Everyday life can turn extraordinary in an instant.
For Ewen “Useless” Euston, a swirling mandala on the oval, a mysterious carnival, or even a second-hand computer game can open gateways to worlds where children vanish, villages crumble, and alien threats rise.
Alongside loyal friends and faithful dogs, Useless must outwit kidnappers, overlords, clones, and even giant ants if he wants to bring everyone home.
Packed with humour, heart, and nail-biting twists, A Useless Series delivers fast-paced sci-fi adventures where ordinary kids take on impossible odds–and sometimes, saving the world is the only way to prove you’re not useless after all.
Book 1: Useless and the Mandala Trap
Ewen Euston has the worst nickname in town: Useless. But when every child in the district disappears into a swirling mandala on the school oval, he’s the only one left to save them.
With an old Labrador as his guide and a reluctant teacher-turned-witch as his ally, Useless discovers the children have been kidnapped by intergalactic criminals and sold to strangers who want to keep them.
The gateway home won’t stay open forever. If Useless fails, the children–and his twin sisters–will be lost in another world.
Packed with twists, danger, and unlikely courage, Useless and the Mandala Trap is an unforgettable adventure for readers 10+ who love brave underdogs and parallel-world escapades.
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Book 2: Useless and the Carnival of Terror
The carnival gates swing open–but no one leaves.
When Useless (real name: Ewen) and his best friend Perry sneak into the mysterious New Carnival, they expect a few free rides… not to discover that everyone inside has vanished. No operators. No exit. No explanation.
Then their friend Will finds a strange reward token in a rigged arcade game. One canoe ride later, the boys are transported to a tropical island where nothing makes sense–and everything might be watching.
Drugged food, crested enforcers and masked guards, and monstrous creatures all point to one terrifying truth: the Carnival is a trap. And the prize isn’t candy or popcorn… it’s kids.
But Useless and his friends aren’t giving up without a fight.
Packed with fast-paced twists, dry humour, and classic adventure vibes, this sci-fi companion to Useless is perfect for middle-grade readers who love brainy heroes and bizarre mysteries.
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Book 3: Useless and the School Fete
The school fete was supposed to be fun. But when Ewen “Useless” Euston goes looking for his twin sisters, he finds something much stranger than missing kids–he finds a trap.
Beneath the fairy tree lies a portal to a bizarre new world filled with hostile elves, trickster halflings, mermaids, pirates, and even a dragon king. Useless, Perry, Will, and a band of reckless younger siblings must survive capture, escape impossible traps, and unravel the sinister plan of intergalactic criminals who sell children like cargo.
Time is running out. Sixteen kids have been taken, the portal is unstable, and only one choice stands between freedom and being lost forever.
Perfect for readers who love fast-paced middle-grade adventures with sci-fi twists, Useless and the School Fete is full of danger, clever escapes, and unlikely heroes.
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Coming Soon:
Book 4: Useless and the Seventh Choice
It started with a computer game pulled from the tip.
When Useless (Ewen Euston), his neighbour Perry, and their friend Will load it up, they don’t expect it to work–let alone whisk them and Perry’s new pup into another world. A world they know, but in the wrong time.
Here, no daughters have been born for years, and the boys are quickly arrested, forced into mines, and caught between terrified villagers and an Overlord who refuses to help. Worse still, giant ants are rising to wipe out all life.
From flying saucers to satellite stations, Useless and his friends race to negotiate peace between villagers and newcomers before the ants destroy everything. But when the boys themselves are captured and dragged into the ant nest, it may be too late.
Fast-paced, imaginative, and full of humour, Useless and the Seventh Choice is perfect for readers aged 10–12 who love daring rescues, strange worlds, and underdog heroes who never quit.
Book 5: Useless and the Weird Sect of the Blue Triangle
When strange meetings start at the Blue Triangle hall, Useless and his friends suspect something’s wrong. Their teacher, Mr Harran, may be part of it–and when Perry vanishes with a group of mysterious “walking wounded”, they know they have to act.
Following the trail, they uncover a terrifying secret: the sect is a gateway to another world, ruled by dangerous Overlords and crawling with monstrous creatures. With only their wits, courage, and a few unlikely allies, the kids must outsmart a ruthless cult, survive mutated predators, and escape before they, too, are trapped forever.
A thrilling mix of sci-fi and adventure, Useless and the Weird Sect of the Blue Triangle is perfect for upper primary and lower secondary readers who love fast-paced action, danger, and courage against impossible odds.
