Confessions of a Dork Lord by Mike Johnston - OPTIONAL

Confessions of a Dork Lord by Mike Johnston. 338 pages. Putnam (Penguin Random House), 2020, $14.

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Wick is the 12yo son of the Dark Lord, and heir to the throne of black and broken glass.  Unfortunately for him, his parents have vanished some time ago, and he is living with General Gareth Gorey, an intimidating Orc commanding the Orc legions.  Wick is stuck in Middle Ages School practicing remedial spells and has no respect from his peers, since his best spell is the fart revealer.  Wick’s goal is to figure out how to become the next Dark Lord but the bullies at school call him the Dork Lord. 

There is a lot of humor in this book.  Wick seems a little like the self-serving Greg Heffley in Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The illustrations are fun, but at 338 pages, it seemed long, and there were a lot of references to turds and farts. There weren’t a lot of surprises.  The book ends satisfactorily, but sets itself up for a sequel.   If your jive is medieval middle schoolers who have a dragon with halitosis for a friend, this book is for you. 

Michelle in the Middle