Hard Luck

Diary of a Wimpy Kid #8

by Jeff Kinney

Greg Heffley and his family and friends are back in Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 8, the latest installment in the #1 bestselling series by Jeff Kinney and one of the most anticipated books of 2013. A global phenomenon, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has more than 85 million books in print around the world.

Greg Heffley's on a losing streak. His best friend, Rowley Jefferson, has ditched him, and finding new friends in middle school is proving to be a tough task. To change his fortunes, Greg decides to take a leap of faith and turn his decisions over to chance. Will a roll of the dice turn things around, or is Greg's life destined to be just another hard-luck story?

Genres: Fiction, Middle Grade, Humor, Childrens, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Comedy

217 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2013

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

[Saru (Queen of Bookland) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally read this. It was really funny. I know. I'm way too old for these books but screw that. XD

Also, there will be more books! YAY. :D


Pre-review stuff:

Possibly the LAST book in the series?

NO.

I have been reading these books for so long, even if I'm too old for them. They make me laugh so hard, and this can't be the last one.

[Archit · Rating 5 out of 5]

La-la-lala !



One more in the series. Seriously, this guy has a lot of ammunition. Drawing sketches page after page, book after book, pulling off anecdotes at will - he's got to have a Hero Point.


Our Greg is growing up and with that comes the decision making. Well we can argue that he did not wish to grow up on his defense but that thing which stops ageing is yet to be invented.

And summer school is not a solution either. Rolled and rolled in gags when he draws out the books hid by his mom.

Belter it was the way he draws up the solution to making so much decisions - the 8 ball

Learning the adult world and its double standard way of handling things, Greg discovers that humans never grow up, they just learn how to conceal the paint on the wall.



The wall itself remains the same.

This guy, Kenny, is taking no prisoners!

Another 5 star performance.

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book was fun for me, as children's books with jokes make me forget about life's problems. Thank you, Jeff Kinney!

[Heba · Rating 4 out of 5]

فاصل لطيف..خفيف..ومضحك جداا😄😄

[Bookworm007 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Possibly the last book of Diary of a Wimpy Kid series."



....................



This will possibly be the death of me.


......


This sure as hell can NOT be the last book, Mr Jeff Kinney sir!!!!!


P.S. And the live-action films had BETTER carry on, they're sooo funny.


#devonbostickforever


edit on Dec 3rd, 2013

Ok thank heavens it ain't the last book.

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greg Heffley's best friend Rowley has a girlfriend now so they don't spend any time together anymore. Greg doesn't have any other friends at school and he's trying to find other friends. He is also looking forward to the upcoming Easter break but when he finds out that his mother's relatives are going to be joining them, he isn't thrilled.

Greg's grades are also not up to the mark anymore and the principal warns him that if he doesn't get better grades in the coming weeks, he'll have to go to summer school. Greg gets his act together with studies, he also tries to make new friends and join clubs at school which doesn't go his way until Rowley gets dumped by his girlfriend and they become friends again.

Greg's father and brothers didn't have much to do in this but his mum was there and she tries to help him find friends. A hilarious read with great art and some very relatable events in the books - the relatives bit and when friends ditch you for their girlfriends/boyfriends but come back when they are dumped, yep very relatable.

4.5 stars

[CG. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Greg's best friend Rowley has a new girlfriend that takes up all his time, and Greg is left alone. Trying to deal with Rowley's recent absence, Greg tries to find new friends and flies solo.

This one was a little slow going, but mostly okay.


(Am I the only one that thought the "Body Blankie" was kind of adorable?)



Just me? Alrighty then. 😅😂

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight books in and still good. Jeff Kinney is one of the most consistently funny writers/cartoonists working right now. Kinney has placed Greg Heffley in the same temporal suspension that all great cartoon characters suffer through. Like Charlie Brown or Eric Cartman, he will never grow older. And this is good, because that means Greg never needs to learn from his mistakes. And that means these books will always be funny. Charles Schulz’ famous rule about comics—it’s the art of doing the same thing over and over again without repeating yourself—is evident here. This book is the same as all the other ones—Greg misinterprets situations, tries to avoid doing work, hates school—but it is still all new and surprising. One of the great and consistently funny things in these books, and especially here, is how adults are portrayed. Grown-ups aren’t idiots and they’re not mean, they just don’t get it. In Hard Luck, there are things like the “Find a Friend” station in the school playground, the school’s “Hero Point” system for encouraging good behavior, and Greg’s mom’s stash of replacements of his old favorite stuffed animal. These are all hilariously misguided attempts to ease kids through emotional trauma--well-meaning, but entirely tone-deaf. I don’t know if the intended adolescent reader will ever see these books as laugh-out-loud funny as adults do. It’s too close to what they actually go through.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greg is growing up fast. The only thing wrong is his rotten luck and getting better at embarrassing himself even more in every situation he gets into.
I feel bad about him in this one as he is all alone by himself.
His brother, Rodrick, got a girlfriend and no longer there to make his life hell. Manny got more friends and doesn't even care about a thing as usual (I just love Manny and his evil mind👍). Even Greg's grandpa got a girlfriend.
Rowley, his supposedly only friend, got a girlfriend too (thanks to Greg for trying to hard!).
Life is getting harder for Greg.
He is getting desperate!
The only thing I don't like about him is that je is damn manipulative but heck it always backfires !
That the thing that keeps me reading this series 😁
For the first time he is considering himself to make Fregley (the kid who he avoids like a deadly disease) his 'friend'.
Well, it backfired as well (as always he was thinking of 'using' Fregley for selfish purposes).
Then, there's the Easter holidays waiting to be spoiled with his mom's side of the family coming to visit.
This was a really funny one👍
The series is going good!
*About Book 9
Whoa!!!
This one is different from the other 8 in the series.
For the first time, Greg doesn't have much to do or say in this one.
This one in the series is all about a road trip cut short, going so wrong!
It was so damn hilarious!
The mom planned the trip taking advice from some magazine.
The dad had to bring his boat along.
There's a pig somewhere in between.
Manny succeeds in driving the minivan in between (guess with whose help? Nah, your guess is wrong! Think again. See? I m getting obnoxious like Greg🙄).
But this was a riot so standing out from the rest of the series.
I loved the ride too! Cos I was the one reading it, laughing out loud at each page & sketch!
I will not wish such a damn spoiled road trip even to my worst enemies!
Enjoyed reading this one A LOT!👍

[Quana (the black regina george) · Rating 3 out of 5]

MVP goes to mom in this one.

☆☆☆ (3 stars)

I'm glad Rowley got to experience having a girlfriend.

[Ethan S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeff Kinney has done it yet again. SPOILER ALERT

Greg is having friend problems... yet again. Rowley got a girlfriend and she thinks all the things Rowley and Greg do together are immature. She's taking all the attention away from Greg, and shaping Rowley into something that he's not at the same time! Greg misses all the things Rowley used to do for him... a lot. Rowley use to walk to school with greg and he looked out for dog poop, and carry Greg's bags. Now Rowley walks to school with, Abigail, his girlfriend, so Greg is now lacking the poop-scouting and the bag-carrying. Greg quickly finds a solution to his lack of baggage transportation... A roller bag! He gets to school as fast as a lightning bolt, but there are some serious dangers, like The Mingo Kids, from Greg's residence to the jail they named school. The Mingo Kids are basically animals.. but human. There extremely crazy and will attack if they feel threatened. Greg just came to his mom for help on transportation instead of getting attacked by little hooligans. She said of course she would drive him to school, but quickly caught on to the struggle for friendship that Greg and Rowley were going through. She (of course) gave motherly advice on how to handle the conversation but Greg totally tuned it out. Greg then finds himself in his moms closet and finds his Moms mothering inspiration... The Slumber Party Pals Books! Greg, becoming extremely fascinated in girl problem books, read hundreds of them and realized boy relationship and girl relationships are nothing alike. Greg started having memories of him and Rowley, he was soon missing him immensly. Greg then found the magic 8 ball. Who needs a best friend when you have this thing! Greg started using it for everything. Then he used it on a geography test and it let him down, he was again missing Rowley. Easter came right around the corner and it was a complete fiasco! When the Grandma was packing the eggs she put a ring from a relative that had passed the year before in the egg every one scavenged to find it, though no one could. Greg needed a friend more now than ever, if he doesn't have a family thats cool, he at least needs one decent friend. The following day when Greg was doing his daily reading of Slumber Party Pals, he found the ring. He decided to not tell anyone due to his families craziness. A week later Rowley and Abigail broke up. Abigail found a new boyfriend in a hurry and Greg could tell Rowley was hurt. Greg decided to let bygones be bygones and act like a true friend towards Rowley. Greg asked if Rowley wanted to sit with him and they became pals again. (:

[Ms. Vigilante · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally I don't like DOAWK books because I find the situations the main character Greg puts himself into annoying. However, I didn't mind this one. I think it is the best book in the series because he isn't fighting with his brothers or getting into stupid trouble. He is just going about his business and trying to figure out things as they arise. I have to day I enjoy the magic eight ball he finds and uses because it reminds me of my childhood. I loved that toy. Anyway, I am happy I read this book because it gave me a new outlook on DOAWK series.

[Kon R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one fell flat for me. None of the jokes seemed to tickle any funny bones. The plot was kind of boring. I enjoyed the ending, but maybe that was because I knew the book was finally over. This series is definitely a mixed bag.

[Ardent Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a perfect book series for a stress release.

These books have never failed to make me laughing.

[Nivea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was okay... Though there are some funny parts, I was disappointed. I felt that the ending was rushed and very abrupt and that Jeff Kinney could have written more... Nevertheless, its definitely worth a try...

[Brandon Hein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greg Heffley wants to spend time with best friend Rowley, but Rowley got himself a girlfriend and ignores Greg, so Greg has to find someone else to hang with. I would recommend this book to all gendered pre-teens and teenagers. One "aha!" I had while reading this book is when Greg went into his mom's closet and saw all of his things his mom took away from him in the earlier books. A thought I have about the next book if Greg and Rowley will become fiends (again.)

[Ramez hossam · Rating 3 out of 5]

So funny, you can read between large books as a break♥️

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Greg Heffley survived the school dance in the previous book, but his romantic issues are only becoming more complicated. He hardly believes it when his best friend Rowley gets a girlfriend, Abigail. The time Rowley used to spend walking to school with Greg or doing his homework for him now belongs to Abigail, and Greg is irked. Why does Rowley do whatever she wants him to, instead of obeying Greg? It hardly seems fair. With Rowley losing interest in their friendship by the day, Greg has no real friends, and being alone at school is depressing. How can he attract a friend to take Rowley's place?

Seeing how glum Greg is, his mother takes him shopping for cool clothes and sneakers, but striding into school in smooth new duds doesn't work out as he envisioned. He tries making friends with Fregley, but that boy is as weird as he is in the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, and Greg fights the impulse to dump him. Fregley can be reformed into a cool friend, Greg insists to himself, but it turns out Fregley has a few freakish talents that make him too cool for Greg. Stuck in the doldrums, Greg finds a Magic 8 Ball under his brother Rodrick's bed, and pounces on the chance to have a disinterested authority direct his life. The Magic 8 Ball does a decent job telling Greg what to do at first, but then gets him in trouble by advising him to ignore school assignments, and now Greg might not graduate to the next grade. How did everything go wrong?

Subplots abound, usually more than one going on simultaneously. Greg's extended family is at odds over a diamond wedding ring that belonged to his great-grandmother (Meemaw). The ring went missing after she passed away, and unvoiced accusations of theft simmer. Greg is harassed by bullies en route to school, and has a run-in with kids who run a business to help students cheat. He finds an area in his mother's closet where she keeps her parenting books and a few secret "weapons" to handle the kids, but Greg doesn't want to let on that he found it. Listening to the Magic 8 Ball digs him into deeper trouble, and he's still irritated by Rowley and Abigail mooning around school like they have nothing better to do than stare into each other's eyes. Not all is as lousy as it seems, though, and things might revert almost to normal if Greg waits for events to come full circle. The scene neatly reloads for the next novel in the series.

Jeff Kinney writes two things exceptionally well: humor (the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are as funny as anything by Christopher Paul Curtis or Barbara Park), and cultural commentary. Greg's critiques are hilarious and spot-on without sounding too clever for a kid. Hard Luck joins The Ugly Truth and Cabin Fever among the top books in the series for their insight into people. For instance, Greg's mother's advice to him rarely turns out well. "I think her heart is in the right place, but the advice she gives me would NEVER work with kids my age. For example, Mom said that if I'm just really nice to everyone I meet, then word will spread and I'll become the most popular kid at school in no time." If only people were that way. Greg knows popularity is less a reflection of internal purity than external attractiveness; sadly, niceness is frequently overlooked.

"Usually, I find poop as funny as the next guy, but that's when someone ELSE steps in it."

—Hard Luck, P. 70

Whether it's Rowley's new girlfriend or becoming a Yearbook Club member, Greg sees everything as being about himself, and this aggravates others. When his grand plans go wrong, he resents his friends or family instead of accepting responsibility. This is what drives him to the Magic 8 Ball. "See, what I NEED is something that actually TELLS me what to do, so I don't have to guess. Up to this point, I've been making all my own decisions, and I'm not super happy with the results." Greg can't see that those poor results are because everything he does is to please himself at the expense of others. It's a flaw he isn't likely to grow out of in this series, but we enjoy Greg for what he is: a smart, funny kid with a me-first bent. And we love reading about him.

Hard Luck is an excellent bounceback from The Third Wheel. In my opinion it's one of the best Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Partway through I wondered if I might end up rating it three stars, and though I decided on two and a half, Hard Luck is a comedically effective novel with real literary oomph. Jeff Kinney has the talent of a good standup comedian, and this series is one of the more enjoyable for young audiences. Well done, Mr. Kinney.

[Mya ♜ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i haven’t read anything past the third wheel so the rest of these will be a fun new experience and I loved how funny this one was 😭 greg is STILL a terrible friend though

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book the author understands middle school children which I really like no spoilers but read this book for definite.

[AJourneyWithoutMap · Rating 5 out of 5]

He’s back! The Wimpy Kid is back!

The misadventures of Greg Heffley, a middle school student, continue to be a rip-roaring affair striking the funny bones of young and old alike everywhere. A web-comic-turned-novel, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney, which is the eighth installment in the series, is one of the best in the series.

The world has gone crazy for the Wimpy Kid with good reasons. Jeff Kinney is not one of the best children’s writers, but he’s the best inhabiting planet Earth, at least during the time of the release of his latest book. And why say children when it is the adults who are having a good time with the series. The latest in the series has been waited with baited breath not only by children but also by adults as well.

Continuing the hilarious saga of Greg Heffley, Jeff Kinney in his inimitable style puts him in an awkward situation when his long-time best friend Rowley Jefferson ditches him over certain issues. Our hero Greg struggles to find new friends and the book revolves around his quest for a friend and other related issues. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck features more of the same fun stuff but with a lot more. It continues to tickle you with all the issues confronting a middle school student – fame, acceptance, friendship, rivalry, girls and others issues usually associated with students of the same age. What is really interesting about Jeff Kinney’s handling is the depth and humor with which he dealt with issues. To add passion to the story, the book also features cartoon illustrations on each page which is truly a commendable work.

Though flaunted as a children’s book, the Wimpy Kid series has found many following among grown-ups as well. May be, there’s a family even out there somewhere with the mother or father fighting with the kids to have the first read. Many of older folks have been closely following Greg all over. It is just not hilarious but insightful and sometimes, thought-provoking as well.

[John ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

**** JANUARY 5TH UPDATE *****
Hard Luck was alright, it was a bit funny, but I found it to be a lot like The Ugly Truth, which is book 5. You see how Greg and Rowley aren't friends (again), there's a family reunion under way, and there's a sub plot of an older character. To top it off, it ends a similar way to book 5, with Greg and Rowley being friends, especially while Greg is friendless, and Rowley finds out that he is being "used" for something in the end. But besides the similarities, I found the book to be a pleasant read. It tickled my funny bone, and it had a happy ending.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Diary of A Wimpy Kid, so of course it's amusing. Greg isn't getting used to no Rodney in his life and being friendless. The book is different because usually the two are together for tales - here we get him without the friend, trying different things, thinking about family get togethers (cute stuff), trying out a new club at the school, etc. It's better than the last one, although not as good at the first ones.

[Valeria · Rating 4 out of 5]

JAJAJAJAJAJAJJJA NO SÉ CÓMO HAY PERSONAS QUE NO HAN LEÍDO A GREG
(Trabajando en una librería parte 4)

Creo que este ha sido de los libros más divertidos de la saga.
Estaba leyendo algunas escenas y no podía parar de reír con la imaginación y tonterías de Greg.
Sigo pensando que es alguien muy inteligente pero a veces no usa ese cerebrito para cosas buenas y eso lo hace ser tonto jajajajaj.
Lo amo.
ES EGOÍSTA, MAL AMIGO Y MAL ESTUDIANTE, pero sigue siendo de las cosas más reales.

Me gusta estar leyendo el libro y ver a niños emocionados pedir por los libros.
Me gusta hacer una tertulia con mis amigos de la librería sobre Greg como personaje y lo épico que sería tener su versión actualizada con un Greg de 18 años.
SERÍA MUY ÉPICO Y CLARAMENTE LO SEGUIRÍA LEYENDO.

Sigo impresionada con la capacidad del autor en lograr que la perspectiva de un niño se vea tan orgánica y real, sin llegar a ser una caricatura.
Me gusta leer a Greg y su evolución/involución.
Es toda una aventura que seguiré leyendo.

ES MI PROTEGIDO y jajajajajajaja no puedo dejar de reír con lo de la bolda mágica en la prueba.
LO AMO

[Erfan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent and page turner, but not the hilarious book I expected.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

αξιαγάπητο σπασικλάκι σε μια περιπέτεια για χαμένες φιλίες, χαμένα διαμαντένια δακτυλίδια, χαμένους βαθμούς και χαμένα λούτρινα μαϊμουδάκια

[penta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Szkoda, że nie było trochę więcej akcji z jego krewnymi.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another installment in the Wimpy Kid series. This one rates as high as all the rest – very humorous and very relatable to everyone who ever had a childhood or an adolescence. In this volume, Greg feels that he is losing his best friend when Rowley and a female classmate fall for each other. Greg also gets carried away by the power of a Magic 8 ball and lets it make important decisions for him – with predictable (and hilarious) results.

I read this in Spanish, which is very helpful in my efforts to regain my earlier proficiency in that language.

[Shifad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what happens when you have a heart to heart conversation with a 10 year old on the topic of books.lol!

I visited my mom's friend's home yesterday and happen to make acquaintance with her son. He was a smart kid with an independent view on life. And soon we began to chat up. Pleasantly I discovered he had a gene for books! I mentally prepared myself to impart my wide variety of knowledge on books and was under the impression he will be blown away by my immense knowledge on books! haha!

What happened next was even funnier. He didn't give a rats ass on my suggestions and wanted to know my views on Geronimo Stilton's book. I confess I haven't read that book. It was a mistake! He gushed on and on about the power of dragons on the book and I was like...what?!

After establishing the fact that Geronimo Stilton is awesome he wanted to know whether I have read Dairy of a Wimpy kid. I let him down again ( I was feeling sorry for myself). He then whipped out his entire collection of books and began earnestly discussing the books. I was completely caught up in his world. I always heard that as we grow up we tend to forget the world we imagined as a child. The fantasy we lived in. The richness of the total lack of pressure and sadness. That kid made me aware of the change we made to be accomodated in the world.

And so, yup he recommended this book to me. This was his favourite of the lot. We buddy read it. He was amused by many notions in the book and certainly eanted to try out many things in the book. So parents, please go through this book before buying it for your kids.It is best to prepare yourself for what is coming.

The book is hilarious, a complete insight on the world of a child. I loved this book, parrticularly the illustrations. The world of a 10 year old is more dangerous and we should give more credit to them. Guys, Recommended. Enjoy reading

[Book Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

از این مجموعه در کل متنفر نیستیم اما این اولین مجموعه کتابی بود که در کلاس چهارم خوندم و خب تجربه ای از کتاب خوب نداشتم و سلیقه و سبک مورد علاقه ام را هم هنوز پیدا نکرده بود.بعد از اون هم به غیر از این و تام‌ گیتس و یکی دوتا کتاب دیگه هیچ مجموعه طنزی نخوندم چون واقعا به کتابهای مدرن و طنز علاقه چندانی ندارم برای همین خب امتیاز کمی بهش میدم این یه داستان عادی با چاشنی هایی از نمک هست که بامزه اش می‌کنه اما در کل کتاب روان و ساده است و خب چیزهای زیادی داره که در عین سادگی بامزه باشن اما خب........میگم من خیلی از کتاب طنز خوشم نمیاد پس نمیدونم دقیقا در نوع خودش چطوره ممکنه خیلی خوب باشه یا معمولی به نظر من عادی و بانمک هست اگر به این ژانر علاقه دارید بخونیدش.