When did we, as a society, stop falling head over heels for stories that are over-the-top, make-you-giggle-at-their-ridiculousness silly? Stories that are funny, non-sensical, and just make for a hell of a good time? Well, Justin A. Reynolds is bringing them back in It’s the End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit and let me tell you, it is glorious!
This fun middle-grade follows 12-year-old Eddie Gordon Holloway who has devised the perfect plan to avoid chores during summer break: if he wears all the clothes he owns, he’ll only have to do laundry once right before school starts up again. Genius, right? On the day of the highly anticipated Beach Bash, Eddie is down to his last clean item of clothing—a particularly gaudy looking pair of swim shorts—which would work out perfectly fine, if his mother didn’t find out about his mountain of laundry hidden away in his room. Outraged, she grounds Eddie and tells him he’s not allowed anywhere near the beach until all of his clothes are washed. Miserable and alone, Eddie goes down into the dreaded basement to serve his punishment. But when the power goes out mid-cycle and his seemingly empty neighbourhood turns dark, Eddie’s joined by his friends to help figure out what’s happened. As night falls and cellphone towers are still down, the gang soon realises that they might not just be the only people left in the neighbourhood—but maybe anywhere in the world.
Eddie makes this book what it is. His downright hilarious commentary, relatable thought process, and fun quips make him an absolute joy to follow as he braves the creepy basement, and bands together with his friends to find out what’s happened and why the power’s out. From the way he interacts with his mother’s new beau, his annoying brother “the Bronster” who likes to make Eddie’s life a living hell, or even how he approaches his mountain of laundry, everything is made all the better through Eddie’s relatable perspective. And despite the most hilarious mishaps, confusing laundry instructions and jump-scares when someone suddenly bangs at the door like the world is ending—which it might—there’s an amount of depth to the characters themselves that made this feel like such an unputdownable read.
Eddie’s group of friends—made up of Xavier, who was mid-haircut when the power went out and now has to walk around with half of his head shaved, Sonia who is obsessed with video games and spent her summer break fighting the big evil in her latest obsession, and the siblings Trey and Sage who are dealing with some drama of their own—is so charming. All of them have their own backstories and moments to shine and Eddie’s dynamic with all of them is something special to witness. Eddie learns a lot about forgiveness and love and being open about his ADHD and medication and I think that will be so validating, especially for younger readers. Indeed, Eddie has ADHD and while it isn’t the focal point of the story, he does discuss his mindset and the fact that it can be really freeing to talk to others about taking meds or even his fears of failing others because of the mental illness he’s had for as long as he can remember. For a novel this focused on fun, I loved with how much care this aspect was dealt with. These are the kinds of representations of mental and neurodivergent illnesses we need in fiction to show children that there are more like them out there.
There’s also tons of action in this novel. Nothing stands still as Eddie finds his friends and they’re trying to figure out just what went wrong in the neighbourhood and how to alert their parents to the weird happenings. There’s no time for things to get boring or tedious, instead, every chapter is an entertaining as the last one and I’d be surprised if there are people who don’t read this in one sitting to find out where Eddie will take the story. This is escapism at its best, folks.
A modern love letter to hilarious 90s movies, this fun escapist adventure brings back the golden days of storytelling—with ridiculous plans, unexplainable happenings and fierce friendships, It’s the End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit is perfect for anyone who’s in need of a book that will take their minds off everything going on in the world and just have a good time!
It’s the End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of April 5th 2022.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Twelve-year-old Eddie Gordon Holloway has concocted his most genius plan ever to avoid chores… especially the dreaded L-A-U-N-D-R-Y. If he can wear all the clothes he owns, he’ll only have to do the laundry once during his school break.
On the day of the highly anticipated Beach Bash, Eddie’s monstrous pile of dirty laundry is found by his mom. And Eddie’s day has just taken a turn for the worst. Now he’s stuck at home by himself, missing the bash, and doing his whole pile of laundry. But mid-cycle, the power goes out!
With his first load of laundry wet and the rest of his stuff still filthy, he sets out to explore the seemingly empty neighborhood in his glow-in-the-dark swim trunks, flip-flops, and a beach towel. He soon meets up with other neighborhood kids: newcomer Xavier (who was mid-haircut and has half his head shaved), Eddie’s former friend Sonia (who has spent her entire break trying to beat a video game and was mid-battle with the final boss), and siblings Trey and Sage (who are dealing with major sibling drama).
As they group up to cover more ground and find out what happened, they realize that their families aren’t coming back anytime soon. And as night falls, the crew realizes that they aren’t just the only people left in the neighborhood, they might be the only people left… anywhere.
