Saving Fable has everything you could ask for in a Kids fantasy: a unique, magical city and school; diverse, likable characters; an original - to me - and intriguing concept; and an interesting plot that builds into something frightening. It's also fun! We take classes from famous fictional characters, now professors - Alice, Odysseus, Mr. Darcy, and others - watch the Grammar Police* in action, chase dog-ears, and meet the friendly Marks - walking, talking bookmarks. Protagonist Prep's student advisers are Brainstorms, and Indira Story, our budding heroine, is mentored by none other than Deus Ex Machina himself. And then there's the bumbling, often hilarious, Detective Malaprop, a worthy, and no doubt direct, descendant of Sheridan's entertaining character.

Residents of the city of Fable are training to be protagonists or side characters in books or stories in the real world. Indira desperately wants to change her destiny and become a hero in a novel, thereby saving her brother, who, not being worthy of a story of his own, is trapped in a life of drudgery. But some things are not what they seem in Fable, and Indira, armed like Thor with a magical hammer, must use her wits, strength, and friends to uncover and battle the evil that threatens to destroy the city.

This is a can't-put-down read that gradually moves you from the rear to the edge of your seat. Happily, there is plenty of room for a sequel; for starters, we never visited the city of Fester, where antagonists train. Much is left to explore in this imaginative world, and it will be a joy to revisit the characters and follow their stories.



* 'Imbalance' and 'imbalanced' (OED: "a lack of proper proportion") are used when 'unbalance' and 'unbalanced' ("to throw off balance") should be. It's especially grating to see 'imbalance' function as a verb ("How am I supposed to imbalance that?" "Try to imbalance the creature..."). As Fable's Grammar Police would point out, 'imbalance' is a noun. (Note: I read an ARC, so these errors may have been corrected.)

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I would like to thank Netgalley and Crown Books for Young Readers for providing me with a protected MOBI copy of Saving Fable in exchange for an honest review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

SAVING FABLE is a wonderful story about Indira Story, a girl who goes to Protagonist Preparatory hoping to be a main character, but is insteadcast in the role of supporting character. This book reminded me a lot of Jen Calonita's Fairy Tale Reform School books, and I think it will have a lot of crossover appeal with those readers. I hope that other readers will enjoy this book as much as I did. Thank you very much to Netgalley and Random House Children's for this ARC.

Clever, cute and full of fanciful reading for younger readers! Scott Reintgen’s SAVING FABLE proves to one developing storybook character that one doesn’t need to be the heroine to do great things!

Indira has spent her life waiting to be chosen to be a hero in a story her entire life. If she fails in her audition, she could be doomed to be a supporting character. When danger lurks nearby, can she convince her instructors that all of Fable is under siege? Can she be the heroine to save the day? Will it change her status in an author’s story?

A delightful tale for younger readers that holds hidden messages as one character comes of age and learns just how important everyone can be.

I don’t often, or until now, have never compared books or authors, but I have to say, this tale reminds me strongly of the talent of Indie author Brian Clopper and his IRVING WISHBUTTON series, (which I absolutely loved) as storybook characters grow, develop and change just like real children.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Crown Books for Young Readers ! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Indira Story is living in Origin, waiting for her chance to go to Protagonist Preparatory and learn all she needs to be chosen as a character in a book. She has waited a long time, and fears that she will meet the same fate as her brother David, who has given up and has been told to live in Quiver, working hard in the mines digging for story nuggets. When Indira is finally chosen, she is very excited. She makes a few friends on the way, Maxi and Phoenix, although Maxi treats her differently when Indira is given the blue jacket of a secondary character and Maxi has the gold jacket of a main character. Indira is given a schedule of classes that include things like Love by Page 12, I Thought You Were Dead, and How to Get Captured and Narrowly Escape, which is taught by Alice in Wonderland on a very odd schedule! She also goes through the Adoption Agency in order to find a family to stay with while at school, and ends up with the cozy Mrs. Pennington and her son Patch in a small but pleasant cottage. She starts to run into problems at school-- her assignments are blank, and things generally don't go well. She has trouble with her auditions, and her advisor, Brainstorm Ketty, eventually suggests that her best chance might be to take a cameo. Since she is bound and determined to bring her brother into the story with her, and holds on tight to the first line she heard when she came to Fable, "Every cage has a key", she reconciles with her friends and tries to investigate the worsening problems at the academy. Will she be able to defeat the villains and earn a place in a story?
Strengths: This is a good premise, and Indira is a solid character. The Protagonist Preparatory is a fun school, and I particularly like the different hearths in front of which one may sit for bolstering (comfort, rest, courage, etc.) The classes and professors were quirky and fun, although young readers might not recognize all of them. I loved Mrs. Pennington, and the time that Indira spent with her was my favorite part of the story. The villains are reasonable, and the story moves along smoothly.
Weaknesses: This was compared to The Phantom Tollbooth, so I my expectations were too high. I also was hoping it would be a little like Townley's The Great Good Thing. This was a good book; it just wasn't a great book like those two.
What I really think: This could be popular with readers who enjoy Colfer's The Land of Stories or Healey's A Hero's Guide to Saving the Kingdom. I'm still not sure if I want to purchase it; on the one hand, my readers who like magical schools might like it, but on the other hand, there was a lot that could have been more developed with the setting.

Saving Fable is the story of Indira Story, who is cast as a side-character but longs to be a protagonist. As strange things start happening around her, she gets opportunities to show that she's got the skills to be a protagonist.

I enjoyed the world the author created, and loved all of the literary references. It was clearly written as middle grade, but I still found it entertaining from start to finish, and it's the sort of story that appeals to many ages. I'm hoping to see more of Indira Story's story down the line.

Saving Fables is the first in a new series about characters that get chosen to be a part of a book. I thought that this was very creative and have only read one other book that was somewhat similar but was based around plays instead. This book really makes the characters come to life and even mentions other characters that have been enjoyed for years: Harry Potter, Dracula, Darcy, and Alice.

It is full of great characters and a plot that is both fun and intriguing! I wasn't sure how this book would turn out but I liked how the ending brought everything together. It is definitely a good read and perfect for kids who love to read and want a different take on how books are made.

This wildly imaginative bio starts out as a book lovers fantasy land where the dream is to attend the school protagonists and have Brainstormers introduce you to authors. I love how the story builds momentum into a compelling adventure and mystery— loved it so much!

This was a cute young adult novel, I love fairy tales and this made me nostalgic for when I was a kid. The characters were great and I loved the world that was created for this.