Finn Jones Was Here

Simon James Green

A funny, heartbreaking story about life and loss, and making every second count.

Eric’s best friend, Finn Jones, was the world’s biggest prankster. Now Eric can’t believe Finn’s not here anymore.

…Or is he?

Eric seems to be getting messages from beyond the grave, and as he follows Finn’s wild, cryptic instructions, his hope grows that he’ll find Finn laughing at the end. The journey also brings memories – and a truth that seems impossible to accept.

Student Reviews

Student Prize Winning Review
Finn Jones Was Here is a compelling exploration of the human experience, weaving a poignant narrative through the lens of Eric, Finn’s best friend. The author skilfully captures the essence of Eric’s life and offers a rich tapestry of emotions and experiences. The storytelling is immersive, drawing readers into a world filled with challenges and triumphs. Themes of resilience and self-discovery resonate throughout, leaving a lasting impression.
The characters are vividly portrayed, adding depth to the narrative.
With its evocative prose and thought-provoking themes, Finn Jones Was Here is powerful testament to the complexity of the human spirit, making it a must read for those seeking a heartfelt and reflective journey.
– Laura, All Saints

Commended Review
I like the premise of this book, and it is very good, but I also think being masked by humour. It is very good and I extremely enjoyed it, but I feel that with a storyline like that it could’ve been made more interesting by adding in some more emotion throughout the book rather than just the end. My favourite character from this book is Finn: even though we don’t have any scenes with him throughout the book, as he and Eric are the main focus of the book he is frequently mentioned. I like this character because I find him inspirational. I find this because even when he is dead and nobody is ever going to see him again, he has made a huge impact. His best friend is still in awe of him long after he is gone and he has completely altered Eric’s life for the much, much better. If I know that even one person still is inspired by me and pushes themselves out of their comfort zone because of me, even when I’m not there, then I will know that U have done well in life and that is why I admire Finn Jones’s character so much.
One of the many things I really liked about the book was the ending. I think that telling the readers that Finn actually wasn’t alive without making the quality of the writing much worse or making the storyline come to an abrupt and unsatisfying ending would be very hard, but it worked very well and I felt like the story had actually ended.
Overall, I think this is a brilliant book and I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to anybody.
– Annabelle, Millthorpe School

Overall, I loved this book. I loved all the twists and turns in the book. I also loved the storyline. I adored bit where Eric had to be in a unicorn suit at Finn’s funeral at the start of the book. I absolutely loved this book – I couldn’t keep my eyes off it ever since I started it. I recommend this book to others my age. You’ll finally understand how fun reading is!
– Mira, The Joseph Rowntree School

My favourite character was Eric. The way he did anything Finn wanted, even after he knew that Finn wasn’t coming back, was inspiring, and my heart broke when I realised that too. I felt for the characters in a way I’ve only experienced with Harry Potter (my favourite book). This is the second book I’ve cried and laughed at. And trust me, that’s an achievement. This book has both heart-rending emotion and insane genius! I would recommend to anyone. I know it’s sad, but its meaning is too important to simply skip past. Huge well done to the author. He has made something a reality, because now I know. Finn Jones Was Here. 😊
– Eliza, All Saints

Finn Jones Was Here is a funny, mysterious and intriguing book about a boy, Eric, whose best friend Finn has, apparently, died. Eric arrives at the funeral in a hilarious unicorn costume and then starts to receive clues about various different people, some of whom he has never met before! Eric then gets in a lot of trouble because the clues tell him to be quite mischievous.
I liked this book because it is funny and creative and quite different to all the other books I have read. There are lots of nice illustrations throughout the book and I think it flowed very well. I liked the characters such as Eric and his Aunt as I thought they were very funny and they made me laugh a lot. Although the beginning was very interesting I think it was a bit hard to follow along towards the end.
I give this book 4 and a half stars out of 5
– Joanne, St Peter’s School

Finn Jones Was Here is an incredible, heartwarming book that was expertly composed by Simon James Green. The mystery and suspense are perfectly slotted into Finn and Eric’s story.
Eric loses his friend Finn Jones to a terrible illness but when he turns up to his funeral, he receives a letter that suggests otherwise. Eric is sent on a once in a lifetime adventure that he can only hope will lead him to his best friend Finn at the end of his search. He knows that Finn said he would find something or someone there and he believes Finn.
I really enjoyed reading this book as it was clearly written with such thought and care put into it from Simon James Green. I really enjoyed how we follow Eric’s emotions and see how stressful it is to lose a friend and prey they aren’t gone but just waiting to be discovered.
I would recommend this book for ages 8+ because of the vocabulary that is used is sophisticated but can be easily understood. Finn Jones Was Here is a light and easy book to whizz through and enjoy every bit.
– Georgie, St Peter’s School

This was a hilarious novel. I was captivated from the start when Eric was in his unicorn onesie going to a funeral. The writer really caught my attention with the informal writing style. This was fabulous!
– Amara, St Peter’s School

Finn Jones Was Here is a delightful and hilarious novel written by Simon James Green. It is about a boy called Eric who struggles to accept his best friend Finn’s death. At least that’s what everyone else says. Eric knows that Finn has crafted a highly stealthy and complicated plan to make it look like his treatment didn’t work and he died, but actually, Finn Jones is still out there looking for Eric. Eric knows that because Finn would never give up like that ad he couldn’t possibly, ever in a million years, be dead. Could he? You’ll have to read it to find out.
My personal opinion on this book is that it’s absolutely comical and amusing! I found it so relatable and witty that at some parts, I literally wanted to get up and shout “This is my life!”. It was very entertaining. I also found that I really related to the main character Eric. I believe that Simon portrayed this character perfectly in the sense of him being quite shy but him still doing the tasks Finn sent him because of how loyal he is as a friend.
In summary, I loved this book! This is a solid 5 stars from me. I really recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good laugh. And as for Simon, keep up the good work. Well done!
– Lily-Anne, St Peter’s School

Finn Jones Was Here is a brilliant book, a tragic tale: the story of Eric coming to terms with the loss of his best friend Finn – or does he? The tale brings you on an emotional rollercoaster, with laughs and sadness and happiness, it is well felt, making you feel an array of emotions. The language really makes you feel the characters and understand their feelings. Though a quick read, it really gives a great story.
– Henry N., All Saints

The main character was very determined and very driven to find his best friend (Finn Jones) who had sadly passed away. Eric, like anyone, was devastated, but he made himself believe that Finn was still alive. He ended up going on a journey around the UK following clues left by Finn.
This is a very good book for people who enjoy sad but occasionally funny books. The very end was very well written as some would not expect the ending. Even though it was sad, the funeral was very funny as Finn had pulled a prank on Eric and made him and his mum turn up in unicorn costumes which would turn out to be the start of the amazing adventure with his new found friend and also force him to accept the loss and move along with his life.
– Hollie H., All Saints

I think Finn Jones Was Here was an amazing book because it had lots of different emotions, like: sad, happy, hopeful, disappointed, and joyful.
The main characters are Eric and Finn. They are best friends but then Finn gets ill and dies. Before Finn’s death, he went all over the UK to set up a treasure hunt for Eric. Finn made sure that all the things Eric and Finn had planned to do when they were older were included. Eric and Finn are best friends but they are very different personalities: Eric likes everything to be planned ahead and does not like surprises and when things unexpectedly change, but Finn is completely different. He loves to take risks and does not like making plans. In my opinion, I think that they make good friends as they balance each other out.
I thought that Finn was alive most of the way through the book, but in the end it turns out that he is not and the end made me cry. It was a very easy book to follow.
Overall, I think that it was an incredibly book and would definitely recommend it.
– Ivy, Millthorpe School

In this book the main characters are Eric and Finn. They are best friends until Finn gets sick. After creating a challenging treasure hunt Finn’s sickness overcomes him and he passes away. Many adventures come on this hunt: including dressing up as a unicorn to the funeral and going down a zip line when Eric’s afraid of heights. Throughout the treasure hunt Eric made new friends, learned to break the rules, and realised his friendship with Finn was special. The opening to the story was exciting.
Finn and Eric are very different characters who are both described in great detail. Finn is a creative genius who has come up with some interesting pranks and tricks. He breaks the rules yet enjoys every moment. Sadly, just before Finn died these best friends fell out, yet in a way to apologise Finn planned a special meal for his friend. Out of embarrassment Eric runs away and they don’t speak to each other again.
This was written in the first person of Eric. This is important because it means that you know exactly what is going on in Eric’s head and can better understand his emotions.
During reading this book I was hopeful for the characters and wanted everything they hoped for to come true. By the end I was thinking this is one of the saddest yet happiest books I have ever read and makes you cry happy and sad tears at the same time. This book has taught me to cherish what we have and make the most of everything in life. It taught me to take the chance and go for stuff, your heart just needs to be in the right place. I have put this in the top 5 saddest books I have ever read. I would recommend this book to everyone from about 10+ because it is just a heartfelt story and the author is really good.
– Manor CE Academy

This book is great if you love a sad book to really get you in the feels. It’s all about Eric and his friend (more like unrelated brother), Finn. But then Finn gets ill, and Eric finds himself receiving letters from beyond the grave. Their biggest adventure yet. But they find themselves alone. It was just Eric, embarking on a different type of mission, alone. I would say this book is quite funny and sweet, but also very sad. The story was very intriguing and I got sucked in immediately! 12–13-year-olds would definitely be the audience this book is directed to, as its plot could be quite hard to grasp if you were younger. This was a great book, easy to understand and very entertaining.
– Grainne, All Saints

When your best friend, the world’s biggest prankster is dead, everything will change in your life. Finn Jones Was Here is a story of Eric’s best friend Finn who is dead, Eric’s journey to find his friend and by following games Finn left. Every letter sent from beyond the grave brings us and Eric a step closer to the truth and embarrassment, and everything starts at Finn’s funeral.
Eric met Cooper shortly after the funeral, thanks to Finn’s clue. Between this friend-finding duo in this mysterious journey, I prefer Eric because his loyalty and trust to Finn. I’m also impressed By Finn & Eric’s friendship because Finn can predict a lot of action Eric takes and help him. These friends’ personalities fit together perfectly, the smartness of Finn and the plainness of Eric make Eric follow Finn’s instruction to make the story more entertaining: Finn’s cunningness and Eric’s naivety.
In the book, it begins in a funeral, but Finn makes Eric ‘entertain’ the audience, making this sad story humorous, laughable and more absorbing. The challengers and clues from every page that Finn set adds a lot of excitement to this book. The description is extremely detailed, and it pulls you int the story, I really enjoyed reading it!
Throughout the journey Eric & Cooper, there is a lot of emotion and warm parts which improve the story and characters, the union and leaving; finding and losing. I think this is a fascinating book as it describes the story in a lot of detail and brings you into the adventure as if it is really happening. Although this is a fiction book, I have learnt many things about trust and friendship, how true friends treat and trust each other and how friends are helping each other.
This is a book I’ll remember for a long time: compared to other books I read, it is an outstanding piece on friendship, which makes it one of my favourite books of this kind of genre. I hope you will read this amazing book, and hope you enjoy the journey in finding Finn!
– Isaac, St Peter’s School

This was a fun and engaging read full of humorous twists and a heartfelt story. The story begins with the main character Eric who is receiving letters from his recently deceased best friend called Finn Jones (whom the title refers to). There are many points in the book which are funny and engaging but my all time favourite bit would be the twist at the end. By the end, I wanted to read more regarding this story and will be looking for more books by this author, Simon James Green. Overall, I would recommend this book to any avid readers and especially those who enjoyed the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
– Louisa, The Joseph Rowntree School

I recently finished reading Finn Jones Was Here and I must say that it was a very heartfelt book. The story of a boy’s best friend who died was very intriguing and left me in deep thought and full of emotion. Despite the themes of loss, the author managed to balance it out with some well-placed comedy content, which I particularly enjoyed. Overall, I would give this incredible book a solid 4 stars.
– Sophia, The Joseph Rowntree School

I’ve only read the first 7 chapters, but by chapter 3 I fell in love with the characters. Finn’s genius prank on his sister to Eric’s planning everything and his mum’s literal turf war with the neighbour. The plot is great: you meet Eric, and recently his best friend has died. But has he? Eric does all these challenges hoping in the end to find Finn. As I said at the start, I haven’t read all of it yet, but I will.
– Lenny, All Saints

Finn Jones Was Here is a funny, heart-warming, ridiculous and sad book. The story begins at Finn Jones’ funeral, where his best friend, Eric, receives a letter supposedly from Finn. It leads Eric on a wild treasure hunt, and all the time Eric hopes he will find Finn at the end. Eric is shy and likes to stick to plans. During the adventure, he finds that the unknown is actually quite fun. He makes a new friend, Cooper, who is brainy but stupid.
This story is special because it almost made me cry at the end (which never happens) and also made me laugh out loud on several occasions. This book was fun to read, and made me want to read more. It was easy to follow. I would recommend this book for readers 10+ because it deals with the theme of death.
Overall, this book is great and deserves a place in York Book Awards.
– Emily, All Saints

The main character (Eric) was a really nice (slightly overprotected by his mum) dramatic boy. He was convinced the whole way through the book that his best friend was still alive and hadn’t died of a very rare illness. It starts at his best friend Finn’s funeral, and Eric gets notes left from Finn, instructions (for example – he told Finn to wear a unicorn onesie to his funeral!). I admire Eric’s commitment to following all of Finn’s ridiculous tasks. They take bravery and courage (Finn didn’t want anyone to know).
For me, the story was easy to understand (and it flowed beautifully!). I loved reading it! I was hopeful hat Finn was still alive, and at other points I was worried he wasn’t. However, I was most emotional at the end when Eric finds new friends and has the emotional strength to accept Finn’s death. I loved how the story fitted together! It was brilliant, wit all the little details and mini twists! It was a brilliant book!
I highly recommend it (although it lost 1 star for being too sad for me!). I also really enjoyed how all of Eric and Finn’s super close family and friends were in on it, and all tried to help Eric find new friends (e.g. the football team and Cooper)!
The book is all about accomplishing your goals, facing your fears, accepting hardships, and how important friendship is.
– Emily, Millthorpe School

I really enjoyed this book. There was an event at the start which was relevant until the very end. The author started with a piece of action which meant that you were gripped and wanted to carry on reading to see what would happen next. The characters were relatable and you really felt as if you could feel what the main character (Eric) was feeling at the time. You never quite knew what was going to happen next, and there was a plot twist right at the end which I think is a great attribute to this story. The story flowed and was easy to read, the words weren’t too hard, which meant that this book is accessible to most ages. All in all, I thought that this was a marvellous book.
– Alice, Millthorpe School