I loved every moment of this book, and it's by far one of my favorite reads of the year. It is so witty and wholesome in a way that also feels real and natural. The characters in the book were lovably imperfect teenagers trying to navigate their identities and growing up, and it reminded me so much of how it actually felt to be in high school.
I loved every character in this book, and I was rooting for Leo and Wren from the very beginning. Their dynamic together was amazing, and both characters were compelling on their own. There were so many moments where I just wanted to be able to give them a hug before I remembered they're not real.
I can't even begin to describe how well done the character development is in this book, and this goes for the main duo as well as the side characters. These characters are really everything YA characters should be.
Anonymously falling in love with someone has been one of my favorite tropes since A Cinderella Story, and this story brings a new twist to this as queer characters try to navigate this online world as well. The texting mixed with the real-life interactions make the relationship one to root for and fall in love with.
Finally, I think this is the first book I've read with either ace or aro representation, and this had both! This representation was handled so well and addressed the insecurities associated with ace/aro identities. again, in a way that was so realistic.
This book felt like a warm hug, and I could've read more and more of it.

“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.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Title: Wren Martin ruins it all
Author: Amanda Dewitt
Pages: 400
Genre: Young adult

⚠️TW: cancer, grief and loss depiction, death of a parent.

Thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink for this ARC in exchange of a honest review.

Honestly, the moment I saw that this story had asexual representation, I said I HAVE TO READ IT. And I’m pretty glad I requested it because I had such a good time reading it.

🐓At first I was annoyed of Wren, but once I started knowing his personality, his fears and thoughts, I could comprehend him better and start loving him. I enjoyed his narration; it made me unable to put the book down for a long time.

🐓Leo is such a cute and wholesome character. I could not love him more. I literally just wanted to hug him every time he appeared in the book.

🐓The parts that I love the most were the conversations between Wren and Buddy boy, they had such a good chemistry since the beginning. I wish we could have had more of those 🥺 And even though it was obvious who the identity of Buddy boy was, it didn't stop me from enjoying the process of the story.

🐓The asexual representation was so natural, and that made me really happy. Wren portrays exactly how it feels to be asexual in our current society.

🐓 I would have liked the other characters to be more developed, because I felt that everything revolved only around our protagonists. However, I really liked the dynamic between Ryan and Wren, and how protective Maggie was with Leo, she’s a really good friend.

🐓 And finally, I really liked how Wren and Leo got closer, all their little moments together were super cute (i was always screaming with excitement) and the two complement each other in a singular way. Likewise, Wren could understand Leo in the situation he was in, which opened his eyes to the fact that we all have problems, no matter how perfect we look on the outside.

Wren Martin Ruins It All is an adorable rivals-to-lovers high school romance. Wren becomes student council president by accident, he hopes to get the big school Valentine's dance canceled because of the overhyped heteronormativity and the large budget. When his fellow student council member Leo gets the dance sponsored by Buddy, an app that connects people with anonymous friends that Wren thinks is dumb, they must work together to make the dance a success. I loved that this book features an asexual-homoromantic MC working out his own happy ending. If you want a charming rom-com full of flawed but sweet characters, give this one a read.

This is a sweet YA book about an asexual teen and his friend/not friend at school. I don’t want to spoil anything but the story involves an app called Buddy. The teens use the app to rethink school dances so they are more inclusive. Recommend.

This book was incredible. I cried, I laughed, I squealed. I adore every single character and I want nothing but the best for them.
The romance in this was so goddamn cute. It was wholesome and lovely and also very real. There's a lot of discussion in this book about how to love someone is to love ALL of them, and it was just so sweet and lovely.
I adore Wren Martin. He is flawed and injured and so so loveable. He is such a real feeling character, and I thought he was so relatable (even if it's been a while since I was in high school and I have never been a boy in high school).
As with her last book, Amanda does such excellent Ace rep. It's both an important part of the character and the discussion, but also so much else is going on. Wren has so many other traits besides his sexuality, but it's still a big part of who he is. It's just such good rep, that really makes you feel SEEN when you read it.
And the side characters!!! Leo is great, Ryan is a menace and I love her, Maggie is mean and I love her for it, and Arthur is so stupid and I want to protect him at all costs. Even Ms. Little is so loveable. It's just such a stellar cast of characters.
And I love the plot of an unnecessarily extravagant school dance, and how the plot it isn't really about that so much as it's about learning to live life no matter how much it may hurt some times. The parts in here about grief were so real and human. This is truly an exploration of what it means to keep living when it seems impossible. Life it scary, losing people is scary, but life can also be beautiful, loving people is beautiful.
This book has so much heart, but it is also insanely funny. I don't know how she does it, but Amanda seems to have some portal into my brain because she writes in my EXACT kind of humour. I was laughing so hard the entire time. It's just written in a way that scratches my brain perfectly.
Anyway I love this with my whole heart, just like I loved Amanda's debut author. She has my buying loyalty forever.

Abruptly elevated to student council president, Wren is prepared to commit social suicide by canceling the school dance that sucks up all the funding each year and using the money for vital infrastructure work instead. When his disgustingly handsome vice president/nemesis Leo suggests asking the not-dating app Buddy for a sponsorship, he can't think of a way to reject it. Then he downloads Buddy and finds himself clicking with an anonymous new friend. As a committed asexual, this causes him some Feels. Also, he has to plan an awesome, inclusive masquerade alongside Leo. The twist is telegraphed a mile away, but it's still super sweet.

thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book

loving a book you had high expectations for is always amazing but loving a book who has ace rep and that you had high expectations for is THE best feeling ever.
This book was funny and heartwhelming. The ace rep is impeccable, I felt so seen by this book and by Wren. It menages to show perfectly how experiencing romance can be scary for an ace person, especially when you're fine on your own and how on the other hand we can be such hopeless romantics deserving of a good partner and an happy love story.

This book filled me with so much ace joy with how many times the word asexual was used, with the amazing friendship beetween Wren and Ryan, with the cupcakes, with the implication that we can have crushes for people we have never seen but just interacted with (my allo friends never understood me) and the final chapter!!! omg i won't spoil but i could make an essay on just how much i liked it and i loved Wren behaviour!

i feel quite obsessed with this book i can't wait to have a physical copy because i really need it

Wren Martin Ruins It All l is a funny and sweet YA novel that’s perfect for fans of books like Loveless by Alice Oseman.
This book had me chuckling one minute and “awwing” out loud the next. I really loved the main character’s voice and was hooked from beginning to end. If you are in the mood for a quippy and entertaining novel, then definitely check out Wren Martin Ruins It All.

This years ya books have blown me out of the water. I went into Wren hopeful this would be another grand slam and I was not disappointed. From the first ten pages I knew this was gonna change my life. My psyche was changed in ways I don’t wanna unpack.

The pacing, the storyline, the characters and the cat were perfect. I genuinely have no complaints. I felt like wren was me written in a different font and I am two seconds away from getting chickens just to sit with them and contemplate life. It’s a new life goal.

The banter and humor were so delectable that it hit me even harder when illness and grief were brought up. I was laughing then suddenly crying and having no idea what just happened to me. The only thing I would’ve liked was more from wren and his dad but honestly I feel like their relationship was done in a way that it’s not a big deal we didn’t get more from them (I will take a second book just saying). Also, wren repressing his emotions made me wanna look at the wall and make eye contact with no one.

Overall, this made my top tier list of this year and I can’t wait to get a physical copy of this book so I can sit in a dark corner and weep without a glowing screen showing my vulnerability.

I received this ARC free from the publisher through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. It was young adult without feeling to young or cringe. And without falling into the "fellow kids" trap that can happen. The story was interesting and I enjoyed reading about the experiences of an asexual teen still wanting romance (despite how much he may deny it). And to see his friend realize her own sexuality was interesting as well.

Both Wren and Leo felt real and I loved seeing how they interacted in different way throughout the book. Really well done and a good read even for adults.

Wren Martin is now the student council president and his first order of business is to abolish the school dance. He feels the dance is too big of a drain on the school’s budget and he has strong feelings about the social connotations of the dance, especially because he’s asexual. With a strong narrative voice, this book brings you the story of an asexual high schooler struggling with personal issues and budding feelings for his student council vice president.

The Good:

✔️ I read this book in less than a day mainly because the narration is so strong and personable

✔️ I adore all the characters

✔️ The anonymous “dating” app is an interesting addition and I haven’t read anything like it

✔️ The asexual representation is immaculate, I could talk for days about how it made me feel but let me just say it’s *chef’s kiss*

✔️ THE CHICKENS

The Bad:

❌ The ending felt rushed

❌ I think the twist with Leo and Buddy at the end could have been foreshadowed better because we never see Leo actually coding, we’re only told that he’s on the robotics team

Amanda DeWitt out here giving me the asexual representation we all needed. The book doesn’t explain asexuality just as you wouldn’t bother explaining gay, lesbian, or bisexuality. Wren is just asexual, it’s who he is, and it’s a big part of the narrative. I could list out all the sections that I related to as an ace person, but I would end up listing the entire novel. No, seriously, I haven’t felt this seen in a novel in a very long time. Thank you, Amanda DeWitt.

I was seriously reading this book smiling and giggling the entire time. The only part that didn’t do it for me was the ending. The Dance itself was rushed and the Leo/Buddy reveal felt flat. I also wish we could have seen more of Wren and Leo’s relationship as a couple, but that’s just my personal preference.

That being said, absolutely five stars. I’m going to buy the paperback as soon as it comes out. Go read this book. Seriously.

Oh. My. God. This book is like paper gold. When I tell you I squealed, hey, I’m telling the truth here! The writing and the way it is set up is so beautiful and soft, it provides such comfort and sweet feelings. I was so excited to read this, and I must say, DeWitt did not disappoint!

First up, the representation in this book! I loved how it was a theme, but the character's personalities were not built up around it. Wren is ace, and it was expanded on, but it felt very real as it was just something about him. Everyone treated him the same, every character treated being queer not as something to be avoided but just part of everyday life, and it was some of the sweetest representation I have seen in a book to date.

Second up, the sensitive handling of topics. It showed the bitter parts of life, such as the premature death of a loved one. It showed elements of cancer, even though it didn’t dive too deep into it. I liked how it showed these topics without being harsh or insensitive, something most authors have a problem with.

Third, the lovely characters and their relationships! They all mingled so well together, and all their relationships were so healthy and enviable. Amanda DeWitt’s writing made me wish for a lovable friend like Archer, a best friend like Ryan, and a significant other as sweet as Leo. It’s not like they were all written as perfect, either. They all had personality flaws, which only added to their charm.

Lastly, the presentation of the teen experience. It showed academic pressure, and then later emphasized that sometimes, you don’t need to have amazing scores in tests or other things, but instead need to show your willingness to participate and care for things. I liked how the SATs were treated as something routine, not the whole focus of your life. It was uplifting, in a way, and could motivate other teens going through the same thing.

All in all, this book was definitely one of the better ones I have read. I loved every second of it, and I wish I could read it again without previous knowledge of it. Thank you Netgalley, Peachtree Teen, and Amanda DeWitt for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Oh, what an absolute sweetheart of a book this was. Wren Martin is chaos incarnated, such a mess of a lovable idiot who you just wants to keep on rooting for. It's been a while since I've read a YA book but I really enjoyed this one. So much cooler because of its ace rep and the other cast of characters were equally hilarious and sweet. I loved this book so much and will be reading other books from this author, for sure.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC

I was really excited to read this because ace representation is rare and I try to read as many ace mc books I can find. At the beginning, I was unsure if I liked the book, but the further in I got the more I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters grow on you through out the book, especially Wren, who starts out knowing he's a hard to like person. All the hardships the characters went through, was mention in a very subtle way without making it too much of the main focus. Although I did wish it went into more detail on some stuff, but that's personally because I like angst. I usually have a hard time reading books with chat logs, but this one I really loved. There was a part where the normal paragraph got mixed up with the chat log, but hopefully that gets fixed. I am so glad I got an ARC for this. It was my favorite read of this month.

This book just made me happy, what can I say, it was lovely!

I found Wren to be a very endearing character. He's flawed: difficult, oblivious, stubborn, resentful; but at his core he's a kind and caring person who's still struggling deeply with his mother's death. He's also given up on the idea of dating as an asexual man, feeling like he always comes with an asterisk or a warning label. I can't speak from personal experience but I really empathised with Wren's fears and fatigue, and even his occasional questioning of his place in the queer community.

Leo was really such a sweetheart. I mean, poor Leo though, Wren is so tremendously oblivious. I think this was done in a very enjoyable way though. Though the online identity business - I'm not spoilering any of this, everyone knows what's going on here based on the blurb, ok? - did go on for an extremely long time, I was more than satisfied with the amount of time Wren and Leo spent together as not friends, acquaintances, then eventually friends.

I really enjoyed the writing style and thought it suited the YA genre very well. Wren breaks the fourth wall a few times, and the prose was fresh and funny without it seeming forced.

I do wish there had been more interaction between Wren and his father though, the author really just brushed over the difficulty and tension in their relationship without giving it any development.

All in all, a lovely coming of age story that I'd recommend to anyone looking for something bright but that tackles some tough questions.

This is probably the easiest, most morish book I’ve read all year. I loved every minute of Amanda DeWitt’s witty, heartfelt, and relatable sophomore story—start to finish, I was totally *hearts-in-my-eyes* OBSESSED with this story!

Asexual high school senior Wren Martin was an extremely likeable and relevant character. His wit and sarcasm, paired with his unique view of the world (and people) around him and his constant challenging/questioning of societal norms, were something I could respect and relate to a great deal.

Wren’s voice was strong and loud and thoughtful and funny and vulnerable. He was the kind of complex, ever-learning and ever-growing character that I crave to read about, and despite the fun plot and the charming slow-burn romance, I was here for every single thought, feeling, hilarious moment of commentary, insecurity, mistake, and triumph that his character went through, literally from the first page until the very last.

I seriously lucked out too, because this story (unexpectedly) featured one of my absolutely favourite romance tropes: anonymously falling for someone online without knowing who they are or what they look like. I throw this under the banner of epistolary romances and, sweet baby Jesus, do I gobble these kinds of stories up with eagerness and delight. Even better is when said anonymous person is already someone in their lives, which here they totally were (as a wonderful surprise to Wren at the end and not-at-all a surprise to the reader).

Which leads me to the support cast. They were just wonderful. Seriously, chef’s kiss!!! If you’re anything like me and you predominantly love reading (in any genre) for the characters and the relationships (romantic or not, any dynamic will do), then you’ll surely enjoy the people who made up Wren’s small part of the world. From his teachers to his friends, to his dad and his arch-nemesis Leo (who are we kidding!!!), every single person shined in their own unique light and served to love, support, champion and challenge Wren at every turn, making him a more grounded and thoughtful human being for the better.

The romance is the best kind of slow-burn, with a slight (one-sided) enemies-to-lovers vibe and lots of delicious banter and cute precious moments to make your heart swoon. I honestly can’t decide if I liked the online-anonymous connection or the face-to-face interactions better, literally every moment between these boys was perfection and made me smile the goofiest smile, to the point that those around me were looking at me funny, wondering if I was in my right mind.

On a more serious note, Wren is living in the aftermath of the loss of his mother and the pressing grief he hasn’t quite dealt with, while Leo (the love interest) is quietly dealing with a sick relative (with cancer) and all the many and varying impacts that has on him as a loved one. I appreciated the way such themes were explored and reflected upon, both thought-provoking and beautifully emotive.

Yet, while these serious themes are explored with respect and due consideration throughout the narrative, for the most part, this story remains quite uplifting and humorous in tone and telling, sparking a nice balance between heavy and light storytelling that I relished every second of.

I also appreciated the way Wren's asexuality was handled, naturally and (from my lens) authentically. It's not a defining element of the story or his romantic journey, it's simply a part of who he is, but it does shape the way he sees himself and the way he considers potential relationships and being accepted for who he is.

I’d liken Wren Martin Ruins It All to other wonderfully crafted queer YA stories of recent years, such as Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, I Wish You All the Best, and All That’s Left in the World. Although plot, themes, and tone may vary in these comparisons, all of these books are beautifully written, by some of the most talented YA authors of this generation, featuring standout characters and covering a wide range of relevant themes that impact readers hearts and minds in equal measure.

Wren Martin Ruins It All is, undoubtedly, my favourite YA queer contemporary story of 2023. I adored this story so much that I legitimately hope no other book even comes close to beating it out for my top YA spot of the year in the few months we have remaining.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! <3

What a book!!!
This book was fun and entertaining. Funny and Made me swoon. I loved every representation that portrayed here. And yes, our MC was chaotic but so so adorable. A solid 5 stars for this fun book!

this was quite fun! i love soft coming-of-age stories with queer rep and i felt so seen by wren’s journey that i actually felt a little emotional at times. i feel like i’ve generally outgrown ya so i wouldn’t say it was a 5-star read for me but i would definitely recommend it to those within its target age range! :)

This was an heartfelt and adorable read! There is so much humor and light in it.

Wren is newly appointed as student council president and has BIG plans for this year, like allocating funding for things that really matter, like fixing major repairs inside of the school. The last thing he wanted to do was plan a school dance... Finding the idea of school dances and all that go into them daunting as an asexual person, he feels that these kinds of events aren't inclusive to people like him.

The student council vice president, and bane of his existence, Leo is all about the dance, suggesting they find a sponsor... like this new "not dating" app that everyone is raving about, BUDDY. Doing his due diligence, he checks out the app, secretly making a profile and soon finds someone he really enjoys talking to, though he would never tell anyone... besides, the app is completely anonymous.

Meanwhile, working so closely with Leo, he learns that there may be more to the perfect on paper boy than he previously thought. Now, he is even more confused because he finds himself traversing dating life as an asexual person, which, for Wren, is uncharted territory.

Told with such humor and a cast of lovable characters, this book was super sweet and holds a very special place in my heart.

Wren Martin Ruins It All was a book that I liked more than I expected! Honestly, I'm a little tired of books with relationships through anonymous messages, but I was satisfied with the development made in the book! Wren was a character who wasn't always very pleasant, but it's impossible not to get attached to him. Leo was also a big surprise during the book and I found myself rooting for them to get together soon. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!