A review by thelastcatbender
Fly on the Wall by Remy Lai

3.0

This is one of those middle grade books that's tough to evaluate through an adult lense. I did not enjoy this, but I also recognize that this kind of story isn't really for me. This would be a good book for older elementary students. It has some lessons about the anxieties of growing up and navigating changes in social circles. There's that really weird period around 5th-7th grade where you're hovering between childhood and "grown-up" stuff, and I think this captures that frame of mind pretty well. I struggle with the stream-of-consciousness journal style of narration, with lots of weird thoughts and observations and tangents peppered throughout -- but for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaries, et all, this would be a fine readalike. This title has the advantage of introducing kids to a mixed family (Australia and Singapore, with mandarin-speaking characters), some different family dynamics, and themes of anxiety, friendship troubles, and apologies/learning from mistakes.