This May End Badly by Samantha Markum

The Quick Cut: A teen girl in her senior year at her all girls school is horrified when it's announced that they are combining with their rival, an all boys school. Drama ensues as she does what she has to in order to kill the deal. A Real Review: Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the ARC for an honest review. When we love someone or a place, it's safe to say that a common reaction is to be protective of it. It becomes a part of who we are and it's easy to move in order to protect it. For Doe, that place is Weston School for girls. Doe (short for Dorothy) has spent the best years of her life at Weston School. It's a place that was built to give girls the chance at higher education, in a time when that was a rarity. Now, Weston girls spend their time in a prank war with the Winfield Academy boys. It's a centuries long tradition that Doe is determined to win for Weston when it's announced that the two schools are merging. Can Doe end the merger? Or will she just get herself in trouble? I wish my high school years were this amazing. Why can't reality be this great?!?! Maybe it's just me, but I never had a rival school or prank wars when I was young. Seeing how that brings these people together for a common goal and become friends puts a smile on my face the entire time I was reading. What I loved most about this book is how real it all felt. Yes, I know it's a work of fiction. However, everything from the rival schools to the characters were so well created. The strong history behind the schools? All of it made the story feel realistic and just made me more devoted a reader. I did find myself distracted at moments by all the subplots though. A more focused plot would have made this even more undeniable. Doe is the main character and boy does she have her flaws. She's passionate and has devoted friends, but gets so single minded that she misses what is in front of her. She starts out with good intentions and face plants so badly, it's hard not to feel bad for her. It all plays into the importance of embracing change in your life though - and that's a life lesson that comes in handy for years to come. This book also deals with topics like sexual harassment, so be prepared for that. It's not too graphic but it does come up in a big way in the main plotline. A rival schools story that puts a smile on your face. My rating: 4.5 out of 5