Okay, this book is totally written for younger middle school boys, and I'm not even close--in any way--to a middle school boy. I read SO MANY middle school books and silly books make me roll my eyes. These books are usually written to appeal to boys. I can't wait to see what the boys think of this book.

Eddie has ADHD, which explains the inability to have a linear plot. Eddie decides to only do laundry one day in the summer, so he's down to his swim shorts. Perfect day for them because it's beach bash day! When his mom figures out that his closet smells like a garbage dump, she takes charge. He must do his laundry and then call and they'll come back to get him. Eddie is totally bummed. His WBD (wanna be dad) does mention that there's a quick wash option--awesome! That's save a few hours. In the midst of laundry, the electricity goes out. His friend, X, shows up and the two of them seek out anyone else in their neighborhood who might be home. These kids end up coming together, finding food, and working together to stay calm and safe. Sounds like a short story, right? Well, Eddie is always distracted and takes pages having pretend conversations in his head as well as conversations with the reader. It's pages of rambling. I'm hoping boys nod their heads and say, "Right!" This random thinking must be how boys' brains really work. Scary. There's a lot of other stuff as well--good messaging about believing in yourself and respecting one's family, so the book is far from drivel.

The book will continue with a second installment at some point. Boys--sorry, I really don't want to sound sexist--I realize some girls will enjoy it as well--so, you middle schoolers--give it a go and tell me what you think! I worry you won't follow what's going on with all of the "squirrel!" going on. Prove me wrong, please! To end on a high note, the positive messages are spot on. Don't just read for the silliness but read to relate to the families and friendships. ( )

This starts strong -- Eddie is a funny kid with the ultimate laundry avoidance plan, and his voice is authentic and entertaining. Unfortunately, nothing really happens over the course of the book aside from Eddie's neverending monologues on his every distracted moment passing. He's dealing with a stepfather, the loss of a beloved dad who died 2 years ago, a monumental crush, ADHD, and a mean older brother, so there's a lot to think about. It appears that everyone on earth may have vanished from the beach bash after a power outage in the early afternoon, but we don't really know because the book ends with the neighborhood left-behind kids on the morning after, just venturing out to find out where everyone is. So it feels like there is quite an interesting story going on just out of sight, and in the spotlight we have the very authentic Eddie. It's good, but it's hella long for a book where the plot just begins 250 pages in. ( )