I just said in my last California Diaries review that Amalia’s story was the most disturbing and adult of the five main characters, but maybe it’s Ducky’s.

The first time I read this series (and, in all fairness, I read the other girls’ books far more than I ever read Ducky’s installments), I saw Ducky just as everyone else saw him—a carefree cool dude with a depressed best friend. Upon rereading it, I don’t know how I ever missed how unhappy Ducky was, and how uncertain of himself he always feels. His confident, charismatic behavior is a façade, or maybe just a default way of being, that in many ways makes it harder for him to reveal his unhappiness to those around him. And it’s so rare that I see that in books, but it’s a pervasive problem that applies to a lot of people I know—when everyone else sees you as put-together and on top of your game, how can you admit (even to yourself) that that person isn’t the reality? Especially when you’d rather BE that person instead of your own insecure self.

Needless to say, I love Ducky, and I d his installment way more as an adult than I ever did as a young reader. The way it handles Ducky’s insecurity and his reaction to his best friend’s depression is spot-on, and his mental panic and guilt are fantastic. Also, it’s one of the rare books where the second-person narration style actually works, to the point where you don’t even notice it. And by making Ducky a sophomore, his narrative voice actually comes the closest to matching his stated age (un the girls, who are all a ridiculously unbelievable thirteen).

It seems that up to this point the California Diaries have become increasingly edgy. Dawn’s story felt largely trivial but also had some underage drinking and edginess, Sunny’s mom is dying and she runs away from home, Maggie struggles with anxiety and a nervous breakdown, Amalia has an abusive boyfriend, and now Ducky has a depressed, suicidal best friend and secretly feels pretty unhappy himself. This is not an uplifting book, but it is dark in a way that feels earned rather than forced, and I respect it a lot. One thing’s for sure: we are no longer near Baby-sitters Club territory (as if that weren’t clear from the first few pages of Dawn, Diary 1).

3.25 stars. childhood contemporary disturbing ...more3 s Raina150 8

I’m re-reading this series in my 30’s and I am shocked at all the things that went over my head when I read it for the first time as a tween. Especially with Ducky. This is some serious shit and I love it.2 s Dani3 1 follower

I need to read the next book, at the end when Alex didn't answer if he tried to kill himself made me almost angry. And at the very end when he stopped stalking alex and sat there questioning himself. Then it ended. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review2 s Rishabh Lakhmani 19

Ohkay! This was a quick read.
First of all, this book is written in a first-person perspective as should be clear from the title itself. The story is literally written in the form of a diary which is filled every day by the main Protagonist named 'Ducky'.
The story is a very general one presented in a very humorous way. As the story develops the tone also changes from a very light-hearted one to a very sombre one. Overall I d this book, the main characters were great, the character development was on point, and the style of writing was also very okayish.
The only thing I didn't was that the Font used was not very easy to read and also the page number was missing from the pages. 1 Micah Ruiz34 Read

I’m reading from an old library copy my hometown got rid of. It’s the very book I read, the first time I discovered this series. Everything seems perfect as I reread this series. Yes, there’s melodrama. Yes, there’s stuff that seems far fetched. But this is the first book of the series where every single thing is plausible. Maybe it’s the difference in age of Ducky vs. the eighth graders. The high school setting, one saturated in experience, gives the whole book a different vibe. And of course, I heavily connect with Ducky, as a character.

Peter Lerangis, the ghostwriter of 2/3 of the Ducky books, has alluded to the fact that Ducky is gay. Of children’s books, especially written back then, had no business being upfront about those things. It’s all in between the lines. And boy, does it hit me even harder as I’ve aged. My 22 year old self has picked up on much more than my elementary aged self did. As a kid, Ducky and Sunny resonated with me. Now, as a twenty-something, I can understand how difficult Sunny is, but I appreciate Ducky more and more.

I’m sad Lerangis was not able to write the last of the series. His writing is so natural, so fitting. I took a long break before starting this book of the series because I knew it was a lot to digest. The previous six of the series had a lot going on in terms of drama, but this installment hit home in a way that I had to prepare myself for, even after countless previous reads. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review2020 Leigh974

I usually don't the male lead books, Logan but maybe Logan is boring as well as being the worst. But after four books of Ducky being a loveable sidekick always coming to the rescue of the girls he takes centre stage in his own book. Ducky is lost. His two best friends have gone their separate ways. Jay has joined the jocks and Alex has sunk into a deep depression. He's also feeling out of sorts with life. No friends his own age, just four 13 year old girls, his home life sucks, parents never home and basically want nothing to do with either of their children, his brother has his own life, they live on takeout and cold cereal, the house is a disaster zone and his grades are slipping. It all comes to a head when Jay invites them to a wild party at his house and Alex sinks into a drunken depression and locks himself in the bathroom. While it was slow to start it did pick up about half way through. Sunny is the only one of the girls who really features in this book as Ducky takes her to the hospital to visit her mom. Dawn shows up and when Jay eats ribs slowly in front off her it was kind of funny to see self righteous Dawn put in her place a bit. But it was nice to see Ducky and see he's not the confident jolly soul he's portrayed as but a flawed confused depressed teenager who you can't help but cheer on. Much Amalia's story this one too ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.2022 fictional-series friendship ...more Avery Talks49 4

I was feeling myself get choked up reading this one live. Ducky is, to me, the most painfully relatable character and I adore him.

TW: This book contains a character who attempts suicide so be cautious of that.

This is one of the better YA books we've covered on stream but it definitely made us go Code Level Kitten.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewatas my-library-all Jaclyn2,186 5

Intense, but an important story to tell. Ducky deals with his childhood BFF Alex's depression and suicidal ideation, and his other childhood BFF Jay's becoming too cool to hang out with Ducky before.

Ducky is SUPER queer-coded, and if this book is written today, this ly would've included his coming out story.

TW: suicide attempt, depression _bookworm203

I’m pretty sure this is going to be one of the best books in the series. My heart hurts for these poor souls and I hope Alex isn’t in too much trouble. I’m not sure if that counts as a spoiler or not so I’ve put it under spoilers just in case. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Kathryn BealAuthor 1 book15

Rereading this series as an adult is so intense. These kids are going through it, and there are zero caring parents around. Amalia is the only one who has parents who even speak to their child. The other four teenagers are completely disconnected from any emotional support.
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