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PRANK WAR CHAMPION *insert Pauly D voice*

I totally devoured this one. Samantha Markum’s YA debut This May End Badly is a good fun, heartfelt masterpiece. Reading it in just a day and a half I didn’t want to put it down. There is just something about a YA that gives me butterflies. Maybe it’s the whole first love thing or the essence of being young and careless with your whole life still ahead of you, or maybe it’s just this particular book. I wanted to simultaneously be Doe and yell at her to make better life choices. I had so much fun reading this whip smart, emotional journey of fighting for what you love, even if it means having to grow up.

Fearless pranking mastermind Doe leads her crew of Weston girls to out-prank the boys at their rival school, Winfield, where her nemesis Three rules the school. But when their headmistress announces that The Weston School will merge with Winfield the following year, the stakes get even higher. To protect the school that has been her safe haven since her parents’ divorce, Doe puts together a plan to prove once and for all that Winfield boys and Weston girls just don’t mix, starting with a direct hit at Three. In a desperate move to win, Doe strikes a bargain with Three’s cousin, Wells: If he fake dates her to get under Three’s skin, she’ll help him get back his rightful family heirloom from Three. But Doe is not immune to Wells’ good looks and don’t care attitude, she’s catching real feelings.

The pranks are clever and wickedly amusing, but as they escalate out of control Doe spirals and loses her way. She’s lying to her best friends, parents, even to herself, and what’s the point? She’ll be going off to college next year anyway. But when a teacher long suspected of inappropriate behavior messes with a younger Weston girl, Doe puts her courage on the line for a cause much larger than herself. Doe might have some obsessive tendencies but she’s fiercely protective and her dedication is powerful. Her girl gang of Weston girls is equally as outstanding and bright even if I thought they overreacted just a teensy bit. The way both schools unite to catch a predator makes for a rewarding and masterful plot, bigger then some juvenile pranks. Change is hard and often painful but something we must all go through.

A must read for Fans of Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I've Loved.

Read if you like:
- Fake dating
- First Love - YA
- Boarding schools
- Large friend group
- Feminism

This was such a fun and cute read! I loved the characters from the start and adored their relationship. This author has a way of making you feel so relatable to the characters. I will be recommending this book to a lot of my girlfriends!

This may end badly? Spoiler, it will end beautifully.

I always forget about how much I love the fake dating trope until I read another book with it. And the way the trope is done in this book? Amazing. Gold stars. Take my money.

The main character Doe is so blessedly different from your average protagonist. She's not obsessed with romance and boys while pretending not to be. She just takes romance as it is & when it comes but her focus is elsewhere. She loves the school that gave her a home when she needed one, and she will do anything to protect it from the boys' school across from it. She has a one-track mind and goes all in when she cares about something.

Doe's senior year is centered around a centuries' long "war" with the rival all-boys school Winfield, but heightens when they all find out that the schools might merge next year. Doe and her friends will do anything to keep the Weston school for girls and only girls, a refuge for those who need it as much as they have.

But Doe's focus on stopping the merger becomes more of a one-on-one game against her nemesis at the boy's school, one who goes by the nickname Three. Doe and Three are constantly at each other's throats, so it shouldn't be a surprise when she makes an interesting bargain and pretends to date the cousin he hates just to get at him: Gabriel Wellborn. Aka Wells. Akaka, the pretty one.

And it shouldn't be a surprise when she catches not-so-pretend feelings...


Read if you like:
x the fake dating trope
x witty banter (a lot of it. in the best way)
x boarding schools
x strong friend groups
x boy-girl rivalries
x betrayals?? hmmm
x and BOOK BOYFRIENDS that you can add to your list (I know you have one)


Thank you so much to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Every second was a blast. The pranks were outstandingly creative, and the relationships formed between the boys of Winfield and the girls of Weston were the perfect backdrop for Doe's crusade and growth.

Ok I REALLY liked this book!!

first of all, yes its YA but it is definitely a more mature YA novel. there are lots of conversations about sex, relationships, sexuality, and sexual predators so know that going in. I would suggest a later high school reader for sure.

second, there were a lot of plot lines to follow through the whole time, but I enjoyed where they all ended and how they pulled together. at times it seemed a bit discombobulated but I had fun along the way.

this book is about FAR more than a prank war between schools and I would recommend to readers who enjoy Tweet Cute or Anna K.

4.5
Such a fun enemies to lovers story! This is my all time favorite trope, and there is something extra entertaining when the couple are witty and enjoy crazy antics. If you are looking for a fun read that will have you laughing and cheering for the couple this is a book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Doe and her friends are carrying on the legacy of a prank war with their rival boys school across the way. She's determined to win since it's her senior year. She strikes a deal with Wells to fake date to be a thorn in his cousin's side who is their school's master prankster. What could go wrong?

I absolutely loved this story! Fake dating is my jam. But, it's not only a story about fake dating. It's a story about friendship. lies, fun, growing up, and love. It's just such a great story.

There are some content warnings for inappropriate conduct by a faculty member.

A fun light hearted read. School pranks and surpassing the year prior than the last. If you are looking for a light hearted and fun read this would be it.

This May End Badly by Samantha Markum is a quick, fun YA romp. Weston girls and Winfield boys don't mix. Rivals doesn't even begin to describe the feud that exists between the two boarding schools, and as the clock ticks down on toward graduation, Doe is determined to make every minute count and beat Winfield once and for all.

This book centers around fierce female friendships, falling in love, and making tough decisions and finding what matters most. There's enemies to lovers, and fake-dating, and ultimately, a happy ever after for Doe and Welles. In addition to the romance, Markum handles hard topics like bullying and sexual assault with tenderness and care. I'm always looking for the next good book to recommend to the teen gals in my life, and this one fits the bill. Overall this is a powerful debut, and I look forward to reading whatever Markum writes next.

I was thoroughly entertained reading this book, it was adorably cute and so much fun. I was a big fan of the friendship, the pranking and the relationship between Doe and Wells. I love a good fake dating trope and this one did not disappoint. As someone who reads mainly adult romance, I really loved how this felt appropriate for YA but still realistic to what a lot of teens are going through today. I really think this is a super relatable book and such a great addition to the YA genre. It’s fun and lighthearted at times, while also diving into deeper topics like sexual harassment and assault, friendship dynamics, family dynamics, sexuality, and relationships as a teen. A lot was touched upon and while there were many overlapping plot points, everything was nicely wrapped up at the end. For a debut novel, this was so well done! I will definitely be recommending it to friends.

I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get into this book at the beginning. Doe, the main character, is obsessed with her rivalry with Three and his boarding school. She is so obsessed that her life takes a backside to this feud. However, as this wonderful story continued, it addressed so many things I know my children deal with in their lives: family relationships, friendships, gender identity, reporting things when they are wrong. It is also Doe's awakening from angry and , in some ways, self-absorbed teenager, to aware and mature warrior. Doe doubts so much about herself, but this journey with her friends, her love interest, and her school is what so many teens go through. I found this book to be relatable and something I would encourage my students to read.

This YA book set in elite private schools who are in a prank war seemed fun, but it is just not for me. I've tried and put it down for months. Moving on to something else.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

What happens when you put a prestigious all-boys school next to a prestigious all-girls school? A rivalry for the ages!

Winfield Academy and The Weston School have been in a no-holds-bar prank war since anyone can remember, but no one takes it as seriously as Dorothy (Doe) Saltpeter. Everything ratchets up a notch when a merger between the two schools is announced. Doe will stop at nothing to protect the school she loves dearly from being invaded by Winfield boys. Even if that means teaming up with the enemy.

This May End Badly is about learning how to grow up and move on, but it's also about the power of young people to unite together and create positive change. Doe is a very relatable character and you can't help but want to yell at her when she's making all her horrible choices. Her character arc was so well done and I wish we saw this thorough character development in all YA books. She's not a horrible person, she's just caught up in the Weston-Winfield rivalry and lost about what life will look like after graduating. Each one of her relationships (whether friend or foe) teaches Doe an important lesson and helps her correct her path.

Readers should be aware that there is sexual misconduct by a person of power in this book.

3.5 stars. This was a fun YA about a prank war between rival schools with a bit of teenage romance thrown in. I enjoyed the fake dating/enemies to lovers relationship between Doe and Wells -- they had great banter.

My biggest complaint is it felt like the story had a lot going on where it wasn't all executed well -- the inappropriate teacher storyline felt thrown in and not handled in the best manner.

Overall an entertaining story with lots of laughs. Thanks Wednesday Books and NetGalley for my advance copy.

So very cute! I loved how familiar this book felt and enjoyed the author's writing style. I enjoyed the romance.

#ThisMayEndBadly follows Dorothy - aka Doe - and her best friends during their senior year at Weston, an all girls boarding school. The school next-door, Winfield, an all boys school, is one that they’ve had a rivalry with for decades. Doe and her friends took up the mantle of the rivalry when they started at Weston and now in their senior year the prank war has reached new heights. When the schools announce that they’re going to be merging in the following year, Doe and her friends take it upon themselves to see if they can stop it. When Doe decides to start fake dating Wells, the cousin of her longtime nemesis Three, she soon finds herself learning that there’s more to high school than pranks and maybe, just maybe, it’s about time to grow up.

This was an excellent YA romcom! Doe and Wells were absolutely adorable together and I loved how the fake dating trope played out in the storyline. Their friends were well developed characters and Markum really allowed them to shine through on their own which I loved.

I am so grateful to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for my early copy of this book!

as soon as i read that this book had fake dating and it was a girl vs. boy boarding school, i was HOOKED. first time reading samantha markum and it won't be my last. this book gave me found family as well with jade, sumi, gemma and shawn; the best friends a girl could ask for. there were a few many subplots that i was a bit hesitant about (mr. tully) but in the end, it all made sense for the greater plotline and actually moved the story forwards. i also love the cover 10/10

This book had a lot going on. I feel like sticking to a few different plot lines would have been better than trying to include all the tropes; rivalries, fake dating, enemies to lovers, family drama, etc. it made things kind of convoluted and I would have rather had a focus on one or two of the tropes.

Also, what’s with the predatory teacher? I didn’t feel this was needed or appropriate for YA book. Maybe if the plot had demonstrated how to deal with that situation rather than not addressing it at all, it could have been more acceptable. This just didn’t sit right with me and is likely a reason I just didn’t end up being a fan of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley + Wednesday Books for the ARC.

Although I couldn't get into this book much myself, I think my students would LOVE it - between the pranks, friendships, relationships, I think it is a book worth having in the class library!

This book made me feel a lot of different emotions. I cried, I laughed, and I did not want to put it down.

You are really sucked in to Doe's life with her friends and their rivalry with the Winfield boys school. I was not expecting this book to cover as many topics as it did but wow.

Looking forward to reading more books from Samantha Markum in the future.