Homeroom Diaries

May 12, 2014
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.

June 1, 2014

Gr 7-10-After a brief stay at a mental institution, Cuckoo Clarke is back in school and living with Mrs. Morris, her foster parent. Her best friends are a band of lovable misfits and they come up with a plan to unite the various factions of the student body (the jocks, stoners, mathletes, activists, Tolkien freaks, etc.) Even after some setbacks, they bring people together for a "Scream Out," an event that allows everyone an opportunity to open up, release tension, and ultimately discover that they have more in common than they thought. Overall this is a successful novel. Cuckoo is a well-developed and accessible protagonist. She is introspective and she copes with life's difficulties by spending a lot of time in her head and writing alternative endings to movies in her journal. Despite the fact that serious issues (a negligent mother, an attempted sexual assault, and an incident of cyberbullying) are at play, the lighthearted tone adds levity to the work. The novel is fully illustrated with humorous artwork that contributes to the story in a meaningful way. Fans of the popular "diary fiction" genre (as well as those simply looking for an approachable and quick read) will find much to enjoy here.-Julie Hanson, Chicago Public Library

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