Reviews - Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

145 reviews for:

Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

This book was very funny. It is written in the 'Diary Of A Wimpy Kid' style. Once again, it features a main character who thinks very highly of himself and who continues to mess things up. It was a cute little book. I found the main character very likable.

filemanager's review against another edition

2.0

Not the best role model for kids..

bk2016's review against another edition

4.5

funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

saiadvik's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring tense medium-paced

rayan11's review against another edition

5.0

funny lighthearted fast-paced

sharknado_21sussy's review against another edition

4.75

funny medium-paced

jenmangler's review against another edition

2.0

I've finally got around to reading a few of the Big Nate books and am going to review them together with one review. My biggest sticking point is that I don't particularly like Nate. He's a bit of a jerk. I get not every kid likes school, or likes his teachers, but Nate really goes over the top in his disdain for school and for adults that never seems to go away. I have a problem with that. While it's not up my alley, I can see why this would be a book that middle school students would enjoy and I can think of several students who might like the series.

mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition

3.0

This is one of those comic-book-normal-book mixes. It's faster to read because of all the pictures (hence me starting and finishing within an hour) and presumably easier for book hating children to get into as it's more visually appealing.

In terms of personal enjoyment I would have rated this only one star. The art is nice, it's competently written, and Nate has a strong narrative voice. But, it's not funny.

Obviously, humor is subjective. I can definitely see there are jokes being made. I could see what should be funny about a certain situation. I also feel that to a kid it will be funny so I am aware that this is about my own preferences. But, I couldn't help but compare this to Diary of a Wimpy Kid which was the big series of this type when I was coming up. Especially since the book is actively compared to Diary of a Wimpy Kid in its marketing.

And Diary of a Wimpy Kid (at least the first few books) is far superior. I re-read that book every once in awhile and it still holds up. It isn't only funny but it's altogether a more witty and clever insight into life when you're twelve. Big Nate didn't have a prayer. I found reading it like reading a chapter book - simple, kind of cute but no deeper substance.

Since I realize that I'm biased I've given Big Nate an average rating. I'm not the primary demographic. I can recognize the relative skill on display here. I appreciate it for the easy, breezy read it is. I won't recommend it if you're an adult because I've read better. However, I won't be writing off Big Nate entirely just yet as it is entirely possible the books get better.