Middle-Grade Review: It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit

For Middle-Grade March, I listened to four middle-grade audio books (check out my first two reviews here), and enjoyed them all.

In It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds, twelve-year-old Eddie has a great plan for the summer. He has some chores and is responsible for his own laundry, but Eddie decides to wear every piece of clothing in his room first. Then he'll only have to do laundry once, in the middle of the summer! Brilliant, right? Maybe not so much because on Day 40, wearing his last item of clothing (his bathing suit), his enormous pile of dirty laundry is discovered by his mom. She grounds Eddie, even though it's Beach Bash day, the highlight of the entire year in his town, when everyone heads to the beach for a fun day in the sun. Everyone except Eddie, who will be home doing his laundry. As Eddie starts his second load, thinking of his family and friends all enjoying the beach, the power goes out. He tries to text his mom, but cell service is out, too. Eddie's best friend comes by, and the two of them go through the neighborhood and find three other kids. As evening comes and they remain without power or cell service, the five kids band together. No one comes back from the beach and there is no sign of anyone else in the neighborhood, so the kids gather supplies and take care of themselves.

I enjoyed this funny novel about friendship, though it is unusual. Despite the promise of its intriguing premise, not much happens here. It's not really an adventure or apocalyptic story, and it ends without knowing what is happening in the wider world (it's unclear if it's a standalone or the set-up for a sequel). The focus is just on these five kids. Eddie is a very charming and amusing narrator. He explains early on that he has ADHD, so his narrative tends to ramble with lots of tangents. The overall tone is not dark or scary; it's all very fun and light, about the kids getting by on their own ... and having fun!

304 pages, Scholastic

This book fits in the following 2023 Reading Challenges:

 

Alphabet Soup Challenge - I

Diversity Challenge

Literary Escapes - Ohio

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Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!

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Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

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