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Summary
Summary
An endearing and original heroine proves that everyone can use a helping hand once in a while, in this highly illustrated fictional diary, perfect for teen graduates of The Dork Diaries and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Margaret "Cuckoo" Clarke recently had a brief stay in a mental institution following an emotional breakdown, but she's turning over a new leaf with her "Operation Happiness". She's determined to beat down the bad vibes of the Haters, the Terror Teachers, and all of the trials and tribulations of high school by writing and drawing in her diary. And when life gets really tough, she works through her own moments of uncertainty through imaginary conversations with her favorite literary characters.
Cuckoo's also got a nearly impossible mission: she, along with her misfit band of self-deprecating friends decide to bridge the gap between warring cliques and "bring the Nations together". Not everyone is so willing to join hands and get along, but Cuckoo never stops smiling . . . until one of her closest friends, pushed to desperation by a Hater prank, decides that enough is enough.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-Patterson's latest is a hilarious and at times heartbreaking peek into the life and diary of high school student Margaret Clark (aka Cuckoo). Two months ago, Margaret's mother took off, sending Margaret to the "nut house" for a 10-day observation. Now she is back in the nut house that is high school. Her merry band of misfit friends known as the "freak show" (each of whom has his or her own self-appointed nickname); her foster mother, Ms. Morris; and the act of writing it all down in her diary are the only things keeping her afloat. Lauren Fortgang slips easily into the role of Margaret, using her vocal skills to make every entry in her diary feel like a true confession via pitch, inflection, and volume. When Margaret must confront a painful loss in her life, Fortgang softens her tone and almost whispers her words, and when she is elated for the success of a student rally she and her friends have put together, Fortgang heightens her pitch and turns up the volume. Fans of Rachel Russell's "Dork Diaries" series who are ready for a more mature story will embrace Margaret and all of the characters in her life.-Shari Fesko, Southfield Public Library, MI (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Patterson brings the misfit theme of Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life and its sequels into edgier territory in this illustrated novel about a group of high-school outcasts who call themselves "the Freakshow." The story unfolds through the diary of self-nicknamed Cuckoo, who was recently hospitalized after a breakdown, and teeters between emotional instability and self-assuredness. Cuckoo's mother disappeared months earlier, her supportive foster mother dies suddenly, and her best friend attempts suicide. Buoyed by the Freakshow, her child-prodigy biology teacher, and her foster sister, Cuckoo uses intelligence, creativity, and humor to rebound, while also attempting to bring together the school's feuding cliques. Filled with drily funny dialogue balloons and captions, Keino's cartoons have a Bratz-doll-meets-notebook-doodle aesthetic (Cuckoo herself is sort of Goth-lite, with a shaggy haircut, dark wardrobe, and heavily made-up eyes), with imagined cameos from the likes of Holden Caulfield, Nicki Minaj, and Katniss and Peeta. An ardent advocate of happy endings, Cuckoo signs off with a strong hint she'll return. Ages 12-up. Author's agent: Robert Barnett, Williams & Connolly. Illustrator's agent: Advocate Art. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
At 16, Margaret (aka Maggie, aka Cuckoo) Clarke has had her fair share of problems: a deadbeat dad, an absent mom, a stint in a psych ward, a circuit of bullies, and a seriously ill foster mother. But together with her friends (a group endearingly self-labelled The Freakshow, as none of the members are exactly popular), Cuckoo is determined to overcome her now-latent sadness by organizing Operation Happiness, a project that's bound to unite the various warring groups of her high school and bring peace and security to all . . . right? Peppered with Tim Burton-esque illustrations and pop-culture references, this is Diary of a Wimpy Kid for teens, and as a story of high-school cliques and social anxiety, it mostly rings true. Cuckoo and her friends seem to encounter almost every typical teen problem, and one of Cuckoo's love interests, a 17-year-old high-school teacher, is so unbelievable that it may temporarily jolt readers out of the narrative. Still, though, many will find Homeroom Diaries a well-paced, darkly funny, and thoroughly enjoyable read.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2014 Booklist