Sincerely, Diary by Maryna Doughty

Title: Sincerely, Diary

Author: Maryna Doughty

Release Date: November 4, 2023

Publisher: Pleated Press LLC

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Rating: ★★★★☆

Synopsis:

Where’s the safest place to keep your deepest secrets?

After a summer school teacher threatens to contact her parents over a concerning personal narrative assignment, sixth grader Annamarie Nilsson vows to only write her secrets in a diary. Secrets like wanting a best friend. And envying her dad’s favoritism of her younger sister. And the fact that she’s been spying on the neighbor girl who buries things in the creek.

What Annamarie doesn’t expect is that her diary can write back to her!

Diary encourages Annamarie to stay true to herself. However, she slowly makes changes to win her dad’s approval and the popular girls’ acceptance.

But will someone find out her secrets and put Annamarie’s reputation on the line? Unfortunately, Annamarie isn’t the only one hiding things. It’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out.

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My Review:

What a fun book!

A diary that writes back to you! Imagine!?

It's been a while since I've last picked up a magical realism, and I really enjoyed this imaginitive premise of a talking diary.

After a summer school teacher threatens to call her parents over a concerning personal narrative assignment, Annamarie vows to only keep her secrets in a diary. But little did she know that her diary could write back to her! How cool is that!?

There were some things I found myself relating to Annamarie about, such as, - as someone who has social anxiety - feeling alone, unloved, and longing for a best friend. Poor Annamarie, had to put an effort on to win her father's acceptance. I disliked Sofia, Annamarie's little sister. Seriously, what a brat!

I loved the beautiful illustrations.

Maryna Doughty's Sincerely, Diary also gave me some of the Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret vibes.

As someone whose cup of tea is teen and kid dramas, I loved the realisticness of what kids in this age go through, such as, putting in a lot of effort to fit in with the popular group and pretending to be someone they're not so people can like them. It was all very relatable.

I've sensed that there was something odd about Diary, but I didn't see that twist coming...

Read it to find out!