Ducky Diary 3

[anzuhana]

It's nice that Maggie's mother finally admitted that she had a drinking problem. I thought that it was typical on how she at first denied that she had a drinking problem and instead said that she was a social drinker.

This book makes me think that Ducky just might be gay with the way he thought that he and Sunny are just friends, etc.

[lilafowler]

For once, I actually think this is a book that Peter Lerangis should have written -- I can't quite explain why, but I didn't read it as an entirely authentic male voice. Jeanne Betancourt sounds kind of like she's overcompensating for being neither male nor confused about her non-attraction to girls. I know she's one of the more prolific ghostwriters but no one can do it all, I guess.

I really could have done without all the stereotyping. I know that the books were written a decade ago and a LOT has happened since then with respect to LGBT issues in popular culture, but I really do not love that Ducky had to be the prototypical sensitive boy with the allergy to sports (when his non-attraction to Sunny and the oblique "a girl isn't Ducky's type"/"Ducky giving advice about girls is absurd" comments were, IMO, intentionally written to be evidence that he is gay!) and nearly all the obviously straight guys Ducky associates with are total bros. Ducky bitching about anyone who expressed a passing interest in sports reminded me of my own gay BFF, whom I adore even though he insists that I am a closeted lesbian because I like watching baseball and football. And then the bookstore customer who looks like a "sports-logo billboard" and leaves the store with a WALT WHITMAN book (want some Oscar Wilde with that?) is literally a walking cliché.

One thing Betancourt got right in this book is Ducky's struggle with loving Sunny without being in love with her. Take away the complications of Ducky being confused about his sexuality and it's a situation that lots of people struggle with.

[shannon86]

I just love this Diary a lot! Ducky is my favorite character in the series along with Maggie and Amalia.

[oldmeanie]

OK now I get why people thump Ducky books are boring. This one was a bit of a chore to get through. Nola Thacker REALLY could not properly get inside Ducky's head. The beginning with the bookstore stuff really did bore me aside from Sunny making a display because that's something her mother liked to do. That was genuinely sweet.

I really think Lerangis should've written this one and that Ducky should've either come out or admitted he was gay in his diary. It's like Nola was avoiding using the actual word and it is super distracting. Maybe they couldn't mention it at all, but it really makes everyone seem more dense than they actually are.

Ted is annoying in this book and honestly a bit creepy too. Thinking Maggie's a "babe"? Dude, she's 13.

Speaking of Maggie, I'm annoyed that a good portion of this book is devoted to her problems. That's the same with Amalia's diaries. I get that her mother's drinking is serious, but it feels like it was brought up to 11 all the sudden and that they had to wrap up that storyline. I really wish everything involving Maggie didn't have to be so extra.

I'm not sure why, but I don't really buy Sunny having a crush on Ducky. Amalia seemed to think they were together (which came across as dense to me), but other than that there are no other hints to this. I honestly thought that Sunny would've picked up on the fact that Ducky is gay given how her parents are open-minded. Of course it's still possible for her to have a crush on him despite knowing that, but I don't buy her thinking there's a chance honestly. Is it just me or did this plot feel a bit contrived? Maybe I'm being too harsh.

Then the very last line in this book is so cheesy that it's painful. "You, Christopher, are one lucky duck." Arghhhhhhhh. Why? I can't, it's so bad. Lerangis would never. This might be the worst diary, which is a real shame. Other than that cheesy line, I did like that it ends with the 5 of them just chilling together.