Partypooper

Diary of a Wimpy Kid #20

by Jeff Kinney

International bestselling author Jeff Kinney serves up heaps of laughs in Partypooper, the 20th book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

You’re Invited—RSVP for Fun!

Over the years, Greg Heffley has chronicled his mishaps and misadventures in a series of diaries—make that journals—but book 20 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Partypooper, really takes the cake!

Expect gobs of fun and over-the-top antics as Greg throws an epic birthday party for none other than himself. So come celebrate and laugh alongside Greg, his family, and the entire world of Wimpy Kid fans.
 
Collect all the books in the #1 bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid Diary of a Wimpy Kid (#1) | Rodrick Rules (#2) | The Last Straw (#3) | Dog Days (#4) | The Ugly Truth (#5) | Cabin Fever (#6) | The Third Wheel (#7) | Hard Luck (#8) | The Long Haul (#9) | Old School (#10) | Double Down (#11) | The Getaway (#12) | The Meltdown (#13) | Wrecking Ball (#14) | The Deep End (#15) | Big Shot (#16) | Diper Överlöde (#17) | No Brainer (#18) | Hot Mess (#19) | Partypooper (#20)
 
See the Wimpy Kid World in a whole new way with the #1 bestselling Awesome Friendly books, told from the perspective of Greg Heffley’s best friend Rowley Diary of an Awesome Friendly Rowley Jefferson’s Journal | Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure | Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Graphic Novels, Juvenile, Contemporary

Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2025

About the author

Jeff Kinney is an author of children's books including Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. Jeff was born in College Park, Maryland, in 1971 where he created a comic strip called "Igdoof."He also created the children's website 'Poptropica'.

Reviews

[Anna Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favorite days of the year is when i get to turn my brain off and read the new diary of a wimpy kid

[~ scarlett ~ (it’s fall! 👻) · Rating 4 out of 5]

haha this one was good, i really like the plot and how you think he wins at the end but of course he doesn’t.

he never does

[Samuel Aitkenhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy 18th birthday greg heffley 🎉

[Samantha Buchheit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the 3rd review of this book (guessing Goodreads just hasn't updated, lol)!! I saw that Jeff Kinney is coming to a location near-ish me for his tour, but I'm a Children's Librarian and we have Juvenile Book Club (a group where we've read multiple DOAWK books and watched the movies) that day!

I must say, I really convinced myself that Greg would actually age in this one! It would've been the perfect moment, with it being the 20th book and, of course, the whole birthday plot. I think the plot was pretty unique to the series, and the last 50-100 pages were the most engaging. Susan's attempt to save face with the mayonnaise cake was my favorite. You could say that scene really takes the cake... I can't wait to see what's in store for him since the author has hit this exciting milestone.

Greg is kinda a jerk but he will always have a special place in my heart as one of the most iconic childhood characters and the only character I own memorabilia for (t-shirt, hat, Clue game, etc.) I have fond memories of reading the books with family members, working on the two Do-It-Yourself journals I still have, and seeing the movies in the theaters. I was only five when the very first book came out, but I probably started reading them within a year or two after that until middle school, and I got back into them in recent years. I love seeing the excitement kids still have for the series. A couple kids at the library yesterday were so surprised seeing it in my hands since it hadn't come out yet. Long live Greg Heffley!

[Fred Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say? Quick, easy, fun read which is why this 79 year old has enjoyed the entire series. Middle school was (is) tough but interesting to revisit those days. This one is way over "Greg focused", I usually enjoy more interaction with family members and friends. This may be to zero in on exactly how self centered he is. If so, it works.

Amusing tale with interesting twists. Interesting side eye from someone like me who hates junk fees and watches with some amusement as Greg comes up with a bunch of them - all in search of a collectible card.

Fun time, as usual. Enjoy.

[Brooke Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read these every year for the nostalgia and nothing else.

[Angel Mouser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read! I loved how Greg was able to turn his birthday disaster into a lucrative business.

[Selena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like this book brought the series back to its original roots, which was so refreshing. I would've liked to see more from the other characters (Rowley, Rodrick, Manny, etc.) but I think everyone got a good little feature amidst Greg's typical self-centered adventure. It's good to see the series back in action. Happy birthday Greg!

[Victor The Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Negative nancy” Greg gets a do-over birthday party from his mom after the family embarrassingly forget his birthday and, of course, both he and his mom each have different ideas. It’s a real surprise of a party as Greg’s story has plenty of disastrous results involving collectible cards, a wild deer and surprise guests.

Greg sure is more of a downer than he usually is while is mom is just as unhelpful, yet it’s still a funny story that still has a upside in the end. I mean we’ve all have had dud birthdays too. B+ (83%/Very Good)

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure why I have a soft spot for this series, Greg Heffley's narcissism annoys me to no end.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really highlights the inherent narcissism of Greg Heffley which I appreciated because I’ve BEEN saying that

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book cracked me up! And I really loves the illustrations. It's the first book I've read in the series, but I will definitely read more of them!

2025 Pippi Post Reader Roulette - Pick a Book That "Everyone" Has Read (#1 on USA Today's Best Selling Booklist for this week; Over 300 Million Books Sold)

[Shadyside Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book proves that Jeff Kinney’s still got it! This book felt very well executed compared to the others. We got a bunch of (relatable) birthday jokes up until about page 50. This is where the plot took place, which felt absolutely perfect! Some Wimpy Kid Books lack a plot entirely, and others don’t take place until the very end. This book did not fall into those categories and was an absolute blast to read!

Check out my review on YouTube!!

https://youtu.be/d9clsFhqd0c?si=_Y2_u...

[kyndall singleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

happy birthday greg heffley i also threw my own birthday party except mine was awesome

[Lucca Ángel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who knew that an installment of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series could make me feel so warm and fuzzy? Happy birthday Greg!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just as hilarious as the past nineteen. A birthday and a party gone wrong for Greg.

[Niyousha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received my annual dose of wimpy kid😅👌🩷

[Lupinsschocolate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely hilarious!! I've read every single one and i must say its one of the funniest books in the series!! i couldn't help but laugh. Anyone who's a fan knows Greg's hard luck and how it always plays out in the end but even after knowing that i loveeedd the ending haha. Things always turn out for the worst for him somehow and that's the funniest part.😂😂

[Alyssa DeLeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kinney knocks it out the park every single time. Each new book I think "surely these will no longer hold my adult attention" and each new book is a page turner. This story was very Greg-focused, but I liked that. Kinney finds a new storyline and brilliantly uses it with every book, and this birthday-themed misadventure is sure to be intriguing for Wimpy fans old and new alike.

[Andrew Sammut · Rating 2 out of 5]

you too can read it here as long as you don't download it I guess teehee: https://archive.org/details/partypoop...

video review here: https://youtu.be/oWGAvSw9CYk

I was lucky enough to find this as a pdf version online and basically read it in 1 sitting. I was hoping for Greg to grow up in this one and certainly thought that Manny and Rowley would play bigger parts but I was sorely disappointed. This is certainly far from the best in the series and I feel as though year after year the quality continues to decline with Greg becoming more self-absorbed, his mother becoming more of a nuisance, and his luck somehow going from astronomically low to astronomically lower. In this one Greg's entire family forgets that it's his birthday and his mother then spends the few weeks following his birthday trying to make it up to him. I must admit that Greg is perfect for business however his plans don't work because he doesn't afford to do anything to reinforce the rules and prices he comes up with. This one automatically lost a star when a piñata in the form of a penguin took a beating by some kids. Nothing much happened in this one and Greg just gave us the impression that he wanted to be pitied. The 20th instalment in the series revolved around Greg trying to get his hands on a card that had a misprint and was worth a hundred grand dollars. It was the only thing he wished to receive for his birthday. SPOILER ALERT The moment he got his hands on it, it lost its value since the company decided to print a million cards just like it. It was a strategy all along to make the cards relevant once more. This was basically Pokémon and Pokémon GO all over again. I'm pretty sure that Jeff Kinney is living in the past and hasn't yet caught up with labubus or the 67 meme. Not a single reference to Italian brain rot was made in this one which I did not expect. Greg does reference the lord of the rings however as well as the avengers which I found to be pretty cool.

Overall I feel as though these journals should stop being written and the readers should be given the opportunity to immerse themselves into the same world from the eyes of Rodrick or Frank for instance because Greg is no longer cutting it. I found this one to be rather disappointing even though towards the end, Greg got the opportunity to start organising parties and making some proper cash despite how much of a disaster his own party was. I can't say that this volume made me laugh much or that it was entertaining or particularly original either especially since we now know what to expect from Greg. My own expectations weren't met and I can't believe how little Greg cares for his friends or family members even though I did agree with him in some aspects. I too, for instance, don't understand why thank you cards exist. It's the peak of consumerist behaviour save for thank you for the thank you card cards which are somehow worse. I honestly expected better from Kinney but I think even he's tired from this series at this stage and is perhaps looking for some different job to do. Most of the book was occupied by the party itself and Greg's ideas to make some quick money which didn't work in the slightest. It's also a perfect exhibition of how stupid American people tend to be. For some reason I don't think that Kinney is exaggerating when expressing some behaviours. People crashing parties, others attempting to steal gifts, Greg's own mother trying to justify why she forgot her son's birthday online, and an individual who set up an inflatable pool in his yard and charged 5 dollars for people to use it on the hot day when Greg's party was held. Absolute rubbish attitudes throughout. If this book thought me nothing one thing I did learn was to not get rage baited so easily and to keep my composure when certain characters attempt to drive me up the wall. I made several shorts whilst reading this book and I will upload them accordingly and link them here once they're up on my youtube channel xx

[Endrit Nikqi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many children in their late elementary and early middle school years, I loved reading the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series. And to this day, despite being in college, I still find myself reading each new installment every year, despite the quality of the books deteriorating. Now, the most recent installment celebrates 20 books with “Partypooper.”

After Greg’s parents forget his birthday, his Mom plans to make it up to him by letting Greg have a huge birthday party. Unfortunately, chaos follows Greg wherever he goes, leading to everything going wrong.

There are definitely pros to all of the books. The illustrations are still great, though many characters end up having large noses in the newer books, making up 33% of their heads. There are also jokes that stand out.

The pacing of the book was surprisingly good. Usually, the modern books feel incredibly rushed, but both this book and the last actually have the story take up the entire book, rather than just filling up the pages with filler.

However, there are also plenty of problems that this book has as well, with a few sticking out.

First of all, many of the newer books are cartoony and wacky for the sake of being cartoony and wacky. Sometimes it balances well with the relatable stuff, and the wackiness isn’t all throughout the book. But the series used to be more grounded and realistic. The entire party is full of incredibly wacky scenarios that you probably wouldn’t see in real life.

Also, the main problem that I have with this book, and most of the newer books to be fair, is Greg’s mother, Susan. She is probably the worst character in the entire series. She was once a well-meaning mother, but now has become absolutely insufferable and is an absolute narcissist. When she gets blame put on her, she tries to drag her husband down with her. When others don’t do what she wants, she just either storms off or ruins everything for everyone. Thank god she doesn’t get a happy ending. If you write someone to be this insufferable but want them to be liked, try not to make them insufferable in the first place.

Also not the biggest fan of the modern references. I don’t mind Jeff making references to Pokémon and Pixar movies, but it just feels like the jokes and stories he wrote relating to them have been told time and time again.

Thankfully, this book has a genuinely good ending, which was surprising. Most of the newer books have terrible endings that reset things to the status quo, but here, the ending actually gives Greg a happy ending, which was nice to see.

Overall, this book was okay. I know this series is meant for kids, but I still love these books, and honestly, I’m just glad that kids nowadays are going to grow up with these books, even if the newer ones aren’t as good.

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Chr*s Browning]

20 books is a long time to be in middle school (although I guess Horrible Harry spent 27 books in third grade, so there's still time for Greg - a more interested reader than I could attempt to chart the weeks mentioned in the diary and see if any of the timelines work; this one at least seems to continue in the summer of the last book which followed an end of year in the previous, but from a cursory glance at the series page it seems Greg's taken over four summers in middle school to date - someone's a failure!), and yet every October without fail, here comes Greg Heffley for another adventure. This one is fine, if essentially the same as recent ones in that there's a plot there, but at least half of the book is topical monologues, mostly about birthdays (of course Greg is a birthdayzilla), but you'd never guess the real driving force behind the plot from the synopsis: Pokemon card collecting. The Greg of 20 years ago would probably have derided Pokemon cards as something for babies/Rowley, but the Greg of today has modern tastes and a need to be part of the zeitgeist - he even hops on a Zoom call at one point! Don't have much to say beyond the surprise of that - as with recent books, there's nary a page here that doesn't have an illustration with some taking up a full 2/3+ of the page - might as well make the next one a full graphic novel with speech bubbles at this point. I think 5 more should do it to cap the series at 25, but we shall have to see - I've been reading this now since fifth grade and I'll be 30 in two books, at some point the hat must be hung.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you just have to read an easy, fun book that makes you laugh.
I love all the graphics that accompany the text.
Pure enjoyment!
Poor Greg, nothing ever works out the way he wants it to.

[Ellie Albin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rollicking thrill ride overflowing with subtle heartbreak (for those with eyes to see).

[Lucas Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The front cover does not look like a diary

[Mason · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok but not as good as hot mess

[Mikayla]

Literature at its best

[Megan W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had some good moments here and there

[Brandon Meacham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Greg does a kindness for Rowley and He Still cannot catch a break. 🫠