Apocalypse NOPE!!

by Deidre Huesmann

Creepy. Grudge Girl. Bigfoot. Also known as Ivy-Jean, a tall, gloomy teenager whose only friends are wild spiders. One day she commits a federal crime by opening her neighbor’s mail and summons War, one of the Four Horsepeople. Suddenly it’s her job to bring about the apocalypse. In fact, she has no choice. End humanity, or the one person who cares about her will be sent to hell. To protect her mother, Ivy-Jean agrees to give the apocalypse her best shot. But plans unravel at horrifying speed when Pestilence usurps the high school debate team, War infiltrates the D&D club, Famine aspires to become a world-famous chef, and Death finds love for life in an unlikely place. If Ivy-Jean doesn’t correct their course, she’ll lose the horsepeople to the forces of good forever.

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 23, 2021

About the author

When she isn't writing, Deidre works full-time in the local shipyard, decked out in safety gear and getting her hands dirty. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest, enjoying the changes in seasons year-round. When she isn't working either job, she's catching up on the stack of books on her dresser, kicking it with her children, or playing RPG video games.

She also writes adult LGBTQ erotic romance under Laelia West.

Reviews

[Reads With Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Video review: What did I just read?
https://youtu.be/2HPprNL7LCQ
This was a tough one to rate but I’m going to settle on a 2.5. I think there’s an audience who will love this. I could see this being an anime that people eat up. But I’m very picky so certain things I can’t get sat that others can.

I think if you are a fan of good omens, you might like this if you’re a fan of the set up of: apocalypse, but make it a silly goofy time amongst friends.
And also the very specific thing about Vanya in buffy the vampire slayer hating bunnies…
If you like that stuff then you might enjoy this.

The great thing about this are the unique things it’s doing that I personally have never seen before. Weird girl outcast who likes to hang out with spiders and regularly smoke weed, I feel that except the spiders part. Seeing an awkward, super tall, not conventionally attractive outcast girl as the main character was a good change of pace for me.

Summoning the four horsemen has been done I’m sure but I’ve never seen the four horsemen like this. War falls in love with playing D&D, Death is an enby sweet bean who actually cares about life, Famine is worried about humans eating well, and Pestilence is…a libertarian.
The first three I loved in the fun and unique takes on them. Some of the dialogue here actually made me laugh, which is rare and I appreciated that. I appreciated the discussion of mental health and using medication openly.

My issues were: pacing, heavy handedness, and certain language used.

I felt like we took forever to get to the actual apocalypse and by then I had 25 minutes left in the book. Suddenly it was happening and while it was funny, due to certain circumstances, it wasn’t satisfying. It was humorous, for sure. But it happened so suddenly and wrapped up even faster than it came.
While I appreciate talking about important issues like homophobia and racism, and most of the time the book did a fine job of it, some parts of this were way too heavy-handed in its discussion to the point where it felt a little cringey.
And then I ended up lowering my rating further because, even though I know this was not meant with ill intent, the main character self referring (in self loathing) using the term w****go in a book written by a person who isn’t part of certain indigenous communities is probably not a great idea. I think it’s considered a no-go to even say the word aloud in the Anishinaabe community.

Overall I’m glad I read this but there’s some stuff I wish had been fixed in editing. This could’ve been a four from me if just a few things had been different, because I really did enjoy the unique qualities this had.

(I was commissioned by the author to read this, however that does not affect my review or rating)

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apocalypse Nope! by Deidre Huesmann is an LGBTQ+ YA/teen comedic romance novel. The teen angst of the main character Ivy-Jean took me back to my teen years (insert MCR songs now please) and yet the quips of humor were ongoing subtle perfection. A delightful spin on the apocalypse with modern-day details bringing it to life. So if you like an apocalypse-themed read this one is for you. The author has their version of the four horsemen, or rather, the four horsepeople of the apocalypse and they are my favorites of the whole book. I loved it every step, or rather, page turn of the way. That being said, be aware if you have arachnophobia (*raising my own hand*) there are indeed spiders literally crawling on Ivy-Jean. Albeit some actually come quite cute; Like Ivy-Jean’s fuzzy little friend, Spinderella. Having called forth the horsepeople she now has the conflicting task of bringing about the apocalypse. Her creative solution to the scenario they end up in is interesting. I also enjoy the character growth of Ivy-Jean throughout the story. This story is well-suited for the YA/teen group, with subtle romance, fun characters, and a humorous spin at the end of days. I also think New Adult age-ranged fans would enjoy this read as well.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Apocalypse NOPE!! By Deidre Huesmann is a wonderful YA story that kept me entertained the whole way through. It’s a modern retelling of the four horsemen of the apocalypse story, but with a Deidre Huesmann twist. This is paranormal LGBT romantic comedy done well- with emotion, drama, teenage issues, angst, and more.
I have read many of Deidre Huesmann’s books now and can always count on her to deliver a wonderfully original, entertaining, and yet thought provoking read. And this story was no different. I love the quirky, off-bet characters- and the modern spin that Ms. Huesmann gave to the old classic. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Thank you, Deidre Huesmann!

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apocalypse NOPE!! by Deidre Huesmann is a YA LGBT romantic comedy. This fun and entertaining read is Deidre’s modern retelling of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. This quirky paranormal tale is original in its telling, light-hearted and humorous. This one might just be my favourite of Deidre’s stories to date.

This strange tale will delight readers.

[Roxsanne Lesieur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ivy-Jean is a teenager in high school, but that is where the similarities to others in her year end, she is tall with dark hair and spiders for friends, but she is alone, bullied and called names all the time she is out of the house, but when she is at home, she is a disappointment to her mum and usually her dad is nowhere to be found. She does have the responsibility of picking up their mail, but gets annoyed when she has to redeliver mail. To her neighbour whose mail always seems to get mixed up with her family’s, even though they live on completely different floors. As she gets home from school as usual, she has made some new spider friends, whom her mum attacks and kills before IVy-Jean can relax, this is followed by another confrontation with her mum about getting into trouble at school and her lack of friends as she rushes out to go to work, but this day is different, today she decides that to hell with federal law, she is going to open her neighbours mail and see what is inside, little does she know that as she reads the words on the page, she is going to be getting into a whole heap of a new kind of trouble.

As her last remaining spider friend of the day crawls onto the letter and walks around underlining the word “Come” and as soon as the word is out of Ivy-Jean’s mouth, there is a thump on the wall in the corridor outside her apartment, followed by the door exploding inwards and a young guy about her age walks through her door dressed in boots, dark pants, a red silk shirt and a cape bearing a huge broadsword bigger than he is! However, when he introduces himself as “War, the second Four Horseman of the Apocalypse” and that he is at her service, she cannot believe her eyes or ears, thoughts flow through her head, but no matter what she cannot believe that this is real and when he mentions her neighbour, Ivy-Jean realises that he is assuming that is her, but no matter what she says he will not listen. As the conversation carries on he insists that she calls the rest of the Horsemen and that they should go look for them, it is at this point that another figure emerges out of nowhere behind her, they are pale, grey and almost skeletal looking with a voice that sounds like winter frost and a cold breeze which accompanies it, that person then introduces themselves as “Death”.

As no other Horseman has appeared after this latest summoning, Ivy-Jean, War and Death go on a hunt through the city to find the remaining two, amid Ivy-Jean trying to understand what is going on while trying not to get herself killed on the city street, it is an anxiety inducing mess. At one point during their walk, Ivy-Jean’s spider, now named Spinderella jumps onto War’s face which startles him and sends him reeling into a woman and consequently breaking her arm, but when she starts spouting insults of all kinds at him, War asks permission to smite her while she is being helped by a passerby, when she says yes, War is in his element and the next thing she knows there are two piles of ash where the two people used to be, when War is questioned on this, he just replies that the man’s soul was evil and needed to die as well. As Ivy-Jean is processing this, War and Death spot a familiar face staring people down in a restaurant nearby and this is where she meets Famine, a woman who is beautiful and obsessed with food waste and how it is destroying the planet, when they find her, she is about to kill a restaurant manager, but Ivy-Jean manager to convince her to stave off doing it and retreat so they can find the final Horseman. It is at this point that they realise that something is off when their leader, Pestilence and the final Horseman who is actually taller than Ivy-Jean and looks like he is a gift from the gods with blonde hair and the strong face of an angel, turns up in her neighbor's apartment and this is where they find out the mistake that the other three have made and the reality of Ivy-Jean's responsibilities as the Summoner are laid out before her, as well as the consequences if she cannot complete her task.

As they talk out what needs to happen, it is decided that they need to enroll into the local high school, and observe what the youth of the era think of the world and see it through Ivy-Jean’s eyes, however, this doesn’t go quite to plan and the Horsemen bar Death end up enrolling in after school classes and becoming more entwined with the mortal youth than they should be, but can Ivy-Jean keep them on the right path, or will she fail both herself and those closest to her? This is a fantastical and unusual telling of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse tale while bringing it into a modern setting which will keep you laughing and reading throughout.

[Hannie Wasala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apocalypse NOPE!! by Deidre Huesmann is a Young Adult novel about a girl named Ivy Jean who, through a series of circumstances, is tasked with facilitating the end of the world after being saddled with the 4 Horsemen- or, rather, Horsepeople- of the Apocalypse. This book was an absolute pleasure to read- it was a page turner from the first page to the last, largely due to how utterly charming and compelling the characters were. Ivy-Jean is a well-rounded protagonist who I feel many teenagers, especially girls, will relate to. I think we can all agree that at some point or another, like Ivy-Jean, we’ve felt as if we weren’t enough and have yearned to be loved and accepted by those around us, especially when navigating our high-school years. As for the Horsepeople themselves, War is so gleefully destructive that it’s lovable, Death is the kind but silently dangerous friend we all wish were in our corner, Famine is determined and principled but compassionate and Pestilence, while a pest (ha!), is an interesting and fascinating character. The relationships between Ivy-Jean and the 4 Horsepeople are fleshed out as they’re given ample room to breathe and develop in quiet moments between the flurry of world-ending activity and action. A part of this development stems from how funny some of their interactions are. It turns out that entities with the literal power of Gods at their fingertips are still prone to misunderstandings and the sheer absurdity of humanity, which serves as a vehicle for some of the book’s best humour.

Another thing this book has in spades is diversity- something that is super refreshing to see in our current climate. Almost all of the main characters belong to the LGBTQIA+ community including the main character, and some fall outside the gender binary. Subjects such as sexism and the patriarchy, racism, and homophobia are addressed tactfully and respectfully and in such a way that really echoes the frustrations of our modern-day society. Those belonging to such groups being able to see themselves reflected in such fantastical and multifaceted characters is a wonderful thing, especially because such diverse characters are often just reduced to their status as a minority in other stories.

Beyond amazing characters and diversity, Apocalypse NOPE!! also boasts vivid and sharp description that enlivens every scene in the book. Being a tale that revolves around those with the unequivocal capacity to end the world with a mere sneeze, one would expect it to contain some colourful action and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. The action is quick and fast-paced, and Huesmann’s writing provides the reader with a front-row seat to all of it. At certain points, I was within the text of the page and at the scene- standing right next to Ivy-Jean as we marvelled at the horrific and magnificent powers of the Horsepeople.

All-in-all, Apocalypse NOPE!!, despite the title, is not something you’re going to want to say ‘nope’ to. If you’re looking for a book with quirky and intriguing characters and a well-paced plot that also serves as a commentary on contemporary society, then you need not look further.

[Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apocalypse NOPE!! is a teen urban fantasy by Deidre Huesmann about, you guessed it, the end of the world. Awkward teenager Ivy-Jean accidentally sets in motion the series of events that will lead to the apocalypse and now has to figure out what to do about that, on top of all the problems she already had.
This is a fun read, with enjoyable characters. Pestilence, War, Famine and Death undercover at a high school is a great concept, well executed. I think my favourite of the four is War, whose speech is littered with malapropisms and whose response to pretty much every problem is to find someone (or something) to smite! There’s plenty of LGBT+ representation which is varied and sensitively approached.
Apocalypse NOPE!! will appeal to fans of high school paranormal/supernatural stories, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twilight. And you can’t ignore the parallels with Good Omens (there’s even a nod to it in the text, when the Horsepeople explain why they aren’t Horsepersons) so if you love Good Omens and want a different approach to a similar scenario, this is definitely worth a read!
This book gets five stars from me! This isn’t the first of Huesmann’s books I’ve enjoyed – I was enthralled by the Modern Greek Myth series – and reading this reminds me that I must get round to trying more of her excellent books!

[tamisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful read and would be perfect for anyone who enjoys light humor and YA categories. All of the chapters were written well. Ivy-Jean is extremely relatable, pessimistic, views herself as an outcast, and is downright odd. Once she opened that piece of mail, her life changed forever. The Four Horsepeople are undeniably, for me, the best characters in this book. I found it easy to place them in the positions that they were given. They were thrown into a human high school and seemed to fit in rather perfectly, all things considered. I assumed that there was a bigger shock coming with the clues that were given in the text, but it did not come. It could, however, leave room for a part two that shows us more about how Ivy-Jean came to be. If that's the case, sign me up!

[Tausha Treadway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apocalypse NOPE!! (Queerpocalypse) by Deidre Huesmann. This is a great young adult, humorous read. Its the story of Ivy-Jean who is an outcast teenager. She is reliable, pessimistic and a little different from everyone else. She feels like her life is so very boring and she doesn't know what to do to get out of this funk. When she breaks the law and opens her neighbors mail all hell breaks loose. Unknowingly to her she has summoned the Four Horsepeople who are placed in her school. The Horsemen are here to bring on the apocalypse so Ivy-Jean has to decide if she is going to help them or stop them. If she helps them her mom might end up going to hell. Will she make the right decision? Read Apcoalypse Nope to find out what Ivy-Jean does!

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this young adult paranormal story. This is not my first book by this author but it is one of my favorites by her yet. This is a well written story that took me on an apocalypse adventure like no other. The characters are relatable and brought the story to life on each page I read. This is a fast paced story that will take you on an adventure of having the choice of bringing an apocalypse or saving a mother. Ivy-Jean is a tall, awkward teenager who is left with no choice to either end humanity or save her mother all because she opened someone else's mail. What happens next, I highly recommend reading to find out. This is a truly a great story that will take you on a nonstop adventure.

[Erica Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not my first book by this author but it has become one of my favorites. Deidre Huesmann does an amazing job with this familiar story with her own twists. Her character building is clever. This is about Ivy-Jean and her apocalypse dilemma. She is an awkward teenager, who opens a piece of mail that was sent to her neighbor. That is when all hell breaks through literally. She has started the four horsemen of the apocalypse on their tasks. If she does not help bring the world to an end, they will kill her mother. What would you do to save your mother? Will the four horsemen be sent on their mission or will they have a different agenda? I highly recommend reading this story to see what our awkward teenager chooses to do.

[Anantha Rusum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apocalypse NOPE!! is a YA fantasy about the end of the world. Awkward teenager Ivy-Jean accidentally sets in motion the series of events that will lead to the apocalypse and now has to figure out what to do about that, on top of all the problems she already had.

Ivy-Jean accidentally opens up an email sent to her neighbor. Now she has unleashed the four horsemen to the apocalypse in motion and they will do everything in their power to end the world. And if she does not cooperate, they are going to kill her mother. Obviously she takes the apocalypse route. It is a quirky panaromic tale and I liked the way it is fastly paced. I liked the four horse men and the trouble they cause. Overall it is a fun read for YA.

[Kerry carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read for young adults. The character of Ivy-Jean is well written and a character I'm sure some young teens will relate to.

Ivy-Jean doesn't fit in. She feels like an outcast in her own life. Her life is a drag that is until she breaks the law by opening her neighbours mail and unknowingly summons the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Now she has to decide to either help them complete the apocalypse or risk sending her mother to hell. Which does she choose?

But things don't go to plan and when the four horsemen take a look at life and see another way apart from death and destruction can she keep them on track or will the four horsemen give into the good side of life?

[Erica S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a wonderful read - witty, unexpected, light-hearted, and engrossing. The four horsepeople of the Apocalypse are hilarious and uniquely drawn. I found myself pausing in my reading every so often to update my family on something funny that War said, or how Famine was personified in a teenage girl. Ivy-Jean herself is an odd duck, but awkward and loving and smart. I wanted to scoop her up in a hug and assure her that she is exactly as weird and wonderful as she is supposed to be. I read this straight through in one sitting and was a bit sad when it was over. Great premise, awesome characters, and the plot was timed perfectly. A great fun read!

[Kerry Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apocalypse NOPE!!! by Deidre Huesmann is a fantastic and entertaining young adult story that has me hooked from page one. I have read other hooks by this author but I think this one might just be my favourite. I really really enjoyed reading about Ivy-Jean. She is such a relatable character and you really can’t help but fall in love with her. And what an adventure she goes on.
The author has created a unique and well written story that really will appeal to most ages. It is fun but also interesting, with a great story and some brilliant characters. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

[Naomi Valkyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has got to be one of the strangest, yet entertaining books I’ve read in quite some time. There are definitely some parts where you’ll have to suspend belief, but it all works for this book. I enjoyed this author’s interpretation of the Four. War and Death are my favorite! The solution Ivy has to put forth to remedy the situation is… unique. The one thing I will say is that if you don’t like transparent social commentary in your books, you may not enjoy this one.
Overall, fun and entertaining read!

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is my first book by this author this is a very different concept to me. So I was intruiged from the start. It has a nice light humor which has made me chuckle at times. Ivy Jean doesn't fit in but what teenager doesn't right. The the apocalypse hits things suddenly change. I highly recommend this book for the ages of 13+.

[Elora Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so this book is amazing. There is angst, teen drama, fantasy and even cuss words. This book set my brain on fire. I am in love with the characters and storyline. I could not put it down. This author is one to put on your reading list for sure. This is one of those books that makes you become animated as you read. It shows you're hurt and you can't help root for the end of the world

[Jerricka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was positively amazing. I am a fan of young adult/teen books and this one is now in my top ten of favorites. I love how the characters all flowed together and each one still stood out alone. I also love the LGBTQIA+ factor in it also. It is really a great work of art for teens who need to see more representation and know that they are not alone.

[Mikaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an incredibly intriguing and entertaining story. I love how Huesmann reflects our current populations within this novel, making it relevant to anyone who reads it. Ivy-Jean makes an excellent lead character who is relatable and spunky. This story had me wanting more and completely fascinated throughout! Can't wait to read more.

[Heather Lovelace · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun and creative read! YA lovers will eat this book up. Ivy-Jean is a fantastic character that will make you laugh and shake your head. She is quirky and odd and finds herself in quite the unreal situation. The author does a beautiful job crafting this story and taking her readers on a fun adventure.

[Heidi Schoolman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Young Adult novel and is 296 pages. This story follows Ivy. Ivy views herself as really not fitting in anywhere. I mean, when your BFF’s are spiders, it kind of throws people off a bit. One day, she opens her neighbors mail and unbeknownst to her she ends up summoning the four horsemen and next thing you know she is faced with either creating an apocalypse or saving her mother. So, she decides to go the apocalypse route. I really enjoyed reading this book. I think we have all felt like Ivy at some point in our teenage years.

[Carly Vogler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apocalypse Nope by Deidre Huesmann is an interesting young adult story that includes several different fantasy creatures, as well as the seemingly normal Ivy-Jean.

Ivy doesn't fit in; she's different. When you have spiders for friends, it definitely sets you apart. As a teenager, everything is utter chaos and world ending. However, Ivy accidentally brings an apocalyptic terror to her world. At what price would you be willing to save the world? Would you be willing to risk your mother?

Every war has tough decisions and a price to pay. What will be worth it to our little heroine?

[Sara Oxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apocalypse Nope!! by Deidre Huesmann a five-star ride of a read. This wasn’t what I was expecting, but to be honest I didn’t know what to expect, but this made me smile so much, Ivy-Jean is relatable, I understood why she doubted herself and haven’t we all felt like that as a teenager. But it’s the four Horsepeople that really bring the story to life, they add something special to the story. This is creative, original, well written and just an overall great read.

[Tammy Ambrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most imaginative book I've ever read. You really get to know the main character Ivy-Jean, the girl who makes friends with spiders and the four horsemen/women, who she accidently summons to destroy the world.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes when you are a teenager it can feel like the world is ending or that you are responsible for it coming to an end. For the main character in "Apocalypse Nope," both scenarios are true. Ivy-Jean has unknowingly brought about the end of the world by accidentally opening her neighbour's mail. What this grudge girl doesn't need is the complications of the Four Horsepeople in her teenage world. This is the plot Deidre Huesmann uses to set her story and does create an original and interesting storyline. Ivy-Jean becomes a grudge-heroine who battles against War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death with the help of her only friends, her spiders. Ivy-Jean is faced with difficult choices involving joining her high school debate team, sending her mother to hell, and ending humanity. How can Ivy-Jean defeat the Four Horsepeople and save the earth? The choices she makes will surprise you.

[Daniel Fliederbaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slight spoilers ahead!

***


A weird, wryly comical book that nonetheless manages to be uplifting at the same time. While I was unfortunately left feeling like a number of important arcs hadn't been satisfactorily capped off, I did find enough to appreciate here. Ivy-Jean is a lead you can root for, her struggles with her neurodivergence, including ADHD, are relatable, and her growing bonds with Death, Famine, and War are odd but charming. There also are a number of typos, but nothing too egregious. Give this one a shot.

[Clarissa White · Rating 2 out of 5]

This took me a while to get through because I just didn’t enjoy it. Maybe I’m the wrong age range, idk. Main character is a super tall, weird, kind of creepy outcast. I’m not sure I felt deeply for this character, but I was rooting for her. I’ve read a few other books with the 4 horseman of the apocalypse, but this was an interesting take. I think the characterizations of each were pretty interesting and well done. I felt this book was a little all over the place - really slow in some places, and the apocalypse that I waited for the whole book was in the last 2 chapters of the book. It didn’t really work for me.