Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Book 17 – The Getaway is the latest installment in the popular book series. In this installment, the Heffley family goes on a vacation to a tropical island, but things don’t quite go as planned.
Follow along as the Wimpy Kid chronicles the family’s misadventures in this hilarious new book.
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Introduction
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway is the twelfth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by author Jeff Kinney. The book was released on November 7, 2017.[1]
The cover shows Greg Heffley in an airport, with his mother and father. The back cover features Manny,Sweetie,Rodrick,andGreg boarding an airplane.
The book’s title and release date were announced on Jeff Kinney’s official website on February 28, 2017.[2]
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway is the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book to be released in the UK before the United States.
Plot
In the newest installment of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, “The Getaway,” Greg Heffley and his family are getting ready for a vacation. But when Greg finds out that his grandparents are coming along, he starts to get nervous. He doesn’t want to spend two weeks cooped up in a car with them!
To make matters worse, the family decides to go “old-school” and take a road trip instead of flying. That means they’ll be driving cross-country in a cramped car with no Internet, no TV, and no way to escape. Can Greg make it through two weeks without going crazy?
The Getaway is the perfect summer read for kids of all ages!
Characters
-Greg Heffley: The main character and protagonist of the series. He is an intelligent, but lazy person, and often one of the last people to understand a situation.
-Rowley Jefferson: Greg’s best friend since pre-school. He is a gullible and enthusiastic person, which often gets him into trouble.
-Manny Heffley: Greg’s five-year-old brother. He is very energetic and has a “wild” imagination.
-Rodrick Heffley: Greg’s older brother. He is unhygienic, talentless, and enjoys tormenting Greg.
-Susan Heffley: Greg’s mother. She is overprotective of Manny and often puts too much pressure on Greg to succeed.
-Frank Heffley: Greg’s father. A former professional singer, he now works at home as a car alarm salesman
Themes
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway is the 12th book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by author Jeff Kinney. The book was released on November 7, 2017.
The book starts out with Greg Heffley and his family going on a vacation to a tropical island resort for Christmas break. However, things quickly go awry when the Heffleys realize that the resort is a bit too crowded and chaotic for their liking. In addition, Greg finds himself constantly pestered by his older cousin, Holly, who seems determined to make his life miserable.
Eventually, the Heffleys decide to cut their vacation short and head back home early. But even that doesn’t go as planned, as they end up getting stranded in an airport due to a blizzard. With no end in sight to their travel misadventures, will the Heffleys ever make it back home?
The main themes in this book are family, friendship, and adversity. Throughout the course of the story, Greg and his family face a number of challenges, both together and apart. But despite all the difficulties they encounter, the Heffleys remain a close-knit unit. This is best exemplified by the scene near the end of the book where Greg’s mother says she would rather be stuck in an airport with her family than anywhere else in the world.
Friendship is also an important theme in The Getaway. Even though Holly is often irritating and antagonistic towards Greg, he still considers her to be his friend. This is evident when he helps her out with her school project near the end of the story.
Lastly, adversity is a major theme throughout Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway. Despite all the obstacles they face, from crowded resorts to severe weather conditions, the Heffleys always seem to find a way to overcome them. This ultimately teaches readers that no matter how tough things might seem at times, it’s always possible to bounce back
Setting
The Getaway is set during the December school break. The Heffleys go to a tropical island resort, but things quickly go wrong. Greg gets food poisoning, and the family gets stranded when their flight home is cancelled due to a hurricane. They are forced to stay at the resort for an extra week, and things go from bad to worse when a band of thieves starts targeting the guests.
Conclusion
I enjoyed “The Getaway” just as much as the other Wimpy Kid books. I like how the simple illustrations help tell the story, and I was eager to see what would happen next. The characters are all likable and relatable, even though they often make mistakes. I think this book will resonate with a lot of kids, especially those who have ever felt like they don’t quite fit in.
