I enjoyed this novel a lot. Like, a LOT lot.
After the author's debut, that I liked but was missing something to me, I was quite nervous to start a new title written by Amanda DeWitt, but it ended up being an amazing decision. It might one of the softest and easiest to go through books I have read in 2023.

Being an asexual myself, the representation holds a lot of importance to me, and I really loved what the author did with the main character, Wren. And the romance was everything I needed to read as an ace, as it can be hard to find a good one that stays true to the sexuality of the characters.

I highly recommend this book, that will make you spend a great time for sure. Perfect for the summer or spring season, and for fans of Becky Albertalli and Sophie Gonzales!

Wren Martin Ruins It All was another total Amanda DeWitt win!

In this story we follow Wren, an asexual teenager who after stepping into a role of student council president decides to abolish the beloved Valentine's Day dance at their school and make better budgeting choices. But his nemesis and vice-president, the perfect Leo, has a solution to his budget problems - find a sponsor for the dance! And who else would be a better sponsor than Buddy, the anonymous not-dating app taking over the nation, fixing their money problem and turning Valentine's Day dance into something for everyone, not just coupled teens.
Wren decides to secretly give this hellish app a go and things slowly spiral out of control as he starts developing feelings for his anonymous match while also juggling the biggest dance their school has ever seen and a budding friendship (or something more?) with Leo. What will happen when Wren finally realizes that Leo and his life are not that perfect at all but that he might just be perfect for Wren? And what about his anonymous match that makes Wren drop down his guard and makes him feel understood?

This was such a spectacular YA novel!! Full of all the things I love best - questioning characters that are nowhere near perfect, but wonderful to read about exactly because of that, epic friendship groups, nemesis to friends to maybe lovers trope, anonymous pen pals, and a lot of high school drama! It was a painfully relatable book at some parts and I really wish I had this when I was still in high school.

I loved Wren and his sarcasm and his abject rejection of societal norms in high school that make it all about dating and romance. Mind you, this was a YA contemporary book that had a romantic plotline in its center, but it also refused the allocishet definitions of it and I really wish I could follow Wren and Leo's story onward, into college and then adult life (ya know, after school is over and you have to find a job yada yada hehe).

There was also a subplot about loss that hit hard and while it was a difficult story to read, it was also written with a lot of care and I know it'll mean a lot to so, so many. Because losing our loved ones is always soul-shattering and Wren's feelings, thoughts, and decisions were coloured a lot by that as well.

All in all, Wren Martin Ruins It All is a beautiful YA story about love and sexuality (and asexuality), friendship and looking towards your future while being stuck in the past by loss and hurt. It is a laugh-out-loud-novel while also packing quite a few emotional punches, and I truly can't recommend it enough!

Incredibly cute and wholesome story.

I kinda knew what was going to happen from the beginning and i suppose it would have been even better if i had been surprised but it was still an awesome book. I really enjoyed reading, and the character development was awesome.

I absolutely recommend!

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review.

Once again, Amanda DeWitt is responsible for one of my favorite reads of the years. I loved everything about this story, from high strung and too intense Martin to adorable Leo and the concept of the app Buddy. Some point were a little obvious to me, but I can totally see how Martin would be oblivious.

“It feels like an asterisk after my name, or a warning label on the back of my head”

“I don't want someone to look at me and tell me my sexuality is a deal breaker. I don't want to be pressured or to be a disappointment. I want to be Wren and I want that to be enough, and that's not going to happen.”

This book was truly precious to me.

This books is a cozy nook for all the queers out there. Not only it does justice with its representation, it also introduces difficult conversations. Mind you, our boy Wren here is not a completely 'right' character - he makes mistakes, he hurts people, but at the same time he realizes his wrongdoings and strives to do better by the person. The aro-ace rep in this book was a treat to my heart and soul.

Amanda DeWitt brings the representation in this book. It is so exciting and refreshing to see young adult books featuring asexual characters and experiences. I am so glad that Wren Martin Ruins It All exists and is such an entertaining read with an amazing cast of characters and an engaging plot.

I just want to give Wren Martin a big hug. I absolutely fell in love with this book and its cast of characters. It examines a lot of deep questions. Wren Martin has lost his mother to cancer, and two years on is still trying to figure out how to live life without her. Wren is asexual, and doesn't date because he doesn't want to be rejected for who he is. And also reconciling who we choose to be online versus who we are in real life - and how those two can intersect.

Despite the fact he may only have become student council president because of a scandal, Wren Martin is ready to take the school by storm. Step 1 - eliminate the Valentine's Dance and spend that budget fixing up the school (starting with the open hole in the stage). That plan is dashed when vice-president (and Wren's nemesis) Leo Reyes suggests having social media app Buddy sponsor the dance - which he somehow manages to pull off.

What follows is Wren's journey of embracing who he is, going along with the sponsored dance, and allowing himself to find his way without his mother.

DeWitt has given us a gift with this book, it was a truly magical read.

I really enjoyed this book. I love ace rep, especially ace rep from a character who already knows it and isn’t ashamed of it.

For anyone who doesn’t like second hand embarrassment give this book a try, I promise that every time he does something stupid it gets resolved pretty quickly.

Thanks to NetGalley, Holiday House and Amanda Dewitt for this ARC

I loved this book. It’s funny, heartfelt, and extremely sweet. Wren, the lead character, is quippy, funny, and flawed in an extremely relatable way. The book is unafraid to admit Wren’s flaws which I really appreciate. The side characters are loveable. The “plot twist” in the book was easy to see coming, but that kind of felt like the point (hence the quotations around “plot twist”). The asexual representation was handled really well, especially showing asexual characters who experience romantic attraction. I definitely recommend this for anyone who loves queer young adult fiction.

I love how well I could hear Wren’s voice while reading this. I also greatly enjoyed watching Wren’s journey unravel. Every step that Wren took made me feel like a proud parent. This was such a precious YA story, I gobbled it up in 3 sittings. I think this book is perfect for fans of Simon Vs the Homosapians Agenda, and You’ve Got Mail. It’s queer, YA, has Asexuality rep, has realistic teenage dialogue, anonymous identities, and cute fluff.

This gorgeous, witty, wonderful story of navigating life as an asexual person in a world that wasn't built for that, while also navigating grief, the future, and other normal high school senior experiences, is one that i will not soon forget about. Wren Martin means so much to me, and I wish that I could have had this book when I was younger. I feel like it would have helped me learn a lot about myself, wayyyy sooner than i did.

The dialogue was funny, the relationships built were deep and meaningful and i loved getting moments of opening up about things, especially the moment when Wren and Ryan are talking about Ryan's sexuality, and Leo and Wren's moments of conversation about cancer. Absolutely will be reading anything Amanda Dewitt writes from now on.

This was delightful. It helps that I *adore* a stubborn, difficult, not-self-aware-at-all, runs-entirely-on-spite-and-caffeine, sarcastic mc. Add in a dose of mistaken identities, an episotolary angle (honestly, that it's text/app messages is even better), and a healthy smattering of Pride and Prejudice inspiration and I was guaranteed to love it.

Wren won't be for everyone, but I absolutely love him. He fits perfectly into a subset of my absolute favorite characters (even though I don't really know why I love them so much.) I guess I find his stubborn, sarcastic, spite-driven, misguided personality and actions... charming?

Leo is charming in a much more traditional way, and he makes a great foil for Wren. Their interactions as they gradually and reluctantly get to know one another are heartwarming.

I really appreciate how Wren's asexuality is treated here. It's matter-of-fact and pretty much a non-issue, other than contributing to Wren's angst and anxiety about the pitfalls of high school dating. As someone who is ace myself, his thoughts on it felt very real. I also appreciated that he is ace, very opposed to romantic dances in general, and also grudgingly, thoroughly a romantic.

Amanda DeWitt has such a way with words. Her writing is effortlessly funny and charming and heartwarming and just perfection. I don't think I've read anything else by her so I'll be rectifying that immediately. Ha! Scratch that. Now that I look, I've actually read her other book, Aces Wild, and loved it too. For similar reasons. Well, in that case, I'll just anxiously await her next book because at this rate I'm guaranteed to love it.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing an early copy for review.

WREN MARTIN RUINS IT ALL is an endearing and enjoyable novel, so full of heart and charm. Not only is Wren an entertaining narrator with an attitude, but also filled a part of my heart that didn’t realize it was longing for to see myself on page with ace guy representation.
While I wish I hadn’t waited so long to finish it, I sincerely enjoyed the audiobook—the narrator did lovely—so I’m glad I got to listen to it.

Thank you to PeachTree Teen and NetGalley for providing a review copy.

I have similar feelings than I did about her debut Aces Wild; a lukewarm 3 stars.

• it's not a secret that teenagers are more online than ever, so creating a plot around a social media app that is about connecting with like-minded people together with an opinionated, sometimes judgemental protagonist is a smart move. I did genuinely enjoy how DeWitt included text messages and such in the story.
• What even is a "romcom" anymore, I don't understand how this label is applied anymore. What is it with these kind of "funny" books and the inclusion of death? Humor is subjective, so maybe that's just on me but the overall atmosphere was more that of a general contemporary coming-of-age tale, sad and funny moments included. I personally liked the somber parts but I am also a lover of sad books.
• Wren as a main character is... look, I was never really sold on his outwardly almost aggressive dislike of anything school dance and Leo related. It did not feel genuine and more contrived to make the plot work. But there is a lot of growing and learning on his part that was important for the story to work that did happen.
• On the flipside, his asexual identity was well established from the start and I liked that any anxieties he had came from other people and their perceptions and not from himself.
• Overall, the story has its charms and you could do worse if you are looking for recent asexual YA releases if a little bland.
• ( but was Leo supposed to be Latino??)
• The big reveal, however... what? lmao though

Super cute with a very sweet main character. Wren is the main reason I kept reading. Super funny and a super cute read it’s definitely worth a read.

I really enjoyed this book! There were some points where the main character Wren rubbed me the wrong way, but he shows a lot of growth as a person through the story in a way that I appreciated the execution of. The snarky dynamic between Wren and Leo, the one-sided rivalry uneven heaviness of it, is so much fun to read. Wren reads like an obnoxious teenager in the most entertaining way. I also really appreciate the way Wren's asexuality is woven into the story and sort of an impetus for the events while also not being the focus. It's a part of him, it impacts who he is and what he does, but it's just something he carries like everything else.
My favorite scene was the end of chapter 31 for reasons you'll have to read the book to find out.
My main complaint is it felt like a few things that were recurring throughout the story weren't properly resolved by the end, though I won't specific to avoid spoilers. Overall, though, the story does feel like it reaches resolution and I'm satisfied by it.
Big love to Leo, who is best boy and deserves all the love. Ten thousand lemon lavender cupcakes for you!

I had no idea how much I would end up loving this book when I began it, but by the end I knew this was a new favourite. It was incredibly heartfelt, and Wren is a fantastic main character, despite being flawed and not making the best decisions, you can't help but love him and root for him. This book was just a delight from start to finish - it's funny, thoughtful, a little cheesy and predictable but in the best way. The side characters were also so charming, and really brought the best out of Wren. It was also quite emotional to see the side plot, involving the death of Wren's mother a couple of years ago, and how he and his dad are dealing with that. I would highly recommend this book to anybody looking for a great YA novel, for something that is both lighthearted and emotional - very well written, and a lovely time.

As an ace person, I feel so happy reading books like this one, I think it is important that this kind of books exist, specially for YA that maybe don’t know about asexuallity and for the aces that want to read something reletable.

I didn't want to put this book down and when it ended I was devastated because I just wanted more. I want to continue and know what happens next!!!

Yeah the main character is asexual and yeah being ace has an impact on who he is and how he views his possible dating life and relationships and that spoke to me so much!
But also, there is so much more to Wren and to this story. This is about accepting love, it's about grief, it's about making decisions for the future.
It's a very well rounded coming of age story about a funny sarcastic and loveable character who had almost given up on a few things in life and who slowly gives them another chance.