The premise of this book sounded great, but the execution was a bit of a miss for me. It felt unbalanced in the writing, and the storyline had quite a few places where rooms in the masquerade or events were described as though they were going to be important but ended up never being mentioned again in the grand arc. I wish Wilde had circled back on the purpose of the maze, and the lack of acknowledgement from Webber about Frank’s death (which Jack made seem like a really big deal) and what that meant for The Gateway was a little confusing.
I did enjoy the teamwork of the girls as they try to figure out a way out of the sewing factory, and I hope there’s a sequel, as I’m curious about the aftermath of the evenings events.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the ebook arc.

Can a few teenagers save the world? That is the premise of this novel. I was intrigued by the premise, and plunged into the book with great expectations. However, while I enjoyed the book, it did not quite measure up to my hopes for it. Not to say it was uninteresting, far from it. There was a lot of intrigue, some unexpected happenings, and some surprises.

An autistic young woman, Waverly, wins a scholarship to a posh school and struggles to fit in among the wealthy students. While some snub her as beneath them, others befriend her. Caroline comes from money, and her father is the dean of the Webber School. As the students prepare for the coming Masquerade Ball, excitement permeates the atmosphere. Caroline invites Waverly to go to the Ball in her place, claiming she is sick of the formal parties. Waverly is unsure of herself, but since she will be wearing a mask, she decides to do as her friend asks.

Thus begins the mystery and intrigue at the Ball. Something is going on. Something is not right. Waverly and her friends begin to question what is happening and are determined to find out. And find out, they did. If you want to find out, you should read this book. It is a fun read, with plenty of surprises.

The concept of the story was interesting. However, the writing wasn’t for me. I think the novel may work well with a younger audience. Thank you for the kind opportunity to read this book.

Waverly is an autistic scholarship kid at an elite private school. She’s used to masking in order to fit in, and she’s only able to stay in school due to a scholarship and the generosity of the dean. When she’s asked to attend the annual masquerade disguised as her tutor student (and very popular student), she jumps at the chance. It’s a beautiful gown, and her secret ex-girlfriend who ghosted her last year will be there. What starts as a dream turns into a nightmare as a massive blackout and a mysterious meeting of the dean and the school’s top donors lead to murder and mayhem.

Definitely recommend if you’re into Jen’s books, and also it’s a great place to start if you’ve not read their books before (honestly any place is a good place to start). With autistic, queer, and disability rep, I was all over this one! Plus…intrigue.

As someone with a not visible disability and also sensory processing sensitivity, I saw some of myself in these characters, and if it’s validating for me, a grown ass adult, it’s gotta be even more impactful for kids and young folks out there.

This Is the Way the World Ends is a dystopian apocalyptic story of an elite private school's big annual Masquerade and what the event hides. Waverly is a scholarship student from Queens who attends Webber Academy. Her parents have little money, so her ability to attend Webber is a great opportunity for her. At the same time, her parents are also provided jobs, which benefits them all, especially because her mother suffers from chronic pain. Waverly tutors students to make some extra money. When she gets offered the chance to pretend to be someone else so she can attend the Masquerade, she takes the chance, but will it be everything she expected? This was a riveting, captivating and incredible read. It's set in New York City but creates an alternative world to what New York City is today.

This is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde
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Waverly is a scholarship student at a prestigious academy in New York. Tonight is the night of a fancy ball the Academy throws. Usually it’s only the wealthy that attend, but Waverly is offered a chance to go in someone’s place.
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This is a rough one for me to review because I really struggled to enjoy it. It was somewhat over the top and I just didn’t care for any of the characters.
Part of this may be that I listened to the audiobook and the narrators voice grated on me a bit. But I also think I did not enjoy being inside Waverly’s head.
I wanted to love it but it was a miss for me.
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2.5⭐️⭐️💫

I think this book had a great concept. I mean, a Cinderella-esque ball featuring a queer, autistic MC that starts off as something akin to Gossip Girl and transitions into an apocalyptic nightmare? You have to give credit where it's due, and Wilde takes readers on a real journey with that.

I think this is one of those scenarios where I'm not the target audience. While on the surface this book seemed right up my alley, this is a young adult book that reads a little too young for my taste–and that's completely okay! I'd still watch the movie adaptation if it ever happened tbh.

If you're someone looking for a unique YA book with the elements I mentioned earlier and pop culture references abound, I think you should check it out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.

➽ <b>I loved our main character: Waverly.</b> She’s only able to attend the prestigious Webber Academy because of a scholarship and the generous help of the founder. Waverly is determined to use her chance to get into a good college and become a doctor who helps anyone who needs care. She’s grown up with a chronically ill mother and in a loving, but poor family – some <b>Waverly sees firsthand how the greed of corporations exploits and harms people like her</b>. It was easy to emphasize with Waverly, as she’s trying to do her best to succeed, even when she’s surrounded by people who have more power and privilege than is good for them. She’s also autistic and a lesbian, so Waverly is aware how vicious society can be against her. When Caroline offers to switch with her, so she can attend the ball in her place, Waverly isn’t too sure about it. In the end, it’s her only chance to come, as she wasn’t formally invited!

➽ <b>The secondary cast is amazing as well!</b> Waverly’s best friends at school are <b>Pari and Frank</b>, some of the only people who don’t come across as arrogant and elitist. Pari is from a wealthy family, but she’s not like the other rich kids and a good friend to Waverly. She’s chronically ill and uses a cane as a mobility aid. <b>Frank is another scholarship kid</b> and a real genius, but he’s also super caring and always there for his friend. An unlikely ally comes in the form of <b>Caroline</b>, the daughter of Webber’s closest associate. You might expect her to be the typical mean girl, but Caroline is a nice person who Waverly thinks might even become a friend. And then there’s <b>Ashley … Webber’s daughter and Waverly’s secret girlfriend</b> who left without a word and broke her heart. When she appears at the party, Waverly is determined to get some closure, even though her heart is still hung up on her …

➽ <b>The blend between Thriller and Apocalypse was amazing!</b> Not only does the masquerade ball reveal sinister secrets about Webber Academy and its wealthy contributors, but there’s also a <b>massive world-altering event</b>! Not saying more because of spoilers, but there’s an apocalyptic atmosphere, as the world as we know it changes in an instant. There are also many great discussions about privilege, power and <b>how the elites create a world that serves them and excludes everyone who is different</b>. Waverly has first-hand experience with that as a lesbian, autistic teen whose family is barely scraping by. While the Academy serves her with opportunities she never could have gotten otherwise, she’s still an outsider and the elites will always protect their own power and preserve the skewed system because it serves them. I almost wish the book was longer/we had a sequel because I would love to see more of the fallout of the event that happens 👀

<b>IN CONCLUSION.</b> ➽ <i>This is the Way the World Ends</i> is a <b>fantastic blend between thriller, party and a truly apocalyptic event!</b> The story was suspenseful and fast-paced from start to finish, so I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! I loved the main character Waverly and her friends, as they race to make it out of the masquerade ball alive!

i have absolutely no clue what the plot of this book was. it felt very mixed and jumbled together, while simultaneously bringing up modern-day buzzwords/trending topics on twitter.

as an autistic person, i was so excited to read about a canonically autistic person, but miss girl literally mentioned her autism (not traits, to be clear, but just literally saying she “is autistic”) like every other page that i was tired by the end of chapter 1. there was a very good depiction of the main character getting overstimulated about halfway through tho.

beyond this tho, there was just so much plotwise that didnt make sense or wasn’t wrapped up at all. we know why frank got a ticket but wdym he didn’t know how smart he was and was going to run gateway? what happens to the world? what is any of this “tech” that blocks the solar flare? this feels like the start of a group discussion, i’m sorry, i just have too many question

“Only rich white men would throw a party at the end of the world.” ~ Chapter Sixteen

This Is The Way The World Ends by Jen Wilde is the story of Waverly, an autistic, lower class lesbian teen who is attending a prestigious school on scholar ship. The Dean of the school has taken care of her and her family for ages, from what seems to be the kindness of his heart. She fell in love with his daughter and they had a beautiful romance, until one day without warning, she disappeared and never told Waverly why. Flash forward to the fancy charity ball the Dean throws every year. Waverly can’t afford to go, until her rich friend Caroline suggests that they switch places, and Waverly disguise herself as Caroline and have a fun night. But this is more than a fun night for Waverly, her ex girlfriend is going to be there and Waverly needs closure. But the ball and the Dean are not what they seem, not when a solar flare takes out all technology across the world and the Dean has a sinister plot….
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and fast paced, and had a diverse cast of characters. Waverly is such a scrappy, fun heroine, and she goes on such a good character arc. It was so interesting to read an autistic main character, I really saw myself in Waverly and how she handled things. She has a few meltdowns over the course of the book and they were so spot on of how a meltdown feels, especially all the little things adding up to the meltdown. The flashback scene where she’s trying not to info dump on her ex girlfriend was so relatable and realistic too!
I gotta say though I was a little disappointed to see the all to familiar phrase ‘I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding’ pop up. Jen Wilde is a seasoned author (I’ve been following her work since I was a young teen and she was writing on Wattpad) so to see such an obvious pitfall was a bit disappointing. Not enough to affect my opinion of the book though.
I loved the disabled representation in this book. Waverly is autistic, and her mother had multiple sclerosis. Her best friend Pari has Ehlers Danlos syndrome. The rep felt so natural and I loved the discussions of how doctors don’t take women’s pain seriously, especially BIPOC women.
Spoilers ahead!
There were a couple plot points I was confused on. Like if Ash had been drugged when everyone else was, why were the effects not visible when everyone else’s were? And how did she recover so quickly from being drugged???
Other than that I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Wilde’s future books! 4/5 stars.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Waverly is autistic and a scholarship student at the Webber Academy in New York City. She's used to try to fit in, getting on tutoring gigs and through the generosity of the school's dean. So when her tutoring student asks her to attend the school's fundrasing Masquerade party disguised as her, Waverly accepts. Mostly so she can see Ash, the dean's daughter and her ex secret girlfriend. The Masquerade is everything she could have dreamed of, with charming patrons, champagne, amazing gowns and so much more. But she only wants to reveal herself to Ash. Before she could do that, she witnesses a meeting between the dean and one of the school's donors and she witnesses a murder. Before she could escape and alert the authorities, though, a global blackout put the entire party into lockdown and Waverly, Ash and her friends must navigate secrets passageways and back rooms in order to escape and survive the night. With all technology wiped out, what kind of world will they find once get out of the school?

In this brilliant and engaging debut thriller, Jen Wilde describes a masquared turned into a nightmare, between a murder, global technology failure and the fight to survive in a school filled with secrets and dangers. Waverly is a magnificent character and it was really realistic how she struggled to fit in a school filled with rich people, trying to hide her autism and how she gets by. I love this kind of thrillers, filled with secrets and people trying to survive and how there's always something more to the eye.
Besides, living in a world without technology would put basically everyone in a state of panic and I truly love how relatable that was and how, mixed with these moments, there are funny and sweet ones and a cute queer love story. Or potentially love story.

Waverly, a student at the elite Webber Academy, does not have much in common with her wealthy peers, but she makes her way with hard work and tutoring for extra cash. The head of Webber has taken a shine to her and appears to want her to succeed. He hired her parents and helped with her mom's medical issues. Waverly is given the opportunity to attend the school's exclusive masquerade ball disguised as Caroline, a popular girl that she tutors. Waverly, who usually would not be excited about something like this, decides to go in the hopes of talking with her ex, Ashley, the headmaster's daughter, who ghosted her for unknown reasons months ago. Things get pretty weird at this ball. It becomes clear that something is going down in the outside world (chaos, fires, loss of electricity and cell phones), and the security inside is intense! The super-wealthy parents and the head of Webber appear to be up to something quite sinister.


Main character is neurodivergent and queer. Her best friends are diverse and the other characters read white.

I would categorize this as thriller/horror.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book.

Overall, not the worst book I’ve ever read, but I would not recommend. I have nothing else to say.

"This Is the Way the World Ends" presents a dystopian science fiction novel that takes readers on a journey through a post-apocalyptic landscape. Written by an author with a keen imagination and a penchant for vivid storytelling, this book offers a unique perspective on humanity's struggle for survival in the face of impending doom. Set in the prestigious Webber Academy, the story follows Waverly, an autistic scholarship student who finds herself caught in a web of deception during the school's annual Masquerade event. While the book has its moments of excitement, it falls short in fully realizing its potential, resulting in a 3-star rating.

The premise of Waverly, an outsider among the privileged elite, attending the Masquerade in disguise is intriguing and offers an opportunity to explore themes of identity and societal inequality. The author succeeds in portraying Waverly's struggles to fit in and her longing for a connection with her secret ex-girlfriend, Ash. The initial setup builds anticipation for a thrilling and emotionally charged narrative.

During the Masquerade, the story takes an unexpected turn when Waverly witnesses a brutal murder and becomes entangled in a sinister conspiracy. The subsequent lockdown and the race to survive within a maze of secret passageways and hidden rooms add a level of intensity and suspense. The author skillfully creates a sense of urgency, and readers will find themselves eagerly flipping through the pages to uncover the truth.

However, the book falls short in fully capitalizing on its potential. The world-building outside of the Masquerade remains largely unexplored, with limited insight into the post-apocalyptic setting teased in the description. This missed opportunity leaves readers wanting more, as the promised exploration of a technology-wiped world fails to materialize.

Additionally, some plot developments and character arcs feel rushed and underdeveloped. Certain revelations and twists lack the necessary depth and impact, leaving the reader craving more emotional resonance and a stronger connection to the characters. The potential for exploring themes of friendship, love, and the aftermath of the global blackout remains largely untapped, resulting in missed opportunities for greater depth and complexity.

Despite its shortcomings, this book remains an engaging read, particularly for fans of young adult thrillers. The portrayal of Waverly as an autistic protagonist adds a fresh perspective to the story, and the thrilling events of the Masquerade provide moments of excitement and suspense. While the book could have delved deeper into its world-building and character development, it still manages to entertain with its intriguing premise and fast-paced narrative.

WHAT. THAT WAS THE ENDING?!

I loved the first half of this and I loved the suspense of the second half I just think that it needed another half. Like for real another hundred pages If not more because this book feels unfinished. I don't know if it's going to beat the start of a series or if it's supposed to be vague and open-ended but all of a sudden I looked at my audiobook and realized I only had four minutes left and I did not comprehend how that was humanly possible.

That being said, because it's written by Jen Wilde, of course all of the characters are amazing, at least the ones you're supposed to like. We have some phenomenal queer autistic representation in our main character and a ton of other disability rep and queer rep that is consistently highlighted. The story itself is interesting but I needed more. The premise is super cool but like I said, it needed a lot more to feel finished.

a fun thriller with some unique characters

thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this review copy.

This started out so strong with a neurodivergent character who was super relatable. This went an unexpected route and it wasn’t one I enjoyed. I wondered why this had so many poor reviews because it sounded amazing! But I do agree with the mediocre rating. Listened to it on audio and the narrator did a great job. Thank you to the publisher for my audio and digital copies.

This book has a lot of lower ratings on goodreads but I really enjoyed it! I loved that it featured a queer romance with one of them being autistic as well. It was definitely far fetched bur I don't think it was meant to be realistic. It was fun, very fast paced and just loveable. The characters were so great and I could picture them so easily. The first half of the book felt very different than the second half but I definitely enjoyed both!

Thank you netgalley and St Martin's Press for the earc in exchange for an honest review

including review post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CsEjMe5LI_5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Interesting slightly apocalyptic, slightly dark academia novel. It was a little slow to start but had good build up and a few intense moments. The ending was open-ended and I wanted a little more of what would happen next. Overall a fun read.