"But maybe Wells is right -- maybe it's natural for us, in our final year of school, to feel strange in our own skin. 'It's the end of an era no matter how you spin it.'"

What a swoony debut. Like, for real, if I was rating this purely off the banter between Doe & Wells and the battle scenes between Weston & Winfield this would be a 4-5 star read. I enjoyed the pranks, the fauxmance, and the friend group that held each other accountable. And watching them navigate first love, family drama, and the dreaded "what comes next" stage post high school was incredibly relatable.

What didn't work for me was the sexual harassment subplot mentioned in the synopsis. Not only does the inciting incident not occur until the last fourth of the novel, but it also is handled more as a redemptive arc for the friend group rather than as its own standalone issue. The students involved aren't taught how to speak up (although the importance of doing so is thankfully stressed), and they weren't really listened to when they did. And while I appreciate how the girls -- and guys -- bonded together to take action and where the group landed in the end, the subplot that got them there just felt like a puzzle piece being forced to fit.

This subplot aside, I really adored Markum's debut and can't wait to see what she writes next.


Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an earc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I requested This May End Badly as soon as I saw that it was being marketed as a YA dark academia rom-com, and I truly think it lived up to that comparison! While I'm admittedly in the minority in that I'm not usually a fan of the fake-dating trope, I found that I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it in this book. The prank war aspect was really fun as well and I loved seeing how creative some of the students got with their prank ideas!

Furthermore, I also loved how, while this book was in many ways a cheesy and fun teen rom-com, it didn't shy away from discussing important and timely topics such as sexual harassment/assault and the outdated practice of segregating private schools by gender (i.e. all-boys schools & all-girls school). I personally went to an all-girls high school and this was something that I actually thought about a lot from time to time.

Overall, while this wasn't a jaw-dropping book by any means, it was still truly a delight to read and I would easily recommend it in a heartbeat. Four stars!

DNF at 53%

I committed six hours to This May End Badly and still ended up DNFing it. I really liked the idea of a school rivalry and thought the author played that up really well, but it should have remained the focal point of the story. There was just too much going on. And what was the deal with the pervy teacher? That subplot seemed REALLY unnecessary. The students kept bringing him up, so I'm sure something would have eventually happened with that, I just didn't stick around long enough to find out. I do think it should have been left out altogether.

Fake dating is usually a trope that I like, but it didn't work for me in this one. There was no chemistry between Doe and What's His Face. I think there were more sparks between her and her archnemesis than the guy she likely ended up with.

I think this book would have been better if it had been simplified just a little. A school rivalry, some teenage angst, and boom. Unfortunately, I was having to force myself to listen to this one "hoping" it would get better as it progressed. (Spoiler alert: It didn't.)

I also wasn't thrilled with the narrator. She wasn't bad per se, but I did find her voice to a be a little distracting.

Additionally, Doe was incredibly unlikeable, and I always struggle with books when I can't relate to - or at least understand - the main character. She was so selfish and never considered how her actions affected others. She wanted to talk about her friends and how close they were, yet she didn't think twice about them before doing whatever she wanted.

Some notes I made while reading:

Missed the mark
Immature
Didn't like why they were fake dating
Doomed to fail
No friendship would survive the fallout

It a nutshell, This May End Badly had too much going on and the main character was a selfish brat that didn't actually know what she wanted. She was too absorbed in herself to see what was happening around her, and her fake boyfriend clearly had ulterior motives of his own. Weird teacher subplot. (★★☆☆☆)

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the premise right from the start but was hooked by the characters. Doe and Wells were simply amazing, and I really enjoyed their journey. The writing was great, the pacing perfect, and the cast of characters very well done. This book tackled heavy issues in an approachable and intelligent way, and ended up being a heartfelt read that made me laugh and cry. I honestly wish this had been a series instead, because I don’t like the idea of not seeing these characters again.

This YA romance was such a surprise hit for me!

I thought for a minute that this would be an enemies to lovers romance, with a side of school pranking, but it turned out to be so much better than anticipated. From the fake dating relationship (with a character I didn't guess from page one) to watching as our female main character grew up, without giving up her passion; I enjoyed every single second of this book.

I can't wait to see what comes next from this author, and I can't stop recommending this book!

reading vibes: boarding school, rival boys school, pranking, fake dating, best friend groups, small towns

This book gave everything I thought a YA romance book about a prank war would give. It was cutesy, funny, and the boys school vs girls school is just hilarious. There was fun romance, though there were a few elements that I could have done without (cough the weird teacher cough), but I enjoyed this quick read overall.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy of This May End Badly! All opinions in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this YA romance! Fake dating is my favorite trope so I was drawn in immediately. I loved the prank war mixed with the boarding school setting. I also liked that there is quite a bit of character development. You see the main character grow over the course of her senior year and be able to use her influence for good.

4 stars

This was a fun YA read. I’ve always enjoyed books with boarding school/academic settings, so this one appealed immediately, and the contemporary story was fun and interesting. The protagonist was kind of the worst at times, but I was glad to see (some) character growth by the end of the novel. The ultimate conclusion was a bit of a surprise as I didn’t anticipate the direction the ending of the book was headed in, but I did enjoy it. It’s one that I’ll probably get a copy of in the future for my classroom library.

This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic.

Ok, I loved this so much. The characters and plot were ridiculously fun, the romance was adorable, the fake dating was done SO well, I’m honestly just obsessed.

This book has it all – rival boarding schools, prank wars, the aforementioned BRILLIANT fake dating (is it ok that I’m still falling for fictional high school characters??), a hilarious and wonderful friend group, as well as touching on some more serious topics.

A fun ride from start to finish, this is such a great example of why I still read YA as an adult. I highly recommend it!

Thank you so much Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This May End Badly by Samantha Markum checked all my YA bucket list items: boarding school setting and fake dating trope. Throw in a prank war, and this one was super cute.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

This book was slow at times, but I found the cast of characters and the setting to be very immersive. Wells is my favorite type- misunderstood “bad boy”. He’s a quiet, book loving, never-know-what-he’s-thinking pretty boy who you can always find in a big red chair in a local book store. I mean COME ON. It doesn’t get better than that. Doe is incredibly flawed but somehow never comes across as insufferable. Her friend group is fun, if a bit underdeveloped. They all blend together a bit. The pranks are fun to read about, but there’s plenty of heart to be found as well. Watching Doe absolutely train wreck her life in a matter of weeks is heartbreaking but believable. I LOVE the present and supportive parents, who aren’t stereotyped as out-of-touch authoritative figures, but also are hands-off besties. I feel like that’s a hard find in most YA novels. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC to review!

If you loved Lily Anderson’s The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You, I think you’ll love this witty, hilarious private school rivalry. Described in multiple early reviews as a fun, entertaining read, you might want to save this one for your Spring vacay–whether you take some time at home or go away– as it’s a perfect light read.

This was a cute book. There’s alot of characters to keep track of, but it gets easier as you go. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book, but overall I enjoyed it!

A cute and very fun YA book about a punk war between two same-sex schools. There is fake dating, college pressure, rivals, and a pretty good indictment on same-sex schools in today's world. I had fun reading!

I could not tolerate all the “dick pick” talk. I ended up DNFing because of it. I think there was a strong premise but I’m not here for teens acting super whiny and overly sexual.

I love a solid fake dating romance! Set in academies, this book made me want to go back to high school! It felt a bit young for me though, which it is a YA novel so this makes sense. Great characters and while some of the pranks were juvenile, it was still a quick and fun read!

Okay I have to admit, as a YA romance I wasn’t expecting much, silly me I know, but this book blew all my expectations away. I loved the banter, I love loved Doe and her friends so much and I even loved her fake boyfriend overall this was a really cute read.

In Samantha Markum’s This May End Badly, Weston girl, Doe, and Winfield boy, Wells, agree to fake a relationship to one-up their nemesis and Well’s cousin, Three. It’s a wonderfully written merger of the fake dating and enemies-to-lovers romance trope with a dash of friends-to-lovers thrown in. Doe and Wells inadvertently become friends and catch feelings for each other while pretending to date to get under Three’s skin. Markum’s dynamic writing style, vibrant and detailed description, vivacious and colorful dialogue, and deftly developed fascinating, complex, and imperfect but likable characters draw you in and keep you glued to the pages.

Doe’s gifted at creating pranks to pull with her BFFs/Weston Girls, with whom she’s determined to win the century-long war against their rival boy’s school Winfield Academy before their senior year ends. Unfortunately, plans for The Weston School to merge with their rival next year cause their longtime feud to go into warp speed, spiraling the school and their lives into chaos. So, Doe sets out to prove that Weston girls and Winfield boys don’t mix to protect her haven, starting with her nemesis Three, Winfield’s boy king. She makes a deal with Wells, Three’s cousin, that he will fake date Doe to get under Three’s skin, and she’ll help Wells get his rightful family heirloom back from Three. To keep up her end of their agreement, Doe lies to her friends and family to keep their relationship secret. And once the pranks between their two schools escalate, Doe’s feelings for her fake boyfriend, Wells, become genuine and intense. Ultimately, Doe must choose between winning the school rivalry or joining forces with their rivals when a teacher the Weston students have always suspected of inappropriate behavior hurts a younger Weston girl.

I love Three and Doe’s fiery, snarky, adversarial, cute, emotional relationship, which simmers with chemistry. Markum develops/displays Three and Doe’s fantastic chemistry with delightful, sweet, funny interactions and intimate conversations. Doe exudes disdain for the boys in the Wells family and the Winfield boys in general and fierce protectiveness for the Weston School and its student body. On the other hand, Wells presents a low-key, laid-back, aloof façade to the world that leads them to believe he doesn’t care much about anything. Intelligent, laser-focused, and obsessive, Doe can be self-centered and is all about the Weston School—her safe haven after her parents divorced. Unfortunately, she misses so much in life and what’s going on with the people in her life. She’s a frustrating character because she tramples on people’s feelings in pursuit of her objectives/goals, even though her motives may be good. A handsome, intelligent, brooding player, Wells is a fascinating, likable character who’s deeper than he appears, making you wonder what’s going on with him. This May End Badly is Does’ story, rightfully told in her first-person POV. However, Markum’s portrayal and development of Three make you want to hear from his POV and learn more about him.

A funny, angsty, sweet, and entertaining YA romance, This May End Badly is a multilayered story. It explores themes of friendship, anxiety, stress, found families, bullies, dysfunctional families, sexism, sexual predators, sexual harassment, school rivalries, falling in love, self-discovery, and taking risks. I highly recommend the novel for fake dating, enemies-to-lovers/unlikely allies, capers/pranks, and YA/Teen romance fans.

CW: Sexual harassment/assault, abuse of power

Advanced review copy provided by Wednesday Books via Netgalley for review.

For one, I definitely feel too old for this type of YA story with prank wars and school pride dialed up to 11. That's fair enough; I'm not the target audience and it's okay for this book to not be for me. What added to my discomfort with it though was the strict enforcement of the gender binary by the main character, whose feminism very much felt like a TERFy kind of "boys bad, girls good". As a non-binary person, this made me feel unsafe to continue the book, so I decided to DNF it.