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

Thank you to Wednesday Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank god that’s over, as much as I love neurodivergent mc’s represented in books. The plot itself was messy and felt like a really bad 80’s movie that I couldn’t take serious.

This book in 3 words: Diverse. On-Edge. Excitable. 

Waverly attends a masquerade ball, held by her high-brow private school which she attends by scholarship, dressed as one the most popular girls in school. The ball has some weird occurrences and then a nationwide blackout proves that things are not what they seem. 

OOF this book is all secret societies, quirky and relatable characters, and power struggles (literally and figuratively). It's a quick read but jam packed full of strong characters, relatable emotions, and action. A solid YA read with diverse characters - we love to see it. 

I loved Waverly. Our main character has a voice that pulls you in, from the first page, with you desperately seeking all of the answers to her questions. The author's ability to create a diverse character that is authentic, genuine, and portrays life through a lens different than our own. 

The plot is unique, innovative, and a bit dire at times. The pacing is solid and you'll be itching to turn the page.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This Is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde is a nice apocalyptic YA thriller featuring representation on several fronts. The story revolves around Waverly, who is a scholarship student at a prestigious private school. One day, while she's tutoring Caroline, the most popular girl in school, they decide to switch places at the school's masquerade ball. But this might be difficult for Waverly, who is neurodivergent and queer. But while at the ball, Waverly witnesses a murder, and then a global blackout shuts down the party. Will Waverly and her friends escape alive?

Here is a humorous excerpt from Chapter 1:

""We really should be studying," I call from inside Caroline's massive walk-in closet. It's almost as big as my whole apartment. A tall window looks out over Central Park, the buildings on the other side silhouetted by the setting sun. Pinks fade into orange and purple in the sky; lights flickers on in apartment windows, the treetops below soaking up the last of the golden hour rays. I turn to the floor-to-ceiling collection of shoes, running my fingers over suede heels, then velvet boots, then studded sneakers. A marble mood board covers the opposite wall, a collage of prom dresses, cute summer outfits, and models like Cara Delevingne and Bella Hadid making pouty faces, all stuck on with gold magnets. Makeup and jewelry line the built-in island in the middle of the room, lit up like Sephora."

Overall, This Is the Way the World Ends is a YA thriller that will appeal to fans of One of Us is Ling or Truly Devious. One highlight of this book is how it has so much representation. The main character, Waverly, spends a lot of the book trying to reconcile with her ex-girlfriend, Ash. Waverly also has autism. And although those aspects are central to her character, they're not central the plot. I particularly enjoyed a really sweet scene when Ash helps Waverly through a situation that gave her sensory overload.

Another highlight of this book are the themes of secret societies, masquerade parties, and apocalyptic blackouts. The author definitely had a lot of original ideas, and I liked seeing the combination and how it came together. If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that it was shorter than I expected. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. if you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA thrillers, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in May!

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, for allowing me to read This Is the Way the World Ends early.

This new novel of Jen Wilde captured my interest since its very first pages and by the end I couldn't stop being amazed.

This is a great read. Innovative, different, and absolutely attention grabbing. This story explores themes of young love, friendships, social bullying and the end of the world.

What happens when Cinderella finally makes it to the ball, but the ball ends up being the point of no return? The end of the world is unleashed and unlikely friends and alliances must be depended upon for survival in a place of secrets and agendas that are too deep to fully understand.

This is the Way the World Ends is an epic adventure of all sorts. Worth the read and worth the re-read.

This started off well, with the first 40% feeling more like a YA contemporary but then boy oh boy, the book takes a drastic turn. The book does a complete 180 and turns into this fast paced sci-fi apocalyptic conspiracy thriller. That may sound interesting but a lot of these aspects of the book go poorly explained and it all unfolds in a pretty nonsensical manner. The non-stop action is overwhelming and eventually starts to feels gratuitous. I enjoyed the autistic and neurodivergent rep, but that’s pretty much the book’s only highlight. I don’t go into most YA thrillers expecting brilliance, but this book could’ve really benefited from a more cohesive plot.

Thank you to the publishers for the ARC.

Ooooooookaaay...but...
So, at least at first I was genuinely impressed by the way our narrator's autism was presented (it's different for different people, did you know? No? Well, I did, ask me how). But...we weren't halfway through before the narrative devolved into fairly unintelligible nonsense. Honestly. Like? Whhaaat are we even doing here?

A mind blowing YA book chock full of interesting diverse characters, This is the Way the World Ends will hook you right in! Waverly attends a private NY school on scholarship due to her parents employment and her tutoring abilities. She is an autistic student and gay and feels like she doesn't "fit it." When her very wealthy and popular tutee Caroline asks her to switch places with her at the Masquerade Ball she is nervous but intrigued.
What goes down at the Masquerade is crazy! And Waverly is in the middle of it all. If you like fast moving and fun YA, great diverse characters living realistic lives or if you just want to attend a Masquerade Ball (with a Murder) then This Is The Way The World Ends is for you! #ThisistheWayTheWorld Ends. #JenWilde
#Stmartins

What an amazing book.

Waverly's used to wearing a mask to fit in with her neurotypical, 1% classmates at the prestigious Webber Academy. When offered the chance to put on another mask & pretend to be one of the most popular girls in school at this year's masquerade ball, she says yes. Only, the ball doesn't go seamlessly and Waverly witnesses a murder. Enlisting the help of her friends, they have to fight to save everyone's lives at the ball.

So many thrillers are allocishet, non-disabled, and white. And I am absolutely loving the increase in thrillers that are pushing back on this. Jen Wilde's "This is the Way the World Ends" is queer, disabled, and not all white. And it is so so amazing. I absolutely love thrillers and it thrills me to see more and more diverse ones being published. So let's talk about it:

Our main character, Waverly, is queer and autistic. And so unapologetically so. There are so many open discussions about her being autistic, such as feeling overwhelm & overstimulation, using accommodations like headphones & ear plugs, stimming to self regulate, and we even see her friends help her out of triggering environments.

Then we have Pari, a bi, Indian American SC who has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She is a major side character, so we see lots of discussion about her chronic pain, we see her use a cane, and since it's a thriller and there's lots of action, we see discussion about how everything is currently and is going to affect her pain.

There's also Waverly's mom, who has relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. She isn't as major of a side character, but we still see her struggles with pain, of doctors not believing her, misdiagnosing her, and the cost of medicine being raised too high to afford.

Now onto the rest of the book: I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen. There were so many twists and turns and surprises thrown in and I would never have guessed the motive behind the murder. There is so much betrayal, questioning who you can and cannot trust, and I fell for it all.

This was an absolute thrill to read and the vibes were immaculately done to reflect the feelings of everything going on. I loved every second of this book and it is definitely one of my favorite thrillers.

Rep: lesbian MC, bi SC, sapphic SC, Indian American SC, Black SC, autistic MC, SC with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, MC with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, SC who uses a cane, MC with anxiety

CW: murder, hospital, overstimulation, death, death of a parent, vomit, blood, autistic meltdown

Rating system:
5 - absolutely love, little-to-no dislikes that did not impact my reading experience

4 - great book, minor dislikes that did have an impact on my reading experience

3 - good/decent book but for some reason did not hook me or there were some problematic things that just were not addressed or greatly impacted my reading experience

2 - is either a book I did not click with and did not enjoy, problematic aspects are not addressed and severely impacted my reading experience, or I DNF'd but think it has potential for others

1 - is very problematic, I would not recommend the book to anyone

I love YA prep school stories, especially when they have as much mystery and suspense as this book does. I especially loved the cast of characters, many of whom aren't usually represented this way. The beginning of the book pulled me in and I couldn't stop reading at Waverly entered the masquerade. However, the second half of the book feels very repetitive. I wished there would have been a more clues and plot laid out before everything went into chaos.

This book hooked me from page one! Protagonist Waverly is autistic, gay, and broke; her parents both work at the private school she got into as she works as a tutor, helping other students study. When her friend, Caroline suggests she "trade places" and wear the expensive gown she bought for the elite masquerade ball, Waverly is excited but apprehensive as she is worried about being discovered. But it turns out there is much more to be concerned about as odd things happen at this party and secrets are unveiled as the night goes on! The future is formidable as Wilde explores the possibilities that exist within this nightmarish landscape. Raced through it to get to the end!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was something else! I didn’t realize that the title foreshadows the plot. Wow, it was good! I loved the characters, especially the fun ensemble of utterly cool queer ! I was sucked all the way in and enjoyed the story so much. It was cleverly written and I would very much love to see more from this author! The only downside is that I felt like the final fight, dragged on a bit, but other than that, was a fantastic read.