This Is The Way The World Ends by Jen Wilde was a wild ride! At first I wasn’t sure if this was the book for me (I’m not big into thrillers) but the fact that it was YA with a queer, autistic protagonist had me curious. I am so glad I read it!

Filled with your typical YA school drama that I’m a sucker for, fantastic supporting characters represented from other marginalized backgrounds and some romance, the beginning was good. Then about 40% into it, the twists and turns began and I was even more hooked. As much as I wish the book didn’t end when it did, it was the perfect ending and this book as a whole was fantastic!

I am new to reading Jen Wilde and I am a fan!

Thank you NetGalley, author Jen Wilde and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

I read this a few weeks ago and I barely remember anything. Was fast and chaotic. I liked the representation especially of chronic pain but this book just felt too everywhere and super unrealistic.

This Is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilds is a really interesting young adult novel that I really enjoyed.

The main character, Waverly is a queer young woman with autism. I absolutely LOVED the way the author portrayed Waverly. This was definitely a character driven story with Waverly at the center.

Definitely part YA and part dystopian, the author brings readers on a wonderful and fast paced adventure with well written diverse characters.

Review will be live 5/7/23

I do love books that feature the potential end of days, don’t I? I have at least three happening in this post alone, in fact! This one was a little different than the others, and definitely worth chatting about so… let’s!

What I Loved:

-It features a queer, autistic main character. That is a win right there, yes? Extra because the author is both queer and autistic also! Add to it, I quite liked Waverly as a character too.

-Who doesn’t love a masquerade ball? I mean, that is cool! And then you tell me that shit’ll hit the fan during said ball?! Yes please! Fancy apocalypses are kind of the best!

-The story itself kept me intrigued and reading. Look, I wanted to know what was going on, full stop. So the author definitely did a good job of making the stakes high and the story exciting and readable. The action is pretty on point, and entertaining. And, I enjoyed Waverly enough to want to know her fate (and that of her friends).

What I Struggled With:

-I read some reviews that talk about the author maybe trying too hard to appeal to teens, and I have to agree. Part of this is a personal thing, I don’t love an overabundance of references to current cultural icons and media, as it has a tendency to date the book. It also really takes me out of a story, and again, I am not even sure why, it just does. And there is a lot of it in this book, and it isn’t like, necessary to the story in any way.

-I wish we’d delved into Waverly’s autism a bit more. She tells us about it a lot, but we don’t actually get a sense of what she is dealing with. There were a few very random moments where her autism shone through in her behavior, but it was incredibly inconsistent, and I didn’t just want her to tell the reader she was autistic. I hate being nitpicky about this because this is #ownvoices, but as someone who works with kids with autism every day of the week, I know it is more than just a stereotypical “clapping excitedly” and then sis can go about her life totally fine even during super stressful situations. So I guess I wish we were shown instead of just told.

-It requires a lot of suspension of disbelief. I just didn’t buy a lot of what happened in this story, especially in the second half of the book. As such, I can’t say a ton about why, but I’ll do my best. Basically, the “bad guys” were just… over the top? And their reasoning didn’t make a ton of sense? Also, I felt like a lot of questions that I personally had went unanswered.

Bottom Line: It was entertaining and intriguing, though I did feel a bit let down by the reveals.

This book was not for me. I think this is an age thing, because I would have enjoyed it more as a teenager than I did today, and that's totally a me thing rather than a book thing. I liked Waverly and I liked that the autism rep was really well done, but that's about where it ends for me.

First of all, this book was very political, and that totally pulled me out of the story. And that's really saying something because I 100% support the politics the book is pushing, but it just felt like it was all telling and no showing, making it seem very performative.

The actual storyline was super confusing and the pacing was off in the middle to the point where I had to force myself to keep reading. And then there's just a tonne of stuff that doesn't make any sense. For example, there's an evil lair type situation with a maze and a video that is playing on a loop for some reason that isn't explained, and a diorama of the evil plan in the middle and initially the space is supposed to be for adults only but it doesn't seem like the adults ever actually make it there. So it was just a very elaborate way of displaying the evil plan that only Waverly ever sees? Make it make sense.

This was a very frustrating read for me because, again, I was really invested in the MC. She's the only reason I kept reading. But the plot was just all over the place and totally ruined it for me.

This Is the Way the World Ends is a YA thriller that unfolds during a elite private schools masquerade ball. The story includes characters who are neurodivergent, or have chronic illnesses which were handled respectfully. Waverly is a scholarship student who is attending the ball incognito hoping for a second chance with her ex-girlfriend. As what the significance of the night and the ball is eventually discovered by Waverly, she and her friends must work together to save each other. The story turns into a full out action filled story in the second half of the book. The story was chaotic at times. I found it hard to understand some of Waverly's actions. The story hinges on the fact that no one in the government knew in advance about the apocalyptic event that would be happening that night, which bothered me. I guess I needed this part of the story explained more.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

While I thought this story had an interesting premise, it ended up just not being for me. A young girl changes places with her rich friend in order to attend a masquerade ball she could never afford otherwise. While at the ball, Waverly (I love that name btw) witnesses a murder, then there is a global blackout before Waverly can figure out what to do about what she saw. In the ensuing chaos, Waverly and her friends have to figure out how to escape the party.

I liked the beginning where we meet Waverly and her two best friends Franky and Pari, however, once they arrive at the party things just start going bananas.. like completely bonkers. There is a murder, and a global blackout, and most of the adults at the ball seem to be a part of this villainous plot and the girl whose place Waverly took at the party seems to be key to everything. I just felt like it went too far with too little explanation of how we got there, I also really didn't connect with any of the characters, and I just felt myself not caring what happened to any of them.

This premise of the book immediately caught my attention. I was excited to read a suspenseful book featuring a queer character who was also Autistic. The way Wilde depicts Autism was authentic, and the first 50% was really solid. I enjoyed the Gossip Girl meets Cinderella vibes. However, the "suspenseful" aspect gets too over the top and oddly dystopian... like to the point where it is absurd and made me lose interest. As with other reviewers, I also think that this book tried to cater too much to Gen Z readers by being overly "woke." I am all for representation, and I think that some of the characters were well done; however, it also seemed like the author just threw a bunch of identity traits together for the sake of it. I am walking away from this one having enjoyed the characters and prospect much more than the executed plot.

This wasn’t what I expected it to be—which isn’t necessarily bad, but it also wasn’t necessarily good. There was a lot that I liked. But there was also a lot that could have been better developed.

I heard the premise and it immediately sounded like Cinderella if it was a queer disabled modern-day thriller—and with a pitch like that, what’s not to love? Waverly, the story’s lead, is queer and autistic and still pining after the girl who ghosted her and mysteriously fled to London. Her mom has MS, and her best friend has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). As someone who has hEDS and is neurodivergent, I was beyond thrilled to see the representation at the start of the book. But what started as casual representation quickly morphed into side characters whose only traits were their disabilities—and you are reminded of this every single time the disabled side character is on the page. While I did feel like disability was dealt with sensitively, I would have really liked to see more emotional depth from each of the characters. The writing lacked the necessary emotional weight to really carry the plot and endear you to the characters.

I liked Waverly well enough as a main character. And unlike the side characters, she was well developed. Her autism was a part of her that impacted every aspect of her life—and I think the story did an excellent job of showing that. I know the author wrote from her own experience and you can definitely tell that they put so much heart into the story.

The plot was somehow like nothing I’d ever read before and too cliche for my taste. The writing reminded me a great deal of The Selection by Kierra Cass, if it took place in a modern day high school with queer kids. I never knew what was going to happen next, mostly because what happened next was always the next most dramatic, outrageous, unexpected-in-a-bad-way thing to happen. Every time something bad happened, I didn’t really care enough to worry about the characters. I especially disliked the love interest, Ash, who felt too complicit in the heinous acts of her father most of the story for me to root for her and Waverly to end up together.

Overall, this book was just okay.

*Thank you to the publisher and Wednesday books for the eARC! All views reflected are my own.

Traditional YA queer romcom with a neurodivergent main character which then turns into a sci-fi apocalyptic thriller towards the end which I wish wasn’t the direction the book went in.
Waverly is fortunate to attend one of the most prestigious prep schools, the Webber Academy, thanks to a very generous scholarship. Being a gay, autistic student, she struggles to fit in with the other students. As a low income family, she tutors other students on the side to make money. One of the students she tutors is one of the most popular girls in school, Caroline, who wants a break from her life. So when the annual masquerade ball comes around, they decide to let Waverly go in Caroline’s place. And Waverly sees it as her one chance to reconnect with her ex girlfriend, Ash. But nothing goes as planned and Waverly ends up seeing a gruesome murder during a worldwide blackout.
The supporting characters could have been fleshed out better and the ending was vague and inconclusive. I’m mixed about how I feel about it overall.
Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 3.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: YA LGBTQIA+ Mystery 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
This book is a wild ride and was not at all what I was expecting. It’s part mystery, part sci-fi dystopian fiction, and part second chance queer romance.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Crazy apocalyptic plots
Side plot of queer romance
Fast paced and interesting reads
Quirky queer FMC
Prestigious prep school setting
Masquerade ball with a murder
Quick one sitting reads

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Autism rep
LGBTQIA+ rep
Disabled rep
Diverse characters

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I enjoyed it but there was too much going on
I wanted more from the ending

dnf @ 24%. honestly, i didn't have any big issues with this book, i just wasn't vibing with it. i had no desire to pick it up, and it didn't feel worth forcing myself through. i would definitely consider picking it up again at some point, but right now i have so many other books i want to read and give my time to over this one.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All my opinions are my own.

I am a sucker for prep school/high school thrillers, so the minute I heard about this one, I absolutely had to read this one. I am so glad I did! Wilde crafts such a unique and interesting plot and story line. I loved how different it was from the typical plot line in these type thrillers. I was hooked on this from the first chapter. It was engrossing and enthralling. I could even feel my heart racing at times. This was great! If you're a thriller lover, you don't want. to miss this one. It's super good!

Book: This Is the Way the World Ends
Author: Jen Wilde
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with an ARC.


This is an end of the world book, in case you didn’t pick that up in the title. In this one, we follow Waverly who goes to an elite school in New York City. This is the place where anyone who is anyone goes and everyone wants to go to their school. She does not fit into this role. She is autistic and doesn’t come from a rich family, like pretty much everyone else. She becomes friends with the dean’s daughter. The school has this big fundraiser every year and it is a masquerade ball. Waverly and Caroline change places. Waverly goes to the ball and is in awe at everything. However, this awe is only a mask for a much darker backdrop. As Waverly comes to learn, behind all of the glitz and glitter, there is more than meets the eye and that it very well be the end of them.

This setup is amazing. There are so many moving parts in this story. We have characters who are part of this world and know everything. There are others who don’t fit into this role, but find themselves in situations that don’t fit them. Then, we have high society turning up dead or being found in a coma. We don’t know what is going on. We don’t know what is happening. We do know it is all connected to the school. This may just seem like a normal murder book, but it’s not. There is more than what meets the eye. We have secret societies, who will stop at nothing to make sure that they get what they want-even if that means killing their own.

We all of this setting up, but it was rather underdeveloped. The main plot did not become clear until about halfway through the book. Even then, it wasn’t always clear. The stakes are very high, but there were times that I could not feel it. The ending is a cliffhanger, so maybe there will be a second book that will explain what happens. The characters could have also been good, but like with the plot, they were underdeveloped. While I do appreciate the diverse cast, I feel like the author was trying to include everyone and lost the story in the mix of it. I would have liked to have more.

Overall, it was a middle of the road book for me. It needed something more to drive it home. The biggest thing was that it needed to be developed a little bit more.

This book comes out on May 5, 2023.

This book did not really do it for me. The beginning was a bit slow, and then all of a sudden, things started getting wild. The problem I had, though, was that I never felt like all these different instances, including the ending, were explained enough for me to see a whole picture.

This is just my personal opinion, and I feel like other readers could potentially really enjoy this book!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Waverly doesn’t fit in at Weber Academy. As a scholarship student from Queens, she’s taking on tutoring gigs to help pay her way to her dream of Yale Medical school, a dream that Weber can definitely help bring to fruition. So, when super popular socialite Caroline asks Waverly to attend the Weber Academy’s ultra exclusive annual ball in her place, Waverly awkwardly accepts, hoping that this glimpse into the rich and famous society of Weber alumni, donors, parents and students will be the chance she needs to finally reconnect with her ex-girlfriend who ghosted her months ago. But Waverly doesn’t expect is to see someone murdered, or to hear the nefarious plans the founder of Weber, and its dean, have for the future of Weber, and the future of humanity. Waverly has to find a way to get the Weber community to believe her, and to save the world in the process.

“This is the Way the World Ends” by YA author Jen Wilde was interesting, but I think it did take me a while to actually read this one. While I was initially interested in Waverly and her story, especially because she was a diverse character, she and the other characters were not developed fully. I became more invested once Waverly witnessed the murder, but the ending felt a bit rushed. The plot did feel a bit clumped together so it was difficult to tell what it was supposed to be exactly.

Overall, it is not a terrible story, and I hope to see more diverse characters like Waverly.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for this ARC.

This book started strong and didn't let up until the final page. I adored our MC, Waverly; she's autistic, queer, and poor, and attending an elite private school on scholarship where her parents work. In a Cinderella type turn of events, she gets the chance to attend a high-dollar dance where Waverly discovers an incredible conspiracy that makes her question not just who she can trust, but her place in this world. ⁠
This book is neither a light read nor a slow burn. It's fast, filled with adrenaline, and ⁠lots of WTH moments. It's part thriller, part high-tech, and it's hard to believe the majority of the book takes place in one frightful night. The cast of characters are wonderfully diverse, and I definitely recommend this YA thriller for your TBR!

3.5⭐s

TW/CW: There are probably some I forgot. I'm gonna do my best to list them all:
End of the world, separation from family, parent with chronic pain, mention of doctors not listening to patients when something is wrong, murder (three times, on page, in front of our main character), death of a loved one, stabbing (of others and the MC), blood, fire, anxiety, rats, dead bodies, vomiting, drugging, panic attacks.
Rep: Autistic lesbian MC, sapphic love interest, bi Indian-American side character with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome that uses a cane, Black side character, parent with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

"Only rich white men would throw a party at the end of the world."

I have mixed feelings about this. As you may know, I have been obsessed with Jen Wilde books since I first read Queens of Geek in 2017. In my review for Going off Script , I even mention that I began anticipating their next release as soon as I finished it. Four years later, I was thrilled to get an ARC of that next book.

I hate to say that it didn't live up to my expectations. Maybe thrillers/end of the world stories just aren't my cup of tea. While this isn't my favorite Jen Wilde book, I still enjoyed it. Once I really got into it earlier this week, I finished it in a few days.

This book will make you anxious. I had to take a few breaks from reading once things started to get intense.

The point of this book was well done, and going back to the epigraph after I finished reading made me tear up. I loved the characters we were supposed to love, and hated the ones we were supposed to hate. There's one death that I know was meant to make us feel something, but I didn't feel close enough to the character to really care.

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of it! There were some things I kind of saw coming, but some I was genuinely surprised by.

Does anybody else feel like they need a map of this place? I was so confused by how rooms and hallways and elevators connected to each other. Also, I need a short story or sequel or something because I have so many unanswered questions!

Overall, while This is the Way the World Ends doesn't live up to the hype I've had for it, it was still a good book and deserves a chance!

Quote is from an early copy and may not reflect the final version.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC of this!

This book wasn't quite what I expected it to be but I did have a fun time reading it. It did take me about 40% into the book to really get into it though. The first part was a little slow but I did appreciate some of the background info in general though. I also really love the diverse representation in this book. Not only did we have LGBTQ characters and nok white characters but we had disabled and autistic characters at that. I love seeing that as our world is more full of diversity than shown at some times. I just wish this book would have ended with more info on what was going to happen on the future of this story. It felt to open ended for a book that does not look like it is going to get a sequel.

“This is the way the world ends”~Jen Wilde

Got this as an ARC, quick YA read about a girl who goes to a private school on a scholarship ends up able to go to the prestigious gala as someone else to meet up with her ex. She stumbles into a secret meeting and realizes some aren’t who they seem. One thing leads to another and a whole lot of chaos but the world does seem to be ending around them as technology is crashing , they are trapped and who knows what awaits once they can escape the insane reality be created for them.
⭐️⭐️💫
Pretty predictable…

#julesbookshelf #netgalley #arc #bookstagram