Publishers Weekly
04/18/2022
Markum’s laugh-out-loud debut depicts a century-old prank war between two rival schools: all-girls Weston School and the all-boys Winfield Academy. This generation’s pranks are spearheaded respectively by 17-year-old Weston girl Doe and her archnemesis Three, Winfield’s golden boy. But Doe’s plans to conclude senior year by forcing Winfield to surrender the war are derailed when she learns that the two schools are planning to merge, destroying the essence of the only place she’s felt safe since her parents’ messy divorce. Determined to maintain the status quo, Doe recruits Wells—Three’s charming cousin, with whom she embarks on a phony relationship to irritate Three—and starts a series of pranks that spiral out of control. And when a troubling secret comes to light at Weston, Doe must decide whether rivalry is more important than protecting her peers. Though a jarring subplot regarding a sexually predatory teacher meshes poorly with the otherwise lighthearted tone, Markum blends fake dating tropes, a tight-knit girl gang, and messy family dynamics into a fast-paced narrative suffused with humor, drama, and romance. Supporting characters include BIPOC and queer representation. Ages 13–up. Agent: Ashley Blake, Rees Literary. (Apr.)
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"This May End Badly is a fun, insightful novel about the challenges and rewards of saying goodbye to adolescence and growing with the people you love." - BookPage
"Lots of fun and romance undergirded by relevant, timely substance." - Kirkus Reviews
"Markum’s laugh-out-loud debut blends fake dating tropes, a tight-knit girl gang, and messy family dynamics into a fast-paced narrative suffused with humor, drama, and romance." - Publishers Weekly
"A charming YA rom-com that mixes a delightful array of tropes including enemies to lovers and fake dating." - Paste Magazine
"[a] witty, hilarious private school rivalry... it’s a perfect light read." - The Young Folks
"Hoo-boy, Samantha Markum’s YA debut This May End Badly is rollicking good fun from the first page to the last, with the best fake-dating romance this side of To All the Boys I've Loved! Fearless MC Doe leads her crack crew of wonderful Weston girls to out-prank the boys at their rival, Winfield, where her nemesis rules the school. The pranks are a doozy, and Doe is an absolute mastermind. When a merger of the two schools is proposed, the pranks spiral out of control, and Doe seems to lose her way until she puts her courage on the line for a cause much larger than herself. Clear the decks before you open this book: I did not put it down until I finished it seven hours later — you won’t either! A masterful plot, confident voice, and sparkling dialogue earn Samantha Markum and the winning girls of Weston an A+ for This May End Badly. Highly recommended!" - Susan Azim Boyer, author of Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win
“The bitingly hilarious, heartfelt This May End Badly takes your favorite fake dating trope and adds plenty of downright delightful shenanigans that’ll have readers tearing through the pages. If you’re looking for a ship to root for, then jump aboard, mateys.” - Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of You Have a Match
“Markum takes no prisoners in this stunning debut about fighting for what’s right, even if it means growing up… a little.” - Ashley Schumacher, author of Indie Next pick, Amelia Unabridged and Full Flight
"Funny, charming, real... Set in a prep school during senior year, this debut tackles it all: feminism, college applications, kissing your fake boyfriend, friendship changes, and ultimately figuring out what you want your legacy to be...without losing who you are at your core. This May End Badly feels like a fresh, feminist take on Looking for Alaska, and perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Ally Carter. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVED IT." - Rachel Simon, youth services librarian, Newton Free Library, Newton MA
"I haven't had that much fun reading a book in a long while. Whip smart and at times laugh out loud funny and emotional, the dialogue is beyond amazing. Doe's dedication to one of only place she feels safe was so powerful and the whole girl gang was outstanding! The way both schools unite to support each other at the end to protect future girls? Perfection. Change is hard and often painful and the way Doe experiences and comes to terms with it was touching and real." - Mike Lasagna, bookseller
Kirkus Reviews
2022-01-15
Senior year at two rival boarding schools finds Doe doing everything she can to protect her school’s legacy, even if it means enlisting a fake boyfriend to help.
Dorothy “Doe” Saltpeter and her closest friends are shocked when all-girls Weston School announces a merger with their archrivals, the all-boys Winfield Academy. Their traditional prank war against the boys feels heightened amid the news, in particular increasing the stakes for Doe’s personal feud with Winfield’s wealthy all-star Nathaniel Emeric Wellborn III, aka Three. His cousin Gabriel “Wells” Wellborn shares Doe’s disdain, and together they hatch a plan that involves pretending to be in a relationship and recovering from Three a family heirloom that holds sentimental value for Wells. What starts as a prank spirals into an uncontrollable swirl of emotions, strained friendships, and a struggle for inclusivity inside an elite sisterhood. Markum addresses the characters’ sexuality, including Doe’s bisexual father and her close friend Gemma, who recently came out to her family as lesbian. In addition, there’s a frank conversation about gender identity and the archaic structure of single-gender schools. The main characters are presumed White; the racialized experiences of supporting characters who bring ethnic diversity are developed to some degree. Doe’s evolving relationships with Wells, her friends, her parents, and even herself read realistically, and the mounting tension—both sexual and in the collision of her different worlds—keeps the pages turning.
Lots of fun and romance undergirded by relevant, timely substance. (Romance. 14-18)
