Author: John Strother
Genre: Humor
Year Published: 2023
Nerdection Rating:
“Nerdection Must Read”
Festival at Trails End by John Strother is a humorous fiction published in the year 2023. Following the banning of OutlawX from performing at Trails End Festival, the high school sophomores are accused of turning beloved school mascot Horace into goatzilla and performing their zz top tribute band at an unauthorized school sausage festival. Then, help comes from the least expected person, History teacher, Paul Matthews.
Spoiler-Free Plot
History teacher, Paul Matthews and his colleague, Ethan Jackson lament bitterly about the absence of a beer garden in the upcoming Trails End German Heritage Festival, sponsored by the Cumberland Research Centre and the Chamber of Commerce. The festival is a highly anticipated one which promised to feature diverse German cultural elements. The duo express their disappointment at the festival’s alcohol-free nature, which was propagated by Anna Becker, wife of Conrad Becker, the new Editor.
Meanwhile, Smoke, Ink, Cowboy, and Dusty, members of the OutlawX were given a task by Gina Zoller, the student counselor, to take care of Horrace, the beloved school mascot, due to the absence of Mr. Byrum who was formerly in charge of taking care of Horrace, whom he owned. The OutlawX considered the task as a punishment and hesitated to perform it, but they had no choice but to do it anyways. So, they consented, and with the help of Mr. Garrett, they were able to get to the barn. They however didn’t like the condition of the space.
Gina Zoller and a few more persons wanted Smoke, Ink, Cowboy, and Dusty out of the school, as they believed that the boys were up to no good. She pleaded with Sussie, the registrar to transfer the boys out of the school, when Sussie complained about the fact that Gina Zoller put the four boys in charge of taking care of Horrace. Gina told Sussie to transfer the boys on the grounds that Trails End High School was over-enrolled. And, Sussie declined, stating that no one would believe that their school was over-enrolled. Then, she was reminded by Gina about the fact that she was eyeing the position of the vice principal of the school, and how taking the boys off the school will help in her pursuit. Instead, Sussie says that Felix, the present Vice Principal’s retirement wasn’t known by anyone and that she was just busy being the Registrar. With that, she turned to face her computer and tried to get busy.
Then, Anna appears in the office to look for the vice principal. When told that he is absent, she gets furious and complains that he is readily available. Gina Zoller catches her attention and tells her that if she needs help with the students, she could always meet other teachers for assistance. A few exchanges of words between the duo, lead to a heated argument. And, since Anna Becker was seen as some sort of moralist who complained about everything, she was disliked by teachers in Trails End High School.
OutlawX begins to face problems when Horrace goes missing and they need help in finding him. They already had a bad name and didn’t want more problems for themselves. However, they get entangled in more troubles that lead to Paul Matthews’ involvement in their case as he helps them get out of it.
Time unfolds the truth and a lot more is learned in the events that follow. Perhaps, there is more to find out about the well-perceived moralist, Anna Becker and other characters at the Trails End.
My Take on Festival: at Trails End
At Trails End offers an amazingly entertaining and light-hearted read with witty dialogues and amusing interactions between the characters. The dialogue-driven narrative keeps the pacing of the novel engaging and exciting. With the aid of the witty exchanges and sarcastic remarks among the characters, the author sets a light and humorous tone in the novel. It is a book worth reading for lovers of humorous fiction.
The author skillfully paints a vivid image of the small town of Trails End’s atmosphere and the anticipation that surrounded the German Heritage Festival. The conversations engaged in by the characters give a clear picture of their personalities and further establish the dynamics within the community. The writing is compelling throughout, making the reader care about what’s happening and want to find out what happens next.
About The Author Of Festival: at Trails End
John Strother spends the majority of his free time (it’s unpaid, so can’t get more free than that) consumed with bicycling and writing – although rarely at the same time. He’s currently working on the next book for his light-hearted series chronicling the antics At Trails End while cycling and exploring new recipes for future editions of his bicycling camp cookbook.
