Reviews

Oh this was delicious.

It is very rare that you read a book that touches on more than one subject, but this book did and the author did it brilliantly. Firstly, we have my girl, Doe, who I love with all my heart. Then we have her dedication to her school, her tight knit sisterhood friendship, her brilliant pranks, her amazing personality, her rivalry with the the boys school across the road and her fake romance with Wells.

There was nothing I didn’t like about this book. The pranks and the rivalry and the tension between Three and Doe had me second guessing if their was some underlying love scorned perhaps. Then her fake romance with Wells that felt very real and had me giggling and blushing every time they were together. Oh and her being dragged into his family drama, everything! Then Doe’s friends and their undeniable respect and loyalty towards her, that kind of sister hood (even though it had its faults) can’t be faked and I love how much they loved each other–true ride or dies. And while Doe had potential and authority to be a typical mean girl and queen bee, she used her statues instead to give voices to underclassmen and help those in need, which is exactly what she did when she finally had proof that the scumbag of a teacher was so deeply inappropriate. Doe fought for the right thing, putting aside her pride to do what was best for the girls at the school and that really made this story even better.

I fucking loved every inch and crevice of this book and I need more people to read this!

Favourite quote: “I will either find a way or make one.”

pennydistrict's review

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3.0

Of all my favorite romance tropes, fake dating might top the list. Throw in enemies to loves and I’m hooked, so I was very excited to start This May End Badly. Right off the bat, I absolutely loved Doe’s friendship with her Weston girls and her love of her school was so endearing. I was also a little bit in love with Wells from his very first appearance, so I couldn’t stop grinning once their fake dating plot was hatched.

Based on the blurb, I was expecting a lighthearted YA romance, but was surprised and impressed with how many weighty issues this book covers! In addition to the fun and boys vs. girls boarding school rivalry, This May End Badly tackles gender parity in education, sexual harassment/assault, and gender identity and inclusion. Doe’s reckoning with each issue and her evolving stance on the merger was very well done. When a main character makes a couple bad decisions, it can sometimes be hard to keep rooting for them, but Doe had so much humility that I was never frustrated with her. I did feel that some of the time spent covering these other issues detracted a bit from the main plot. There was a lot going on and I was sometimes impatient to return to the rivalry and romance. I think even removing one of the side plots would have made the book a bit easier to follow and better paced.

I do wish more time had been devoted to Doe and Three’s rivalry and that we’d been able to see them interact together more often, but that’s a testament to how well they were written. The ending was perfect and I can’t wait to re-read!

danakp's review

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4.0

This book gave me everything I wanted and more. Rival boarding schools? Check. Prank wars? Check? Fake dating? CHECK! Not only was this book full of fun tropes, but Markum expanded upon those tropes to provide nuance and depth to multiple characters in a way few YA authors can. The various friendships Doe has with her group of girls were each unique and well-developed with love, disappointment, and other REAL emotions that exist between friends. The chemistry between Doe and Wells was so fun to watch develop and, similarly, grew so naturally.