What was supposed to be a fun party in which autistic scholarship studnet Waverly pretends to be a rich popular student she’s tutoring to finally face her ex who is back in town spirals when she discovers a secret society preparing for the end of the world. Waverly goes to the prestigious Webber Academt in New York. She’s used to being seen as less then and poor by her wealthy peers, she spends her days tutoring students and just getting by with the help of the school’s charming and enigmatic dean... who just happens to be the father of the girl Waverly is in love with... Ash, who just ghosted her and left. Yet Waverly also tutors the resident “it girl” Caroline who asks Waverly to attend the school’s annual fundraising Masquerade disguised as her which also gives her the opportunity to come face to face with Ash again who she heard is back in town. Yet Waverly’s fairytale is about to turn into a nightmare as Waverly accidentally witnesses a murder and she and her friends find themselves stuck in a maze... can they survive the night... and the fact that they just realized that the world is ending and they’re trapped with a secret group of people who will do anything to secure only the “worthy” to survive. Can Waverly finally face her ex and find out what went wrong and can she and her friends survive the night? This was definitely an unexpected and strange one to read, I didn’t realize how dystopian it was going to be and the story itself was a fast one to read but it just felt a bit strange. I think this is one of the cases where “its me and not you” as I just didn’t really find myself getting interested in the story or the dystopian aspect of it. I think if you are into YA Dystopian with teen drama this is for you.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Uh wow. Did I just finish this book in literally 3 hours? Yes.

I did not put this down start to finish. The twists, the lies, the deceits. This was so freaking fast paced and unexpected.

Through out Covid there have been conspiracies of a new world order and, solar flares, complete black outs. And this was kinda like a what if this actually happened but in a smaller form. It really made you think about the world and the people in it.

The rich vs poor. All the different dynamics. And can you really trust who you think you can trust? Some will surprise you. Not everything is what it is made out to be.

The only downfall I would have to say is I wish there was a bit more explanation about a few things as well as I wish this book was a bit longer. Or maybe even an epilogue to finish it off. However I did enjoy the turn of events and how everything came so smoothly together in the end. Plus a little bit of LGBTQ action Is always appreciated from me!

But to sum it up, I really really loved this. It was constant action, drama and twists. I highly recommend you pick this one up.

"Everything is Scooby-Doo," she whispers as we tiptoe down another hallway. "Every episode ends with a rich white dude being unmasked as the villain. How is that not real life?"

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Jen Wilde's "Queens of Geek" and "The Brightsiders," so when I saw a new book from her to request on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it!

Waverly, an autistic queer scholarship student at Webber Academy is thrilled when she gets the opportunity to attend the school's masquerade ball in place of fellow student, Caroline Sinclair. But as the night goes on, too many things seem wrong. Waverly witnesses a murder and talk of a "new world," and then the building goes on lockdown.

This story requires you to suspend a bit of belief, but it's still a fun ride. Jen Wilde writes reliably good novels, even when the content seems different than her previous books. Also, Waverly for queen, president, and/or whatever role she wants. I love her.

Out May 9th!

CW: murder, violence, death, fire

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Interesting main character. Locked building. A bit of mystery, drama, and class dynamics.

Date made up. I feel behind on reviews.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Waverly is estatic to attend a party at the school she goes to. While at the party, she witnesses a murder. When no lone is allowed to leave the school, it will take everything she has to stay alive during the night. This book kept me guessing.

Setting: New York
Rep: autistic lesbian protagonist; bisexual disabled South Asian best friend

I've enjoyed Jen Wilde's books in the past and I love thrillers so this should have been a no brainer but the story just wasn't there for me. I guess I didn't realise before reading that this is more of an apocalyptic book but it takes a while to get there, and then it's so rushed that the end is like ... what just happened? Unfortunately it just didn't feel well written or paced and the plot needed a lot of work.

You read a story that you believe you know the rules, what is going to happen and how it all works out and then, BAM! Twist beyond twists and the story morphs into something completely different (in the best of ways)?

Well, that is this story for me. I thought I knew what I was reading, I was lured in and comfortable and then the story took an amazing turn and twist and I was glued to the pages.

This story is so much fun! Those comparisons to One of Us is Lying and The Hazel Wood? Yeah, keep those in the back of your mind.

This story has it all! A wonderful main character, a loving family, a prep school, a masquerade, friends, a mystery, and a global … well, it has so much gone on all brilliantly wrapped together to make this one heck of a wild ride!

I want to say more but I don’t want to ruin anything so I will just say, I really enjoyed every page and would highly recommend this read. If this is the author’s debut story, I cannot wait for more!

I received an ARC via NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and I am leaving an honest review.

ARC from NetGalley. I liked the majority of the book, but found some of the sci-fi elements to be unbelievably farfetched. I do recommend the novel if you like sci-fi, diverse YA characters, and a little element of mystery. Overall, it was a quick read that I will recommend to some of my students., those that I know will enjoy it. I am also planning to buy a copy for my classroom library.

3.5/5 (rounded up to 4)

CW: ableism, parent with multiple sclerosis, hospitalization, internalized homomisia, death of a parent (recounted, off-page), aneurysm (recounted, off-page), sensory overload, explosion, murder, blood/gore, drink spiking, emesis, fire, eyeball trauma

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

Personally, I have mixed feelings about this book.

Waverly never expected to end up at the infamous Webber Academy Masquerade… especially disguised as somebody else. But she agrees to it after one of the most popular girls at Webber Academy asks her to go as her as well as finding out that Ash Webber, her secret ex-girlfriend and daughter of Webber Academy’s dean who her and her family rely on for their generous scholarship. However, as the night goes on, things take a devious turn and nothing is what it seems.

I guess the main thing that bugged me about this book is that it dragged on in the beginning. A lot. Of course, I appreciate Wilde’s efforts to fully dive into each of the main characters to understand their backstories and motivations. However, there’s not really anything to keep you in until you’re almost 50% into the book. While I dabble in the thriller genre from time to time, I feel that you need to have something to keep people engaged until you get to the thriller aspect.

Though, once you’re able to get through the beginning, Wilde’s plot gets a lot more interesting. A unique perspective on the dystopian subgenre, you get to see female empowerment as they take on the end of the world as they know it. This book is full of twists and turns, and even the thorough beginning makes more sense as well as come full circle at the conclusion. On the other hand, this book can be intense at times and it’s made clear that this book is not for the faint of heart.

Now, I absolutely loved the autistic rep in this book. As an #ActuallyAutistic book reviewer, I love being able to see autistic folks as the MCs in the books I read and I love it even more when they are written by disabled authors. I feel that Wilde does a great job portraying Waverly and her Autistic experience. Seeing Waverly fight against a system that wants to eliminate anyone who doesn’t align with Webber Academy’s elite, her journey in this book has me feel inspired despite all the blood and gore that comes with it.

Overall, this is one of the times where I wished GoodReads would allow half-star ratings. However, I decided to round this book up because of the autistic rep and Wilde’s storytelling. If you’re able to push through some of the mundane aspects of the beginning, you can expect an excellent read in This is the Way the World Ends.

My advice for any reader that wants to read This is the Way the World Ends? If you want a jump-scare novel with dystopian horror vibes, you’re going to like this book. If you want an Autistic MC written by a disabled author, you came to the right place. If you’re the type of person who’s squeamish around blood and don’t like books with a lot of deaths, you might want to avoid this title.

OMG! This pulled me in right away and I never let go. The story was not what I was expecting, but I wasn’t even a little mad about it. A seriously captivating read!

Waverly is “the autistic, gay scholarship nerd from Queens [who] everyone ignores” (her words not mine). She attends Webber Academy in NYC where status means everything. The Masquerade Ball is an exclusive, no phones allowed, fundraising party where one single ticket costs a hefty 10k. Waverly wishes she could just step inside the ball, even for a second, but being from a low income family, there’s not a chance in hell that will happen. Enter Caroline, a girl Waverly tutors and possibly even a friend. Caroline decides to play fairy Godmother and send Waverly to the ball in her place. It’s a Masquerade after all! No one will know and what could go wrong? Waverly decides it’s too risky and declines Caroline’s offer, but quickly changes her mind when she discovers Ash Webber, her ex and the Dean’s daughter, will be in attendance. Careful what you wish for, Waverly…

Waverly’s best friends Pari and Frank complete her perfectly and they make an awesome team. Bullies can go to hell as long as you have friends to back you up. Even better is both are going to be at the ball as well! Will this be Waverly’s best night yet or will the ball have other plans?

Once at the ball, all hell breaks loose right away and it’s seemingly more like a prison and less like a luxurious ball at every turn. While Waverly tries to navigate it all and make it back to her family, she makes some interesting new friends. With the world basically ending, do Waverly and her friends stand a chance?

This was such a wild, exciting, heartbreaking ride! I felt connected to every main character, especially Waverly and I was rooting for her from the start. Waverly is sweet, overly caring and a bit naive. I can definitely relate to that at that age and I’m sure a lot of us can. But she’s also a genius, strong and able and she proves that throughout the story. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fast paced, slightly off kilter thriller! 5 stars all around!

Warning: This is the Way the World Ends is a fast paced book lol!

Based on the title alone, why I thought this was a thriller and not apocalyptic befuddles me. I don’t mind dystopian-like stories at all, mind you. It’s just different than what I was expecting. Not good or bad. There’s a lot of different representation in this story, especially neurodivergent and physical disabilities that we don’t see enough of. As a believer that the “elite” do actually do shady things behind the publics’ back, I was into that aspect of this story. But at times, it did feel like there was a bit too much going on. The writing is clean and the characters are likable, and there’s many pop culture references, which I didn’t really like (but that’s a very subjective opinion. I guess this whole review is). Overall, for readers who like a bunch of things going on, I think this will be a satisfying read.

Thank you for the arc, and best of luck to the author!

Fast paced page turner! I really enjoyed this YA thriller that brought back gossip girl/boarding school vibes. Held my attention until the very end.

I stumbled upon this book from an Instagram post about the most anticipated thrillers of the year and I knew that I HAD to read this one. A masquerade at a prestigious academy (did I mention the tickets to attend this masquerade are literally $10,000?) comprised of the 1% that kicks off the night with a brutal murder then a global blackout keeping everyone stuck in the building, leading to a group of students having to navigate secret passageways and dark rooms to survive the night? It’s a yes from me!

Waverly manages to score a ticket to the masquerade when the popular girl (who’s kind and actually isn’t a bitch which is pretty rare and refreshing to find in YA) offers to give her her Cinderella moment and let Waverly go to the masquerade pretending to be her. Waverly is thrilled to live Caroline’s life for one night at the glamorous masquerade, but things don’t turn out as expected.

Let me start by saying I LOVED this book. It was the fastest read I’ve done in a while because it was so readable that the pages just flew by. It was super visual and I could see this being a movie. The only thing that kept me from giving this 5 stars is that this book read suuuuuper YA, with young Hollywood celebrity name drops and all, so I could see gen z connecting with this book more than I did, as a millennial. It was a bit tweeny for my taste if I’m being honest, but I’m not the target audience for this book, clearly. This book often felt like it was trying too hard to fit in with the times. I’d recommend this book for younger YA for this reason, gen z readers. Also, this book was SO EXTRA. When the Dean announces there is a blackout in the area and the everyone is being locked in the building for their safety with no one being allowed to leave or enter (as far as everyone knows, it’s just a blackout, not a zombie apocalypse) then, I kid you not, automatic bolts slide into the doors and black screens slide over the window. All this is response to what people think is merely a blackout, not suspicious at all! It’s so campy I can’t help but laugh.

Despite the campiness and trying to hard to fit in with the times, I was able to overlook this for the most part because the storyline was SO FUN. If you love thrillers, don’t let this detain you from reading this book. It was effortlessly engaging, so fun to read, and the pages just flew by. If you want to get out of a reading slump, this is the book for you. Just go into it knowing it’s for a younger audience and a bit over the top as some parts but who cares? It’s fun, it’s readable, and never boring. This book literally made my night because I had so much fun reading it. I would absolutely LOVE a sequel.

4/5 stars for being so compulsively readable! Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Honestly, I think YA might just not be for me, which isn’t a fault of the book. I’m glad there is representation in a thriller-type book.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

It was...okay. I liked the queer and disability rep but I was not a fan of the writing and it made it really hard for me to get through. It was just messy and kind of boring. It's not bad enough to be 2 star and that's why I'm giving it 3.

I received a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions in this review are mine and mine alone. This review contains spoilers, so do not read on if that bothers you. This is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde is a Y.A. horror/thriller novel set to be released on 05/08/23.

Waverly is an autistic scholarship student at the prestigious Webber Academy. She has been tutoring the school's "it girl," Caroline for a while and they have finally become friends. Caroline, like most of the students at Webber, is very rich. The annual Webber Masquerade ball costs $10k a ticket and Waverly knows that she could never afford to attend.

One night, while studying with Caroline, Caroline confesses that she doesn't want to be in the spotlight all the time and would rather skip the Masquerade. After learning that her ex-girlfriend, Ash, will be at the ball, Waverly agrees to go in Caroline's place. They have a quick "how to be Caroline" lesson and Waverly is sent home with Caroline's very expensive designer dress. On the way out, Waverly hears Caroline's dad having an angry/tense phone call with someone and mentions someone named Cassandra. She notes that he's usually soft-spoken.

Waverly's best friends, Pari and Frank, seem cool--especially Pari, a disabled brown girl who names her canes and rants about the patriarchy on a regular basis. The bullies at the school seem a little cartoonish--especially Caroline's crappy boyfriend, Jack, and the interactions between the teachers and the different social groups are pretty tropey. While at school on the day of the masquerade, Waverly learns that Caroline's dad was found unconscious in his office from a suspected suicide attempt. After a lot of contemplation, she decides to go through with her plan to attend the masquerade in Caroline's place.

As soon as Waverly and Pari arrive at the ball, things get creepy. The guards are wearing disturbing angel masks, they have to forfeit their phones in order to go inside, and people treat "Caroline" like she's the second coming of the Messiah. It doesn't take long for all hell to break loose. It turns out that Owen Webber, the founder and dean of the Webber Academy, had found out that there was going to be a massive solar flare that would plunge the world into darkness. Instead of using this information to warn the world and try to prepare, he decides to build a big doomsday bunker for his hand-picked cult. The masquerade is a cover to get all of his cultists in one place and transfer them to his compound in Texas. Waverly, Pari, Caroline, Ash, and Caroline's best friend, Max, are adamantly against the weird handmaid's tale idea and spend the rest of the book trying to stop him. They mostly don't succeed, but they themselves along with a handful of other guests are saved from being carted off by Webber.

While I enjoyed a lot of the ideas in this book, it didn't quite do it for me. The villains felt flat and cartoony and the romance sub-plot was too forced. I like Waverly and Pari and enjoyed their interactions quite a bit, but I think the story lost me a bit in the second half. It was a little too over the top for my tastes, but I can see others enjoying it because it does have a lot going for it as far as theme and characters are concerned.

Overall, I would give This is How the World Ends 3 stars out of 5. It is by no means the worst thing I've ever read, but I doubt I'll be picking up a physical copy when it's released in May.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This Is the Way the World Ends releases May 9, 2023

2.5/5

Initial thoughts:
This was a very fast-paced, one-sitting read. A YA novel with some great neurodivergent, queer, and disability rep. However, I don’t think that this book was marketed accurately or put into the correct genre. Had there been more of an upfront indication that this would be a sci-fi/dystopian/apocalyptic-esque story, my rating would have been higher to reflect that.

- NYC setting
- private school academy
- rich vs poor
- masquerade ball where tickets go for $10,000 and all phones are left at the door
- autistic main character who is a lesbian and also has a learning disability called dyscalculia
- side character that is bisexual, South Asian, and has hypermobile ehlers-danlos syndrome
- side character with multiple sclerosis
- worldwide blackout + solar flare disrupting the earth’s atmosphere

The first 40% of this story was great. Our main character Waverly, who tutors Caroline, agrees to take her place at the masquerade ball under her disguise. This works in favour for both of them because Caroline gets to “take a break” from the popularity, and Waverly has the opportunity to reconcile with her ex-girlfriend who happens to be the dean’s daughter and will be making an appearance at the masquerade ball.
But then, this story shifts so abruptly, circling back to what I mentioned earlier about this being more of a sci-fi/dystopian story instead of a YA contemporary or even thriller.
While being a great fast-paced read, it felt like it was trying too hard to do too many over-the-top things at once. The first half was also too pop-cultured for my liking.
Stories that lean on the idea of having the top 1% forming cult-like groups to better the world and essentially feed out people that aren’t rich, straight, white, cisgender give me the ick and it’s just as bad as eugenics.

TW: multiple deaths, drugging, ableism, classism, on page anxiety/panic attack/sensory overloads, mention of internalized homophobia.

This book started off as a five star read for me. Up until the last ten chapters, I was really enjoying it and thought that it would end on a good note for me. But unfortunately, the plot got out of control. It got very confusing and there was too much packed into the last few chapters.

Although the plot got a bit unbelievable, the characters were great. Waverly, Pari, and Max stood out the most to me. I did also like how they all came together to figure out what was happening and then the last chapter, along with Caroline, I thought was great character development and ended the book on a positive note, despite all that was happening around them.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes dystopian stories or overall thrillers. Just know that going into it, the ending may be a bit confusing / very far off from where the story started.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

For fans of dystopian classics, This Is The Way The World Ends by Jen Wilde is a story that hits every dystopian mark. What will really happen as the world ends around us? Will we turn on each other or save the ones we hold the closest to us? Wilde spins a cautious and downright creepy tale of survival and differences in a world that wants nothing more than to kill off what makes us unique. I went into the story hoping for some good autism representation and I think Wilde did a great job. Waverly, our main character, is dynamic while also being very vocal about who she is and what her plans are for her future. The supporting cast, specifically the girls, take this story to another level. The pacing is great as well. The story unfolds quickly before us as we watch our characters having to face the wildest night of their lives. Hitting shelves in 2023, make sure to check out This Is The Way The World Ends.

3.5 rounded up
Great characters and good character development. It grabbed me tight away. Loved yhe first part of the book, second part lost me for a bit. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book