I love how well I could hear Wren’s voice while reading this. I also greatly enjoyed watching Wren’s journey unravel. Every step that Wren took made me feel like a proud parent. This was such a precious YA story, I gobbled it up in 3 sittings. I think this book is perfect for fans of Simon Vs the Homosapians Agenda, and You’ve Got Mail. It’s queer, YA, has Asexuality rep, has realistic teenage dialogue, anonymous identities, and cute fluff.

This gorgeous, witty, wonderful story of navigating life as an asexual person in a world that wasn't built for that, while also navigating grief, the future, and other normal high school senior experiences, is one that i will not soon forget about. Wren Martin means so much to me, and I wish that I could have had this book when I was younger. I feel like it would have helped me learn a lot about myself, wayyyy sooner than i did.

The dialogue was funny, the relationships built were deep and meaningful and i loved getting moments of opening up about things, especially the moment when Wren and Ryan are talking about Ryan's sexuality, and Leo and Wren's moments of conversation about cancer. Absolutely will be reading anything Amanda Dewitt writes from now on.

This was delightful. It helps that I *adore* a stubborn, difficult, not-self-aware-at-all, runs-entirely-on-spite-and-caffeine, sarcastic mc. Add in a dose of mistaken identities, an episotolary angle (honestly, that it's text/app messages is even better), and a healthy smattering of Pride and Prejudice inspiration and I was guaranteed to love it.

Wren won't be for everyone, but I absolutely love him. He fits perfectly into a subset of my absolute favorite characters (even though I don't really know why I love them so much.) I guess I find his stubborn, sarcastic, spite-driven, misguided personality and actions... charming?

Leo is charming in a much more traditional way, and he makes a great foil for Wren. Their interactions as they gradually and reluctantly get to know one another are heartwarming.

I really appreciate how Wren's asexuality is treated here. It's matter-of-fact and pretty much a non-issue, other than contributing to Wren's angst and anxiety about the pitfalls of high school dating. As someone who is ace myself, his thoughts on it felt very real. I also appreciated that he is ace, very opposed to romantic dances in general, and also grudgingly, thoroughly a romantic.

Amanda DeWitt has such a way with words. Her writing is effortlessly funny and charming and heartwarming and just perfection. I don't think I've read anything else by her so I'll be rectifying that immediately. Ha! Scratch that. Now that I look, I've actually read her other book, Aces Wild, and loved it too. For similar reasons. Well, in that case, I'll just anxiously await her next book because at this rate I'm guaranteed to love it.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing an early copy for review.

WREN MARTIN RUINS IT ALL is an endearing and enjoyable novel, so full of heart and charm. Not only is Wren an entertaining narrator with an attitude, but also filled a part of my heart that didn’t realize it was longing for to see myself on page with ace guy representation.
While I wish I hadn’t waited so long to finish it, I sincerely enjoyed the audiobook—the narrator did lovely—so I’m glad I got to listen to it.

Thank you to PeachTree Teen and NetGalley for providing a review copy.

I have similar feelings than I did about her debut Aces Wild; a lukewarm 3 stars.

• it's not a secret that teenagers are more online than ever, so creating a plot around a social media app that is about connecting with like-minded people together with an opinionated, sometimes judgemental protagonist is a smart move. I did genuinely enjoy how DeWitt included text messages and such in the story.
• What even is a "romcom" anymore, I don't understand how this label is applied anymore. What is it with these kind of "funny" books and the inclusion of death? Humor is subjective, so maybe that's just on me but the overall atmosphere was more that of a general contemporary coming-of-age tale, sad and funny moments included. I personally liked the somber parts but I am also a lover of sad books.
• Wren as a main character is... look, I was never really sold on his outwardly almost aggressive dislike of anything school dance and Leo related. It did not feel genuine and more contrived to make the plot work. But there is a lot of growing and learning on his part that was important for the story to work that did happen.
• On the flipside, his asexual identity was well established from the start and I liked that any anxieties he had came from other people and their perceptions and not from himself.
• Overall, the story has its charms and you could do worse if you are looking for recent asexual YA releases if a little bland.
• ( but was Leo supposed to be Latino??)
• The big reveal, however... what? lmao though

Super cute with a very sweet main character. Wren is the main reason I kept reading. Super funny and a super cute read it’s definitely worth a read.

I really enjoyed this book! There were some points where the main character Wren rubbed me the wrong way, but he shows a lot of growth as a person through the story in a way that I appreciated the execution of. The snarky dynamic between Wren and Leo, the one-sided rivalry uneven heaviness of it, is so much fun to read. Wren reads like an obnoxious teenager in the most entertaining way. I also really appreciate the way Wren's asexuality is woven into the story and sort of an impetus for the events while also not being the focus. It's a part of him, it impacts who he is and what he does, but it's just something he carries like everything else.
My favorite scene was the end of chapter 31 for reasons you'll have to read the book to find out.
My main complaint is it felt like a few things that were recurring throughout the story weren't properly resolved by the end, though I won't specific to avoid spoilers. Overall, though, the story does feel like it reaches resolution and I'm satisfied by it.
Big love to Leo, who is best boy and deserves all the love. Ten thousand lemon lavender cupcakes for you!

I had no idea how much I would end up loving this book when I began it, but by the end I knew this was a new favourite. It was incredibly heartfelt, and Wren is a fantastic main character, despite being flawed and not making the best decisions, you can't help but love him and root for him. This book was just a delight from start to finish - it's funny, thoughtful, a little cheesy and predictable but in the best way. The side characters were also so charming, and really brought the best out of Wren. It was also quite emotional to see the side plot, involving the death of Wren's mother a couple of years ago, and how he and his dad are dealing with that. I would highly recommend this book to anybody looking for a great YA novel, for something that is both lighthearted and emotional - very well written, and a lovely time.

As an ace person, I feel so happy reading books like this one, I think it is important that this kind of books exist, specially for YA that maybe don’t know about asexuallity and for the aces that want to read something reletable.

I didn't want to put this book down and when it ended I was devastated because I just wanted more. I want to continue and know what happens next!!!

Yeah the main character is asexual and yeah being ace has an impact on who he is and how he views his possible dating life and relationships and that spoke to me so much!
But also, there is so much more to Wren and to this story. This is about accepting love, it's about grief, it's about making decisions for the future.
It's a very well rounded coming of age story about a funny sarcastic and loveable character who had almost given up on a few things in life and who slowly gives them another chance.

"Wren Martin Ruins It All" is a blend of humor and compassion. Its witty narrative explores the challenges of love as an asexual teen. I enjoyed this book, but felt it could be very slow in places.

<b>My heart sinks just a bit.
Yeah, that problem is still there, that anxiety chewing on my heart from the inside.
"I don't know," I confess. "I guess I'll just have to-"
"Trust that if he really likes the real you, it means accepting every part of you?"
"—die."</b>

do you love the tropes inherent in miraculous ladybug, where each alter ego is dating another alter ego and they're all having angst about it? do you sometimes pick a guy to hate just because he inconvenienced you one time? is your cold, dead heart bitter against romance novels?

<b> I'm sitting with the chickens again, the SAT book open on a milk crate next to me, when I feel my phone vibrate. I try not to look at my phone when I'm hanging out with them — I feel like chicken-based wisdom is by nature anti-technology — but one of the lavender Orpingtons has been sitting in my lap for the better part of a half hour, and it's starting to become a hostage situation.</b>

then you need to pick up Wren Martin Ruins It All. just an absolutely silly romp with sleight of hand so good - we all know the twist, guys, if you read the summary you KNOW where this is ending up - that i found myself totally blindsided by the SECOND twist.

<b>I pick at the buffet table like a vulture on a corpse, eyeing the shrimp platter with undue consideration so I can pretend that I don't notice Ryan's cousin Caleb hovering at my elbow.
I don't know why he thinks I'm cool when no one else in the world does. I'm not sure how to make him stop either.
"Do you watch anime?" Caleb asks, his hovering intensifying.
"No," I lie.</b>

this was also just one of the most authentic depictions of teen friendships, family dynamics, and teacher dynamics i've ever read. wren skips 3rd period because the office ladies he TAs for just let him do whatever. he gets the shovel talk and it takes him seven business days to figure out that's what it was. he steals his best friends phone and then gets caught because she's stealing his. he works the shitty night shift at a holiday inn. it's just SCRUMPTIOUS.

and don't think you're immune from feelings, here, either. every once in a while you get hit with emotion so raw it hurts, and grief is actually the undercurrent holding the whole story together - how to move on after you've already moved on, how to keep living your life when you've already gotten past the immediate aftershock of loss and then the one after that, too.

<b>It's different, without my mom. Kinda like sitting next to an empty chair, waiting for someone to come sit down, but they never do. You don't mention it-what's there to say about an empty chair?-but you don't put the chair away either. You just sit with it. I guess a lot about losing someone is just sitting with it. There's not much else you can do.</b>

my bar for texting sections in books is HIGH, y'all. my suspension of disbelief has been ruined one too many times by a stray ROTFL from a supposed 16 y/o in an otherwise well written novel. and wren is just - truly one of the top five times i've ever seen myself in a protagonist. every time he is mildly distraught, he threatens to change his name and become a monk. god. he's so me it hurts.

<i>I received an ARC from Peachtree Teen and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

While I appreciate the YA romance genre, this book does not adequately frame the nature of its romance conflict beyond the standard plot-point of communication misunderstanding. It could have been significantly improved, particularly as a source of conflict beyond internal monologue of one character projected onto another.
Beyond this detractor, the book reads well enough although I do not find it to be compelling and fast paced enough given the lack of motivation of the main character (which is purposefully displayed) that leaks into the writing.

Wren Martin Ruins it all is everything i hoped it was and more, Wren Martin as a protagonist is compelling, dramatic and witty and a bit clueless to be honest but he's also very lovable and relatable. I really enjoyed the prose and it was such a fun ride and a breeze of fresh air of a read.
I keep getting remind of Simon vs the homo sapiens agenda which is one of my favorite book of all time but I also loved all the difference and the representation . The ace rep was honestly so good.
Definitely recommend this funny, quick and addictive read

Summary
Now that Wren Martin is student council president (on a technicality, but hey, it counts) he’s going to fix Rapture High. His first order of business: abolish the school’s annual Valentine’s Day dance, a drain on the school’s resources and general social nightmare—especially when you’re asexual.

His greatest opponent: Leo Reyes, vice president and all-around annoyingly perfect student. Leo has a solution to Wren’s budget problem—a sponsorship from Buddy, the anonymous “not a dating” app sweeping the nation. Now instead of a danceless senior year, Wren is in charge of the biggest dance Rapture High has ever seen. He’s even secretly signed up for the app. For research, of course.

But when Wren develops capital F-Feelings for his anonymous match, things spiral out of control. Wren decided a long time ago that dating while asexual wasn’t worth the hassle. With the big night rapidly approaching, he isn’t sure what will kill him first: the dance, his relationship drama, or the growing realization that Leo’s perfect life might not be so perfect after all.

In an unforgettably quippy and endearingly chaotic voice, narrator Wren Martin explores the complexities of falling in love while asexual.

WOWIE WOW WOW!

I am in love with this book. These characters captured my heart with their stellar & charming banter.

If you are looking for a character driven book, with a sarcastic & Asexual MMC who anonymously falls for someone online…then look no further!!

I appreciate the consideration of the topics/themes in the book. It is obviously the author wrote with caution & authenticity. Even with some darker tones in the plot, the story remains uplifting.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, & to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review!

4.5/5 (rounded up to 5)

CW: death of a parent (recounted), grief, cancer, acephobia

I would like to thank NetGalley and Peachtree for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Wren Martin is just your average teen who wants to abolish his high school’s biggest dance of the year. No big deal. And now that he’s student council president (by a technicality, but that doesn’t matter), he can finally set his goals into motion. However, his vice president and rival, Leo Reyes, is able to come up with a sponsorship from one of the biggest social media apps, Buddy, to help fund dance. However, as he secretly signs up for the app and is tasked with planning the dance, feelings blur towards Leo and the anonymous user he’s speaking to on Buddy, Wren has to figure out what he wants and put himself out there to fall in love while asexual.

Wren Martin Ruins It All is an interesting book because of the unique dilemma DeWitt places the book in. While the plot is kind of standard in the YA genre and thus a bit predictable, Wren’s distinct narrative voice helps provide a unique take on the typical plot as readers go through the book. Even if the plot is mostly predictable (though the plot twist near the end of the book had me surprised), DeWitt’s execution was very well done.

Another thing I liked about this book is the effort DeWitt puts into character development. By far, Wren has gone through a solid character development throughout the book. Not only does he learn what it means to fall in love while asexual, he also manages to probably address his past and learn to step outside of his comfort zone when it comes time to graduate. Adding to that by having to connect with Leo over their similar struggles, you get a well-rounded character development for our main character, Wren.

If you’re a reader looking for a YA book that’s similar to Love, Simon by Becky Albertalli, I would absolutely recommend giving Wren Martin Ruins It All a read.

Positively screaming right now. bouncing off the walls, even!!

Wren Martin Ruins It All is such a funny, heartfelt, and an incredibly frustrating book to read (for all the good reasons). The writing is just amazing, I actually loved Wren's voice! Normally I'd roll my eyes and try to push through a sitcom-y character narration, but Wren has that chaotic loser dork energy that quickly made me love him from the opening scene. What a guy (he's literally me). I like how genuine he sounds, how I'm able to understand him as a person, and he's just really randomly funny. I did laugh out loud while reading, and it's very embarrassing when your parents are literally right there watching the news on unfortunate events.

Also: ASEXUAL MALE MC!!! I love him, he's so true about everything ace (even though my personal preferences of sex-related things is very complicated) and he's so right! It's nice seeing an ace guy being so casual about it and accepting that part of himself. I can't speak for all ace people, but it hit so close to home when he opened up about his asexuality to his Buddy because same, being ace is usually a deal-breaker in a relationship, what with the pressure to reproduce and keep your relationship intact. I'm just so happy to see casual ace representation like this :)

I had a problem with the time skips, they were too abrupt; I think the entire novel's timeline spanned from september? to february, and that's not really long but the months passed by too quickly to process. In one chapter they'd be introducing the idea of a halloween dance, and in the next, Wren is already in the halloween dance. My point is that time passes too quickly between chapters, and I understand that the big night is the Dance, but I'd love to see some buildup toward the other smaller events.

I love the supporting cast-Archer is my favourite himbo, Maggie's the Jade West girl of the group, Ryan's such a weird friend to have (but I thought she was a little passive and mean at times, but I still love her). I'm such a big fan of Ryan's victorian (?) goth spider dress!!! And her cute pompom/spider earrings!! What an icon.

And the plot- oh the plot was thickenings... Things were so messy and frustrating and joyful in the most fun way possible (because I like internal conflict), and my boy Wren is the most oblivious one ever, but if I weren't an omnipotent god hidden behind a wall of words, I'd definitely be making the same decisions and avoiding the very obvious signs (but I wouldn't be smart enough to fix everything before school ended).

Big TW though for loss of family member (past), cancer, grief, and terminal illness.

This book had be giggling, kicking my feet, screaming internally, tearing up, and physically trying to tear my ears off. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley, for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this latest queer YA #ownvoices romantic comedy by Amanda DeWitt that features an Ace teen boy who hates nothing more than school dances and ends up becoming Student Council President alongside his nemesis, Leo.

Forced to work together to plan a series of events in order to help raise money to fix the drama stage, Leo and Wren find themselves learning to appreciate each other in a new light. There's also an element of You've got mail where both boys match on an anonymous 'friend' app. Mistaken identities abound in this story full of grief, friendship and new love.

Perfect for fans of Pride and Prejudice and great on audio narrated by Mark Sanderlin. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

CW: death of a parent from cancer, sibling with cancer

I really wanted to like this book but I had such a hard time getting into it. Clearly, many other readers liked it but it wasn’t for me. I liked the writing style and thought the cover was cute. I just had a difficult time staying interested in the story. I’d still recommend others give it a shot.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Screaming, crying, throwing up, (Positive) I loved this book, it was simple and easy to read which was great. Wren's voice throughout the novel was genuinely amazing. I loved how the relationships were portrayed between Leo and Wren and overall just had a very good time with the book.