The Getaway

Greg’s parents fondly remember their honeymoon at Isla de Corales. When a commercial comes on for an island getaway, they decide to ditch the craziness of the holidays and take the whole family. Greg would have been happy staying at home, curled up on the couch with a video game controller in hand, but he is outvoted and the whole family packs up. What follows is the usual trouble that seems to dog Greg and his family. Nothing is safe, not the plane ride or the resort or the food. Everything that can go wrong does, but of course it is never Greg’s fault.

This twelfth installment of the Wimpy Kid series features predictable vacation and airplane jokes. Kinney also did not leave out the typical family embarrassment, plus the many times where Greg simply chooses to go against parental expectations and gets himself into trouble. Young readers will love the story because it is a fast read and peppered with the well-loved pictures that Kinney is known for doing and Greg’s typical sarcastic attitude. However, more discerning readers will be disappointed in another story that really doesn’t feel like it goes anywhere. Fun and fast but not satisfying.