Waverly needs to be the best so that she can provide for her family. Thats easier said than done when you go to the prestigious Webber Academy. She may finally have an allie with popular girl she jumps at the chance to trade places. Looking behind the curtain may cost her life. This is the Way the World Ends contains all the stereotypic cliches in all the wrong ways. From using a disability and sexuality as the only traits for a main character to not giving the secondary characters any depth. Every attribute felt as if t was meant to check a box and not given in authenticity. There was no chemistry or organic flow to the story and everything felt forced. The ending will ony frustrate the reading because the journey was not worth the ending.

I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. I really liked that it is diverse and includes topics such as LGBT+ and a person with a disability. I loved the twist and turns. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

Jen Wilde's This is the Way the World Ends gives the reader a glimpse into the must-attend party of the world of elite teenagers in New York City via the main character, Waverly. She is a neurodiverse student on the social fringes at one of the most elite private schools in the city. Waverly holds her place there through scholarships and tutoring her much richer classmates. One of these classmates offers Waverly a chance to take her place at the annual Masquerade ball, Waverly accepts quickly without factoring everything that could go wrong if her identity is discovered, not only by her classmates but her secret ex-girlfriend, Ash.
At the party, Waverly stumbles upon a secret meeting between the school's dean and the top donors to the school and watches in horror as someone is murdered. As she panics and tries to escape for help, the entire world falls to darkness when the power seemingly goes out everywhere. With the help of Ash, Waverly navigates through the lavish labyrinthine building hoping to find away out.
The story was interesting as it unfolded, but sometimes the reader struggles to connect with Waverly. There are some points that were distracting from the overall plot, such as diving into characters that were minor players in the overall story. The mystery/thriller aspects were good, but in places it felt like Wilde was trying to do too many things rather than move the story along.

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This novel fully encapsulates a teen's voice and anxieties. The beginning starts slow with basic teen drama: an unrequited love, issues with fitting in, and them versus us controversies. The voice is on point! It adds some depth with its awareness of the impact of poverty and the complexities of inclusivity in a world designed to reward those who "have." There are portrayals of queer romance, autistic coping, impacts of chronic disease, being other, and the classic mean girl controversies.

Then, the second half is where it goes off kilter. What is designed to be a thrilling, plot-driven escapade of adventure and heroism is just so unbelievable that it falls flat. Without revealing any spoilers, let's just say that while the overarching event is believable, the manipulation of the antagonist is just too far off to be believable as is the ability for a few young girls to overcome impossible odds. Nonetheless, it is likely to be a quick read for many. It reaffirms that strength comes in all different capacities and that moral behavior in the pursuit of protecting one's family and friends is of greater importance than selfish behavior for sole survival.

Enjoy, my friends!

I've enjoyed Jen Wilde and her books in the past, so I was really excited to read a thriller by her. And this ended up being a really fun, entertaining and fast paced thriller.

I love how diverse her books always are, and this one was no exception. For example, Waverly's queer and autistic, while Pari has chronic pain, bisexual and South Asian. I also loved the private school setting in New York City.

I usually enjoy the romances in Jen Wilde's books, but this particular one was left to be desired. I don't think the romance was needed this time around; this should've just focused on the thriller and the action. Like I didn't care much for Waverly and Ash's relationship or their backstory.

Lastly, I felt that there should’ve been more to the ending, like once the major climax was over, it just…kinda ended abruptly.

So all in all, this wasn't my favourite, but this was still an enjoyable read and I'm still going to read every this author comes out with.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly I DNF this book. I know I gave it two stars and that’s because there was nothing wrong with the writing or anything like that. I just felt maybe the story was a little young for me or I just couldn’t connect with it. I had a feeling there would be mystery but if there was, it didn’t come fast enough.

This is a tale of heartache, love, and a need to understand and be understood that gets completely flipped on its head when our protagonist, Waverly, looks for the answer as to why her first love left. This was so compulsively readable and I highly recommend diving right in.

… It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
And I feel fine


When I saw the words "elite private school" and "epic masquerade ball" in the synopsis, I knew I had to read This Is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde. Also, throw in some end-of-the-world doom and gloom, and it has to be good right? I am going to have to go with a meh on this one. The idea was there, it was just the execution that was way off for me. The storyline felt all over the place, and it was like the author couldn't decide what they wanted the book to be. There were too many things mashed together for me, and I wish it had been a little less dramatic. There are some very valid, and current-day subjects in the book, but then some absolutely ridiculous things happen that I felt took away from what the essence of the story was supposed to be.

I'm not sure if I would have been able to keep going had it not been for the audiobook and the narrator Jesse Vilinsky. She has a younger-sounding voice, so she made the perfect Waverly, and while her tone for men and boys is kind of funny, I really enjoy her narration and she did a fine job on the audio. I couldn't go above a 2x speed on the app I was listening to, but for you fast listeners out there I can tell you that the speed could easily be turned up to a 3x. Her pacing is a touch on the slower side without being TOO slow, so it didn't kill me to listen at the 2x. While This Is the Way the World Ends was a little too over the top for me, I do recommend it if you are looking for queer and disability rep in books, and I really liked having an MC with autism. I saw plenty of people who enjoyed it, so don't let me stop you if you think it sounds good.

I was late reading this, so I ended up listening to the finished audiobook copy from my library. I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, but I ended up having fun. The main character was really well developed and I loved all the twists and turns. Some of the twists were a little out there, but I really just had a good time listening to the story.

It isn't you, it's me 😬

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. It wasn't quite was I was hoping for based on the synopsis. That isn't to say this isn't for someone though, because I definitely think it has its audience. Unfortunately, that audience wasn't me. I just didn't vibe with the writing style, or the content. That said, I do think it's awesome to see both queer and neurodivergent rep, and I think this would be a great boom for young adults (the intended audiance) exploring these topics!

This book was nuts. I feel like it's kind of two different books sandwiched together, and I really can't decide if it works. I think it's definitely an interesting story, but I also think the synopsis was a bit misleading because I went into this expecting a normal mystery and that is simply not what this is.

I think the autistic rep in this book is really well done, but I do think it might have been mentioned a little too much. I think this is honestly just a writing thing, and not a reflection of the actual autistic rep.

I liked Waverly a lot. She felt real and unique, and I enjoyed being with her throughout the story. I also liked the secondary characters, particularly Pari, but Waverly really stole the show.

Honestly I do not know how to feel about this book, and I might change my mind later, but overall the crazy plot kind of dampened my enjoyment. oh well.

The premise of this book had me intrigued: Cinderella moment at a masquerade ball gone wrong when there's a murder and all the technology isn't working.

The representation in this book was great. I really enjoyed the character of Waverly. She was not your typical private school student, instead she was on scholarship, her parents worked at the school, she lived in Queens, and she was queer. To stay under the radar, autistic Waverly keeps her nose down and endures the harsh treatment from the school bullies. She's also hiding a past relationship with the Dean's daughter who moved to another school. Waverly's best friend Pari was a POC, bisexual, disabled, and an all around kick-ass person. Her interactions with Waverly were great and I really enjoyed their dynamic.

Where this book kinda lost me is Caroline's involvement in everything, and just the craziness that ensues after the murder.

Jen Wilde does it again. Waverly's story was incredibly engrossing. I was guessing until the end. Truly a thrill ride.

The neurodivergent and LGBTQIAP+ rep was inspiring. I couldn't ask for more in a YA thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I absolutely loved the autism rep and the way the story took a dystopian turn. I love prep school settings and thrillers and this had everything I crave in a YA thriller! Top Notch!

Waverly is a scholarship student at one of the most prestigious schools in New York. Wanting nothing more than to fit in for a night, Caroline gives her a chance to attend a masquerade as her. What begins as a perfect deception turns into a night that no one sees coming.

This book starts out realistic before diving into a dystopian world. The book contains a variety of characters from all different backgrounds. A must read for teenagers/young adults.

The beginning of the story starts off so awesome and sucked me in but the second half just wasn’t for me. I loved the diversity, but the plot was far fetched and lacking for me.

So This Is The Way The World Ends is a YA romantic/suspense read? Not sure what it is honestly in terms of genre. I was expecting more of a murder mystery to be honest.

The first half here (maybe the first 1/3rd) is more like a cute romantic queer book.

Waverly agrees to go to a masquerade ball where everyone will think she’s rich and popular Caroline. Waverly wants go to talk to Ash her ex girlfriend who she has heard is in town and going to the ball too.

This part was fun and cute.
Then…it turns onto some climate control social commentary about the world ending and although the action picks up 100% it was so rushed and crazy and really unbelievable.

It’s a shallow plot point for me really and it is the plot. I didn’t hate this book at all, but I didn’t love it although it does have potential. 2.5 ⭐️’s and I do appreciate an early copy.

It was a quick read with fun characters.

“This is the Way the World Ends” was a page turner unlike anything I’d read in a while! Reminiscent of divergent and to all the boys I’ve loved before, this books slots perfectly in between for a fresh take on climate crisis, equity, and love. Will 100% buy for my classroom and recommend to students!

I was super excited to get into this book since it has a unique storyline but felt the description misguided my idea of what exactly this is about. Many of the main events are referenced until a good way into the novel. I absolutely love love love diverse stories but found the representation to be too forced. Overall, I just wasn’t interested in the storyline’s execution or characters.

I was drawn I to this apocalyptic dystopian book and could not stop reading it. It’s very well written and entirely plausible scenario. I was at first shocked by the brutality of what was happening, but it could happen exactly the way it’s written. Brave friends to stick together. I hope we don’t face this in my or my children’s lives.