Scan barcode
A review by paxyshia
This May End Badly by Samantha Markum
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 stars! I have some back and forth with YA books but this one, I was able to let it grow on me and understand its characters.
Definitely for you if you enjoy:
- Stealthy rivalry pranks
- Fun friend groups
- The power of friendship
Doe is a Weston girl and what comes with being a Weston girl? Hating and pranking the Winfield boys. Naturally. Doe is the mastermind behind all their greatest pranks for the last 2 years and she is toe to toe with Winfield’s leader, Three. She’ll do anything to take him down including (fake) dating his cousin, Wells. Wells doesn’t care for much but when Doe brings it up, she assures him he’ll get two great things out of it: getting under Three’s skin and getting a family heirloom that rightfully belongs to him. He agrees.
When both private schools announce a merger next year, Doe is hellbent on stopping it from happening and saving the one place that saved her from a rough time back home. After taking each prank up a level higher than the last as well as lying to her friends and family, Doe is at the end of the line and everything is on the verge of eruption. Despite all of this, light is shed on a teacher rumored to have inappropriate behavior with students and it’s up to Doe and her gang to (hopefully) come together to set aside years worth of rivalry to protect the people in the place she loves.
📚
Okay so! I liked this one though it was hard to get into a little bit but I’m always like that. The pace in the beginning lingered a little for me and although more was happening in the book, that pace stayed pretty constant. With more happening later in the book I didn’t mind too much.
Doe wasn’t an incredibly lovable character for me. Wells and Doe’s friends were though! I’ve said this on previous reviews though, I think it’s often hard for me to read YA books and love the MC’s. I often wanna just shake them and tell them how easy their problems could be solved but alas, being a teenage is tough so I get it. Also I’m not gonna be mad at a fictional teenager lol. I think Doe’s consequences academically and interpersonally were well deserved and I appreciated that.
I liked the power of friendship and community that was displayed in this book. Doe’s group of friends were incredibly loyal and the sense of community they built and how they showed up in the end was something that really touched me. But I’ll admit the sexual misconduct was hard to read and I would warn for a medium amount of description in this book. If that is hard for you to read through, I wouldn’t suggest this one for you.
Thank you to the author and Wednesday Books for sending this ARC! It was a wonderful read and I look forward to Samantha Markum’s future reads!
Definitely for you if you enjoy:
- Stealthy rivalry pranks
- Fun friend groups
- The power of friendship
Doe is a Weston girl and what comes with being a Weston girl? Hating and pranking the Winfield boys. Naturally. Doe is the mastermind behind all their greatest pranks for the last 2 years and she is toe to toe with Winfield’s leader, Three. She’ll do anything to take him down including (fake) dating his cousin, Wells. Wells doesn’t care for much but when Doe brings it up, she assures him he’ll get two great things out of it: getting under Three’s skin and getting a family heirloom that rightfully belongs to him. He agrees.
When both private schools announce a merger next year, Doe is hellbent on stopping it from happening and saving the one place that saved her from a rough time back home. After taking each prank up a level higher than the last as well as lying to her friends and family, Doe is at the end of the line and everything is on the verge of eruption. Despite all of this, light is shed on a teacher rumored to have inappropriate behavior with students and it’s up to Doe and her gang to (hopefully) come together to set aside years worth of rivalry to protect the people in the place she loves.
📚
Okay so! I liked this one though it was hard to get into a little bit but I’m always like that. The pace in the beginning lingered a little for me and although more was happening in the book, that pace stayed pretty constant. With more happening later in the book I didn’t mind too much.
Doe wasn’t an incredibly lovable character for me. Wells and Doe’s friends were though! I’ve said this on previous reviews though, I think it’s often hard for me to read YA books and love the MC’s. I often wanna just shake them and tell them how easy their problems could be solved but alas, being a teenage is tough so I get it. Also I’m not gonna be mad at a fictional teenager lol. I think Doe’s consequences academically and interpersonally were well deserved and I appreciated that.
I liked the power of friendship and community that was displayed in this book. Doe’s group of friends were incredibly loyal and the sense of community they built and how they showed up in the end was something that really touched me. But I’ll admit the sexual misconduct was hard to read and I would warn for a medium amount of description in this book. If that is hard for you to read through, I wouldn’t suggest this one for you.
Thank you to the author and Wednesday Books for sending this ARC! It was a wonderful read and I look forward to Samantha Markum’s future reads!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment