A review by mrskatiefitz
Dumbness Is a Dish Best Served Cold by Jim Benton

3.0

This full-color special edition of the Dear Dumb Diary series is written not as a diary, but in chapters related by Jamie Kelly as she and her friends Isabella and Angeline try to figure out how to make money selling food. Though I ordinarily think Jim Benton is brilliant, and that his observations about middle school are laugh-out-loud funny, this book didn't have the same spark as most of the titles I've read in the regular series format. I enjoyed the artwork being in color for a change, and Jamie's meta comments about chapter numbers and titles early in the book, but the story overall felt more tedious. I think this is probably because of the shift away from the diary format. The appeal of the series is feeling like you are reading Jamie's daily thoughts - having her write the story in novel format takes away that feeling of realism, which is what I ordinarily like most about Benton's work. Obviously fans of the series will want to read this either way, but I will personally look forward to reading another of the regular Dumb Diaries.