The Summer the World Ended

By: Matthew S. Cox

Narrated by: Marissa Parness

Riley McCullough thought her best friend getting "dragged" off to Puerto Vallarta for the first two weeks of summer vacation was the end of the world. At least, until the bombs fell.

Life in suburban New Jersey with her mother is comfortable, not to mention boring, to an introverted 14-year-old. As if her friend’s surprise trip didn’t suck enough, her best summer ever falls to pieces when she’s sent across the country to stay with a father she hasn’t seen in six years.

Adjusting to a tiny desert town where everyone stares at her like she doesn’t belong, proves difficult and leaves her feeling more isolated than ever. To make matters worse, her secretive father won’t tell the truth about why he left or what he’s hiding.

Her luck takes a turn for the better when she meets a boy who shares her interest in video games and contempt for small-town boredom. Alas, her happiness is short-lived.

To escape nuclear Armageddon, she shelters with her dad in a bunker he’d spent years preparing. After 14 days without sun, Riley must overcome the sorrow of losing everything to save the family she still has.

©2018 Matthew S. Cox (P)2020 Matthew S. Cox