I really, really, wanted to like this. I fully expected to. And while this definitely wasn’t a bad book, I’m still walking away kind of disappointed because it was more mediocre than anything.

The premise sounds like a golden set up and I was super excited to see Reid try out the dystopian genre. The problem is though, this didn’t really bring anything new to the genre to make it memorable. I wouldn’t have cared much if the book had been as interesting as the description made it sound, but every time I put it down I was less and less compelled to pick it back up. Don’t get me wrong, it still had its entertaining parts, but it lacked the suspense that I thought it needed.

The writing also didn’t have the usual Ava Reid quality that I’ve seen in her other works. Usually the writing is packed with an atmosphere that sucks you in immediately and doesn’t let you go until the end, but in this one the writing felt very standard YA book to me. That’s not to say it was bad, it just wasn’t on the level her writing usually is.

The romance also didn’t really work for me because I had a hard time believing it. The transition from enemies to lovers wasn’t paced the way I had hoped for, so it wound up feeling sort of flat to me.

There are a lot of things in this book I can say I felt pretty neutral about, but the ending wasn’t one of them — I’m sorry but I absolutely hated it. It was one of those that makes you turn the page and go “where’s the rest?”

Overall, this definitely wasn’t as amazing as I had expected it to be, but those looking for an entertaining dystopia will still probably be able to enjoy it.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Ok, so I was battling between a 3 star and 4 star but leaning heavily into 4. Ava Reid has been a bit polarizing for me. I loved A Study in Drowning but havent gotten the same high with her other works. This really could have gone either way. Happy to say I did really enjoy Fable-- I just wish there had been a more substantial ending. While this has been touted as a stand alone...it certainly didn't feel like it. Also, this could have been a magnificent Adult novel, though I understand wanting to get that representation of a Sapphic couple into a dwindling (and probably soon to be banned) library for our youth. These stories are important and Ava Reid is a great story teller.

The messages on our probably impending future due to capitalism (and the high overlords being companies), torture-porn voyeurism, and commodification of women were not terribly subtle, but I personally don't need them to be. I think this was done well, and the ending, while having a smidgen of hope, is realistic in it's bitterness.

While our two leads were both interesting, I do believe Melinoë stole the show. Her backstory and tragedy felt palpable. Inesa fell a bit flat for me and I was more interested in Luka and even Azrael in terms of characterization and wanting to know more about them. (Ugh, now I feel a bit like her mother. Sorry, Inesa!) I think this is a testament to Reid creating a super rich cast of characters.

Tore through this very quickly and only at 90% through was I starting to get worried about the ending. It truly does seem like it's supposed to be a series or even just a duology. Maybe we will see an addition one day?
Reid has some really lovely bits of writing:

<i>*All my other systems have collapsed, except for this one. I'll always be able to find my way back to her.</i>

<i>*Maybe it is. Maybe I've survived this long so I could know how it feels to hold her. Maybe all my life has been one long gauntlet, running, fighting, searching for her.</i>

<i>*It's a privilege, really, to desire, to imagine, to believe.</i>

Really enjoyed! I pre ordered the special edition, and am happy to have it coming my way.

Written with love, read from an arc. ❤️

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A game of cat and mouse turns into something more in this dystopian YA.
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A fantastically fun and moving read. Perhaps a bit slower in the middle as the action takes a back seat, this story still manages to keep a great pace and entertain throughout. I love the dystopian world that is built up, especially with its parallels to our actual world (re: our climate crisis, technology dependence, rampant misogyny, and so on).
[Content warnings at the end]

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Melinöe, the unsmiling assassin, and Inesa, the taxidermist-turned-survivalist, are an unlikely pair for this action-packed queer romance, but they work so well with the unique plot and are extremely easy to root for. I especially appreciate Mel’s character arc given the nuances of her human-not-human character.

Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reid has proven herself a commendable writer. The dark ambience, the subtle world building, and the believable dialogue are functional pieces to a beautiful puzzle. Reid also has necessary commentary on the current state of our natural, technological, and social world that blends well into the action-based plot.

Recommended to fans of the Hunger Games and other similar dystopians.
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[Content warnings: homophobia; misogyny; violence; sexual violence; parental abuse]

Firstly, I want to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins publishing for giving me the opportunity to read an E-ARC of Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid!

Ava Reid is one of my all-time favorite authors and I have read almost all of her books now, and Fable for the End of the World really solidified for me, that I will truly love anything Reid writes—time and time again I am blown away by how stunning her novels are, I have never been disappointed by anything with her name on it. So, if you are like me and love Reid’s work, the answer is yes, yes you should pick up Fable when it is published!

There were so many things that I absolutely adored about Fable but I’m gonna start by voicing how accessible and inclusive this novel is, especially when considering it is for a YA audience. Reid was able to create a dystopian world that is so vivid and horrific without weighing down the plot with heavy or clunky details—everything was crafted so smoothly and I was never lost, confused or bored while reading about this abstract, absurd and awful setting. This novel sheds light on so many issues that we are dealing with today and it does so in a way that is so eloquent and raw—I can see young audiences being deeply inspired and moved by the things discussed in Fable and that is a triumph in and of itself. The queer representation in Fable also must be talked about because it is a stunning exploration of sapphic love seen through the wondrous and hopeful eyes of two very strong girls.

Melinoë and Inesa are two female characters crafted so perfectly for a YA dystopian book like Fable because they help readers see the beauty of love, hope and defiance even in the face of some very scary things. By the end of this novel both girls felt like they were knit into my soul, as their experiences and relationship simultaneously healed me and broke me all at once. Fable is definitely a book for people who want to have a good cry, so be warned! I went through many tissues, but it was so worth all of the pain and wonder.

Like all of Reid’s books, Fable includes some of THEE most stunning prose found in the fantastical/dystopian genre—her writing blows me away all of the time, but Fable especially had moments of self-exploration told by and about the characters that included breathtaking diction which tugged at my heart strings greatly. This wonderful writing also needs to be mentioned in the context of the ending, which for me, was wildly breathtaking, heartbreaking and perfect.

Fable is definitely a book meant for YA audiences, it has a YA feel and is paced quite fast, with a level of simplicity that is easy to consume and love. Just don’t expect this novel to read like Reid’s adult novels or even like her other YA release A Study In Drowning-Fable is widely different and feels a lot less intricate.

Overall, Fable for the End of the World, was a thrilling reading experience and one that I found deeply emotionally in many ways, I would HIGHLY recommend checking it out!

Just wow. This book is easily going into my top 10 favorite reads of the year — probably even higher. This gave me all of the early 2010’s dystopian vibes that I’ve so desperately missed, and delivered it brilliantly.

The sapphic dystopian romance of it all was impossible to put down, and I’m going to need it to turn into a series. I could read 10+ books of this, truly. I haven’t had a feeling this strong about the potential of a book in a long time. The ending had me yelling.

Ava Reid has secured the auto-buy author status for me. Trust me — Fable For The End Of The World is going to do numbers. So fast-paced, heartbreaking, and suspenseful. 11/10.

(BookTok review coming)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

WOW!!!! I knew Ava Reid was GOOD going into this book, but did I realize how good?!? Apparently not! My heart ached, I laughed, I cried, I basically felt all the emotions on the spectrum in a 24 hour period. I seriously could not put this book down, I raced to finish it even as I knew the ending would break my heart into a million pieces. AND IT DID! Would I still recommend this beautiful and tragic sapphic romance to anyone that would listen? Absolutely. The characters, the writing style, the eerie feeling that our world could one day become like Mel and Inesa's...it was worth it all! I can only hope that we get a follow-up to this wonderful book one day, and even if we don't, I will keep that beautiful sense of certainty and hopeful longing that Ava Reid crafted so beautifully in the final pages of this book.

This was a fun read, but I wasn’t majorly impressed by it. It’s a good dystopian novel, and there were a few lines and parts of the book that really stood out to me. But, overall, I feel like the pacing was a little off, so I didn’t feel a ton of tension. The romance was way too fast. They went from “I’m trying to kill you’ to “I love you” in about 30% - 40% of the book, which meant I didn’t really care. Sometimes, it feels like books are trying too hard to be the next Hunger Games when I think they would really benefit from just being their own thing. While this was a fun read, I think it could have been better.

That being said, if you love dystopian novels, queer characters, and portrayals of how far the media can go, pick this one up!


Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for providing me this ARC!

Okay ava reid books are my instant read cause her books mostly fits me.

And she's releasing a dystopian book with sapphic romance like i'm so sold!

Well... after reading it i think it was ok but it didn't really meet my expectations i guess...

I like the creatures in this book how they are mutated animals with grotesque features i think it's pretty cool! And i like how she writes the complex family dynamic in this book. I think she excels on writing that aspect.

I like the Gaunlet's concept its kinda similar to Hunger Games but not really...

Also it's a bummer that the Caerus Corporation plotline feels ike it doesn't get explored as much that i was hoping for.. and i really want to know more about them

And for the romance.... well Inesa and Melinoë 's dynamic started off strong. It explains how they are in different sides and are enemies

But by the middle of the book it gets way too rushed... if there's one rule of enemies to lovers in my opinion it has to be slow burned.. there has to be times for yearning and tension

And the ending i also didn't like it that much.... yk i'm pretty sure this book is supposed to be a standalone but... yeah the ending feels very open for a sequel

So yeah if you are looking for a dystopian book that is quite fast pace and easy to read check out this book!

"Fable for the End of the World" is set in a not-too-distant, disturbingly-familiar future in which both capitalism and climate change have continued their courses, unfettered, and everyone outside of the city-elites lives in a half-drowned countryside, amassing debt either helplessly or carelessly or both. Eventually debts must be paid, in an incomprehensibly brutal way, as medically engineered assassins--Angels--hunt down and murder relatives offered up by the debtors as payment--the Lambs--all live-streamed.

An unlikely bond forms between an Angel, Melinoë, and a Lamb, Inesa, who find themselves unexpectedly allied against a hostile environment. The world they inhabit is treacherous and controlled at every turn by a malicious mega-corporation, but might there be a glimmer of hope for the two of them?

The world Reid creates is haunting. The oppressiveness of life under the Caerus corporation is palpable. The book raises so many questions about attention economy and corporate power/greed and the environment, but at its core, it asks, can one light chase away a sea of darkness? Can love prevail in the face of great evil?

This is one you won't want to stop reading until the end, and that will stay with you after--I highly recommend, along with every book I've read thus far by this author.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of Fable For The End of the World. This was quite a striking and timely read post-election. As someone who grew up reading lots of dystopian fiction, this is certainly a powerful ode to those stories and the ability to find hope in bleak circumstances. I loved the concept of The Gauntlet and the way that Reid structured New Amsterdam as a society. It cleverly echoes the dynamics that are already present in our own society while using them to create something else. The world building in this novel is certainly its strong suit. In terms of plot, however, I did find Fable somewhat lacking. With books like The Hunger Games, it feels like so much happens so quickly. With this novel, the plot felt a little slow and somewhat unrealistic given what we know about Caerus. Additionally, while I loved Inesa and Melinoë as characters, the romance between them felt rushed and incomplete. Despite these qualms, however, Fable was a very quick read for me as I was so invested in finding out what end awaited Inesa and Melinoë. While it’s not the strongest dystopian story you’ll ever read, its story of love and hope is one worth hearing in these times.

This was a love letter to all of the millennials who grew up reading the Hunger Games and this book delivered! It was dark, emotional, and devastatingly beautiful. I think what really made me fall in love with this story was how nostalgic it made me feel. It brought me back to my teenage years and I felt like I was right in the thick of it with Inesa and Melinoë.

The dystopian genre always intrigues me because when reading it always makes me wonder “what if.” I was captivated from the very beginning and loved the complex relationship between Inesa and her family, as well as the relationship that develops between her and Melinoë. At the core of these dark stories, there is a sliver of light and it always comes down to love.

Thank you to Harper Collins for this eARC!

I’d recommend Fable for the End of the World to anyone who loves or loved dystopian future. Reading this set the gears in my brain going a thousand miles a minute and was a nice change from my typical fantasy reads. If you want to be on the edge of your seat while your heart is ripped out of your chest, read this book.
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In chapter one, readers are introduced to Inesa, a teen girl slogging through her drowning city, earning money for her mother to to spend on useless items from a monopolistic corporation, Caerus.
Melinoë is introduced in chapter two as an Angel, a biologically-enhanced ruthless killer used in entertainment games called The Gauntlet. Through both points of view, readers are able to take in a multitude of minute details about this society. In Inesa’s location, we see how something as instinctual as neighborly kindness is a risk for these individuals and Melinoë’s world highlights just how people at the top of the food chain benefit from those in poverty. After the first chapters do a phenomenal job of worldbuilding, the next two chapters dive into The Gauntlet, a "game" of sorts in which people deeply in debt can offer up a family member to serve as a Lamb and nullify a debt. For the Lamb, their goal is to outrun or otherwise defeat the Angel
sent by Caerus to kill them. However, it's extremely rare. These Gauntlets are livestreamed for the nation of New Amsterdam to watch in horror or in fascination.
Many small moments of these characters' stories had me taking a step back and thinking critically. This was a wildly engaging read, but don't mistake that for
"fun". This was thought-provoking and, at times, heartbreaking.
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The only part that disappointed me was the last 15% of the plot, but I consider that a personal opinion and not a reflection of quality. Personally, I felt like the last part of the book felt unresolved and it left me feeling unsatisfied after rooting for the characters for so long.
In terms of the plot and final thoughts, I'd say those criteria put the book in the range of 3-4 stars. For the character development, writing style, worldbuilding, interest, I'd give this book 5 stars. It's just such an interesting, thought-provoking read. So I'm compromising with 4.5 stars overall.
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Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Ava Reid for this DRC! This was one of my most-anticipated books on my TBR and I was beyond thrilled to be approved for this.

Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid
Genre: dystopian romance, Rating: 4/5 stars!

I am so thrilled that I was able to read this book in advance as a huge Ava Reid fan. While this isn't my favorite of her books, I did really enjoy it, and I am excited to have it on my shelf when it comes out in March.

Fable is absolutely an ode to 200os dystopian novels - the Hunger Games comparison is there, and she isn't hiding it. What I see as the most significant difference, however, is that Reid doesn't seem to be interested in getting into the depths of the world building or providing any plot resolution to the total indictment of capitalism that she writes. Her focus remains almost entirely on the two women central to this story and their relationship - it is a dark, sapphic romance that is set in a dystopian future. I don't think this is a bad thing at all! I enjoyed it! But I could see that approach feeling a bit polarizing for readers, and I expect some people to love this book and others to write it off.

What Ava Reid always writes incredibly well (it is one of my favorite things about her writing and her characters) is women's trauma. This book focuses a lot on the trauma of not being able to trust your own memories and experiences. It is also about the dogma in abusive relationships/systems and about the terrible things that people will do and justify in order to survive. I think there has to be grace in that, and Reid writes that well. I loved the thought she put into these women and the juxtaposition of having one woman who is hard on the outside but internally soft and struggling, while having another who is softer on the outside with a hard and resilient spirit. It was fun to see that interplay and relationship develop.

All in all, I recommend it! I think it is fun and intriguing, and definitely another win for Reid.

I am still processing this book. It's one that will stick with me for quite some time. Ava Reid weaves together this dystopian novel beautifully. She writes about the climate crisis, critiques capital, sexism, the patriarchy, and highlights the perils of greed and power and the impact it has on people. She does this all while illustrated that humans can still hope for a better future.

We meet Inesa and Melinoë, Inesa is from Esopus Creek, a poorer area often subjected to flooding, while Melinoë is a trained assassin form the city who hunts down those who have exceed the 500,000 credit limit put in place by the governments (or who they choose to sacrifice in their place). Inesa is chosen as a Lamb and Melinoë is tasked with killing her in a televised gauntlet. Both will do anything to survive. Things take a turn and leave Melinoë and Inesa in a position to work together, but can they get over the roles that society has designated to them? Will they survive each other?

I thought that this story was poignant, particularly after recent events. Ava Reid dives into dystopian and does an amazing job. If you were ever a YA dystopian reader I absolutely recommend you pick this up. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. I can't wait to add a hardcopy to my shelf.

4.5 rounded up to 5/5 Stars

This was such a departure from all of Reid’s previous work and she crushed it. She makes it super clear that Fable is highly Hunger Games inspired and I was worried it would be too similar, but it’s definitely its own story. This did rip out my heart and stomp on it, but I knew what I was signing up for.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing, Del Rey for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️
0.5🌶️

A sapphic dystopian standalone, with emphasis on the word standalone even though the ending was left far too open for a sequel in my opinion. I actually said now I have to wait for the next one to find out what happens next, but all the marketing proudly displays standalone which is crushing because there's so much more, I, as a reader needed from this story.

If you liked any of these books/games you might enjoy this:
The Hunger Games/Immortal Longings - It gives the vibes of the games/technologies like these two books. I know Immortal Longings was inspired by it but it also had its uniqueness to it as well.
Fallout Games - The setting gives a lot of the wasteland vibes and made me think a lot of ghouls and other creatures suffering from radiation damage
This Gilded Abyss The technology in the world with all the implants and advances. plus, all the WHUMP if I am being honest

Things I enjoyed about this book:
🌠Setting
🌠Character's Backstories
🌠Sapphic
🌠Gave me lots of characters to loathe (including the FMC's MOTHER)
🌠Enemies to Allies to Lovers (I loved the build of them digging into their pasts and learning about each other and finding something mutual)

Things I did not enjoy about this book:
🌠Ending (since I'm not getting closure)
🌠Talks about eye color far too much
🌠Spice (even if it was closed-door since the book is YA and both girls are minors)

Please give us a sequel. PLEASE

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for the eARC!

Ava Reid has yet again created a beautiful book.

In a dystopian world Inesa works a taxidermist and creates reminders of what the world used to be. Her brother Luka hints for the creatures that she turns into art. They live in a poor rural area with their mother who copes with their sad life by faking illness. That is until the day that their mother decides to sell Inesa to the Gauntlet to pay off her medical debts.
Melanoe is an Angel. She hunts down the poor when they’ve been entered into the Gauntlet to settle family debts. She is part human, part cyborg made to be the perfect killing machine for the entertainment of others. And she has a new Lamb to hunt. A girl from a small town.

Ava’s writing is lyrical and flows so easily. I will read anything she writes.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC! I can’t wait for the world to read this book.

Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars. I really enjoyed this for the most part; Ava Reids writing is unparalleled. This had me feeling very high emotions throughout, but the thing that fell short for me was the romance. It is YA so maybe that's part of it, but I just didn't feel as connected to them as I expected. It just kind of.. happened. Overall, this is a very high stakes dystopian novel that I would definitely recommend. The ending gives a spark of hope that there might be a sequel? We shall see. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

First off… Ava… This does not have to be a standalone! You could give us another book!

This book had me hooked right from the start. I ate this book up like I was in Ratatouille and each page was a bite that took me right back to summers reading YA fantasy and dystopian novels like it was my job.

From the world building, to the evil corporation, to the Hunger Games inspired Gauntlet and the differences between the Haves and the Have-nots… this book was both nostalgic and as relevant as ever.

The sapphic love story was so beautiful and I enjoyed the build up and arc of their story.

On occasion, yes, this book does a little more telling than showing. But this is YA and the characters are young and you are reading their internal monologues as they sort out how to feel about the world and each other.

I will read this book again and I hope we get another!

selling this book as the last of us meets the ballad of songbirds and snakes might’ve been to its detriment because my expectations were sky high. this wasn’t a bad book by any means and in fact i totally see why people would give this 5 stars, i just think it let me down. some plot points felt overused and it was very tell instead of show. the romance had some cute moments, but SPOILER!!! them not ending up together really put a damper on my feelings towards this book as well. i do think there might be a sequel and then it opens up more possibilities, so if that’s the case i’ll for sure be reading that and seeing how it all goes. but overall, i did enjoy this for its premise and to some extent its execution. i’d definitely say pick it up and see how you feel! thank you to netgalley and harpercollins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.