Finn’s Epic Fails

Finn’s life seems destined to be a series of epic fails. Year 7 is plagued with boring lessons and evil teachers and at home, he has to contend with a unicorn-obsessed, evil little sister, a muscle-bound, vain older brother and a father who, since the divorce, has taken up wearing Lycra. Armed with his two best friends, Google and Laszlo, Finn is determined to negotiate life at secondary school without any issues, but when you are prone to epic fail after epic fail, will this be possible?

Offering a marked contrast to Phil’s recent series of historical novels, ‘Finn’s Epic Fails’ really is a laugh-a-minute read! Finn is instantly likeable and readers will instantly empathise with the many mortifying scrapes and ‘fails’ he encounters along the way. A ‘Fail-O-Meter’ at the beginning of each chapter indicates just how cringe worthy Finn’s life is going to get from a ‘Super Rare Win’ to ‘100% Epic Fail’. It will come as no surprise to learn that the wins are indeed ‘super rare’, but Finn’s resilience and general good humour as he recounts his experiences in this book which is definitely NOT a diary!

Short chapters, a fast paced, entertaining narrative and lively illustrations all combine to make the ups and downs of Finn’s life a very entertaining and engaging read. I notice Finn has the same high opinion of Frazzles as the author does which makes me wonder how much of Phil’s own school day experiences have made their way into the story!!

Finn’s Epic Fails

Phil Earle, illustrated by Al Murphy

Simon and Schuster ISBN: 978-1398546165

You can read my review of ‘Until the Road Ends’ here.