While I enjoyed the plot and overall concept of the story I am not sure if the author managed to execute it well. The writing was a bit chunky at times with several instances of internal monologuing during pivotal scenes. The moral message was very heavy handedly delivered various times causing it seem more burdensome by the end. While the last third of the book was very tense resulting in a late night finish, the beginning was very slow and didn’t immediately grab my interest.

Overall, I enjoyed the friendships the most and wish more time was spent on those relationships instead of the love interest. I also appreciated the on page descriptions of disability (even if at times it felt forced). The world may be ending, but that doesn’t mean the characters instantly overcame their anxiety, physical handicaps, or sense of self.

I absolutely could not put this book down. I had no clue where it was going from the time I opened it to the time it ended. It's one of those books that starts out looking like your run of the mill books about teenagers and quickly takes a turn towards oh my god, what is going on? I wanted a bit more of an ending but I am a big fan of nice wrapped up in a bow ending to a story and this is not the book for that. I'm so grateful that Wednesday Books sent me an early finished copy in addition to an e-book. Definitely looking forward to more from this author.

This book is definitely reminiscent of the dystopian era of YA, although it starts off in a world similar to ours. You know going into the book that things aren’t as they seem, and the world may be on the brink of big changes that will impact everyone in a devastating manner. How this happens though? Now that’s the mystery, and it does unfold in an intriguing way.

Set in a prestigious New York school, we follow Waverly, one of few students who attend based on scholarship and merit instead of wealth and connections. For the most part, I liked her as a protagonist. She’s unique and stands out among the YA crowd full of heroines that all seem so…one noted. She’s autistic and deals with the world in a slightly different way than others. But that doesn’t necessarily define her, just a fact that explains how her POV makes sense.

There’s also a heavy emphasis in chronic illness among the secondary characters. From MS flares to the need for a cane with mobility, diversity is most definitely present. While it’s tempting to feel like the author just wants to add “diverse characters” into the story, I don’t feel that is the case here. These aren’t just token characters to check off a box and feel good about yourself. Their disabilities or health struggles are a part of who they are and play more of a role in the story than an adjective to describe a person.

That being said, I struggled the most with this story when it came to really connecting with the characters. They seem great and all, but why should I care? I know, it sounds harsh, but a part of me felt very disconnected from them, which isn’t great when these characters are on the run and trying to escape pending doom and death.

What the book excelled at more was laying out the end of the world plot. It felt like a quick read at times because I was anticipating with Waverly the puzzle pieces we needed to put together to understand what’s happening. The end of the world hadn’t happened yet, unlike most dystopians that already drop you in a devastated world, so it was cool seeing the transition.

Unfortunately, the plot dragged only in its flashback scenes. They’re there to add context for Waverly’s relationship with her ex, Ash. I liked Ash well enough but I couldn’t determine whether I was rooting for their present relationship or not from what little information we are presented with about her. Most of the happy parts of their relationship occurred in the past so I never got to truly feel them falling in love. In fact, the romance almost deterred some of the action in the story with the page time it was given.

Without giving away anything, I’ll say that I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. It both felt like the appropriate place to leave it while also making me wish for more. That may be a good indicator for a book. It makes you both want more and somewhat satisfied with the direction it did go in. For a debut novel, This is the Way the World Ends had some bumps but it also had some things I enjoyed for a quick read.

Overall Recommendation:

This is the Way the World Ends delivers on the diversity front in its characters but lacks the emotional connection to them. Between certain flashbacks and a plot about the world literally ending, there wasn’t enough time focused on any singular thing. There was a lot of potential but perhaps didn’t come through in a way I had anticipated while rooting for Waverly and co.

This Is The Way The World Ends by Jen Wilde starts in a way that is used in some classic teen movies…a fashion montage. We meet Waverly, an autistic lesbian low income scholarship student tutor, and Caroline, a rich girl. Waverly’s mom was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Her best friend, Pari, has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and uses a cane. The love of her life, Ash/ Ashley Webber’s dad is the head of the private school they both attend. They are happily dating one day and the next day, she ghosted her. Caroline puts Waverly in the dress and mask that she was going to wear to the masquerade ball and sends her in her place. Spoiler alert: there’s a blackout caused by a solar flare that has caused power grid failures across the world. Thankfully Dean Owen Webber is going to transport selected elite parents and their kids to a secret bunker in Texas to start a new world. Waverly, Pari, Caroline, Ash and Max. These girls hatch a plan of their own. What starts as an innocent queer story turns into quite the adventure. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for the ARC.

This book is odd. This review also contains some spoilers. It is very slow to get off the ground. Then once it does man it goes hardcore right into the world is ending and how in the world are Waverly and her friends going to escape the crazy situation, they have found themselves in. I love that Waverly’s character is so out and open. Also, that she is so honest with herself with dealing with her autism. I say that realizing that she doesn’t always feel confident in how others perceive her and react to her autism, but she doesn’t try to hide it. She also finds friends who are supportive of making sure she feels comfortable and confident. That is lovely. This was about the only thing I loved about this book. Why in the world would Webber take so much time and invest so much interest and money into Waverly and her family if he knew the world was going to end, and that he wouldn’t be taking Waverly with him to his secret bunker. That just doesn’t fit in with the narcissistic personality Webber shows towards the end of his book. Just so much doesn’t make sense, the ending was rushed and all the lose ends are tied up super quick for the sake of reader. I just didn’t love this book like I thought I would.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this tile.

Have you ever dreamed of pretending to be your friend at the biggest party of the year? Waverly in This Is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde does exactly that, when she dresses up as her friend Caroline and attends the Webber Academy Masquerade Ball. While there, she sees her ex girlfriend and a murder.
I read one of Jen’s books last June and didn’t love it but I wanted to try another book because there’s plenty of authors who I don’t love immediately and I just try another book from them. Unfortunately, this book got a lower rating.
The premise sounded incredible and I was excited to read about a murder at a masquerade. I thought Caroline’s character was so interesting and I love love loved seeing the flashback scenes.
But there was so much I disliked. There seemed to be so many characters who were diverse just for diversity’s sake. If every character except for the villain is “representing” something, it starts to feel forced. There were also so many pop culture references that felt like in a few months would be dated. Onto the plot, once everything started happening, I had to keep putting down the book to reread the description of the book to see if I had missed something. I didn’t feel like the book was correctly marketed. I wish there was more I liked but all in all, I gave it a ⭐️⭐️.5
Pub date May 9, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I love Jen Wilde’s writing style and I’m a big fan of her other books. This book was no different, even though the theme was very different.

I loved the main character Weverly, who is neurodivergent and queer, and how she deals with being an outsider in her super exclusive and expensive school - she’s a scholarship student and both her parents work at the school.

The author did a really good job at building tension and creating suspense, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

The plot is a little out there, but in a good way. I liked how it raised questions about the very foundations of our society, and how real the danger felt.

All in all, another great book by Jen Wilde, always an autobuy for me.

4,5 stars

An elite high school, Webber Academy, located in New York is full of the privileged and the prosperous, but it is also sprinkled with a few outstanding outliers. Enters Waverly, an autistic student on scholarship looking to become a doctor so she can help her ailing mother and those like her. Waverly doesn't have much but her friendship with Ashley, the Dean's daughter affords her an opportunity of a lifetime- to switch places and attend the elusive masquerade ball. Soon Waverly realizes that ball is a distraction from something more secretive taking place and she and her friends are in for the night of their lives. This novel gave a little bit of everything- romance, social plight, elitism, thriller, and mystery. It was a quick read because I couldn't put it down. I literally wanted to jump into this book at times. Can't wait for the next installment and hope there's a movie to go with it.

This Is the Way the World Ends is a gripping thriller that takes place in a world of extreme privilege. The story follows a compelling circle of friends as they try to save everyone from impending doom. Intrigue is threaded throughout this thought-provokingly relevant thriller, making it a propulsive and unique read. The main character is so well-written that she practically jumps off the page, leaving readers eager to know what happens next.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
This is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde starts like a private school teen thriller and then has a massive and unexpected sci-fi twist that changes the whole story. It's a wild ride from start to finish. This is one of those stories where the less said, the better, but I will tell you what I can.

Bullet Point Review:

I loved how focused the story's main plot stays from beginning to end.

Even though the plot is focused, or maybe because it is, several plot gaps throughout make suspended disbelief hard to maintain.

I loved the main character, Waverly, and her two best friends, Frank and Pari. They were dedicated to each other, intelligent, and had to overcome daily challenges.

I enjoyed that the most lovable characters had to overcome mental and physical disorders and the fire and determination with which they did it. This type of character is so essential for people to read about.

The sci-fi twist felt like it came out of left field (though there is one big hint I missed). I'm still not sure how I felt about it.

The main characters are incredibly well-developed and diverse, but the side characters are too stereotypical and almost cartoonish.

The story is told by Waverly in first-person narration, which works well for keeping the story fast-paced.

I loved the pace of the book. It reads incredibly fast, as the characters are constantly in motion.

The story is surprisingly gory, and teens (as well as adults) lose their lives, which is worth noting.

Read, if you like
Thrillers with a sci-fi twist
Gory stories where lives are lost
Fast-paced thrill rides

I think this book was honestly a little too short to accomplish everything it set out to be. It has a lot of story to tell and the result is that pretty much all of it gets shortchanged. It's a mystery and a look at status and wealth issues, as well as maybe trying to also throw in some cli-fi. Overall the premise of the book was great- and I think there is a lot for readers to enjoy with this one, but it might leave them wanting more.

This book was so good in parts and just too bizarre in others. I wish it had been the LGBTOIA+ romance/drama or the dystopian future novel, not both.. the writing is excellent and the story draws you in but it wasn't what I was expecting when I started reading at all. I will say it kept me reading the whole time so perhaps it does a good job overall

This one was a wiiiiiild ride. Wow. A really unputdownable read. I finished it in one sitting.
Here, we meet Waverly, a girl who is on a scholarship at an academy for millionaires. And, when there's a masquerade ball about to be held, things start getting a very dark turn.
This book was a mess of twists and turns, and I mean that as a good thing. It was a roller coaster of things happening one after another, and it's one of those roller coasters you love. The characters were well written and quite interesting, as well as very diverse. The only thing I didn't love was the ending, since I found it a bit anticlimactic. But I think that's compensated by all of the things that come before it.
If you'd like to read a YA mystery that is a page-turner, search no more, you've found the right one.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy Sapphic apocalyptic thrillers then I would definitely recommend you check this one out. Despite the overall plot being a bit predictable, it’s an action-packed, wild ride with plenty of diversity and inclusivity.

Waverly is a queer, autistic teen attending a prestigious NYC private school on scholarship. All of her classmates are part of the 1% and they never miss a chance to remind her she doesn’t belong. So when one of her tutoring students, Caroline, suggests Waverly attends the annual masquerade fundraiser in her place, she jumps at the chance to be part of NYC high society for a night. A dream come true.

That is until she discovers a nefarious plot that puts her and her friends’ lives at risk.

I had so much fun reading this book! It’s a bit campy and cartoonish at times but that adds to the overall charm. Waverly is a great protagonist who stands up for what’s right instead of taking the easy way out.

I would’ve liked for the ending to be tied up a bit more nicely. Well, as nicely as an apocalypse can be tied up. I’m hoping the openness leaves room for a possible sequel. It would be interesting to see how Waverly and crew handle living in a changed world.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In my opinion, being relatively short doesn't exactly work in the book's favor. So many characters, including our main character Waverly, felt very one-dimensioned, with so many "out there" things (aka everything that happens after she gets to the Masquerade ball... no spoilers!) being packed in. I didn't care much about anyone and could barely keep the many side characters' names straight! Also, for a romance that was clearly very important to our main character, I failed to feel very invested or understand why we should be rooting for the two.

I also really disliked that Waverly mentions Tiktok. However important the app may be to some current teens, it's a trend that's bound to become out-of-date at some point. This is a personal preference of mine, but an issue nonetheless.

With even an unsatisfying ending, I'm not sure if This Is the Way the World Ends would be my first pick for a re-read. However, younger teens might be more excited by the fast-paced storyline.

Dystopian book full of diverse characters with an interesting plot. This book had potential, but fell a little flat for me. I wasn’t really invested until almost half way through the book, and then the rest felt a little rushed. I’m wondering if there will be a second book. I enjoy YA reads, but i think this is one i would have specifically enjoyed more if i was 10 years younger.

First off, this book has excellent representation. Our main character, Waverly, is a lesbian with autism and both her best friend mom suffer from chronic illnesses. It also addresses topics like women always being taken seriously by doctors and rising drug prices.

I enjoyed the first half or so of this, and I liked the idea of the whole masquerade ball. I also really liked the flashback scenes with Waverly and Ash and thought they were cute.

This book went completely off the rails though, and I just found the whole premise to be way too farfetched and ridiculous. The villians felt like they came straight out of a cartoon. We had literal grown men fighting teenage girls, and I just couldn't.

Overall, if this would have stayed just a cute contemporary romance, I would have enjoyed it. Also, the book ends with so many unanswered questions, and I may be mistaken, but as far as I am aware this is a standalone.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the chance to read and review this book.

This book started off so promising. I was really excited for it, but then, the twist came in to play and I lost all interest. For me, the ending is not finished. For readers, I hope there’s not a second book. This book is what I would call a skim book — you can just skim through it without missing any information. Interesting plot that fell flat for me.

This was an incredibly bingeable, fast paced thriller that will instantly suck you in. I was hooked from the very first page. I loved the representation in this and how for such a quick story, the main characters are very detailed and impressive. I loved everything in the first half of the book; Waverly and Pari were both witty and badass, the twists and turns setting up the plot was fascinating and very very entertaining. The second half was a lot thrown at you back-to-back-back, which kind of felt rushed and a little far fetched, but I still ate it up and had to keep going. I feel like the ending could possibly set up another book so I’m interested in seeing what happens next. This was a super fun read and definitely a page turner.

Waverly has always felt like she doesn’t belong. She is an autistic student whose family is scraping by at an incredibly rich and prestigious school. When Caroline, the most popular girl at school, suggests Waverly disguise herself as Caroline to gain entry to the school’s masquerade ball, Waverly agrees. It doesn’t hurt that her ex-girlfriend who ghosted her will be there.

But when the masquerade is made up of clandestine meetings, secret passageways, and even murder, Waverly realizes nothing about her school is what she believed. Add in that the world may be ending outside the party’s doors, and it’s truly a night Waverly will never forget.

This was a really gripping and unique read. The masquerade ball and everyone there really came alive through Wilde’s writing, and it felt like I was there with the characters. The tension was so heightened, and everything was so mysterious and suspenseful. The stakes were so high I couldn’t help but be invested. I would recommend this book.