OMG! This pulled me in right away and I never let go. The story was not what I was expecting, but I wasn’t even a little mad about it. A seriously captivating read!

Waverly is “the autistic, gay scholarship nerd from Queens [who] everyone ignores” (her words not mine). She attends Webber Academy in NYC where status means everything. The Masquerade Ball is an exclusive, no phones allowed, fundraising party where one single ticket costs a hefty 10k. Waverly wishes she could just step inside the ball, even for a second, but being from a low income family, there’s not a chance in hell that will happen. Enter Caroline, a girl Waverly tutors and possibly even a friend. Caroline decides to play fairy Godmother and send Waverly to the ball in her place. It’s a Masquerade after all! No one will know and what could go wrong? Waverly decides it’s too risky and declines Caroline’s offer, but quickly changes her mind when she discovers Ash Webber, her ex and the Dean’s daughter, will be in attendance. Careful what you wish for, Waverly…

Waverly’s best friends Pari and Frank complete her perfectly and they make an awesome team. Bullies can go to hell as long as you have friends to back you up. Even better is both are going to be at the ball as well! Will this be Waverly’s best night yet or will the ball have other plans?

Once at the ball, all hell breaks loose right away and it’s seemingly more like a prison and less like a luxurious ball at every turn. While Waverly tries to navigate it all and make it back to her family, she makes some interesting new friends. With the world basically ending, do Waverly and her friends stand a chance?

This was such a wild, exciting, heartbreaking ride! I felt connected to every main character, especially Waverly and I was rooting for her from the start. Waverly is sweet, overly caring and a bit naive. I can definitely relate to that at that age and I’m sure a lot of us can. But she’s also a genius, strong and able and she proves that throughout the story. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fast paced, dystopian-esque, slightly off kilter thriller! 5 stars all around!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest opinion.