ARC Review: This May End Badly by Samantha Markum
10:00
Series: None
Author: Samantha Markum
Published April 12th 2022 by Wednesday Books
Goodreads Synopsis
When a high stakes boarding school prank war leads to a fake dating scheme, two teens must decide if they are ready to take the ultimate risk — falling in love.
Pranking mastermind Doe and her motley band of Weston girls are determined to win the century-long war against Winfield Academy before the clock ticks down on their senior year. But when their headmistress announces that The Weston School will merge with its rival the following year, their longtime feud spirals into chaos.
To protect the school that has been her safe haven since her parents’ divorce, Doe puts together a plan to prove once and for all that Winfield boys and Weston girls just don’t mix, starting with a direct hit at Three, Winfield’s boy king and her nemesis. In a desperate move to win, Doe strikes a bargain with Three’s cousin, Wells: If he fake dates her to get under Three’s skin, she’ll help him get back his rightful family heirloom from Three.
As the pranks escalate, so do her feelings for her fake boyfriend, and Doe spins lie after lie to keep up her end of the deal. But when a teacher long suspected of inappropriate behavior messes with a younger Weston girl, Doe has to decide what’s more important: winning a rivalry, or joining forces to protect something far more critical than a prank war legacy.
This May End Badly is a story about friendship, falling in love, and crossing pretty much every line presented to you—and how to atone when you do.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
As a Weston girl, Doe and her friends have a tradition to fulfil - prank the boys of the Winfield academy across the road, before passing the baton to the next generation of students. Doe's arch nemesis Three, the golden boy at Winfield, has stepped up the stakes, and she might not be ready to take him down. But when there's the chance to make a deal with the devil, she'd be daft not to take it, right? Three's cousin, Wells, asks Doe to help him - pretend to be his girlfriend to get under Three's skin, and help Wells reclaim a family heirloom that was taken from him. Yet the longer the pretending dating goes on, it's more difficult for Doe to remember that it's not real, at least not for Wells - or is it?
I loved this book! It was one of my first 2022 reads, and as soon as I picked it up, I was hooked. From the premise, to the cover, to the characters and plot, everything was perfect. I have always loved the fake dating trope, and try to read as many books which use it, and this was one of the best. It's so witty and clever, full of puns and jokes, but also some really heartfelt moments, that take the reader through a whole boatload of emotions as they read Markum's debut. The characters, none of them, are perfect, and I think that was one of the most refreshing things in the book. All of them acted like real teenagers, going through their lives with changes to school, friendships, feelings for others, etc., and that means it gets messy in places. I may not have immediately loved all of the characters, but as we learnt more about them, and what made them so focused on the rivalry, it was easy to love them, and want the best for them. There's a really tough story line which spans the book, with a creepy teacher, and honestly, the way it was dealt with made this book 5 stars. It exceeded all of my expectations, and I can't wait for more from this author!
Dates Read:
Rating
5 Stars
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