This may end badly

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.)

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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.