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Homeroom Diaries
James Patterson introduces the best selling "illustrated fiction" format to teens! It's "Middle School" for high schoolers!
In James Patterson's first highly illustrated "diary fiction" story for teens, the mega-bestselling author's most endearing and original teen heroine ever proves that everyone can use a helping hand once in a while.
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 (who call themselves "the Freakshow") 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.
In James Patterson's first highly illustrated "diary fiction" story for teens, the mega-bestselling author's most endearing and original teen heroine ever proves that everyone can use a helping hand once in a while.
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 (who call themselves "the Freakshow") 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.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
120 people are currently reading
1688 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
955 books355k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
December 14, 2019
This was a pretty good read about a girl named Maggie Cuckoo Clare and her friends who try to survive school together and of their trials and tribulations in school and having to figure out their emotions and more. If you want to read more, please check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
August 30, 2014
08/22: So far, not impressed. James Patterson's big ass name on the cover should have deterred me, but since I doubt he actually WROTE any of it, I thought I'd give it a chance. I've read a Lisa Papademetriou book before and recall enjoying it, so we'll see how it goes.
08/29: I finished and I am glad it's over. The illustrations are misleading; you think you're going to have a fun, lighthearted book, but what you get is issues of suicide, rape, bullying, mental illness, death, and parental abandonment. That's a lot for one book! I didn't like the characters' real names and nicknames being interchanged from sentence to sentence, and that Flatso/Bev lost her identity at some point in the book and became a smiley face with appendages in all the art. The writing wasn't bad, but overall the book felt frenetic and disconnected from chapter to chapter. On the positive side, the group of friends were always there for each other, and they did make the effort to keep a positive outlook despite everything they were dealing with.
08/29: I finished and I am glad it's over. The illustrations are misleading; you think you're going to have a fun, lighthearted book, but what you get is issues of suicide, rape, bullying, mental illness, death, and parental abandonment. That's a lot for one book! I didn't like the characters' real names and nicknames being interchanged from sentence to sentence, and that Flatso/Bev lost her identity at some point in the book and became a smiley face with appendages in all the art. The writing wasn't bad, but overall the book felt frenetic and disconnected from chapter to chapter. On the positive side, the group of friends were always there for each other, and they did make the effort to keep a positive outlook despite everything they were dealing with.
July 5, 2015
Patterson needs to stick to his adult novels. this book was an adult pretending to be a kid while brushing over real problems as if they're nothing. the drawings were cute.
January 8, 2015
Although the book's premise is cute, and the mix of diary and doodles is a fun twist, the plot of the book is SEVERELY out of touch. Heavy issues such as attempted suicide, mental illness, attempted rape, bullying and cyberbullying are glossed over and/or resolved within a matter of pages.
August 2, 2014
Great book. Although it touched on dark topics such as parental abandonment and bullying, it the main character maintained a very positive outlook, looking to overcome her circumstances and to move on, which I think is very important to note. Many young adult books today fixate on the bad, emphasizing angst (coughTwilightcough), whereas it is often more positive for recovery to focus on moving on. The book was also very funny and had nice illustrations. Thought that it was very insightful and focused more on finding acceptance, forgiveness, and friendship rather than on superficial beauty and drama.
November 16, 2018
3.5 out of 5 stars
HOMERUN DIARIES is an interesting novel, but not something I’ll remember. Yeah, there’s mental illness and the like, but still, the story kind of falls through the cracks. Not that it’s bad or anything. I guess it needs a little more of the wow factor, or stronger characters, or extra spicy sauce. I’m not sure.
Overall, a good book.
More on my blog: https://gerardowrites.wordpress.com/2...
HOMERUN DIARIES is an interesting novel, but not something I’ll remember. Yeah, there’s mental illness and the like, but still, the story kind of falls through the cracks. Not that it’s bad or anything. I guess it needs a little more of the wow factor, or stronger characters, or extra spicy sauce. I’m not sure.
Overall, a good book.
More on my blog: https://gerardowrites.wordpress.com/2...
May 6, 2015
I just loved this book. James Patterson and Lisa Papademetriou tell a great story while Keino is a great illustrator. I don't usually read books with drawings or pictures because I'm easily distracted and I want to read continously. The only book I've read with illustrations was written by Alexie Sherman entitled The Story of a Part-time Indian, and this one.
This book is great. Even though it's more like intended for middle schoolers or high school students, I've enjoyed reading it. This novel is basically about this group of friends who called themselves the Freakshow. Maggie who prefer the name Cuckoo is the main character of this book. She tells the story of her life. From being admitted to a mental hospital and being a foster child. She's a little crazy even after being released from the mental hospital because she always imagine the characters from books she read were talking to her.
Furthermore, this book is a funny one. You'll laugh to the craziness of the members of Freakshow, namely Cuckoo, Brainzillia, Eggy, Flatso, Zitsy and Tebow. Each of them are unique in their own way. They don't hang out with popular kids or groups but they have this goal to spread happiness. Throughout the book, they tried to do just that but keeps failing, until Cuckoo finally finds a way to spread positivity.
This novel, moreover, will makes you feel sad because of the issues the characters were facing. From being bullied, harrased, and laughed at. Homeroom Diaries tackles issues that teenagers or even adults are facing today. For instance, the difficulty of getting into an Ivy League shool, which is the problem of Brainzillia. While Zitsy, Eggy and Flats were being bullied because of their physical appearance. Tebow, on the other hand, from being totally "normal" but being too kind and always telling anyone to be good to others. Lastly, for Cuckoo who was abandoned by her mom and ended up to a mental hospital.
The friendship of these people is just amazing. They hold on and support each other. Though they were labeled as the "freaks" or "weirdos", they don't care. They just wanted to unite every groups in their school. For all the " Jocks, Nerds, Twinkies, Otaku, Barbies, Goths, Eurotrash, Jailbait, Stoners, Joiners, Glommers,Delusionals" and more to get together and be nice to each other.
I will totally recommend this book. Everyone should read this. Those who love to read will like this novel because Cuckoo is a bookworm, too. She's obsessed with Pride and Prejudice, Catcher In the Rye, Hunger Games and Twilight. You'll feel good after reading this and will realize how friendship is one of the best things a person can have.
This book is great. Even though it's more like intended for middle schoolers or high school students, I've enjoyed reading it. This novel is basically about this group of friends who called themselves the Freakshow. Maggie who prefer the name Cuckoo is the main character of this book. She tells the story of her life. From being admitted to a mental hospital and being a foster child. She's a little crazy even after being released from the mental hospital because she always imagine the characters from books she read were talking to her.
Furthermore, this book is a funny one. You'll laugh to the craziness of the members of Freakshow, namely Cuckoo, Brainzillia, Eggy, Flatso, Zitsy and Tebow. Each of them are unique in their own way. They don't hang out with popular kids or groups but they have this goal to spread happiness. Throughout the book, they tried to do just that but keeps failing, until Cuckoo finally finds a way to spread positivity.
This novel, moreover, will makes you feel sad because of the issues the characters were facing. From being bullied, harrased, and laughed at. Homeroom Diaries tackles issues that teenagers or even adults are facing today. For instance, the difficulty of getting into an Ivy League shool, which is the problem of Brainzillia. While Zitsy, Eggy and Flats were being bullied because of their physical appearance. Tebow, on the other hand, from being totally "normal" but being too kind and always telling anyone to be good to others. Lastly, for Cuckoo who was abandoned by her mom and ended up to a mental hospital.
The friendship of these people is just amazing. They hold on and support each other. Though they were labeled as the "freaks" or "weirdos", they don't care. They just wanted to unite every groups in their school. For all the " Jocks, Nerds, Twinkies, Otaku, Barbies, Goths, Eurotrash, Jailbait, Stoners, Joiners, Glommers,Delusionals" and more to get together and be nice to each other.
I will totally recommend this book. Everyone should read this. Those who love to read will like this novel because Cuckoo is a bookworm, too. She's obsessed with Pride and Prejudice, Catcher In the Rye, Hunger Games and Twilight. You'll feel good after reading this and will realize how friendship is one of the best things a person can have.
January 10, 2020
Why is an old man writing in perspective of a young girl? That's totally creepy.
Just don't even.
I thought... Ok, I'll let my teenager read this as she has dealt with some pretty tough issues. We're homeschoolers and I decided to let it be part of a mixed curriculum. The idea was we could talk about the serious issues of the book.
That's not what happened. My daughter was actually completely offended by something deeper. She did not understand why an old man is trying to write a book in the perspective of a teenager. That became the topic of our conversation. It's actually really creepy.
He has NO clue what it's actually like to be a young girl dealing with all of these issues. He has never been a girl that has been raped. He has never been a young girl dealing with being boy crazy. He has never been a young girl that was abandoned. This whole thing is so creepy. I think I'm going to read it again and see if there's some kind of underlying messages he's trying to sneak in. Old men have no business writing books in the perspective of a teenage girl.
why doesn't he write a book towards teenage boys? I'm assuming he was a teenage boy once.
My daughter and I both agree that the entire book comes across as a sarcastic poke at the struggles of teenage girls.
Please don't feed into this author's ego any longer. Pass it up.
Just don't even.
I thought... Ok, I'll let my teenager read this as she has dealt with some pretty tough issues. We're homeschoolers and I decided to let it be part of a mixed curriculum. The idea was we could talk about the serious issues of the book.
That's not what happened. My daughter was actually completely offended by something deeper. She did not understand why an old man is trying to write a book in the perspective of a teenager. That became the topic of our conversation. It's actually really creepy.
He has NO clue what it's actually like to be a young girl dealing with all of these issues. He has never been a girl that has been raped. He has never been a young girl dealing with being boy crazy. He has never been a young girl that was abandoned. This whole thing is so creepy. I think I'm going to read it again and see if there's some kind of underlying messages he's trying to sneak in. Old men have no business writing books in the perspective of a teenage girl.
why doesn't he write a book towards teenage boys? I'm assuming he was a teenage boy once.
My daughter and I both agree that the entire book comes across as a sarcastic poke at the struggles of teenage girls.
Please don't feed into this author's ego any longer. Pass it up.
February 8, 2016
I honestly loved this book.
It is about Cuckoo and her life and her group of friends called the freakshow and they all have they're own nicknames. The freakshow are just amazing and caring and I would absolutely love to have them as a friend group!
So cuckoo has just come out of a mental hospital and she's been struggling with depression obviously and in spite of this she is so positive and she is just such a heart warming character than in spite of how bad things get for her and the events that happen in the book (which are pretty bad) she still is constantly trying to stay positive and trying to improve things for other people at school. She is just such an inspirational character. Also another thing I loved about her is that she sees fictional characters and they help her get through daily life and they're there when she wants and escape from reality.
This book just constantly hit the feels and made me laugh and cry and it was just amazing and I developed quite and emotional bond with this book. Also the illustrations were just amazing and they really brought the book to life and I really loved them and I loved this book and I any wait to purchase my own copy.
It is about Cuckoo and her life and her group of friends called the freakshow and they all have they're own nicknames. The freakshow are just amazing and caring and I would absolutely love to have them as a friend group!
So cuckoo has just come out of a mental hospital and she's been struggling with depression obviously and in spite of this she is so positive and she is just such a heart warming character than in spite of how bad things get for her and the events that happen in the book (which are pretty bad) she still is constantly trying to stay positive and trying to improve things for other people at school. She is just such an inspirational character. Also another thing I loved about her is that she sees fictional characters and they help her get through daily life and they're there when she wants and escape from reality.
This book just constantly hit the feels and made me laugh and cry and it was just amazing and I developed quite and emotional bond with this book. Also the illustrations were just amazing and they really brought the book to life and I really loved them and I loved this book and I any wait to purchase my own copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2017
This is one of the absolute worst books in the history of James Paterson.
James' first Mistake was to put his name on this book at all. I can't even believe I picked the book up and even less that I finished this! So much vulgarer, death, deep crazy darkness, and everything else that you should NOT find in the CHILDREN'S SECTION!!
Lured to it by its neon pink and green cover, I easily assumed it would not involved everything I included in my previous checkpoints/updates. Every time I thought I saw a light at the end of the tunnel, it was just a train coming to run me over. This book needed to get a plot and stick to it! Instead, it jumped everywhere and made a dizzying, bumpy road. When coming closer to the end, I was almost always hoping that the next page would be the credits. Terrible. Absolutely terrible.
I DO NOT (not) NOT RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE!!!!
James' first Mistake was to put his name on this book at all. I can't even believe I picked the book up and even less that I finished this! So much vulgarer, death, deep crazy darkness, and everything else that you should NOT find in the CHILDREN'S SECTION!!
Lured to it by its neon pink and green cover, I easily assumed it would not involved everything I included in my previous checkpoints/updates. Every time I thought I saw a light at the end of the tunnel, it was just a train coming to run me over. This book needed to get a plot and stick to it! Instead, it jumped everywhere and made a dizzying, bumpy road. When coming closer to the end, I was almost always hoping that the next page would be the credits. Terrible. Absolutely terrible.
I DO NOT (not) NOT RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE!!!!
November 22, 2014
Nothing life changing, but it was cute. I loved that it was in diary form and I loved the doodles throughout the book. I felt like some of the content was kind of heavy for the type of book it was. Honestly if it weren't for a couple of things that happened in the novel, I'd consider it for a younger audience (younger even than what was intended). Overall it was a fun and enjoyable read.
April 3, 2025
Thought this would be a "light" YA read...think again girl!
This was a read packed with awsome, awful and amazing situations which we "visit" through the eyes of our main lady "Cuckoo".
She and her team (nicknamed: "freakshow") of fellow classmates/friends want high-school to become more "happy" and "reasonable". In their journey towards this goal we take a deeper dive into the life of miss Clarke, her mental state after her mother has left her & the struggles she and her "partners in crime" face.
The added illustrations are on point, they compliment the story and not failed to make me giggle at some points..
All and all a super nice quick read!
This was a read packed with awsome, awful and amazing situations which we "visit" through the eyes of our main lady "Cuckoo".
She and her team (nicknamed: "freakshow") of fellow classmates/friends want high-school to become more "happy" and "reasonable". In their journey towards this goal we take a deeper dive into the life of miss Clarke, her mental state after her mother has left her & the struggles she and her "partners in crime" face.
The added illustrations are on point, they compliment the story and not failed to make me giggle at some points..
All and all a super nice quick read!
June 23, 2023
I listened to the audiobook and it was amazing!
September 6, 2025
4.5 ⭐
highly enjoyed, very much like dork diaries, but I didn't relate to literally anything
highly enjoyed, very much like dork diaries, but I didn't relate to literally anything
May 29, 2018
Read it if you're bored. But it will not tickle your fancy. Well it didn't tickle mine.
July 22, 2015
Mi-a placut foarte mult aceasta carte si merita sa ii acord cinci stelute.Totul denota calitate, incepand de la coperta tip hardcover, pana la ilustratiile alb negru de pe fiecare pagina dar si pana la povestea in sine.Toate m-au impresionat si nu ar strica sa apara si o continuare a acestei carti ce are putin peste 250 de pagini pe care le-am devorat in doua zile (se putea si mai repede dar timpul isi spune cuvantul mereu). Titlul original este Homeroom Diaries iar autorii sunt James Patterson si Lisa Papademetriou. Trebuie sa mentionez ca dupa ce am citit aceasta carte, am simtit ca sunt si mai interesata de restul scrierilor lui James Patterson, asa ca nu e exclus ca pe viitor sa mai fac recenzii tot pentru acest autor. Jurnalul intim al lui Cuckoo (Margaret) Clarke, este presarat cu momente dramatice dar si amuzante din viata unei fete de saisprezece ani. O ador pe Cuckoo Clarke si ador gasca ei denumita Freakshow-Parada Ciudatilor formata din cei mai buni prieteni ai ei si anume: Katie-Brainzilla, Hana-Pachetel, Paul-Cosulet, Peter-Minunatul si Beverley-Gogosica. Toti studiaza la liceul din North Plains si fiecare adolescent apartine unei anume categorii, desigur nu lipsesc papuselele, haterii, sportivii, otaku, etc. Cuckoo Clarke este o adolescenta sensibila, cu anumite probleme emotionale, fapt ce ii aduce o internare de zece zile intr-o sectie de psihiatrie. Ea nu se considera deloc nebuna si nici nu este, pentru ca pana la urma nimeni nu este perfect, dar starile prin care trece ea sunt explicabile, mai ales ca ii este greu sa reziste dupa ce mama ei a parasit-o. Acum locuieste cu mama ei adoptiva Roberta Morris, ce o iubeste foarte mult pe Cuckoo si o accepta asa cum este, desi ii este dor si de fiica sa Marjorie ce va avea un loc anume in viata lui Cuckoo , usor mai tarziu in poveste. Acum sa spun cateva cuvinte despre Margaret, Maggie, Cuckoo sau Cooks, cum i se mai spune de catre dragii ei prieteni din Parada Ciudatilor. Cuckoo este o fata care adora cartile, nu lipseste de la scoala, si atunci cand trece printr-o perioada mai grea ii place sa viseze ca se intalneste cu personaje din carti iar in acele vise, ea detine controlul. Ii place sa reconstruiasca finalul cartilor dar pentru ea finalul are o alta definitie, mai degraba este o continuare, un drum catre altceva.Impreuna cu prietenii ei adevarati, vor trece prin tot felul de momente dramatice si amuzante cum am spus, care ii ajuta sa se descopere pe ei insisi si care pana la urma, ii fac mai puternici si maturi. Este interesant si momentul cand Cuckoo, aproximativ se indragosteste de profu de biologie Winnie Quinn, si nu prea intelege ea care e faza cu dragostea, pentru ca lucrurile se complica cand Peter Minunatul o invita la film. O poveste care m-a captivat, ilustratii ce au conturat minunat de bine lumea lui Cuckoo, un personaj care mi-a vorbit mie prin intermediul jurnalului ei ( la care psihologul scolii nu trebuie sa aiba acces...shhhh) si totodata am primit multe sfaturi dar am si invatat multe. Se merita cumparata cartea, nu o sa regretati iar parerea mea este sincera, fara a fi influentata de nimeni. Sper sa va ajute recenzia mea si sper sa vreti sa o cunoasteti pe Cuckoo Clarke:).
August 26, 2014
I am a little torn about this one. It does have a great messages (antibullying) and the characters are pretty interesting. The problems is that it very much seems to talk down to the intended audience. While the characters are high schoolers, I very much see this as being more of a middle school read.
Margaret Clarke is our narrator. She likes to go by the nickname Cuckoo. We are actually reading her journal, which has been ordered by her counselor. Cuckoo has had a pretty tough life. Her father disappeared years ago, and her mother seems to have recently followed suit. She is in protective services custody and lives with her former neighbor, Mrs. Morris, who has become her foster mother. This new home has been good for her, particularly as she recovers from being in a mental health program.
Besides Mrs. Morris, Cuckoo is fortunate enough to have a great group of friends at school. In some ways, the group reminds me of the main cast of the great book by James Howe, "The Misfits." They help each other all of their individual personal problems ... as well as some trouble with one of the bullies at school.
There is an awkward (icky!) subplot dealing with her new science teacher, who is still fairly young. Considering the age difference, which Patterson and Papademetriou kept trying to gloss, it just is so wrong on so many levels, though it is presented as being a romantic, happy possibility.
The tone of the book reminds me a lot of all of those Nickelodeon and Disney tween television shows so I am guessing the intended audience will actually enjoy reading the book, but I found that it threw in some pretty serious topics and glossed them over a little too easily. There are a lot of stronger titles dealing with childhood abandonment, death, suicide, and bullying.
The book includes some pretty interesting illustrations, supposedly done by Cuckoo herself. That seems to be the trend in most of the teen/tween novels written under the Patterson brand now. They do add quite a bite, but I did find they partially interrupted the natural flow of the narrative in a number of areas.
I did find myself interested in what was happening to Cuckoo and her friends, though. It is also a really fast read. Definitely not one of the brand's best attempts for teens/tweens. I tend to be disappointed in the books Patterson does with Papademetriou, though, so that is not surprising. They left the ending open, indicating there will be more books to come. Despite all of my criticisms, I a still curious as to what will happen to Cuckoo and her friends.
Margaret Clarke is our narrator. She likes to go by the nickname Cuckoo. We are actually reading her journal, which has been ordered by her counselor. Cuckoo has had a pretty tough life. Her father disappeared years ago, and her mother seems to have recently followed suit. She is in protective services custody and lives with her former neighbor, Mrs. Morris, who has become her foster mother. This new home has been good for her, particularly as she recovers from being in a mental health program.
Besides Mrs. Morris, Cuckoo is fortunate enough to have a great group of friends at school. In some ways, the group reminds me of the main cast of the great book by James Howe, "The Misfits." They help each other all of their individual personal problems ... as well as some trouble with one of the bullies at school.
There is an awkward (icky!) subplot dealing with her new science teacher, who is still fairly young. Considering the age difference, which Patterson and Papademetriou kept trying to gloss, it just is so wrong on so many levels, though it is presented as being a romantic, happy possibility.
The tone of the book reminds me a lot of all of those Nickelodeon and Disney tween television shows so I am guessing the intended audience will actually enjoy reading the book, but I found that it threw in some pretty serious topics and glossed them over a little too easily. There are a lot of stronger titles dealing with childhood abandonment, death, suicide, and bullying.
The book includes some pretty interesting illustrations, supposedly done by Cuckoo herself. That seems to be the trend in most of the teen/tween novels written under the Patterson brand now. They do add quite a bite, but I did find they partially interrupted the natural flow of the narrative in a number of areas.
I did find myself interested in what was happening to Cuckoo and her friends, though. It is also a really fast read. Definitely not one of the brand's best attempts for teens/tweens. I tend to be disappointed in the books Patterson does with Papademetriou, though, so that is not surprising. They left the ending open, indicating there will be more books to come. Despite all of my criticisms, I a still curious as to what will happen to Cuckoo and her friends.
July 19, 2015
Homeroom Diaries was such a delightful read! I was surprised by how dark the subject matter got, but it's done with humor and understanding. And the illustrations are great! Maggie, aka Cuckoo, was just released from a 10-day stay at the mental hospital. She had an emotional breakdown after her mother took off and never returned. Now, she's living with a neighbor and is determined (along with her rag-tag group of friends) to do something to make the world, or at least their school, a happier place. All the while, keeping a diary and keeping said diary away from the school counselor who thinks every emotional response is cause for concern.
I really enjoyed Homeroom Diaries. I had never read a graphic novel before, so this was really something different for me. It's not wholly a graphic novel, probably a bit less than half, but it still took some getting use to. I was distracted by the graphics in the beginning. My eyes kept darting back to them while I was reading the text, but after a few chapters I fell into a rhythm. It all kind of reminded me of Lizzie McGuire, with little cartoon Maggie's acting out the story, or depicting some funny extra from her mind.
As for the plot, Homeroom Diaries is, like I said earlier, dark but funny. Maggie is accepting of the fact that she was institutionalized, and is annoyed that now every time she's sad, her counselor wants to send her back. She is allowed to be sad! Especially since someone close to her dies and another someone attempts suicide! See, really dark. Oh, and a boy assaults her. She's not crazy! She's having appropriate emotional responses! But she doesn't let that get her down. Maggie and her friends are super determined to pull something together to join the cliques and make people happier. It does get a bit cheesy toward the end, but I liked it. A lot.
Homeroom Diaries was really good. The format was a bit hard for me to get into at first, but I ended up loving it. The comic bits add so much to the overall story! Although I have to say my favorite page was the faces of Johnny Depp. So random!
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
I really enjoyed Homeroom Diaries. I had never read a graphic novel before, so this was really something different for me. It's not wholly a graphic novel, probably a bit less than half, but it still took some getting use to. I was distracted by the graphics in the beginning. My eyes kept darting back to them while I was reading the text, but after a few chapters I fell into a rhythm. It all kind of reminded me of Lizzie McGuire, with little cartoon Maggie's acting out the story, or depicting some funny extra from her mind.
As for the plot, Homeroom Diaries is, like I said earlier, dark but funny. Maggie is accepting of the fact that she was institutionalized, and is annoyed that now every time she's sad, her counselor wants to send her back. She is allowed to be sad! Especially since someone close to her dies and another someone attempts suicide! See, really dark. Oh, and a boy assaults her. She's not crazy! She's having appropriate emotional responses! But she doesn't let that get her down. Maggie and her friends are super determined to pull something together to join the cliques and make people happier. It does get a bit cheesy toward the end, but I liked it. A lot.
Homeroom Diaries was really good. The format was a bit hard for me to get into at first, but I ended up loving it. The comic bits add so much to the overall story! Although I have to say my favorite page was the faces of Johnny Depp. So random!
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
October 13, 2014
3.5 stars really.
In the beginning, I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book. It seemed corny and the illustrations, while I loved them in themselves, interrupted the flow of the story.
However as the book went on, I enjoyed it more and more. The plot became gripping, the characters real. There were still corny bits, but they felt more like Cuckoo's stream of consciousness than bad writing. I got used to the picture placement though my favorites were part of the narrative instead of Cuckoo's jokes or illustrations of something that had already been described.
One thing bothered me about this book. Cuckoo and her friends are juniors in high school. And some serious stuff can go down in your high school years. But the topics brought up in this book felt too serious for its voice. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Cuckoo's voice. Yet, some of the plot points felt like they were thrown in just to make this an issue book.
To wrap up, HOMEROOM DIARIES is a fun read that includes maybe-unnecessarily-serious topics. The characters are awesome and the illustrations, once you get used to them, enhance everything about the story line. I've always shied away from James Patterson books, but I'm glad I gave this one a shot.
In the beginning, I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book. It seemed corny and the illustrations, while I loved them in themselves, interrupted the flow of the story.
However as the book went on, I enjoyed it more and more. The plot became gripping, the characters real. There were still corny bits, but they felt more like Cuckoo's stream of consciousness than bad writing. I got used to the picture placement though my favorites were part of the narrative instead of Cuckoo's jokes or illustrations of something that had already been described.
One thing bothered me about this book. Cuckoo and her friends are juniors in high school. And some serious stuff can go down in your high school years. But the topics brought up in this book felt too serious for its voice. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Cuckoo's voice. Yet, some of the plot points felt like they were thrown in just to make this an issue book.
To wrap up, HOMEROOM DIARIES is a fun read that includes maybe-unnecessarily-serious topics. The characters are awesome and the illustrations, once you get used to them, enhance everything about the story line. I've always shied away from James Patterson books, but I'm glad I gave this one a shot.
October 22, 2016
It’s not easy to talk about mental illness, not in real life nor in fiction…although for some is easier than for others.
When i picked this book up, i was ‘starving’ for some inspiring book to start the year. The book seemed cool, its illustrations are very attractive and all, but the story wasn’t at all what i expected.
The story is about a young girl that was hospitalized for a few days, she is ‘Cuckoo’, as her friends call her (it’s okay, because all her friends have hurtful nicknames) and now she has to deal with real life in high school.
To be completely honest, I didn’t really find the reason for her to have been hospitalized credible, not the amount of attention it got from her counsler and the people around her… that’s not how it happens in real life, come on!
As a person that suffers from mental illness, i know how difficult it is to deal with, which just made her plain complains seem false, and cliche, just for the sake of make her special between the most special kids in school…
Another thing, I know it was written as diary entries, but the supporting characters were there just because, they never did much… they didn’t develop at all. They were plain and boring.
Overall, the book is an easy read, nothing very terrible happens, it has a few cliches, but if you don’t mind that … maybe i read too much before reading this book,… maybe it wasn’t right for my age…
Argh! i don’t like giving bad reviews, but this book was just too annoying for me, it just bothered me a lot…
When i picked this book up, i was ‘starving’ for some inspiring book to start the year. The book seemed cool, its illustrations are very attractive and all, but the story wasn’t at all what i expected.
The story is about a young girl that was hospitalized for a few days, she is ‘Cuckoo’, as her friends call her (it’s okay, because all her friends have hurtful nicknames) and now she has to deal with real life in high school.
To be completely honest, I didn’t really find the reason for her to have been hospitalized credible, not the amount of attention it got from her counsler and the people around her… that’s not how it happens in real life, come on!
As a person that suffers from mental illness, i know how difficult it is to deal with, which just made her plain complains seem false, and cliche, just for the sake of make her special between the most special kids in school…
Another thing, I know it was written as diary entries, but the supporting characters were there just because, they never did much… they didn’t develop at all. They were plain and boring.
Overall, the book is an easy read, nothing very terrible happens, it has a few cliches, but if you don’t mind that … maybe i read too much before reading this book,… maybe it wasn’t right for my age…
Argh! i don’t like giving bad reviews, but this book was just too annoying for me, it just bothered me a lot…
July 28, 2019
As predicted, it was a quick, easy, no-thinking kind of read. It took a little over a day and I feel nothing about it. There's no doubt that I will completely forget I ever read this within the next month, or maybe, next two books I read. It's nothing groundbreaking.
I did have one complaint, though. The ending felt much less of like a conclusion or nice, "all wrapped up with a little bow on top" kinda thing... it really felt more of like a plug for the next book in the franchise. Like an ad. That really turned me off and made me feel like the author was trying to sell me something instead of make me feel something (at peace, maybe) with the characters. It was kind of disappointing.
EDIT: I totally forgot to mention how this book is aimed at teens but is written for pre-teens. It's very strange. The writing style is appropriate for say, an eleven-year-old, but discusses issues such as suicide, mental health, death, etc. I feel like because of this, the subjects weren't really expanded on as they should've been. Yeah, I didn't like that. It definitely talked down to its audience.
I did have one complaint, though. The ending felt much less of like a conclusion or nice, "all wrapped up with a little bow on top" kinda thing... it really felt more of like a plug for the next book in the franchise. Like an ad. That really turned me off and made me feel like the author was trying to sell me something instead of make me feel something (at peace, maybe) with the characters. It was kind of disappointing.
EDIT: I totally forgot to mention how this book is aimed at teens but is written for pre-teens. It's very strange. The writing style is appropriate for say, an eleven-year-old, but discusses issues such as suicide, mental health, death, etc. I feel like because of this, the subjects weren't really expanded on as they should've been. Yeah, I didn't like that. It definitely talked down to its audience.
July 7, 2019
Audience: Young Adult
Format: Hardcover/Owned
I'm starting over.
- First sentence
Margaret "Cuckoo" Clarke has just been released from a brief stay at a mental institution after she had an emotional breakdown. Now she's starting over with "Operation Happiness." Cuckoo and her friends (who call themselves the "Freakshow") are determined to bring the different factions of high school together and find a way for everyone to get along.
The illustrated diary style works well for this book. Cuckoo writes down her thoughts and feelings about high school life, along with illustrations. She also talks to literary characters in an attempt to figure out life. I think this book will appeal to teens and pre-teens, especially those who like the diary format. It's easy-to-read and tackles real-life situations.
Format: Hardcover/Owned
I'm starting over.
- First sentence
Margaret "Cuckoo" Clarke has just been released from a brief stay at a mental institution after she had an emotional breakdown. Now she's starting over with "Operation Happiness." Cuckoo and her friends (who call themselves the "Freakshow") are determined to bring the different factions of high school together and find a way for everyone to get along.
The illustrated diary style works well for this book. Cuckoo writes down her thoughts and feelings about high school life, along with illustrations. She also talks to literary characters in an attempt to figure out life. I think this book will appeal to teens and pre-teens, especially those who like the diary format. It's easy-to-read and tackles real-life situations.
November 19, 2018
I read this for a book challenge. I remember feeling some of the things that the main character feels in High school. I feel like this was written as an adult with no knowledge of what being a teenager is actually like. The book read like a middle grade book but it's a young adult book with young adult themes. Very strange book. It definitely made me remember being an angsty teenager.
April 29, 2015
Brought up some deep and dark stuff while still being really quirky and whimsical.
December 24, 2015
Actual Rating: 4.5
February 6, 2017
La verdad no esperaba mucho de este libro pero me sorprendió gratamente, disfruté bastante de esta lectura.
November 4, 2017
*Synopsis*
Cuckoo Clarke is just that. Cuckoo! After being abandoned by her mother, teenager Margaret (Cuckoo) Clarke has a considered mental breakdown. Before moving in with foster mother and elderly women Mrs. Morris Cuckoo must undergo a 10-day "observation period" at St. Augustine's Psych Ward. After being determined mentally stable, if not a little damaged, Cuckoo begins her new life with Mrs. Morris. Shortly afterward is where our story takes place.
Cuckoo attends high school at North Plains High with her equally wacky, diverse, and especially close friend group dubbed "The Freakshow". The students at North Plains are highly segregated into cliques and sub-cliques. So much so that the freakshow dubs them "the warring nations". But Cuckoo and her friends are done being so divided. Together they construct "Operation Happiness", a plan to bring the nations together, making school a little more bearable for everyone. But this task proves to be harder than expected with the freakshow facing barriers from students and faculty alike. This along with the group's personal trials and tribulations make for an extensively difficult year for Kooks and her friends. Will they make it through? Only one way to find out.
*Review*
Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this book. I bought it when I was 12 and was pretty excited to get it. Then it sat on my shelf for nearly 3 years without being read. In that time I've grown up quite a bit, as has my taste in books. I now appreciate risqué and steamy novels that really push the line. Or are at least controversial in some aspect. So when I came upon this (what I thought) was a kids book on my shelf, I was not looking forward to the read but promised to do so anyway so as not to let the book go to waste. Unfortunately, as I was on this book I became very very busy with school which took time away from my reading. But from what I was reading, I was becoming surprisingly quite intrigued by the book. On the contrary to my initial assumptions, the diary-style novel wasn't just a comedic, fun-loving high school story. Though containing plenty of laughable comedy, the book heavily touched upon the quite serious topic of mental illness as well as other debatable topics. I was very pleasantly surprised by this, as it made the novel as a whole more interesting and allowed me to become connected to the characters while seeing them in a serious light. Though I still stand by my opinion that I'm just not a comedy fan and that aspect of the book was quite a drawback as well as the (what I find childish) diary-format, the novel's overall plot was quite good. Not as risqué as I might have liked, but good nonetheless. Readers learn about some of the true struggles and pressures of today's teens as well as attempts to overcome them. If you are someone who doesn't so much enjoy "serious" books and are looking for an easier, lighter read, I would highly recommend this book to you. It contains enough conflict and struggle to make it interesting while still giving a comedic spin that will leave you smiling until the very end. Happy reading!! :)
Cuckoo Clarke is just that. Cuckoo! After being abandoned by her mother, teenager Margaret (Cuckoo) Clarke has a considered mental breakdown. Before moving in with foster mother and elderly women Mrs. Morris Cuckoo must undergo a 10-day "observation period" at St. Augustine's Psych Ward. After being determined mentally stable, if not a little damaged, Cuckoo begins her new life with Mrs. Morris. Shortly afterward is where our story takes place.
Cuckoo attends high school at North Plains High with her equally wacky, diverse, and especially close friend group dubbed "The Freakshow". The students at North Plains are highly segregated into cliques and sub-cliques. So much so that the freakshow dubs them "the warring nations". But Cuckoo and her friends are done being so divided. Together they construct "Operation Happiness", a plan to bring the nations together, making school a little more bearable for everyone. But this task proves to be harder than expected with the freakshow facing barriers from students and faculty alike. This along with the group's personal trials and tribulations make for an extensively difficult year for Kooks and her friends. Will they make it through? Only one way to find out.
*Review*
Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this book. I bought it when I was 12 and was pretty excited to get it. Then it sat on my shelf for nearly 3 years without being read. In that time I've grown up quite a bit, as has my taste in books. I now appreciate risqué and steamy novels that really push the line. Or are at least controversial in some aspect. So when I came upon this (what I thought) was a kids book on my shelf, I was not looking forward to the read but promised to do so anyway so as not to let the book go to waste. Unfortunately, as I was on this book I became very very busy with school which took time away from my reading. But from what I was reading, I was becoming surprisingly quite intrigued by the book. On the contrary to my initial assumptions, the diary-style novel wasn't just a comedic, fun-loving high school story. Though containing plenty of laughable comedy, the book heavily touched upon the quite serious topic of mental illness as well as other debatable topics. I was very pleasantly surprised by this, as it made the novel as a whole more interesting and allowed me to become connected to the characters while seeing them in a serious light. Though I still stand by my opinion that I'm just not a comedy fan and that aspect of the book was quite a drawback as well as the (what I find childish) diary-format, the novel's overall plot was quite good. Not as risqué as I might have liked, but good nonetheless. Readers learn about some of the true struggles and pressures of today's teens as well as attempts to overcome them. If you are someone who doesn't so much enjoy "serious" books and are looking for an easier, lighter read, I would highly recommend this book to you. It contains enough conflict and struggle to make it interesting while still giving a comedic spin that will leave you smiling until the very end. Happy reading!! :)
September 8, 2019
By all appearances, this would seem to be a light, fluffy contemporary with slice-of-life type situations and FRIENDSHIP!
Oh, boy, this book goes to some dark places. I'm going to preface this review with a trigger warning for both suicide and sexual assault because this book has both of these and I have things to say about those.
This book starts out rather hilarious; our main character, who insists upon being called "Cuckoo," in honor of her brief stay in the mental hospital. Why was she admitted to the psych hospital, you ask? For crying too much.
This was one of my problems with this book, actually. Twice, once at the beginning and once at the end, the adults want to admit her, a sixteen-year-old hormonal teenager who's just gone through some f*cked up sh*t, to a MENTAL HOSPITAL instead of, y'know, just TALKING TO HER and helping her in any way they can. In the beginning, it's because her mother has abandoned her during a vital period of her life. At the end, it's because SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD HER FOSTER MOTHER DIED AND HER BEST FRIEND TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE. A girl's allowed to shed a few tears after something like that happens.
Because of the unbelievable situation, I kept expecting some sort of great plot twist, like all the characters were just figments of Cuckoo's imagination. And because I kept expecting the rug to be pulled out from under me in this way, not to mention the sheer number of characters and the fact that each of them had a nickname as well as a real name, I was unable to remember or connect with most of the characters in this story. And I'm the sort of reader who needs to experience the story right alongside the characters as if they're real, actual people.
For example, at one point very early in the story, Cuckoo's friends get mad at her for hanging out with and dancing with Marty. a boy she maybe-kinda likes. But at that point, Marty was just a blank slate to me, so their anger made no sense.
I did really enjoy Cuckoo's voice in this book; it was engaging and hilarious. The illustrations make this a rather unique psuedo-graphic novel, and I could easily see myself rereading this in the future. In fact, I want to reread it right now as I'm writing this review. xD
Looking back on my notes from when I read this book, most of them, aside from the above issues, are just general reactions, like "HOLY SH*T MARTY JUST ASSAULTED HER!" or "Wow that got dark again real fast!" so maybe it's not fair to dock an entire star just for those bits. But I don't think I enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed some of my recent five-star reads. Maybe once I give this a reread, I'll figure out how I really feel about it.
Oh, boy, this book goes to some dark places. I'm going to preface this review with a trigger warning for both suicide and sexual assault because this book has both of these and I have things to say about those.
This book starts out rather hilarious; our main character, who insists upon being called "Cuckoo," in honor of her brief stay in the mental hospital. Why was she admitted to the psych hospital, you ask? For crying too much.
This was one of my problems with this book, actually. Twice, once at the beginning and once at the end, the adults want to admit her, a sixteen-year-old hormonal teenager who's just gone through some f*cked up sh*t, to a MENTAL HOSPITAL instead of, y'know, just TALKING TO HER and helping her in any way they can. In the beginning, it's because her mother has abandoned her during a vital period of her life. At the end, it's because SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD HER FOSTER MOTHER DIED AND HER BEST FRIEND TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE. A girl's allowed to shed a few tears after something like that happens.
Because of the unbelievable situation, I kept expecting some sort of great plot twist, like all the characters were just figments of Cuckoo's imagination. And because I kept expecting the rug to be pulled out from under me in this way, not to mention the sheer number of characters and the fact that each of them had a nickname as well as a real name, I was unable to remember or connect with most of the characters in this story. And I'm the sort of reader who needs to experience the story right alongside the characters as if they're real, actual people.
For example, at one point very early in the story, Cuckoo's friends get mad at her for hanging out with and dancing with Marty. a boy she maybe-kinda likes. But at that point, Marty was just a blank slate to me, so their anger made no sense.
I did really enjoy Cuckoo's voice in this book; it was engaging and hilarious. The illustrations make this a rather unique psuedo-graphic novel, and I could easily see myself rereading this in the future. In fact, I want to reread it right now as I'm writing this review. xD
Looking back on my notes from when I read this book, most of them, aside from the above issues, are just general reactions, like "HOLY SH*T MARTY JUST ASSAULTED HER!" or "Wow that got dark again real fast!" so maybe it's not fair to dock an entire star just for those bits. But I don't think I enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed some of my recent five-star reads. Maybe once I give this a reread, I'll figure out how I really feel about it.
March 24, 2020
I really disliked this book- there were a lot of things wrong with it.
1. Patterson needs to establish who his target audience is. This book is filled with very very heavy topics that most adults are probably not ready to deal with. However, the writing style and the format was targeted towards the 12-14 year old demographic. On top of that, the characters (who are supposed to be 16) act and think as if they were 10 years old. There must be an established age demographic because 12-14-year-olds are not ready to deal with adult topics.
2. There were far too many heavy topics condensed into too few pages. Suicide, death, adoption, drug abuse, bullying, therapy, mental institutions, parental mistakes, sexual abuse, and depression were discussed WAY too quickly. Each topic only lasted a few pages which are WAY too short. Especially if this is targeted towards young people, each topic should be thoroughly discussed and explained- not just breezed through.
3. On the back of the book, it says "hilarious" NO DO NOT BE MISLED. This is in no way a funny book. The aforementioned topics are in no way funny and should not be treated lightly. A topic such as suicide was presented and then LITERAL JOKES WERE MADE. What the heck. We should not be teaching young kids to make jokes out of serious issues. I understand it is a coping mechanism but it is not healthy.
4. There was no real plot to this novel- there was no climax- just a bunch of unfortunate events that were rushed through
5. I didn't care about any of the characters. Each character only had about 2 personality traits
I did like the graphics but that was about it. I don't recommend this book and especially not to children
1. Patterson needs to establish who his target audience is. This book is filled with very very heavy topics that most adults are probably not ready to deal with. However, the writing style and the format was targeted towards the 12-14 year old demographic. On top of that, the characters (who are supposed to be 16) act and think as if they were 10 years old. There must be an established age demographic because 12-14-year-olds are not ready to deal with adult topics.
2. There were far too many heavy topics condensed into too few pages. Suicide, death, adoption, drug abuse, bullying, therapy, mental institutions, parental mistakes, sexual abuse, and depression were discussed WAY too quickly. Each topic only lasted a few pages which are WAY too short. Especially if this is targeted towards young people, each topic should be thoroughly discussed and explained- not just breezed through.
3. On the back of the book, it says "hilarious" NO DO NOT BE MISLED. This is in no way a funny book. The aforementioned topics are in no way funny and should not be treated lightly. A topic such as suicide was presented and then LITERAL JOKES WERE MADE. What the heck. We should not be teaching young kids to make jokes out of serious issues. I understand it is a coping mechanism but it is not healthy.
4. There was no real plot to this novel- there was no climax- just a bunch of unfortunate events that were rushed through
5. I didn't care about any of the characters. Each character only had about 2 personality traits
I did like the graphics but that was about it. I don't recommend this book and especially not to children
July 10, 2019
I've had this book on my shelf for years now because I just can't seem to let it go.
It's not particularly life changing like some of Patterson's books and doesn't have any overarching meaning to it but it's still a nice little story.
The thing that makes me smile, though, is that this story shows issues that often aren't talked about in this manner in young adult fiction books. Things like depression, foster care, and mental facilities. The main character also has some sort of hallucinatory mental illness but I can't exactly tell whether it's just intense daydreaming or psychosis.
When I read this as a middle schooler struggling with depression, suicidal ideation, and being in numerous mental facilities it really made me feel less alone, and like I was less of an outcast. I think this story sticks with me for that one particular reason.
There are a bunch of critical reviews on this book that I've seen, and they're all written by people who are reading it as an adult. What they don't see is that this story can touch those dealing with the same things that cuckoo is dealing with. That's what makes this book worthy to sit on bookshelves.
It's not particularly life changing like some of Patterson's books and doesn't have any overarching meaning to it but it's still a nice little story.
The thing that makes me smile, though, is that this story shows issues that often aren't talked about in this manner in young adult fiction books. Things like depression, foster care, and mental facilities. The main character also has some sort of hallucinatory mental illness but I can't exactly tell whether it's just intense daydreaming or psychosis.
When I read this as a middle schooler struggling with depression, suicidal ideation, and being in numerous mental facilities it really made me feel less alone, and like I was less of an outcast. I think this story sticks with me for that one particular reason.
There are a bunch of critical reviews on this book that I've seen, and they're all written by people who are reading it as an adult. What they don't see is that this story can touch those dealing with the same things that cuckoo is dealing with. That's what makes this book worthy to sit on bookshelves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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