climax.

[@migling]

Fr meltdown is peak

[@puffin5864]

Third wheel was good imo

[@tratumjail525]

I think that one of the main reasons i didn't really click with me since Double Down was because i had the maturity to know that Greg would be like 17 or 18 if he's still in 8th grade and some of them feel rushed and others feel dragged out, and for the first time in Wrecking Ball i felt bored reading even Double Down kept me stimulated and there's also the fact that Jeff has made made 3 vacation books and it doesn't feel as original as it once did

[@DHVF28]

When that hot tub fell through their roof I knew the series was officially changed for good. It probably happened earlier than that but that’s when I realized just how different the later books were.

[@danielcarrillo1057]

The problem is that Greg should've been in high school after "The Long Haul". He's still in middle school, which doesn't make sense, considering how it has month chapters. You can keep track, and you'll see how he's supposed to be in high school

[@supervivo7069]

As a long time fan, this is disappointing to hear. I remember getting Dog Days when it came out and seeing the movie in theatres a few years later. I stopped reading at The Long Haul because as I got older, it was annoying to see Greg still in middle school.

[@xzane1337]

17:07 voice crack

[@carlfernandez9263]

Ok??

[@BlphBain]

damn, you’re a sad person huh

[@xzane1337]

⁠what else am i supposed to do with my lifw

[@RobertSoul123]

@@xzane1337 +2

[@Zerrarian]

​@@BlphBain your getting upset over a joke 🤣

[@CalvaryProductions1]

With the newer books feeling more fantastical, I’ve always had a small fan canon that Greg’s life and world is controlled by some higher being. You know how Scarlet Witch manipulated an entire town to feel like an old sitcom in WandaVision? Well, I like to think that some higher force is controlling the world that Greg lives in in order to entertain him/herself, with some character like the pig acting as minions or spies for the higher being.

[@willmungas8964]

Yeah, like the author

[@CalvaryProductions1]

@ I meant something fantastical, not meta. Like an evil witch/sorcerer or like an evil race of Truman Slow-esque aliens

[@KydDies]

Nah Imma need you to make a video about this, sounds extremely interesting

[@dewah7775]

The new books basically jump around from random ass topic. The new book had like the last 20 or so pages be about the main subject of the book.

[@Cruzilla39]

what happened with Diary of a Wimpy Kid was the same thing that happened to Godzilla in the Showa era (1954-1975) as the series continued it became a serial franchise and as a result it became ridiculous with Godzilla dancing in space and flying and TALKING! I just hope that like Godzilla Diary of a Wimpy Kid will get rebooted with more serious installments that have better continuity

[@jakobsouza3520]

Let's at least be grateful Diary of a Wimpy Kid exists even if Jeff Kinney has no intention of finishing it

[@ZeekeTheFreak]

6:32 dude. No brainers plot began at the end of the book 😭🙏

[@KisamaMokkorosu-qj7vh]

Ain't no way

[@BlurplePrple]

how does this not have a trillion views, this video is good

[@BF-TREZ]

Cuz there's only 8 Billion humans!!!

[@Best_of_the_West_side]

Baby shark begs to differ

[@Best_of_the_West_side]

@BF-TREZ

[@BlurplePrple]

@@BF-TREZ I guess.

[@BF-TREZ]

@@Best_of_the_West_side *BOTS*

[@ianchandler4649]

I didn’t know there were any books after The Long Haul. I found those books to be fun from 2010-2014, but I moved on and forgot about them. It is interesting to see where the series went since then, even if it wasn’t necessarily good.

[@robbiej2734]

For me, Double Down was where the series officially jumped the shark.

[@craniumssuperburger7749]

I unironically think the series should have just had Greg go through highschool and into his early 20s. You could easily make a great character arc of him going through highschool, becoming more bitter at being single, and ultimately crashing out and having to grow out of it. Maybe even reconcile how much of a jerk he's been to Rowley even. Idk.

[@cartoonboy6039]

I did a ranking video on every book in the series. The most recent book was No Brainer and while mentioning that book and the newer books. I realize, how much more crazy and unrealistic, the books got. At least I can say that Jeff knows how to make really great stories in the series, like Diper Overload and Big Shot. But damn, I look back on that one line from Old School, where Greg says that he feels like he has been in middle school forever and it is so true now.

[@samwyze64]

My gradual disinterest came from the reality that I simply outgrew the series. The books largely appealed to the elementary-early middle school demographic. I think somewhere between “The Ugly Truth” and “Third Wheel” is when the saga should’ve wrapped up.

[@Pixul]

A thing I've noticed about the more recent books is that Greg isn't very present for a lot of each of them. Rather than the majority of the book talking about his opinions or actions, he's instead mostly recording those of the people around him.

[@sandyr5407]

That's definitely the case for Diper Overload. As much as I like Rodrick, Greg wouldn't care about what's going on in his life. Would he seriously know or care enough about his brother's bandmate's girlfriend and their relationship?

[@teddyw6137]

10:05 IS THAT MANNY ON THE LEFT PANEL???

[@dogebuddha]

I don't think this character's name was ever revealed in the Igdoof comics, but he is Igdoof's younger brother, and does make multiple appearances throughout the comics. He also does things to annoy Igdoof, so he's like Manny.

[@sandyr5407]

It is written that whenever Kinney writes something, Manny will break into that universe to annoy the main character. ...Even Poptropica has Manny in it.

[@þðæ]

Here are The reasons Greg is in middle school 1. that’s the target audience 2. The whole series actually took place for only 2 years

[@brandonandstuff239]

1st has actual evidence, 2nd is most likely a fan conspiracy.

[@þðæ]

@ someone made a timeline of all the dates and the whole series only took place over two years because a lot of books took place for only a month

[@ivanlol7153]

First book is 1 year of middle school Rodrick rules is the summer and like half of the second year Last Straw is the end of his second year Dog Days is the summer It was already 2 years after the 4th book

[@brandonandstuff239]

@@þðæ The comment under your reply encapsulates things pretty well, for simplicity I’ll just assume the first book takes place in 2007. The First Book spans from September 2007 to June 2008 and the second September 2008 to December, the third (getting into specifics) January 1st 2009 to June 7th 2009, 4th June to August 2009, and finally 5th September 2009. That simple little timeline took over the course of 2 years.

[@þðæ]

It’s actually because Greg is so dumb he has to restart

[@Occus]

Deep End was so weird when they had Manny driving cars and stuff. Then Big shot & Diper Overlode were pretty normal and I was like "woah this series is becoming good." then you get no brainer and stuff that would never happen is happening every 5 pages

[@ItsCobolt]

i have to just say as a wimpy kid fan Double Down is just so hated for no reason, its one of my favorite books but so many people hate it for no reason.

[@genericgamingchannel9378]

I am convinced that, Jeff Kinney is long game and has something planned for the last book or 2. On his twitter he seems to be very self aware, I think he knew 5 or so books in that he can’t do this forever and has been planning something. Kind of like going out with a bang and stuff.

[@dork5499]

The quality really dropped when Double Down released (an entry I am surprised isn't on the video since it's between Old School and The Getaway), which was apparently when the creator was deciding to continue the book series or not. When I first read that book, it didn't exactly feel as exciting due to two of the things making up most of the book feeling like filler, the beginning talk about dead relatives watching you from the afterlife made me uncomfortable, and the major storyline that the book advertises in the back both starts and ends within the *last 20 pages,* which is 200 pages into the book for a normal length Greg Heffley book.

[@shapejaper1667]

In my opinion, the problems started with wrecking ball, but the books after that were still enjoyable but nowhere near as good as the books before. And then no brainer was absolutely terrible

[@richi3035]

missed opportunity to call it "The Downfall of a Wimpy Kid"

[@Alnix2]

As someone who is still for w/e reason reading these books these may be common but still my complaints with how the series is going: 1. Continuity/Retcon issues: There is one I'm trying to think of in my head about how the diamond ring that Greg finds at the end of Hard Luck never makes a return even if in something like Wrecking Ball there was an instance where that could have came into play. But the big one I feel is Greg getting his house back out of nowhere between The Deep End and Big Shot without him getting that said house written, and it makes it feel like Wrecking Ball and The Deep End never happened. 2. The more modern books feeling more "Episodic" based rather than natural life progression like the books before the Getaway. Like most people here are bringing up how the more modern books have a lot more outlandish/contrived points going on throughout the plot (See the entirety of No Brainer for instance) and an over reliance on vacation based books (possibly because the ideas for what could really be happening in Greg's school life could be running low) and how little days are actually covered within the books now. 3. Very common one of having no end point in sight but it angers me more with how some entries such as Wrecking Ball and No Brainer feels like they pull points which make it feel like that those books can very well be written to be the finale with things such as Greg having to move away and say goodbye to Rowley to last second BS gets pulled and he is conveniently back or even in Diper Overload with Bill coming back to Rodrick's band at the last second at the end even if it would have been more ambitious for him to move on. Will say that it feels like within some of the recent books of Diper Overload and Hot Mess that they feel like the final times at least where Loaded Diper and Grandma Heffley will probably be written within DOAWK, so some recent entries feel focused on writing older been around for awhile aspects out, or that's just me.

[@EliasDoesEverything123]

I think the first 8 books were when the series was at it's best, though I like book 13 & 18. Those were good ones :D

[@WingedKey]

started to read the comments before i even started the video and i was SO confused about everyone mentioning a pig

[@chrisrockett5897]

How do you even forget the pig?

[@asad5986]

​​@@chrisrockett5897this person may have stopped reading before the pig showed up.

[@WingedKey]

@@asad5986 tis true

[@bamacomics9301]

(in my opinion) books 1-8 were the golden age. With books 1-6 just being damn classics, and Third Wheel and Hard Luck serving as a great two parter finale in my eyes. By the end of Hard Luck when Greg hides the ring to stop discourse in his family its simple character growth and I think its a nice note to end on. Hard Luck is also the last book to feature a lot of old characters. Long Haul was the first book that was only made for just essentially a movie script, all of the older characters are gone and immediately all sense of realism is lost. Its a wacky road trip adventure. Old School, which is a solid book, Greg repeats 8th grade for the first time and I feel the series loses an element of timelessness. And it just goes to shit with Double Down as that is considered a massive soft reset of the series or a “new committment” as Jeff called it. And now there house is torn down, riding an RV in the middle of a lake? At this point they’re just episodes of a Wimpy Kid cartoon. 1-8 golden age 9-10 soft reset 11-modern or “dark age” wimpy kid

[@wobblsobble]

Bart is eternally 10 and greg is eternally in middle school

[@theitechlab]

I remember reading the first book in fifth grade (2007) and then waiting for Rodrick Rules, that’s how old I am lol. I think my last one was The Long Haul as I had just outgrown them at that point in my life. I still look back and laugh at a lot of stuff from books 1-3, and my younger brother and I still makes jokes and references to those all the time. It’s another classic example of a franchise that needed to end, rather than drag itself out about 10-12 books too long.

[@fvrlit]

Finally a youtuber who has actually good background music

[@NinjaJay2001]

bruh I'm hearing Nintendo music, which yes is good music but like 70% of the youtubers i watch use that music... do u need some recommendations of youtubers with good taste to watch?

[@fvrlit]

@ i’m talkin bout that piano in like the middle of the video

[@CaptainF123]

"Windmill Isle Act 1"- Sonic Unleashed "Tornado Defence"- Sonic Unleashed

[@georgedavies5042]

There’s sixteen books in this series? When I was a kid I only read to cabin fever, how has he dragged the series out to SIXTEEN books?!?

[@MrPolandball]

Money