Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Greg's wilderness vacation is funny but predictable.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Based on 16 kid reviews
Kids say this book is a hilarious and enjoyable read that continues the series’ charm with Greg's misadventures, offering laughs through relatable situations and quirky characters. Some critics mention too much repetition and a lack of female characters, but overall, it serves as a great example of fun storytelling that sparks imagination in young readers.
- humor
- relatable characters
- enjoyable read
- sparks imagination
- fun storytelling
- repetitive elements
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE DEEP END, Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley and family decide they need a summer vacation and don't have a lot of money. It's a stroke of luck when Grandma offers them their uncle's RV that's been sitting in her driveway for two years. Only problem is that the Heffleys don't know how to navigate the world of camping, national forests, and RV parks. There are all kinds of rules about where you can park your RV, how to camp safely in bear country, how and when to empty your sewer tank, how to navigate a canoe around catapulted watermelons... and much more. As the misadventures and missed showers and missing swim trunks start to add up, the Heffleys wonder if they should have left home at all.
Is It Any Good?
Kids who go on wilderness vacations with their families will relate to this funny yet predictable 15th Wimpy Kid installment. It's predictable the moment Greg mentions his fear of bears in the national forest and again when a skunk visits the RV park. Of course misadventures ensue. And of course Greg fixates on the plumbing of the RV -- at least that part doesn't get too gross. Thanks, Jeff Kinney, for that. It's also a boon that all the tomfoolery in the RV park is pretty tame. It's the kind of more innocent fun you have at camp or camping if you happen to have a stash of water guns, a catapult, and some watermelons.
As the tension mounts near the end, it's hilarious when Manny, Greg's preschool-age brother, saves the day -- and it's not the first time on that trip, either. Mom gets the short end of the stick in this installment, though. Usually she's the glue that keeps the family grounded and here she ends up thwarted in all her attempts to make the vacation meaningful. Maybe someday she'll get that perfect family picture for social media that she's after, but not this trip.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Greg's mom wants the ideal family photo in The Deep End. Greg says it's because she's on social media looking at other people's "perfect" family pictures. Does your family feel pressure to have a social media image? Why or why not?
Greg's mom buys a contraption that locks away Greg's and Rodrick's electronics. Does your family limit screen time on vacations? Or do you enjoy extra screen time?
Which is your favorite Heffley family trip? The car trip in The Long Haul, the tropical getaway in The Getaway, or the rustic RV vacation in The Deep End? Where would you want to go with the Heffleys next?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jeff Kinney
- Genre : Humor
- Topics : Transportation ( Cars & Trucks ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , STEM , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Abrams
- Publication date : October 27, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 224
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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