The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney is the 6th book in the critically acclaimed series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The protagonist is a kid named Greg Heffley going through his middle school years. He is the middle child and attends a local public school. In the previous book in this series Greg is always getting himself in trouble. He sees a little problem and tries to solve it and in doing so makes it much worse. In the end, the problem is solved with the grown-ups completely misunderstanding the entire situation.
This book was slightly different. Thier are a few scenes where Greg makes mistakes (i.e. pressing the school fire alarm and losing the key to neighbors house), however Greg is mostly a spectator watching grown-ups make one mistake after another. One unforgettable character is Gregs uncle Gary blank that keeps getting married. During the wedding, one of the guests tells the story of his proposal. Apparently, he was at a ballgame with his girlfriend. When a plane flew overhead with the words will you marry me Sophia? However, it must have been another Sophia at the same game. His uncle was too embarrassed to admit that, so now he is getting married. It turned out the story was the and not a joke. So Greg's uncle Gary made a large commitment based on a mistake.
Then we have the officials who try and throw a lockdown party. However, the games are for little kids and the heat turns off. The parents end up picking up their kids easily from this disastrous party. Again it is adults bumbling things and the author is simply a spectator to it all.
The author Jeff Kinney seems to be reflecting on a simpler time when he was younger. The reader gets the feeling the Jeff Kinney did not want to grow up when he was a middle-schooler. He liked it when he was younger and perhaps didn't notice the mistakes of the adults. In one scene the author is trying to get into a commercial for ice cream. He is up against much younger kids. He messes up the audition and one the younger kid gets it. Then the author recalls another time when little kids stole the spotlight from him.
One serious issue that the book touched upon was that of friendship. This is the time when lifelong friends start drifting apart and finding new interests. At the beginning of the book, Greg has gotten into a fight with his best friend Rowley and they are no longer talking. The author tries to make new friends but he is too socially awkward to connect.
Like most well-written books this one can be read on different levels. It can be simply a coming-of-age story for the younger reader. For the preteen and teenager, who has lived through some of the experiences (first zit, the onset of puberty, changing from the juvenile to the adult dentist, ect.). To them the kid is relateable and they can feel a can bond with the character.
To the adult reader, this story touches on a few problems with society in a palatable way. There is the problem of a parent deciding to go back to school because the kids are old enough now. The housework is neglected and the hired maid takes advantage of the family. It is up to the reader to decide the larger issue. Should we have more affordable childcare so parents can attend classes? Should kids be given more responsibility so if the mother wants to work long hours or go back to school, then the household doesn't fall apart? Should society make it easier for mothers to work and watch their kids grow up, like the rest of the developed world? In the end, the mother takes a break from school since the household was falling apart without her, and the maid wasn't helping. It is up to the reader to decide if that was a good decision or not.
This book can be enjoyed by people of all ages. I would definitely put it on this summer's reading list.
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