Goodreads, "2023's Most Anticipated Young Adult Books" and "Readers' Top New YA Book Picks for March"
Book Riot, "Your Guide to Winter 2023 YA Books: January-March"
Praise for You Wouldn't Dare:
"A layered story of love, found family, growing up, and embracing change." - Kirkus Reviews
"[A] bustling, summery tale that navigates messy relationships and forgiveness." - Publishers Weekly
"In You Wouldn't Dare, Samantha Markum's follow-up to her rollicking debut, Junie Nash is a messy and impulsive heroine with a deep affection for her lifelong besties and all the charming locals on her island in the Florida Keys. You can’t resist rooting for her as Junie struggles to reconcile her complicated feelings for Graham (and her largely absent father) and accept her mother’s boyfriend and his annoying daughter — all the while working in her mother’s cafe and saving the production of the local play. This book is the platonic ideal of a beach read. Steeped in a sense of place, you can practically feel the salt spray and smell the Coppertone on every page. Markum perfectly captures the lazy, hazy days of summer — as well as the bittersweet recognition that summer always, eventually, ends." - Susan Azim Boyer, author of Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win
“Angst and Humor? What kind of magic is this?! Markum is the queen on Banter. You Wouldn't Dare is laugh out loud funny, with characters who feel like friends, and the best kind of angsty romance. Markum writes heartfelt family and friendship dynamic all while giving you the best “will they-won’t they” romance that made me want to move to the beach!”—Kristin Dwyer, author of Some Mistakes Were Made
"You Wouldn't Dare is the perfect summer vacation in book form. I never wanted to leave the world crafted in its pages, from the cozy beach town setting to the characters who felt like real people I know and love. As much a heartstring-pulling tale of blended family and complex friendships as it is a swoon-filled romance, I loved every minute of this book! Samantha Markum’s writing is everything wonderful about YA fiction, and I’m a fan for life." - Kaitlyn Hill, author of Love from Scratch
"No one writes messy, beautiful, intimate, steal-your-heart friendships like Samantha Markum. Perfect for fans of Nina Moreno, Gilmore Girls, and Sarah Dessen, You Wouldn't Dare will wrap you up in a sun-drenched, salt-scented hug and refuse to let you go. This is exactly the brand of midsummer madness I didn't know I was craving. Now if you'll excuse me - I need to go start reading it all over again." - Amanda Quain, author of Accomplished: A Georgie Darcy Novel
"Reading You Wouldn't Dare was like stepping onto the hot sands of Florida and breathing in that salty air. It is a must read for summer, or any time of year when you are missing the beach! Filled with fully realized characters and a very alive small town, Markum's second book is not to be missed. If you loved Sarah Dessen, you'll love Junie and her friends." - Rachel Simon, librarian, Newton Free Library
“With small-town charm, a cast of vivid players, and Shakespearean shenanigans to spare—enlivened by Markum’s inimitable voice—You Wouldn’t Dare swept us up in a wonderful, whimsical, moving second-chance romance.” - Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Always Never Yours
Praise for This May End Badly:
" "Lots of fun and romance undergirded by relevant, timely substance." - Kirkus Reviews
"[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, Barnes & Noble
2022-11-29
Juniper Nash Abreheart has just one summer to mend her past and protect her future.
Her charmingly eccentric Florida town on the island of White Coral Key means everything to Junie, and she desperately needs her last summer there to be perfect before she and her mother move in with her mom’s boyfriend, Paul, and his daughter, Tallulah. The two White girls don’t get along—and now they’ll be sharing a room in Paul’s house in an upscale, uptight neighboring town. Junie needs her three best friends to help her with their community theater’s rendition of Midsummer Madness. Junie and Colombian American Milo, bisexual Haitian American Lucy, and Filipino and White Graham have been close since they were little, but things have been shaky in their friend group since Junie’s secret fling with Graham last summer ended badly. Junie’s changing relationship with Graham, one that offers a chance of real love, is heartfelt and believable, and the various side plots are equally engaging. The portrayal of Junie’s relationship with her single mother is touching. The large cast of characters can at times be difficult to track, but the primary characters are well developed. Themes of trauma, grief, and forgiveness are balanced with witty narration and clever banter in a way that shows that Markum respects teens’ ability to engage with complexity.
A layered story of love, found family, growing up, and embracing change. (Fiction. 14-18)
