New Beginnings, Old Wounds

Brant, Madix, and Theo, three Army Rangers medically discharged after a traumatic mission, settle in the small, isolated town of Endstone, Montana. They run a gun range and try to adapt to civilian life, each haunted by physical and psychological scars. Brant struggles with PTSD, Theo with the loss of his leg, and Madix with guilt and hearing loss. Their bond is deep, forged in war and loss, and they rely on each other to navigate the challenges of their new, quieter existence.

Endstone's Eccentricities

Endstone is a quirky, tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone—and their business. The trio encounters the town's oddballs, like the unpredictable, often-naked Dharla, and the ever-present Sheriff April, who, though retired, is still the town's patriarch. The town's routines and characters provide comic relief and a sense of belonging, but also highlight the trio's outsider status and the slow process of integrating into a place with its own rules and rituals.

The Handshake Plague

News breaks of a deadly virus, the Handshake Plague, sweeping the country. Endstone reacts swiftly, barricading itself and instituting strict quarantine measures. The town's survivalist instincts kick in, and fear and suspicion run high. The trio, with their military training, are quickly drawn into the town's emergency response, but the threat of the virus—and the panic it causes—brings their own traumas to the surface.

The Town Unites

As the pandemic worsens, Endstone's residents band together, holding tense town meetings and organizing defenses. The mayor and Sheriff April lead efforts to ration supplies, enforce quarantines, and maintain order. The town's insularity becomes both a shield and a source of paranoia, as outsiders are viewed with suspicion and even violence. The trio's skills make them invaluable, but also put them in the crosshairs of the town's anxieties.

Mission: Retrieve Remi

Sheriff April asks the trio to undertake a dangerous mission: travel to Idaho to bring back his estranged daughter, Remington "Remi" April, before the pandemic reaches her. The men accept, eager for purpose and action. Their journey is fraught with tension, both from the dangers of the outside world and their own unresolved issues. When they find Remi, she is nothing like they expected—resourceful, eccentric, and fiercely independent.

Remi's Wild World

Remi lives off the grid, surrounded by a menagerie of animals and booby traps. She is self-sufficient, irreverent, and unimpressed by the men's military bravado. The initial meeting is chaotic, with misunderstandings, flirtation, and a shotgun standoff. Remi's unconventional lifestyle and sharp wit challenge the trio's assumptions, and sparks—both romantic and combative—fly.

Clash of Survivalists

Remi and the trio butt heads over how to handle the pandemic. She is skeptical of the town's panic and prefers her own methods of survival, while the men are determined to bring her back to Endstone. Their arguments are laced with sexual tension and mutual respect, and gradually, a bond forms. The group faces external threats—hostile outsiders, wild animals, and the harsh wilderness—forcing them to rely on each other's strengths.

Quarantine and Connection

After a harrowing journey and a car crash, the group is forced to camp in the wilderness and trek back to Endstone on foot. The shared ordeal breaks down barriers, and the four grow closer, both emotionally and physically. Remi's openness about sex and relationships challenges the men's traditional views, and they begin to explore a polyamorous dynamic, finding healing and acceptance in each other.

The Road to Endstone

The trek back to Endstone is a crucible. The group faces hunger, exhaustion, and dangerous encounters with other desperate survivors. Each character confronts their own fears and traumas, and the bonds between them deepen. Remi proves her worth as a survivalist, and the men learn to trust her instincts. Their unconventional relationship solidifies, providing comfort and strength in the face of uncertainty.

Danger in the Woods

A tense encounter with armed, possibly infected strangers tests the group's resolve and morality. The threat of violence and the reality of the world's collapse force them to make hard choices. The experience leaves them shaken but united, and underscores the importance of community, trust, and compassion—even in the darkest times.

Bonds Forged in Crisis

Back in Endstone, the group is quarantined together, giving them time to process their experiences and solidify their relationship. They find joy and solace in each other, learning to balance their individual needs with the demands of their new family. The town, meanwhile, continues its elaborate preparations and rituals, providing a backdrop of both absurdity and comfort.

The Truth Unveiled

As the quarantine ends, the group attends a town meeting—only to discover that the Handshake Plague was never real. The entire crisis was an annual doomsday scenario, a tradition in Endstone designed to test and bond the community. The trio is stunned, feeling betrayed and manipulated, while Remi is amused, having grown up with the town's eccentricities. The revelation forces everyone to reevaluate their choices and what "home" really means.

Fools and Family

The aftermath of the revelation is both comic and poignant. The trio grapples with anger and disbelief, but ultimately recognizes that the experience brought them healing, love, and a sense of belonging. Remi reconciles with her father, and the group decides to stay in Endstone, embracing its madness as part of their new family.

The Aftermath

Life in Endstone returns to its peculiar normal, with Remi and the trio fully integrated into the community—and each other's lives. Their polyamorous relationship is accepted (or at least tolerated) by the town, and they find purpose in helping others prepare for whatever real or imagined crisis comes next. The story ends with humor, love, and the promise of more adventures.

Lessons in Love

Each character has grown—learning to trust, to forgive, and to love without reservation. The group's unconventional relationship is a source of strength, and they find that true family is chosen, not given. The town's annual "end of the world" game is revealed as both a farce and a profound exercise in community resilience.

The Endstone Way

The novel closes with the group fully at home in Endstone, embracing its quirks and their own. The message is clear: survival is about more than stockpiling supplies—it's about connection, adaptability, and the courage to be yourself, even when the world seems to have lost its mind.

Characters

Brant Shaw

Brant is a former Army Ranger struggling with PTSD and the trauma of losing his squad. He is the emotional anchor of the trio, often quiet but deeply caring. His relationship with his service dog, Puddles, is both practical and symbolic—she grounds him in reality and provides comfort. Brant's journey is one of learning to accept help, to trust others, and to open himself to love, both romantic and platonic. His bond with Madix and Theo is brotherly, and his growing affection for Remi helps him heal old wounds.

Madix Ortega

Madix is the group's de facto leader, driven by a need for control and order after the chaos of war. He struggles with guilt over the past and a damaged sense of self-worth. Madix's OCD tendencies and need for cleanliness are both coping mechanisms and sources of humor. His initial resistance to Remi's wildness gives way to admiration and desire, and he learns to let go, to trust, and to embrace the messiness of life and love. His relationship with Remi is both combative and passionate, and she helps him find balance.

Theo Coleman

Theo lost his leg in the explosion that ended their military careers, and his journey is one of reclaiming agency and self-worth. He uses humor and flirtation to mask insecurity, but is deeply loyal and protective. Theo's openness to Remi's unconventional approach to life and love helps the group adapt and grow. He is the first to embrace the idea of a polyamorous relationship, and his willingness to be vulnerable sets the tone for the others.

Remington "Remi" April

Remi is the daughter of Sheriff April, raised in Endstone's survivalist culture but determined to forge her own path. She is fiercely independent, sexually liberated, and deeply compassionate. Remi's eccentricities—her love of animals, her offbeat humor, her refusal to conform—challenge the trio and force them to confront their own assumptions. She is the catalyst for change, helping each man heal and grow, and ultimately bringing them together as a family. Her reconciliation with her father is a key emotional arc.

Sheriff April

Sheriff April is the retired lawman and unofficial leader of Endstone. He is both stern and loving, embodying the town's values of loyalty and preparedness. His estrangement from Remi is a source of pain, and his request for the trio to bring her home is both a test and an act of love. He represents the best of Endstone—its sense of community, its willingness to adapt, and its capacity for forgiveness.

Zeke

Zeke is Sheriff April's best friend and a fixture in Endstone's daily life. He provides humor and perspective, often serving as a sounding board for the main characters. His long-standing friendship with Sheriff April and his acceptance of the trio help integrate them into the community.

Dharla Cornburner

Dharla is Endstone's resident wild card, known for her nudity, bizarre antics, and sharp tongue. She embodies the town's spirit of individuality and serves as both comic relief and unexpected wisdom. Her interactions with the trio highlight the town's acceptance of oddity and the importance of not taking life too seriously.

Puddles

Puddles is Brant's service dog, a massive English Mastiff with a gentle heart. She is both a practical aid for Brant's PTSD and a symbol of unconditional love and acceptance. Her presence is a constant source of comfort and comic relief.

Coon

Coon is Remi's pet opossum, often accompanied by a pair of rats. She represents Remi's connection to nature and her refusal to conform to societal expectations. Coon's antics provide humor and underscore the theme of embracing the unconventional.

The Town of Endstone

Endstone is more than a setting—it is a living, breathing character. Its traditions, rituals, and eccentricities shape the narrative and the characters' journeys. The town's annual doomsday scenario is both a farce and a profound exercise in community resilience, forcing everyone to confront what matters most.

Plot Devices

Faux-Apocalypse as Social Experiment

The central plot device is the Handshake Plague—a fabricated crisis orchestrated by Endstone as part of its annual doomsday scenario. This elaborate role-play serves as both a test and a bonding exercise, forcing residents to confront their fears, work together, and reevaluate their priorities. The device allows for both high-stakes drama and satirical commentary on survivalism, paranoia, and the human need for connection.

Found Family and Polyamory

The novel uses the trope of found family, with the trio and Remi forming a nontraditional, polyamorous relationship. This device challenges traditional notions of love and partnership, and provides a framework for each character's growth. The group's dynamic is both a source of conflict and a wellspring of healing, illustrating the power of chosen family.

Misdirection and Satire

The narrative structure relies on misdirection, leading both characters and readers to believe in the reality of the pandemic, only to reveal the truth in a climactic twist. This device satirizes both survivalist culture and the human tendency to prepare for the worst, while also celebrating the resilience and absurdity of small-town life.

Humor and Absurdity

The novel balances heavy themes—trauma, loss, fear—with humor and absurdity. Eccentric characters, sexual frankness, and slapstick situations provide relief and underscore the message that survival is as much about laughter and love as it is about stockpiling supplies.

Analysis

April's Fools is a sharp, heartfelt satire of survivalist culture, small-town eccentricity, and the human need for connection in the face of crisis—real or imagined. By framing the story around a fake pandemic, the novel explores how fear, community, and love intersect, and how the rituals we create—no matter how absurd—can both divide and unite us. The polyamorous relationship at the heart of the story is not just titillating, but a genuine exploration of healing, trust, and the courage to embrace unconventional happiness. Ultimately, the book suggests that survival is not about hoarding resources or building walls, but about opening ourselves to others, finding family in unexpected places, and laughing at the madness of it all. The lesson is clear: the end of the world is less frightening when you have people to share it with—and sometimes, the greatest fools are the ones who love the most.

Last updated: June 10, 2025