fashion matters in an apocalypse
Eddie Gordon Holloway is having the strangest summer of his 12 years. After having to stay home from the town’s biggest summer party, the Beach Bash, to do his laundry after putting it off for weeks, Eddie and four friends who also hadn’t gone to the beach got stuck in what just may be the end of the world.
Most everyone in town had gone to the Beach Bash, including the parents of Eddie and his friends. And then there was a giant flash in the sky, over the beach. The town lost power, and the kids couldn’t reach their parents on the beach. No one was answering the phone. Eddie and his four friends found themselves alone, so they camped out together to stay safe until they figured out what had happened.
They had two main goals at first: to gather enough supplies to survive, with style, and to get to the beach to try to figure out what happened. So when they had what they felt they needed, they decided that Eddie should drive them to the beach. He carefully pulled WBD’s car out of the garage and he started driving to the beach. Who is WBD? He’s the guy who has been spending time with his mom, aka Wanna Be Dad. Eddie still felt loyal to his read dad, who had died, so he’s reluctant to go all in on WBD. But he is glad that he left his car in their garage.
Does 12-year-old Eddie know how to drive? Well, enough to get around okay on roads that are otherwise empty. But as soon as they all pile in the car and head towards the beach, they can only make it so far before something stops them. They try several times, and each time, they are stopped. After several days of this, most of Eddie’s friends don’t even want to try anymore. There are too many strange things going on, and their spirits are low. Eddie feels like it’s up to him to bring his friends back together as a team, but his first efforts fail. Will he be able to figure out a way to bring them together so they can figure out just what’s going on in their town?
Running in Flip-Flops From the End of the World is the continuation to last summer’s It’s the End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit. Author Justin A. Reynolds has kept this story going with humor, creativity, and heart. The voice of this series is Eddie, and he is not at all shy at talking directly to readers, keeping young minds engaged in the story.
Last year, I got an early copy of It’s the End of the World to read, and I really liked it, except for the huge cliffhanger at the end. So as soon as I saw the next book released, I had to grab it to find out more. And I did, but this story is still not over, so I’ll be back for the next one too. These books are fascinating and compelling as these kids try to figure out what’s going on and how to fix what’s wrong. But there is also a sense of a found family with these kids, and a sense of responsibility and togetherness as they try to survive what may be the end of the world. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book.
