This May End Badly took a bit to get into because a lot is going on. Doe (Dorothy) is a senior at Weston School, an all-girls prep school, and leads the girls in pranking their rivals the all-boys school Winfield Academy. Doe also has 4 best friends, Shawn, Jade, Gemma, and Sumi. We meet them all immediately while they are in the middle of setting up a prank for the beginning of the school year. At the same time, we are introduced to her arch-nemesis Three Westborn and other members of the Westborn family. With introductions also comes some history. There was an immense amount of information to take in at the beginning. This only gets more overwhelming when subplots are added into the mix.

While Doe fights the merger of the two schools, she also has multiple other issues to deal with: aggravating Three by fake dating his cousin, retaliating against Winfield boys for any pranks they pull, figuring out what she wants to do after high school, navigating her friendships, and the list just goes on. It makes for a chaotic life for Doe and makes it chaotic for the reader to connect with her, at least that was the case for me. I would have liked the focus on one or two plotlines with greater introspection as opposed to so much going. The focus on external action, like the pranks and angering Three, concealed her internal struggles until around the halfway mark when things started to come together. With so much going on, it also meant page time for these subplots was limited. I wanted more Doe fake dating Three’s cousin Wells. This was the highlight of the book for me, and there just wasn’t enough of it.

With so much going on, I was never sure what was going to happen next. A prank? Time with Wells? Time with her friends? While it was a little chaotic at times, This May End Badly was still a good read. I would recommend this to individuals who like books about friendships, school rivalries, and the difficulties of growing up. There is a subplot that might be triggering to individuals so please see the synopsis for further information about the book. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

Okay omg, where do I even start? I completely fell in love with this book. It has everything someone would ever want to read.

This felt very much like a Netflix original movie with teen romance, a prank war gone rogue, and a mess of unruly boarding school kids skipping school and bucking the system. An angsty and completely consuming raucous adventure that was a breath of fresh air! I loved this one!

Doe and her friends always try and stay one step ahead of the Winfield boys. The rival schools have been in a prank war even before Doe’s time. So when the headmistress announces a school merger, Doe will stop at nothing to protect her school, even going so far as to fake date a Winfield boy to get under her enemies skin. What Doe doesn’t anticipate is the fallout from her quickly snowballing lies.

Fast-paced and with a perfectly balanced anti-hero, this was a relevant and timely novel that brought up hot topics like gender equality, child abuse, harassment, and sexuality. The friend group is amazing and I love how there is a constant lingering chemistry between Doe and Nells. It’s just a really great YA novel packed with serious topics, entertainment, and fresh perspective!

Really enjoyable YA read! Markum is witty and her characters develop nicely. The pacing was great as well!

I was super excited to read this one because I love enemies to lovers and fake dating, plus the whole rival schools in a prank war idea sounded really cute. I wasn't captivated at first, but was enjoying it, and then it just kind of went downhill for me.

Firstly, Doe is just annoying. She's really selfish and she doesn't listen to those around her. I was really upset with how much she dismissed what the other girls at school were saying about not being upset about their school merging with the boys school. I understand that her school was a place where Doe felt safe and she didn't want things to change, but she wouldn't listen when people were telling her that by having gendered schools it could be really harmful to any students who were non-binary or trans. Eventually she is like "Oh, maybe they're right and having this school be an all girls school could be invalidating!" but it took her a while to get there and that just felt really....off.

But more so than that, what really bothered me was the fact that there was a side plot about a male teacher being a sexual predator that I felt was not handled well at all. All the girls know that this teacher is sketchy, they tell each other not to be alone with him, and Doe even tells a younger girl that she sees coming out of his office not to be alone with him and gives the girl her number and says to call her in case she's ever called to his office alone again. They've all heard rumors and are on their guard, and yet... no one says anything. I know that victims not speaking up his a huge issue, and it's usually due to adults and or law enforcement not doing anything to actually take action, but it just felt really off here. Eventually the girls and boys from their rival school, band together to take a stand after the girl who Doe had given her number to calls her in tears because she was alone with this teacher and he made a pass at her. When their parents finally get involved and ask why they never said anything? They didn't want to cause their parents stress or cause trouble. That made literally zero sense and just bothered me. The worst part is, this storyline was treated like a cautionary tale instead of a serious issue until the last 30 or so % of the book and because there was no real weight to it before that, it didn't have any emotional impact. If you're going to make a teacher being a sexual predator a plot point, make it a plot point. Discuss it throughout the entire story, and give it the importance that it deserves.

I wanted to like this book, but it really was not for me.

4.5 Stars

Okay, I loved this. Like this book had me laughing out loud, getting teary-eyed, and hanging on to every word. Like I stayed up *very* late finishing this book.

Let’s get to it.

Writing: I loved the writing style. It made for a very fast-paced, mostly light-hearted read. I just devoured this book. And the author clearly likes humor—sometimes a bit too much haha. But it’s done so well that I fell for it every time. Condom jokes were used excessively and I felt like a snickering middle schooler every time. I couldn’t help it.

Plot: I mean, how many ways can I say I loved this? Boarding school? Check! A rivalry? Check! With prank wars? Check! Fake dating? SO many checks!!

So this story really had a lot going on (more about that later, but it’s completely understandable how some readers said it was just too much for them), but in general, the plot of this was so fun.

The prank wars were thrilling and the fake dating aspect was just a cherry on top. Even some of the more serious stuff, like the main character Doe having to come to terms with change and growing up, worked super well in this setting.

Characters: Love all around, what can I say? Doe was an incredibly flawed main character (almost to the point of being unlikable). She was hurt by her past, but in the present, she was selfish and manipulative. But she also had moments of softness. And despite her taking the whole book to grow up a bit (I mean, that’s how character arcs work, I guess?), I was rooting for her the whole time.

Doe’s girl gang is just the best. I loved the individuality of each of her friends and how much of a unit they were throughout the story.

Ugh. Wells. So, of course, I love a good fake dating trope, but Wells was just so great. I fell in love as they did, honestly. Their relationship progression was precious. And he was just a sweetheart. The perfect counterpart to Doe.

Alright, so I did bump this down a half a star, so it wasn’t a full five-star read. And the two reasons for that are pretty big, but I just enjoyed it so much anyway, that I can’t take away any more than that.

First, THREE. I am upset at the author for all the unresolved tension *there.* And for the fact that I still know almost nothing about the one character I wanted to know the most about.

So, going into this, as a big rivals-to-lovers trope fan, I thought that’s where this was headed. But obviously it didn’t go that way at all. Even still, I am pretty disappointed in the lack of Three on the page.

He’s always there lurking in the background, he has a few lame scenes that kind of matter. But in general I have nothing tangible on him. I have no idea why this rivalry between him and Doe matters. I have no idea why it bothered him so damn much when Doe and Wells started “dating.”

I wanted so much more from him and I’m left feeling a little lost without it. Even a *real* scene or two with Doe would have helped. We almost got one, but nothing major ever happened. It gets brought up that maybe he felt a hate-lust thing for her, but aside from that blatant statement and some angry looks, there’s nothing to suggest that.

And then the whole thing with [redacted] felt kinda weird, too. But whatever. I’m just frustrated. Rant over.

Second, I have to mention the whole teacher sexual misconduct thing. While I was prepared for it (I believe it’s mentioned in the summary and there are clues dropped throughout that there was going to be something there), I can understand where some readers said it felt super out of place. The story probably still would have been pretty good without it. But since I knew it was coming, that aspect didn’t bother me too much.

What was a little worrisome, however, was how it played out. There are some aspects of the conclusion of that plot thread that just weren’t very realistic and could potentially be damaging. The students decide not to go to their parents for worry of them overreacting, but parents—and police—are exactly what you need in that sort of situation.

I don’t know. The plotline itself didn’t bother me, just some aspects of how it was used.

Overall, though, I enjoyed my time reading this book so damn much. Even the negative things couldn’t bring me down from my high.

Thanks to the NetGalley for providing an eARC of This May End Badly in exchange for an honest review.

The idea the author had for this book is great; a prank war between two rival schools sounds appealing and makes for a great story. Throw in some fake dating, and I'm a fan before I even read it. The overall story is good, although I found that some parts of the story were lacking. There were times where I feel like the author could have added in more details and times where I felt like she focused too much on one thing. Overall, it was a good read and I enjoyed seeing Doe and Well's relationship blossom.

This presented as what would be a really fun read, and unfortunately for me it just fell short. I think I’m just not a fan of YA contemporary, as the conversation is starting to feel unrelatable to me. I did enjoy the prank competition, and the characters were interesting. Just not a book for me, but I hope others enjoy it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I ended up reading this book via the finished audiobook instead of the eARC I was provided.
I think that this was a fun and enjoyable YA contemporary. I liked the prank wars between the schools. I liked the romance between the main couple. I think the fake dating was silly but still made me smile. I liked the main character. Overall, I had a fun time listening to this book. It made me smile a few times. I was really engaged by the audiobook. But this wasn’t a new favorite or one that will likely stick with me.

Overall I enjoyed this - but there were definitely things that I wish had been different. The plot was a bit hectic, a lot going on, and they all kind of felt a bit disjointed. Between the prank war, the rivalry to lovers, fake dating and everything else, the Pervy Teacher plot line just felt like it was added for extra conflict. I also think this book would have been better suited for a NA/College age story versus it being a High School Boarding School.
I also struggled with how much I liked the MC and the love Interest. One moment I would be enjoying them, and then the next they'd be utterly annoying.
But despite all the little issues I had - I ultimately enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend reading it. And I absolutely loved the ending - it was perfect and honestly not what I was expecting.

I was not displeased to discover that this story promised an unsuspecting love story. The fake dating trope is accompanied by an enemy to lovers vibe, as the two elite boarding schools pitted against each other in a long-standing prank war that are conveniently merging at the end of the school year.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, although most of the plot revolved around our protagonist's flaws. The drama was therefore more disappointing, and the friendships were not with fully formed characters, but more just for the purpose of addressing the protagonist's own issues.

4 stars = Great! Might re-read.

This was a hoot! Many LOL moments, but also some serious ones when everything starts to fall apart. I loved the characters, I enjoyed the character development for Doe over the course of the book. And the ending made me want to stand up and cheer. (Language, TW: Sexual harassment/predator)

Full disclosure: I am behind on my reviews so I listened to the finished audiobook rather than reading the provided eARC. This review is based on that.

There were lots of things I liked about this book. Wells was adorable as a character. The prank war was lowkey pretty entertaining. But Doe was just... so unlikeable? I get that she had a major character flaw that had to be overcome over the course of the story, as main characters often (and should) do... but her flaw was so all-encompassing that it made it hard to see her redeeming qualities sometimes. Not always, she had definite shining moments, but my overall feeling was one of annoyance and that made this hard to read sometimes.

This book has so many fun and interesting elements: a boarding school setting, a fauxmance, a prank war + a look at gender-specific spaces and gender inequality.

I do agree with some readers that there was one subplot that seemed a bit implausible. Back when I was a YA aged person, maybe this subplot could have been accurate. Now, I'm not so sure. But YA books are about YA-aged characters handling their own problems, so I was okay with suspending some disbelief.

Highly recommend this to readers who enjoy boarding school stories!

This May End Badly is one of the first YA novels I've enjoyed fully in such a long time. It's Doe's senior year at Weston Boarding School. The Weston Girls have had a decades long rivalry with the Winfield Academy (all boys school) across the street. Naturally, it's an all-out prank war. Since it's the senior year, the pranks are even crazier, and Doe has decided to throw fake dating into the mix. Enter Wells. The perfect pretty boy, also cousin to Three (who is Doe's archenemy). It's the perfect plan. On top of all of this, both schools announced a merger next year, and Doe has made it her personal mission to stop the merger from happening. Winfield boys CANNOT invade these Weston halls.

I loved so much about this book. It really captured the excitement of senior year in high school. Trying to do all of the things and being conflicted about leaving it all behind for college. Learning how to collaborate with one another, standing up for yourself, accepting things we cannot control while fighting for the things we can. I have to say, Doe was really irritating me throughout a lot of this book, but her character growth completely redeemed her in my eyes. I loved the fake dating, I loved Wells, I was even invested in what Three's story was. Each of our main characters' had well written back stories that made me really care about them. This book also does a great job with diversity and representation - specifically the arguments made against having an all girl school and how it's exclusionary towards non-binary and transgender people.

Yes, there is a story line following a predatory teacher. I personally do not find this randomly thrown in there because I felt like it helped to show more about school life rather than pretending these girls just do whatever they want and don't actually have classes to take. I also saw that some people were irritated that the students did not tell their parents. I've gotta say, I knew myself in high school and I had the hardest time telling my parents anything. For me, this was super realistic. I love that the book shows that side of growing up, as well as making it a point to show us that our parents are supportive even if we don't think they would be.

Needless to say, this was a 5/5 stars for me, and I'm so thankful for having the chance to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for sending me an advanced ecopy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely adorable cover on a well written, lovely story. Private school pranks and love. I don't really jam with the 'enemies to lovers' type stories. So I was pleasantly surprised this one was not that. I loved the school rivalry and the previous and current pranks. I loved the banter and the friendships -they were well written and I loved every minute of them!

But there's a bigger story here - surrounding families and acceptance and finding your place in the world. There is also a theme of power - and finding how to take your control back when someone is taking it from you. It was a surprisingly powerful story with a lot of themes I thought were handled with so much respect and love. I enjoyed this story so much. I am so glad I gave it a try!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I really loved this fake dating #metoo novel set against rival private girls' and boys' academies. When these two feuding schools are told they'll be joining next year, Dorothy ("Do") decides to make it her mission to prevent it all costs. She also gets involved in a fake dating scheme with a boy on the inside who promises to help her with her goal if she helps him with something he wants.

What ensues are lots of great pranks, witty banter and one of the sweetest first love stories I've read in a while. I loved Do and Wells together. The electricity they feel from first touches and kisses sent chills up my spine. Not a PG Young adult book but nothing graphic either.

I also loved the Veronica Mars vibes Do gave off. When she an underclassman comes to her about the misconduct of one of the school's creepiest teacher's, Do takes action, collecting statements from other victims and organizing a sit-in to get the man fired.

Perfect for fans of He must like you or the Chandler legacies, this was a highly enjoyable story about the world of elite boarding schools and a sexual predator getting what he deserves. Definitely one not to miss! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy.

CW: sexual misconduct of authority figures

it’s a cute book at times ….I do feel like some stuff could’ve been cut out from it without anything being taken away from the story. I think the whole teacher thing just seemed out of place with the rest of the plot.

There is fake dating , enemies to lovers. The main character sometimes only did things that will benefit her. It was so out of the blue with the teacher being a ( TW ) sexual predator. The second half completely changed. Not a book for me

Check TW

This May End Badly was a good start novel for this author. Samantha Markum put a lot of work into this book and that shows. We have fake-dating, boarding school woes, and friendship. I would defiant read more from this author in the future.
The story follows Doe the self-proclaimed prank master general of her all-girls boarding school and her ongoing rivalry with Three, the head of the rival all-boys school. Three and Doe had this sort of chemistry/sexual tension that honestly had me feeling like this could have been a great enemies/rivals to lovers’ story. Instead it was a weird love triangle because everyone could see the chemistry between the two rivals expect the main protagonist Doe. Doe defiantly lived up to her name because she was naïve about some many obvious things. When the announcement comes that Weston Academy the all-girls school and Winfield Academy the all-boys school will be merging the next year Doe is not happy. There are many things at stake now, friendships, push back from other Weston girls, and a crazy love triangle.
There is a lot going on in this book, like three different plots all rolled into one book. The merger plot line was good which involved the prank wars, which I enjoyed. But the two schools pranking each other was constantly mentioned so you couldn’t forget that the prank wars have been going on since the dawn of time. Pranks were enjoyable and made me laugh but the reminders were not necessary. The love triangle plot was, something. The major plot was thrown in-between the other two plots. This was the major part of the story that should have been more worked into the story but it was unfortunately overshadowed by everything else and doesn’t really get the discussion needed until the end.
Doe’s redeeming qualities at the end saved this book from being a two-star rating. This book in my opinion is a solid 3.4 star rating. The book is good and I believe many young adult readers will enjoy this book. Again Samantha did a good job with this book considering it was her starter novel. I can’t wait to see what else she has in stored.

THIS MAY END BADLY is such a delightful YA romcom! I absolutely adored the board school setting, prank war, and fake dating scheme! I was so invested in the school rivalry and loved all the drama that came with it.

Doe was a fun main character, and I especially loved her determination and competitiveness. Her group of friends was awesome and they had some good heartfelt moments with Doe. And of course the faking dating was perfection—I loved how her relationship with Wells developed throughout the story. I’m excited to see what’s up next for Samantha Markum!

Content Warning: sexual harassment from a teacher