I loved this book so much! It had fake dating, rivals to lovers, small town college life and pranks! It's a YA novel but I think all ages can get something out of this book. It was a quick read for me because I was really into it and very involved in the characters. It's not a very complex story line and I would definitely recommend this book to basically anyone!

I really wish I didn't have to write this review!

Because this book is so satisfying, lovely, perfectly YA, filled with complex characters and complex emotions. It captures this senior in high school essence-the kid, not quite kid of it all. Complicated families and relationships...

It is just really sweet. Doe, the main character, is really imperfect and makes a lot of mistakes. There are long-standing fights between her and her friends in the book, and we get to see an organic and rewarding progression in a YA relationship.

The plot had enough tension that it really kept me reading, I could never wait to get back to this book, and it will be memorable for a long while. At the same time, it was skillfully handled in pacing that it never suffered from too much humor or intensity. It was really a great balance.

And it was a debut?!!?

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the copy, which has not affected my review. (less)

Doe is a high school senior at Weston, a private all girls school. Weston has had a long stranding rivalry with Winfield, the all boys school across the way. Doe and her friends are determined to win the prank war this year and they start off strong. Then, it's announced that Weston and Winfield will be merging the following year and Doe's focus becomes solely on stopping the merger from happening.

This book sounded really interesting, but I felt it had too much going on. There were school pranks, a fake romance, some real romances, friendship troubles, discussions about equality for LGBTQ+ individuals, fighting among friends, and a sexual predator. It was a lot for one book, which made it a bit overwhelming.

While I felt that the personalities of each character were well developed, I was not a fan of the character of Doe being written as immature. She had solid friendships, some good leadership qualities, and was looked up to by many, so being immature didn't fit with that. There are other ways she could have been described that wouldn't have been so demeaning. I almost stopped reading this book about 15% of the way in because there was such a clash between the writing, the events, and Doe's personality. I was intrigued by the fake relationship between Doe and Wells though so continued reading and was able to become more absorbed by the story and finish the book.

The description of the various settings in the novel were very good. I was able to envision each location well and it added to the story. Overall, I enjoyed the premise of the story. I would consider reading more by this author in the future. I just feel like she tried to fit too much into one book this time. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3

Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC of #ThisMayEndBadly by #SamanthaMarkum in exchange for an honest review. The views expressed are completely my own.

I was a little nervous to read this after reading through the mixed reviews on NetGalley, but I ended up really enjoying it. This follows Doe (Dorothy), and her group of close friends at a girls' boarding school, who are in a long term prank war with the boys' school across the street. Doe's nemesis is a guy at the school who goes by Three (something something the third), who sends his cousin over to Doe's school to apparently open up a parley, but things go a little differently. It turns out that Weston (the girls' school) and Winfield (the boys'), which have been rivals for decades (or maybe more than a century? I finished this a week ago and I'm forgetting that detail), are going to be merging. Doe, incredibly upset about this, decides to ratchet up the prank war to show that the schools can't possibly merge peacefully, and at the same time gets involved in a fake dating relationship with Wells, Three's cousin, so that they can make Three angry. Doe becomes borderline obsessed with stopping the merger, to the extent that she damages her friendships and gets in some serious trouble at school and with her parents. Reviewers have mentioned Doe being unlikeable and I get that, but I thought she redeemed herself pretty well, and also, she's a 17 year old girl freaking out about having to leave a place she's considered a safe haven for years, and it made sense to me that she would lose the plot a bit. Content warning for a storyline about a sexual predator who works at the school.

Well I wasn’t the target audience for this for sure. I have to say the first part was juvenile and the main character wasn’t my favorite (for the first part) BUT the character growth and that ending was superb. I think this would be an absolutely fantastic book for high school kids and first or second year college kids. I was really hooked and NEEDED to know what was gonna happen so for me that’s a good book.

after A LOT of thinking about this one, ive decided that it was overall very good. however, i think there was too much going on/too many plotlines, so it was a little hard to get into. other than that, i loved it, the banter, the characters, everything!

OMG I loved everything about this book!!!! This book was a huge reminder of why I am starting to love YA books more and more. We meet Doe, who together with her friends are the leaders of pranks against their rival school, this all boys school across the way. Doe and Three's banter was giving me LIFE!!! I couldn't stop laughing, and even her friends in this book were so damn funny, I couldn't stop smiling or laughing.

This makes me wish I went to a school like this, Doe was transferred to this school after her parents divorced and her whole world shattered, she had to deal with a lot especially with the bullies in her old school that resulted in her acting out even more. This all girls schools saved her, but then there is a merger that needs to happen to help save the school and it's with the rival all boys school, and Doe was not going to make it easy for anyone in the school. Doe being the leader that she is and someone all the younger girls look up to she is making it her duty to voice her opinion and the pranks were getting crazier.

But when Wells, Three's cousin told her about a proposition to get under Three's skin and also as a favor for something he wants from Three as well, Doe went for it, even though she finds him to be a very attractive guy. A lot goes on after that, she starts to develop feelings, her relationship with her friends are all over the place, Doe is becoming obsessed with this whole merger thing, and then to make matters even wilder there is a younger student reaching out for help, and Doe is there for her, together with her friends.

This book was just amazing, I cant stop saying this enough, not only does Doe finally find her footing in the world, she mends her relationship with her closest friends, she learns to accept change, her relationship with her parents is even stronger than ever, this book is by far the most realistic YA but fictional book I have ever read. I cant wait until this book launches. Thank you Netgalley, and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

If you love books with the fake dating trope, this one is for you. The love interests are so cute together, I even ended up liking Doe, she can be very unlikeable throughout the book. She’s one of those characters you just want to grab and shake! But Wells, he is amazing.

this was a fun and easy read with a prep school setting, which i always enjoy. reading this felt like coming home after a long day and finally being able to breathe. the rivals schools and the fake dating was also a nice touch.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of This May End Badly!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA Fiction
Pub Date: April 12, 2022

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the story itself was fast-paced and enjoyable, and I liked that the action kept coming! I was consistently engaged with wondering what would happen next! I was glued to my pages from start to finish. I thought the characters were complex and interesting, and I really liked the plot.

My only complaint is that there was a lot going on in the plot, so some of the points seemed a bit underdeveloped, including a rushed ending. After being so engaged in the story, I would have enjoyed the plot points being hashed out a little more.

Other than that, though, this was a really good YA read!

This book is much like high school - sweet, complicated, chaotic, exciting, romantic, and empowering. Doe is a complex heroine and almost unlikable, but I appreciate her. I like that she isn't perfect. And she leads a compelling story full of interesting characters. Especially Wells. Wells is a swoony delight and definitely the YA romance hero of dreams.

Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and the author for the eARC in exchange for my review.

It took me so long to get through this book. I didn’t really have any care about the characters and wouldn’t really care to reread in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of "This May End Badly" by Samantha Markum.

Doe is in her senior year at Weston School for Girls when her headmistress announces that Weston will be merging with Winfield Academy, the rival school for boys that is across the street. The prank war and rivalry she has had with Winfield boy Three for the last three years is now going to go to a whole new level and this is where Three's cousin Wells comes in.

There were parts of this book that I absolutely adored, Wells and Doe and Doe's character development at the end of the story, and there were parts of this book that I hated, the entirety of the prank war between Doe and Three. Overall I thought that maybe this entire story could have focused more on what became the main conclusion of the book (and incidentally the way that Doe made up with her friends) and the Wells story and left out the prank war entirely. I thought there was a big disconnect between the Doe who would help out the first years, without even thinking about it really, and the Doe who would go to so much trouble to prank Winfield. Also the way that Three and Doe patched mostly everything up at the end of the book felt a little pushed considering what had happened between them so far.

The ending and the Wells and Doe relationship where what saved this story for me and gained it a four star rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for the e-ARC and opportunity to read and review this title. This was a conflicting read for me. It was very challenging for me to get through the introduction and get pulled in to the journey. My immediate impression was that either the stakes were just not high enough (two single-gender boarding schools merging and going co-ed -- but after all our main characters graduate so literally nothing about their lives would hypothetically change except their idea of "legacy.") or that I just didn't care too much about what the characters were up to (mainly pulling pranks between the rival schools.) I thought a book that was going to be ALL about pranks would have to have some pretty EPIC pranks to move the plot along, but of course, this story wasn't going to be all about the prank war.

At least halfway through the book is when I realized that our characters all had personalities all beyond their school rivalries, with important stuff going on at home and within their families that could really use some page time. As soon as the story started going into the cast's individual family dynamics and exploring their own goals in school, I thought, okay this is going somewhere - and then I was hooked to fly through my reading.

The sorta rivals-to-lovers and fake dating are the best parts of this story, all very rewarding storylines. Close second is a bit more of a spoiler so I won't mention it, but about 80% through there is a moment that shows the strength of these schools and the students in them --- the first time in the book I thought that the characters really were who they were because of their surroundings and they'd use their voices and cunningness to make actual change around them.

With an all-boys boarding school literally across the street from an all-girls boarding school, how could they be anything but rivals? The prank wars have been going on for decades. Doe and her friends, now in their senior year, have elevated the pranks to an epic level. They are shocked to learn that there are plans in the works to merge the two schools. Doe begins a campaign to stop the merger in addition to the pranks, making all sorts of questionable choices along the way, including fake dating one of the boys. This was a fun read with both light hearted and serious moments. Highly recommended for grades 8 & up.

Honestly I don’t even know where to start with this book. The romance was great. The fake dating trope slaps every time and this is no exception. Their banter was top notch I will not lie. Doe and Wells >>>>>>>

The characters were so great and I felt myself relating to Doe. She is confused on what she wants to do with her life which is very relatable to people my age (teens) and probably everyone else have had this same struggle. Doe’s choices at times can be… frustrating but she knows she did something wrong and there is nothing I love more than a character taking responsibility for her actions.

I adored the plot with the prank war and the social commentary on how predators are treated especially in a setting like this. It covered a really heavy topic in a pretty good way. I loved how everyone put aside their differences and arguments for the greater good of the students and the schools.

CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an eARC of this book and I look forward to reading more books from Samantha Markum in the future!

I usually love books set in boarding schools but this one was a bit of a struggle. By the end, I came to terms with it but there were several times I strongly considered a DNF. I'm trying to pinpoint what didn't work for me and it was probably the MC/narrator Doe. I didn't feel she was honest with herself or as a character for a reader. Something felt off and some motivation that was essential was not described and went unnamed for most of the book. It left me feeling cheated. Hope you have better luck!

This May End Badly comes out next week on April 12, 2022 and you can purchase HERE.

"Don't let anyone make you feel like a screwup. I can't think of someone who's less of a screwup. I think—I think you're—"

My heart pounds, my skin turning hot.

Well's cheeks go pink. "You're, like, the best person I've ever met."

And even thought we're barely touching, I kind of feel like—I don't know—like I've been kisses within an inch of my life.

5/5 stars

I loved this book! I enjoyed the characters, themes, plot, and romance.

Doe was such a relatable character for me. In her final year of highschool she’s stagnant. No idea what she wants to do, no idea where she even wants to go for college. So, she focuses on the prank war and her school, the only things she feels she can control and in doing so she makes many, many mistakes. I loved that the teenagers were teenagers and made genuine mistakes any scared teenager would. And while I wanted to shake some sense into Doe half the time, it was understandable why she made the mistakes she made. And you know what I love as much as understandable mistakes? Consequences that match the mistakes! The consequences Doe was handed after all her mistakes made complete sense and I loved it.

Doe and Wells had me giggling like a maniac. Banter? Check. Tension? Check. Fake dating done immaculately? Check, check, check. I loved them so much I can not express it. The way they gradually went from enemies to reluctant allies to friends to maybe more was exceptionally well done. To put it simply; Doe and Wells live rent free in my brain.

Now there is a lot going on in this book. A prank war, fake dating, merging of the two schools, and a pervy teacher. To many people this may be a lot but I thought overall it was handled well. I thought the end with the pervy teacher was done very well and I was cheering them on so much.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I do recommend upper YA readers because of the themes. (16+)

TW: sexual assault (off page, described in minor detail), unwanted touching, pedophilia (off page), slurs (in the past, off page)

What's it about (in a nutshell):
This May End Badly by Samantha Markum is a complex and moving romantic comedy about Doe (short for Dorothy) and her friends during their last year at The Weston School. Doe is the queen of pranks against the rival boys' school, and she has big plans for her senior year.

What I Enjoyed:
The aspect I loved the most about this story is how much is going on. The story is told by Doe, and since she is a complex young woman with a complicated mind, I think it is only natural that the story would cover a lot of ground. But it does so in a way that I could easily follow, and everything happening worked to keep the pace quick and hold my attention.

I also enjoyed the combination of less severe plotlines with more serious ones. The pranks against the boys' school and the rivalry between Doe and Three (her male counterpart) are funny, witty, and entertaining. The stunts reminded me of pranks that go on today during Senior prank day, though loads more creative. These fun events are interspersed with the more serious issue of a male teacher who makes many girls feel uncomfortable and whom there have been rumors about for the whole five years he has been at The Weston School. I like to say this plotline is unrealistic, but it is not unusual in high schools today. These different threads form an entertaining story that is lots of fun as well as a tool for bringing awareness to an issue that is often swept under the rug.

I love a good enemies-to-lovers tale. This May End Badly develops a remarkable story of a fake relationship turned real. I was mesmerized and ultimately emotionally invested. I loved Doe and Wells individually. Together, they were just perfect with their witty banter, undeniable chemistry, and unwavering support.

Characters:
Doe is the main character and tells this tale through 1st person narration. She is full of passion, especially when protecting the underdog and righting all of the world's wrongs. Being a born leader, Doe is never happier than she is when her friends are around her. She is loyal, committed, and not scared to do things that are heard – whether they be right or wrong. The complexities and layers that form this character are so compelling that I couldn't help but feel for her as she became her own worst enemy and stood by her as she struggled to find her way through challenges.

The support characters are also well-developed and create a lovely story about friendships, how messy they can be, and how rewarding they are.

What I Wish:
I don't have anything that I would change about this story. I found it highly entertaining with a touch of reality, making it easy to suspend disbelief. The story flowed easily, and the characters were all interesting to read about.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a fun read with complex characters and entertaining situations, this is the book you must get today!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of THIS MAY END BADLY by Samantha Markum. It actually took me the first 25% or so for me to get into this book, but then I super did and couldn't put it down. For some reason it took me a minute to feel invested in the characters at all—there were a lot of names and I couldn't keep track and didn't care to, and wasn't sure what kind of story this was going to be exactly. Once the romance really got started, I was hooked. That's typical for me. But it was so well done; I was pulled right back to high school and how it felt to fall in love at that age. The real best part, though, was the MC, Doe's, character growth. Honestly, this book took the fake dating trope, pulled you in with it, then showed you how messed up that trope is, and how messed up a person would have to be to participate in it. Then it showed you why Doe and her LI Wells are so messed up, and it gave them realistic consequences for their messed up behavior. Then they changed, they did better, they redeemed themselves, and then they were able to be happy together. I was just sitting there being so impressed with how well-written the character arcs were. I definitely recommend it!