This was a great read. From the start, the book included diverse characters that were authentic and true to themselves. While there is Roman e in the book, this story was more about forgiveness—between friends, family, and for yourself. There are several positive messages throughout this book that would be uplifting to any young adult. I would recommend this for young adults everywhere.

3 Stars.

Doe, short for Dorothy, is a senior at Weston, an all-girls boarding school. Doe is the leader of her pack, and continues on with the century-long war of the school next-door, Winfield, which is an all-boys school. Both groups play pranks on one another. Lots of teenage drama and bubbling hormones.This all changes/vamps up though when the school board announces that next year the two schools will be merging.

This book was cute, but I wasn't a fan of the foul language and the repeated mentioning of a box of condoms. A little too immature for my taste.

I really enjoyed this young adulation novel. I loved the plot line and I also could connect to the characters. I highly recommend this book.

This began as a very lighthearted read that I was super interested in because I am a sucker for fake dating and rivalries but as the book went on I saw how much more there was to it! The cast of characters Markum creates is expansive and they all have such interesting personalities! Doe is a great leading lady with SO much development that I loved!!! Wells was also just the sweetest ever and I was rooting for him from the beginning!! Doe and Wells banter and chemistry just absolutely pulled me in!! I loved them both individually and while at the start the sparks were there I LOVED seeing them develop their feelings into a couple that I just absolutely adored. I do like how the author tackled many issues in todays society but, this can be a bit tricky regarding inappropriate behavior of a teacher. I see the reasoning with how the characters are and how this was used as a rallying event for the friend groups but I held my breath for a few moments as this played out.
Overall, I think this is a great read and a fantastic coming of age book that I can see a lot of YA readers relating to!!!

Special Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press / Wednesday Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest review!

This book was well plotted and the characterizations were spot on. Because of this skill, it basically hides the medicine in the candy quite well. The prank war and fake dating trope are fun ways to draw readers in to the serious issues that the writer addresses that girls coming-of-age in the 21st century need to consider. One of the main points involves a teacher who essentially abuses his position of trust. I got chills reading this arc of the book because of how realistically it played out with the teacher, students, and admin to the point I wondered if the author had connections at my school. The book also addresses how important it is to have men at the table for the discussion of women's opportunities and rights and boundaries. One of the ideas that has been experimented with recently is breaking classes up by gender (again) as a means of improving instruction. This book addresses the pros and cons of both.The main character, Dorothy nicknamed Doe, is VERY intense and dogged. It's her most endearing trait but also her most exhausting one. Also, her last name is Saltpeter, which is nicely symbolic because she is a firecracker and she does have a certain emasculating edge to her. But I just can't read "saltpeter" without giggling.

It has been a HOT SECOND since I read a YA contemporary I liked this much!!! Doe is the most delightful main character. She's funny and intelligent and strong and stubborn and the worst, sometimes. But when she's the worst this book holds her accountable which is awesome. Messy main characters are why we do fiction.

Something else that stuck out to me here is the amazing knack for teens Markum has. Doe's voice never feels weird or out of place or like an adult is writing her. She sounds like a teenager, and acts like one. Specifically the way the characters cursed and spoke about sex was just. Pretty great. And I point this out because it tends to be what authors struggle with the most. Markum never once falters.

This book also nails it with diversity! There are tons of LGBT characters (I specifically loved how Doe's dad is bi just because we never get that in any book!!!! It's awesome!!!), characters from a variety of backgrounds (Shawn is Jewish!!!!!! I feel seen!!!). And when issues of homophobia and racism come up, they're treated with real, deliberate care. I see a lot of authors who write contemporary and try to side step racism and homophobia and sexism etc in their work, because it's easier than facing them head on. Well, Markum wastes no time. We love to see it.

Besides the crafty stuff I mentioned above, TMEB is such a soulful book. At the heart of it is Doe's relationship with her friend group, which was so beautiful and so real. These girls really love each other, which isn't always perfect adoration. Sometimes it's telling your friend what they need to hear, even if they don't want to hear it.

And, as a final point, I'd be remiss not to mention Doe's relationship with Wells. These two--they're adorable. I was always rooting for them.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for letting me get my hands on this book! I can't wait to see what the author brings us next!

It’s a tragedy of our age: media just isn’t fun anymore. Teen movies and shows are dark and gritty, and YA books have followed in the same direction. Bestsellers like Six of Crows currently dominate the genre, and that isn’t to say Leigh Bardugo’s masterpiece didn’t deserve its success, only that teens’ priorities have changed. But I’d be lying through my teeth if I didn’t say I miss the heartwarming teen romcom days of the late 90s and early 00s.

This May End Badly feels like its skeleton was made from that era, with the bones of a boarding school setting, a bitter girls vs boys rivalry, a moving friend group, and a love interest who reads smutty romance novels for the girl he’s supposed to be fake-dating.

Doe is a senior at the Weston School, an all-girls institution that has been her safe haven since her parents’ divorce. She and her friends are the most notorious pranksters at Weston, frequently pulling one over Winfield Academy, the boys’ school across the street and Weston’s longtime rival. Doe’s world falls upside down when she learns Weston and Winfield are going to merge to become a single school, and she acts in desperation: she strikes a bargain with Wells, cousin of Winfield’s kingpin and her archenemy: they’ll pretend to be a couple so that Doe can irritate Three, Wells’s cousin, and in return she’ll help him recover a family heirloom. As their lie gets deeper and the schools get closer to merging, Doe has to cement her priorities in place once and for all: the school she’s given her heart to, or the future she’s been refusing to imagine.

This book was a ridiculous amount of fun. I finished it in the span of one day, adrenaline rushing through me as I sped to find out what happened next. Doe is a refreshing character, and one who is all too relatable to the high schooler of today in a world that wants us to grow up and figure it all out when it feels like we’re still kids. Her mistakes don’t feel like character flaws, but instead like lessons we learn along with her.

A pivotal moment in the story — and Doe’s realization as a character — comes when a freshman at Weston confides in her about the inappropriate behavior of their gym teacher. When this was first hinted at earlier in the book, I was a little concerned, fearing that it would be treated as a footnote or a punchline and then ignored for the rest of the novel. However, when this was instead presented as the climax, I could sit back and breathe. Obviously, I won’t go into detail (find out for yourself when the book comes out in April), but the way Doe and the characters around her react to this revelation was a satisfying culmination to both their individual development and the development of the bond between them.

After rereading my advanced copy as many times as I’m allowed, I’m going to run straight to Barnes & Noble to preorder a physical copy of This May End Badly, and if you haven’t done so yet, what on earth are you waiting for?

This book was okay. It was really hard for this book to keep my attention. Not the worst book I’ve read but definitely not the best. 2 stars from me, unfortunately.

This May End Badly is a truly riveting novel that takes the reader for not one, but many rides. From the start of the novel there are several conflicts our protagonist, Doe, is up against: a rivalry between schools, a rivalry between genders, and a mischievous middle man (boy?) who has quite a bit up his sleeves. The reader follows as Doe grows as a character, understands the world around her in a different light, all while still sticking to what matters to her most. In the end, the novel isn't a coming-of-age, but more of a coming-to-purpose. Seeing a protagonist who believes they have a cause truly find and achieve their cause leaves for a very fulfilled read.

I will say, the novel is marked as a Teen and YA novel. I don't find this novel to be YA in my own reading, as it feels a lot younger than YA lends to. If I were to place this book for myself, as to when it would have not only made the most impact but also when I would have identified and chosen this novel off a shelf, it would have been in early high school, maybe even late middle. Where the focal points are rivalry, friendship and really nothing in between I feel this doesn't lend itself to a mature audience as much as YA might entail. I don't think that this make this novel any less rated E for Everyone but for those debating on reading, please note it does not read like most YA, but much more like a Teen would.

I also want to note that the novel overall has an interesting structure. There was a lot of confusion for me, as a reader, regarding the plot of the novel up to probably the fifth chapter. As a writer, I'm a big fan of the mystery that draws in a reader, giving breadcrumbs to keep readers engaged for a big reveal later, but it felt more like we were missing large character attributes and background, and this information felt almost pivotal to understanding the story and characters from the start. There are also so many main characters it is sometimes hard to follow which is which when there is the lack of character based structure in the beginning. Ultimately, everything makes sense before the middle of the book.

I am very impressed by Markum overall. This May End Badly is a debut novel that does in fact hit the mark, shows the incredible skill Markum has at her disposal, and begs the question of what else is in store for readers.

this was such a cute book. i loved it so much, it had me in tears and laughing at the same time! definitely highly recommend

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Fake dating! Boarding school! Pranks! Samantha Markum weaves a delightful story of the girls at Weston trying to stop the merger with the boys school across the street. The pranks are fun, the banter wonderful, and the friendships strong, but it's not all light-hearted. Markum also addresses predatory behavior of adults in these teens lives in a very real and honest way.

This was fake dating trope with funny banter and chemistry EXCELLENCE. I love love loved reading this and was super hooked throughout. The main character Dorothy was funny and her dedication to the rivalry between two boarding schools was entertaining. Even though she had many moments that made me want to scream it was realistic and genuine.

Her romance with Wells was sweet, hilarious and I had to take so many breaks to freak out about their cute moments. I can't wait for this release so everyone can get into this awesome rom com book which is now my new favorite.

This May End Badly is a very fun story about a war between private schools. One a men's only and one a women's only. The war is prompted by mostly two students (one on each side) and their friends help them out as well as a decades long feud. I loved the dynamics of this story, the men vs women aspect and the romance all bundled together.

There are some really great points made about segregation based on gender, feminist beliefs, and what it means to support other people regardless of anything specific aspect about them. Beyond the social aspects there are also some really epic pranks, great dialogue, funny moments, friendships that last a lift time, and heart.

I thought the story line was predictable, and seemed to follow a common outline. That being said it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story as I couldn't put this book down. I really enjoyed the romance and the building of the relationship as well as the aspect of the schools and students. I would like another story in this world in which more antics and pranks are played but maybe this time in college!

Solid characters + a fun plot + a hint of relevant social commentary = A great read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author and I am leaving an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of Samantha Markum's 'This May End Badly' in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the description of this book, I was instantly interested. Who doesn't like a classic love story with all of our favorite cliches -- enemies to lovers, fake dating, and a rivalry between an all-girl and all-boy academies?

I like how the book started. We are introduced to Doe and her band of warriors -- a bunch of girls so different from each other, but with a common love for one another and their school. As well, we were immediately thrown into the rivalry between the schools and we see how their lay of the land works and the history behind their clashing.

Because we started off in the middle of a prank war, I expected this book to be a much lighter read. Of course, it had its sweet and funny moments, but 'This May End Badly' grew darker the further into the book we got. TRIGGER WARNINGS should have been mentioned, I think, because at the end, I think that's what impacted the book. It was more than Doe's fake relationship with Wells, the boy from the rival school. As such, I think it was a little harder to care about their blooming fake-but-sorta-real relationship.

Great book about fake dating in a dorm for high school. Loved doe and wells and figuring things out. I loved her friends and trying not to have the schools merge. I loved the romance and hijinks done by both the girls and boys . I think the ending with the teacher made sense but it didn't really go with the story. It did bring them all together but over a pervy teacher ?I liked that doe wasn't perfect and did find love with wells.

I really enjoyed this book. Doe was not perfect, and neither was the story, but it had a lot of my favorite elements like close friendships and complicated motivations. I felt that Doe's flaws were realistic for her age and situation and she had the chance to grow appropriately.

This was a fun read for me. I loved the boarding schools setting for this fun and troupe filled book. You had rivalry, enemy to lovers, a spunky female lead, friendship, and great banter. I will say that I did not like that there was an adult male in a position of power trying to groom and manipulate young female students, that to me was a huge turn off and shouldn't be taken lightly. Otherwise good read!

This book was absolutely hilarious! I loved it and will be reading it again and again. It was a bit of an easy read, so I recommend to high school freshmen for sure. But overall, I loved the character development and the world building. The reader will fall in love with and alongside these characters on this hilarious ride through a long standing rivalry.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

This May End Badly checked all the boxes of a YA book I love getting caught up in. A tight night girl group, a “rival” group of boys that the girls have a love/hate relationship with, an elite boarding school, drama, and secret romances.

As I was reading this book, I kept getting Gossip Girl vibes with a hint of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before vibes 💎

This May End Badly is set to come out in 2022 & you’ll want to add this to your TBR pile! 📖 Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy!

P.S. I was *very* close to giving this a solid 4/5, but I felt like I wanted more in certain parts of the story with a few relationships and plot lines.

At first I really didn’t like Doe, she came off as immature and childish. She didn’t care who she hurt in the process of her pranks. She made terrible choices, burned a lot of bridges and had her careless, carefree attitude came off as rude to her friends. I get that her life was challenging but it made me think that she was using her pranks as a defense mechanism and I wanted to see so much more depth from her character. Fortunately, I got that character development I craved in the second half of the book.

At first, I didn’t like her and Wells being together because it seemed unfair to him to be used as a pawn in her fake relationship revenge prank. He was a good guy and I didn’t like seeing him get caught up in her schemes. Eventually, as she matured through the book it seemed to be a better fit as she started realizing life isn’t one big joke.

Trigger warnings, there is sexual assault by a teacher. I enjoyed the concept of being able to put aside past disagreements and look past differences to come together when it really matters to help someone in need. Unfortunately, I found it a little problematic that the teens didn’t tell authorities or even other adults like their parents about the sexual assault because they didn’t think they would be believed. I get the point the author was making for the sake of the plot and also that often times in real life assault survivors aren’t believed or taken seriously but it still is a tricky message to send to young readers.

In all it was a lighthearted read at first then got a bit darker and deeper in the end. It was a story about personal growth and friendship and is one many young readers will enjoy.