If you've enjoyed reading the Catcher in the Rye, you will know there is a type of very annoying main characters that you can't help love despite them being so very annoying.
Wren is that type of character, deeply flawed, deeply hurt, and very relatable.
I don't read romance and I don't read much YA... but when I saw ace representation, I couldn't help myself. There is so little representation that I am always curious.
The book is adorable, full of this contradictory humour of the grumpy teen, a very predictable plot, but this is not why we read this story, we read it for the characters, to see how it happens and witness all their growth while they banter.

(3.25) cute, easy to read book littered with LGBTQ+ and mental health representation (I especially loved the ace rep!) It follows a simple, predictable plot, while still having relatable and loveable characters, and not abandoning the side characters.

Sitting somewhere about 3.5 stars.

I want to say up front that while I did have a lot of problems with Aces Wild, I really wanted to give DeWitt another chance. Honestly? I was pleasantly surprised with this book.

The plot:
Wren Martin Ruins It All follows the titular character Wren in his senior year of high school as he becomes the student council president. Wren is a bit of a grumpy character and if there is one thing he loathes above all else, it is his high school's yearly Valentine's dance. So when his newly minted vice president gets everyone on board for a massive dance sponsored by a totally not a dating app, Wren is... upset, to say the least.

The good:
Let's start off with some of the aspects of the book that I found good or enjoyable. While the plot of the book wasn't ground breaking and it's fairly easy to guess the ending (do you like piña coladas?), I don't think it really took away from the experience. The book is a fairly light read and this made it a bit playful having a bit of dramatic irony throughout.

The character growth. Honestly, I was hesitant to continue reading this book at first because I found Wren completely insufferable. He acted like he was The Main Character in life, that every minor inconvenience was a personal attack, and he was overly snarky and negative. I'll talk a bit more about Wren's character later, but I did like that as the book went on, we as an audience seemingly got to know Wren better along with other characters in the book. He let down his defenses and got more vulnerable and we could see that happening in his narration as well. Don't get me wrong, the snark was still there, but he was significantly less insufferable.

Aspects showing grief (this paragraph has some spoilers). Wren talks a bit about grief and the experience he had with his mother's death. While I think there could have been a little more work with this to make it a more seamless aspect of the story, I do think that some of the experiences presented were presented well. The best example being Wren reflecting on the first time he took the SAT, how he was sitting there during the test contemplating why it even mattered, being distracted and drifting during it because he was thinking of his mother.

The representation. There was sincerely so much improvement in the representation in this book from Aces Wild. By that, I mean the characters felt more authentically themselves and there were moments that had me thinking and reflecting on my own experiences. In terms of a-spec representation, we do see both an asexual/allo romantic character and an aromantic character, and I think DeWitt did a good job organically inserting those details into the narrative. I especially liked how Wren mentioned how he went through a period of thinking he might be aromantic as well but realized that he wasn't. It's great having aro and ace representation where the two identities aren't necessarily tied together. There were multiple really good moments where Wren mentioned the difficulties of being ace in a decidedly allo world, and it was really nice to see, and shown so well.

The not as good (though not necessarily bad):
Like I said earlier, Wren's character at the beginning of the book really got on my nerves to the point that I almost gave up. It does get better, but I think his character could have done with another look over just to make the book a bit more pleasant. I think going a bit deeper into Wren's relationship with Ryan would have been helpful as a lot of the time I felt like I was being told that they're best friends rather than being shown how or why they are best friends. There were also several moments where things Wren said were directly contradicted by him even a sentence later. One example being how he loves Halloween but then proceeds to only talk about things he hates about Halloween.

I know there is a certain amount of suspension of belief involved sometimes in books like this, but there were a couple of moments where I just sat there thinking to myself that what was being described wouldn't happen in any world. The hole in the auditorium stage really bugged me because I refuse to believe that a school would allow that to remain such a hazard, or at least one that is still accessible to students. Broken chairs? Dubious quality drinking water? Ants in the cafeteria? Those I would believe, but a whole hole in the stage that school administration wouldn't take care of? Concerning. Another moment is a sort of mini "twist" or reveal at the end that involves Leo. Honestly, I think it could have been left out of the book entirely and it would have improved it overall.

All that aside, it was really great seeing the writing growth between Aces Wild and this book, and I am curious to see what comes next.

*4.5 rounded down
Breaking news, I became obsessed with another Amanda DeWitt novel!!!
In all seriousness, thank you so much to the author for making sure I got an ARC because she's the sweetest! I really loved reading about Wren mess up so much even when I don't usually like MCs like him (read: lovable disasters). At times, I wanted to reach into the book and hit him on the head gently to knock some sense into him, but I overall really loved the story. The side characters towered off the page, and Wren and Leo were loads and fun. I'm so excited for DeWitt's next book because she always writes my favorite characters! I read this a while ago, so I don't have the most detail to pull out and rave about, but I enjoyed this book so much and couldn't put it down.

I absolutely loved this book - even more so than Aces Wild. I don't read nearly as much YA as I used to anymore, and this transported me right back to when I was a senior in high school, where all of my worries revolved around school + my (uncertain) future plans. The dynamic between all the characters (and especially Wren and Ryan) felt realistic and not like cringey "clearly an adult who thinks this is how teenagers talk or is trying too hard) or like extremely scripted banter. I found myself cackling several times - especially with how Wren describes things in his POV.

I also really liked how asexuality was handled in this. It was not at all the main point of the story, but there was an acknowledgement about how different/difficult it makes navigating dating - especially in a world where apps to meet people (potential partners in all senses of the word) actually do exist. And I really enjoyed that it was written in a way that just WAS and didn't feel like it overly explained things to the reader. Casual representation without hiding how an aspec person's experience in the world is different compared to an allo person's - in my opinion, I feel like it helps normalize asexual stories/characters - because they aren't othered/made to be the focus of any conflict (external or internal). There is an asexual main character, but it does not function primarily as an asexual book.

I wasn't expecting the internal struggles that Wren brings up - both in terms of grieving someone who is recently gone and the general fear of not knowing what to do with your life (even as a postgrad, I related very hard to the discussions about are you staying because you want to stay or because you're afraid of change/failure and etc. It also doesn't pretend to have the answer to those kinds of questions, but it gives you a sense that regardless, even if you make a "wrong" choice in life, it's not the end of the world, and it's also not the end of the world to try things anyway, because life goes on and you will be okay. And the discussion of grief felt very real to me as someone who's also lost a parent and Wren brings up things that I don't think I've seen talked about when grief is a theme in books.

I can't wait to have my physical copy. Absolutely climbed its way to one of my favorite books of the year already and lives rent free in my head.

I literally have no words other than I loved it. It's not usually a book I would pick up because I'm not always into YA fiction in a high school setting but something about this one kept calling out to me for some reason and I'm so glad I picked it up. It was the perfect mix of goofy high school shenanigans and really real and raw emotional moments that had me stopping what I was doing to just stare at my ceiling. I can't wait to recommend this to everyone!

Wren Martin Ruins It All is a sweet and uplifting coming of age rom-com that also provides some much-needed asexual representation and features adorable chickens. The central plot twist is pretty easy to see coming but weirdly this did not negatively affect my enjoyment of the book. I loved the breadth of relationships in the book: in addition to the romantic love interest we also see warm friendships, slightly complex relationships with peers, family dynamics with the best friend’s family, and a loving but frustratingly distant relationship between the protagonist and his father who is obviously struggling in the wake of the mother’s death.

Like other reviewers of this, I would have liked to see a little bit more unpacking of how Wren’s asexuality affects romantic relationships for him, but I think this book will definitely be welcomed by young folks on the ace-aro spectrum who don’t get a lot of explicit representation particularly in romance writing. I also loved the exploration of Wren’s grief journey following his mother’s death. I will definitely be looking to buy this for the school library when it becomes available.

This has been my favorite read so far this year.

The characters were fun and relateable and the romance was everything!

This would be so great as a graphic novel as well.

Definitely will be re reading this one

I came for the ace rep and chickens and then completely fell for the humor and adorable romance.

I honestly wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I began it. Obviously romance, how an asexual teenager navigates the dating world (or in the case of Wren doesn't until he finally does) and... chickens? This book by far exceeded any expectation I did have.

Wren's narration was witty and snarky and had me laughing far more than I ever expected and his struggles and fears with dating while being ace made me feel seen in a way I rarely do and I simply wish teenage me had had this book back then. It also would have been nice for there to be a little bit more conversation about it between Wren and Leo. As for the romance it was just too cute and sweet and perfectly paced. Im such a sucker for mutual pining. Especially when one party is in denial of it. It was well rounded and had me rooting for them the entire time.
I saw the plot twists coming but that didn't negate any of my enjoyment. Instead I found myself waiting for bated breath for the big reveals (and also cringing from the encroaching second hand embarrassment).
Despite most of the book being very lighthearted there were a few shockingly poignant moments as the book dealt with different stages of loss and grief and it was just artfully woven into the narrative without seeming contradictory to the rest of the light hearted humor.


Also did I mention the chickens? :)

Wren Martin Ruins It All is an adorable love story that pulled the heartstrings. Wren Martin is asexual and has given up on dating anytime soon. He becomes the president of student council due to a (high school level) scandal and vows to end the big Valentine’s Day dance (it’s not fair to students who can’t afford ticket price/formal clothes, a “social minefield” for poor, gay, & trans kids, and the money that goes towards it could help the whole school instead of being used for a single night). This falls through when a suggestion by the perfect Leo Reyes has an app that promotes platonic friendship, Buddy, sponsoring the big dance. Wren reluctantly agrees and on the sky downloads the app to do some “research.” I think we all know where this is going!

The story is fairly predictable, I think there was only one major thing that caught me off guard (in a good way!) but it was such a cute read that that fact didn’t ruin the book for me! It was refreshing to have a main character who knew he was asexual and had a positive relationship with that part of himself and not agonize over his sexuality. It is ultimately a story about queer joy! It felt like a queer-norm world in the way that high school feels so insular to the rest of the world sometimes.

The characters were all wonderful — I loved how grumpy Wren was and how Ryan was always bribing him to do things/go places. The character growth from Wren was spectacular, I felt like he really matured. Their friendships and interactions definitely felt real and as if I were back in high school, it is written really well!

Overall I truly enjoyed this novel and hope others love it! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the ARC in exchange for a honest review!

Reasons why I enjoyed this book (if you know you know) :
1. How sweet and cute the overall story was. I found myself smiling quite often
2. Wren’s “stick-in-the-mud” personality. It was all too familiar to me
3. Wren’s growth over the course of the book. When I was a stick-in-the-mud teen, I wish I had opened myself up more to different opportunities and my feelings
4. Ryan
5. Leo
6. The casual queer rep. It never felt like an earth-shattering deal
7. The Buddy flirting (and baked goods)
8. I will never not love the “I don’t like you anyway so I can open up and not care if you judge me”
9. Total honesty - it was definitely predictable and sometimes I wondered how they were so oblivious but I loved it anyway. I was still excited to keep reading
10. Wren’s last list

Some parts I would’ve liked to see more developed were Wren’s mom and Leo’s brother. They obviously had a big impact on Wren and Leo but I just felt like we didn’t get to examine that very much. Overall, an enjoyable read!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've got an arc from netgalley, all thoughts are mine.

Wren Martin ruins it all was one of the most heartwarming coming of age I've had the pleasure to read in a while.
Did I see the plot coming from the start, yes, did I still loved every second of this story? Hell yes.
It was both sweet and cozy but also it dive down into some serious stuff and I loved how everything was addressed.
Wren is fun to follow and Leo is a sweetheart. It's impossible to not smile at their attitude towards each other.

It's a cute romcom about acceptance, love and grief.
I highly recommend it

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest, spoiler-free review!

Themes: Love
Representation: Ace MC, Queer SCs and LIs, Asian-American SCs
Content Warnings: Grief, Death

Premise: As the student council president of Rapture High, Wren Martin plans to abolish the Dance to fix the budget problem. However, when the vice president, Leo, suggests a partnership with Buddy, a social media app, Wren can’t refuse.

Personal Comments

Personally, I really enjoyed this book. Asexual representation isn’t something that you see a lot in the media, so it makes me really happy that this book exists.

I also loved the characters. I loved Wren’s friendship with his best friend, Ryan. His relationship with his dad. And Wren’s banter with Leo as well! And I loved his internal monologue. I felt like he was a teenager.

Finally, I liked the plot in general. Though some parts felt slow, it had enough going on that I didn’t feel bored while reading this book.

4.3/5

Characters

In general, I thought the characters were represented well. I felt like the author could really write teenagers. I personally felt like I could relate to what Wren was feeling at certain points in the book.

I also liked how the author represented Wren’s grief. I think it was done in an organic enough way. And she addresses perfectly what it feels like to lose someone and how your world just changes.

I also thought Wren’s character growth was well done. Though he is utterly oblivious and you know, a teenage boy, he is a great friend. And he is a great student body president. And yeah, he goes through character development.

For the side characters, I thought that his relationship with his best friends was well done. And I loved his relationship with Leo. I enjoyed their quip and banter. And I liked how Wren, albeit reluctantly, supports Leo and how they sort of help each other out.

Overall, 5/5

Plot

To be fair, in terms of plot, I literally knew what was going to happen like two to three chapters through. It’s THAT type of book. But hey, if you’re picking a lighthearted read, this is probably what you’d expect.

Anyhow, though the plot is predictable, it makes up for it through Wren’s characterization and his interactions with the other characters. As well as his obliviousness, obviously.

So, even though the plot of this book might not be as strong, it still has enough going on to back up the characterization and to keep you interested in reading.

Plus, the ending does tie up all the threads of the book in a pretty satisfying way!

Rating: 4/5

Other

First of all, I loved the representation of asexuality in this book. Asexual characters are pretty rare in literature. And most of the time when they are there, they are represented as “broken people who need to be fixed” which is absolutely untrue. So it’s refreshing to see an accurate and positive depiction of an asexual character.

Second, I loved how the author incorporated the theme of “different types of love” in this book. Although there IS a lot of romantic love present, there is also a big emphasis on friendship and familial love, showing through Wren’s interactions with Ryan and his dad. And the author doesn’t overshadow those relationships with the romantic ones.

Finally, it was interesting to see how the author formatted the book given the social media aspect. In terms of point of view and perspective, it’s written in the first person and present tense. As per the social media aspect, there are a lot of text message exchanges in the book. It is formatted in a way that’s pretty easy to read and feels like an authentic text message.

Oh, and also, the chapters all have funny titles, which is pretty cool.

Thus, 5/5

Final Rating

Personal Rating: 4.3/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Formatting: 5/5
Final Rating: 4.6/5 (round to 5 stars)

Date Read: September 17th, 2023
Date Reviewed: September 18th, 2023

What can I say, I adored this book. I was grinning from cover to cover. It was cute, had exceptional queer representation, and the character growth was on point.

I don't typically hand out 5-star ratings easily, especially for non-fantasy genres, but this is hands down one of the best books I've enjoyed reading this year.

If you are looking for an adorable, cozy, queer read, this book is for you.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for this ARC!

This book made my demisexual heart so happy I cannot even explain it.

I'm usually not much of a YA reader anymore - disillusioned college graduate here, nothing wrong with the genre - but I genuinely loved this one so much. It started out a bit slow and god I have to admit I was just a tad annoyed by Wren in the beginning, but that's the point of the whole book? This book had some of the more beautiful character explorations and growth I've seen in a while, written in a witty and funny enough voice to keep interest, and I got through it so quickly it even surprised me. Literally, I was curled up under a blanket reading the last 100 pages all morning and now I'm here and writing the review. It was heartwarming and charming, and while it explored heavier themes, it did it in a way that felt hopeful and optimistic. Leo Reyes, you truly have my heart, as well as Wren's, and the side characters were all distinct and lovely to read about. Ms. Little is truly the unsung hero - we need more teachers like her.

I'll be thinking about this for some time, I'm absolutely sure.

I loved this. It was wholesome and sweet and I could not put it down. I liked the characters and the plot and thought the romance was natural. Plus, Wren owns chickens, what more could you ask for?

I adored the representation in this book as well, I don’t see a lot of Ace rep in books so this made me very happy to read about.

Also, this is one of the prettiest covers I’ve ever seen on a book!

This one was a lot of fun!
Honestly at first i found the main character a bit annoying but he really grew on me over the story.
Always a fan of secret identity dating, and this one was done well!

This book was really good! As an asexual person, I really saw myself in Wren and his story with Buddy Boy. It was a great book and I really recommend reading it.

"Wren Martin Ruins it All" is an engaging YA romance. It's funny, it's character driven, it's relatable, it's messy, and it's got a happy ending.

This is a book that tackles grief, first impressions, loneliness, the ability to see others and appreciate being seen, and also second chances.

Wren is a bit of a loner, focused on his student council goals, trying to navigate his senior year and his asexuality, as well as deal with forced proximity to someone he swears he can't stand.

Wren is a great main character–he's passionate and driven, grumpy and insecure, well-intentioned and endearing. Leo, the other MC, is just as endearing–truly a cinnamon roll and just an all around great guy.

The book tackles the issue of fitting in, loneliness when you're surrounded by others, the pressures of social media, the expectations of others, and the heteronormativity that permeates society.

It was wonderful seeing an ace character and having that character be so three dimensional and so well written. I think this is an important book as far as representation.

I could see where the plot was going from early on in the book but that in no way deterred my enjoyment of it. I was so pleased that I was right and so amused at how oblivious Wren was when it came to the big reveal.

Funny, warm, engaging, relatable. Such a good book. It was a pleasure getting to know both Wren and Leo.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This is my honest review.

What a gem!
When I started this book, I thought this story centers on Wren's struggle to have a relationship due to his asexuality. Though not only that, it had a story of Wren's grief and Leo's struggles. They added so much depth to the story.
The chatting online without knowing who they are talking to is probably cliche, but I love it😄 Their chats are so sweet and funny!

Highly recommend