Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck is a children's novel written by Jeff Kinney and the eighth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. It was released on November 5, 2013. In this book, Greg's best friend Rowley ditches him, and Greg struggles to make new friends. On Easter, he finds a Magic 8-Ball and attempts to change his luck by using it to make decisions for him. Hard Luck received generally positive reviews from critics and was the bestselling book of 2013.