- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 9–12
- Comedy
Finn's Epic Fails
Book 1 in Finn's Epic FailsView the full series
Finn N.O. Hope is a magnet for disaster, and his brilliantly funny not-a-diary logs every catastrophe of Year 7, from superglued unicorn horns to 278 wedgies, with a Fail-o-metre rating each humiliation. Wimpy Kid fans will devour it.
- Best for9–12
- FormatIllustrated
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Irreverent
- Warm
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Finn N.O. Hope just wants to survive Year 7, but the universe has other plans. His scheming, unicorn-obsessed little sister has already superglued a horn to his head, his properly evil older brother has racked up 278 wedgies, and secondary school is turning into one long parade of epic fails. Armed with his best friends Laszlo, a hopeless romantic, and Google, who knows absolutely everything, Finn sets out to turn catastrophe into triumph in his very own book that is definitely, positively NOT a diary. With a built-in Fail-o-metre rating the scale of each incoming embarrassment and Al Murphy's scribbly, laugh-out-loud illustrations on every page, Phil Earle's fast, punchy chapters barrel through classroom disasters, sibling warfare and the quiet ache of his parents' divorce. Beneath the toilet humour and chaos is a warm, big-hearted story about friendship, resilience and figuring out who you are, perfect for reluctant readers and anyone who has ever had a truly terrible day.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
An illustrated, diary-style comedy for 9-12s reading independently, with strong reluctant-reader appeal. The laughs are broad and the pace is fast; parents' divorce runs quietly underneath, handled gently, so it suits children navigating the start of secondary school and family change.
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- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 8–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
High
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: parental separation.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Reluctant readers
- Funny chapter books
- Diary fiction fans
- Year 7 starters
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
- Prefers serious stories
Particularly good for children who are…
- Moving to secondary school
- Reluctant reader
- Parents separating or divorcing
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Finn's disasters are gloriously relatable, from the superglued unicorn horn to his brother's 278th wedgie, and the Fail-o-metre rating every catastrophe is brilliant. It reads like your funniest mate telling you about their worst, most embarrassing week, and you cannot stop turning the pages.
- The underdog winning
- Trickery and cleverness
- Proving yourself
Why parents love it
Phil Earle writes proper comedy that also handles Finn's parents' divorce with a light, honest touch. The short chapters and heavy illustration make it a gift for reluctant readers, and the warmth underneath the chaos means it never feels cynical or throwaway.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
In the series
Finn's Epic Fails.
2 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
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