A Spoiler Free Bit About The Book
Nine-year-old Kellie finds herself in a world of monsters. She must be brave in order to find home where she's hoping Mum and Dad will be waiting for her.
My Review
I didn't quite know what to expect with this to be honest. I was questioning how much of the world could pass through a nine-year-old's head. But the result was creepy and intense.
The entire thing is written in diary entries which are short and easy to read. However, I have some serious issues with the diary form and they were highlighted by the young protagonist throughout. Diaries tend to lack dialouge and Kellie's Diary had no dialouge whatsoever. I love dialouge and the absence of it stood out so much. I understand Kellie is alone for the majority of the story but even so, I was craving some sort of conversation.
Also, because of the lack of dialouge and the fact that Kellie was alone for pretty much the whole story, there are almost no secondary characters. The few people we hear about we don't know. I needed some other characters to add another dimension. I guess if Kellie had any adults around her she'd be safe and they'd be no story to tell but even so.
The diary also led to a lot of telling and not showing. Kellie would say things like "I was so scared" which makes me feel nothing as a reader. I couldn't feel her fear at all as it wasn't described. But a nine-year-old wouldn't know how to describe it so I lost out on feeling much of anything.
A lot of tension is lost because we know she's all right because she's writing the entry. This made the pace seem very casual throughout. We miss all the action and therefore the danger never truly hits us.
The whole thing was short and I read it in one sitting feeling like I'd missed something. There didn't feel like much of a plot and I disliked the choice of form.
I'm sure if Kellie's Diary was written in something other than the diary form, it would've been much more gripping.
The entire thing is written in diary entries which are short and easy to read. However, I have some serious issues with the diary form and they were highlighted by the young protagonist throughout. Diaries tend to lack dialouge and Kellie's Diary had no dialouge whatsoever. I love dialouge and the absence of it stood out so much. I understand Kellie is alone for the majority of the story but even so, I was craving some sort of conversation.
Also, because of the lack of dialouge and the fact that Kellie was alone for pretty much the whole story, there are almost no secondary characters. The few people we hear about we don't know. I needed some other characters to add another dimension. I guess if Kellie had any adults around her she'd be safe and they'd be no story to tell but even so.
The diary also led to a lot of telling and not showing. Kellie would say things like "I was so scared" which makes me feel nothing as a reader. I couldn't feel her fear at all as it wasn't described. But a nine-year-old wouldn't know how to describe it so I lost out on feeling much of anything.
A lot of tension is lost because we know she's all right because she's writing the entry. This made the pace seem very casual throughout. We miss all the action and therefore the danger never truly hits us.
The whole thing was short and I read it in one sitting feeling like I'd missed something. There didn't feel like much of a plot and I disliked the choice of form.
I'm sure if Kellie's Diary was written in something other than the diary form, it would've been much more gripping.
Evaluation
Overall 5/10
Would I recommend it? No. The idea was creepy but the execution wasn't right.
Would I look up the author? No.
Kellie's Diary was creepy at first but the danger was too far removed for my liking.
Kellie's Diary was creepy at first but the danger was too far removed for my liking.
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