Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a book that has the kind of commentary on society that makes you feel sick like The Hunger Games, this book has that. It also has the fact that gruesome acts are used as entertainment, like The Hunger Games.

And while I can appreciate Inesa and Melinoë’s arcs and development individually, I just wanted more out of this book. Inesa and Mel were very insta-love, which isn’t my favorite relationship trope.

I wanted way more of Inesa and Luka’s relationship, as the sibling dynamic was very interesting. Instead, Luka just vanishes halfway through the book and then we get no information on what happened to him when he was picked up.

And the last act was very rushed in my opinion. I got within about 70 pages of the end and was unsure of how everything would be resolved in that amount of time, and I was right to feel that way as I felt like a lot of story points were just left unresolved.

I do think that unresolved feeling is the point as Inesa and Mel discuss how one person doing small acts of resistance is the first step, but I am the kind of reader who likes loose ends tied up in a story.

Overall, an enjoyable book that I wish just had a little bit more of pretty much everything.

I have never read an Ava Reid book I didn’t absolutely love, and there is so much to love about this story. The world-building is rich and thoughtfully crafted, the exploration of violence toward women, powerful and nuanced. Inesa and Melinoë’s story is one I’ll remember for years to come; so much darkness and despair, yet so much love and unwavering hope. Ava’s characters are always so layered and so very human. I couldn’t stop turning the page.

Dystopia is so back (wow I wonder why) and I could not be more here for it. Thankfully this book has what many of the 2010s Hunger Games knock-offs lacked—an actual message, a plausible future, and real social commentary. This book is a TRUE dystopia. Fable envisions a future ravaged by climate change, corporatism, and the iron-clad consequences of debt. The characters are two girls from very different circumstances (yes they are enemies), both just fighting to survive, who find solace in each other. “Lesbian Hunger Games” is a pretty apt tagline for this book lmao

More on the world-building—Fable’s dystopian future is so fascinating (although perversely) right from the get-go. I was immediately enraptured with the dystopian world because of how timely, relevant, and possible it felt (TERRIFYING ahah). The world was mostly what hooked me at the beginning. I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to learn more about the dystopian future the characters existed in. It is also quite intense right from the beginning—stakes are undoubtedly high.

What led to a slight lull in the book’s pacing is the fact that the stakes, as well as the character’s circumstances, remain basically the same for about 75% of the book. Things escalate quickly at the beginning of the book and then they just…stay there. I felt like things didn’t really start to change or shift from the beginning until the 80% mark, which made this middle of this book feel a bit redundant, repetitive, and just a little boring.

But the end pulled through in intensity, and though I cannot say that I am exactly happy with the way things turned out, I understand why it had to end the way that it did. (Although the bonus novella helped me feel like I got a bit more closure, in a way. I’d also like to add that I think Luka’s novella may have been the best part of the book lol)

I recommend this book to anyone craving a REAL dystopia. Don’t come to Fable if you’re expecting something half-hearted, with only the action and none of the heartbreak or the commentary. This book is important, and timely, and incredibly necessary, and I’m glad to have read it.

Dystopian story with heavy The Hunger Games influences, following a taxidermist named Inesa who’s sacrificed by her own mother to settle her debts, and an altered-human who’s supposed to kill her. It’s about survival, extreme climate change, wealth inequality, corporatocracy, killing and hunting human as a riveting spectacle. It’s clearly not a wholly original story originality because I noticed THG traces all over the story. It’s not bad per se, but reeeeally underwhelming. Many interesting topics but it all went nowhere. There’s no closure at the end, nothing’s changed except for a slightly improved life condition for Inesa. But at what cost? I don’t get the point of this book.

I also listened to the audiobook at first, but Inesa's narrator (there's 2 POV with different narrators) felt irritating and made me unnecessarily anxious, I almost DNF the book right then and there but decided to try continuing without the audiobook. Thankfully it’s more bearable without the audiobook. But still. No strong appeal.

Sorry overall I’m pretty disappointed. It would be better if this is a start of a series because i could see that this book has many potential, but since it’s a standalone I’d say it’s not really worth to read.

Fable for the end of the world
The most important thing in a dystopian, to me, is what is it saying? What in society is it critiquing? Dystopians being made near the fall of the genre in the 2010s lacked the critique and obviously just wanted to capitalize on the popularity of the genre without getting into the meat of it. The relief I felt when being able to see things Fable was critiquing was palpable.

Immediately, Melinoë deals with the men in privilege treating her like an object. Even when she is in her Gauntlet, she has to be careful of doing anything that can be sexualized. It even touched on the current issue of AI and the non consensual porn people are making of women with it. The book very much reminded me of the scene in the Black Widow movie where the villain says the biggest commodity in the world is little girls.

I struggled a bit to get into the book, but around the 25% mark, once the Gauntlet began, I really was into it. Even if I didn’t speed read the whole book, I was invested in the characters and loved all three of the main characters.


I’m so thankful there was no instalove or immediate attraction. While they both praised the other in their thoughts, it wasn’t a romantic connection right away. While the characters aren’t geniuses or perfect, they don’t make me want to tear my hair out because of stupid decisions. Their bad decisions are obvious panic or trauma responses that I couldn’t fault them for making.

Now for spoilers.

The ending is very 1984, which is very fitting but I was hoping for a bit more of a hopeful ending. Of course, it is a dystopian so I should’ve expected at least a marginally unhappy ending but it personally seemed very hopeless to me? At best, Mel remembers her but can’t do anything about it. There’s nothing bettered about society, nothing has changed for the better except they’re no longer poor and they communicate better.

I just can’t get behind the idea of the book ending with Mel being married to an old man and being raped for the rest of her life. Even if Inesa finds her… there’s nothing she can do about it. I’m sure the ending is part of the message but ouch. The more I sit with my review, the lower it gets. The ending was rushed, everything was done within the last 10% of the book and it just felt unsatisfying. Dystopian novels are supposed to give hope but I just felt disappointed and confused. It felt like there’s supposed to be a second book, so it just feels incomplete.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I should start this off by addressing that I am a big fan of Ava Reid. I have been quite surprised to see that there are so many mixed reviews on this one so I wanted to wait just a little bit before I read it myself. Many reviews compare this book to The Hunger Games which I can see why, however I don't see that it's a "rip off," or anything like that. It's similar in that it's dystopian and teens are forced to kill each other while people watch for their own enjoyment.

I really enjoyed this book. I find Ava Reid's writing easy to follow but not boring. In, "Fable for the End of the World," we get two opposite sides of the "conflict," or the hunter/ prey trope, essentially one is sent to kill the other. I did greatly appreciate that this is a sapphic story, just based on my own life experiences. I thought the world building was good, not confusing and entertaining.

The characters were likable, multifaceted and interesting. I also felt that on the other side of the story there was a well formed villain which will always increase my rating of a book. I can see ways people may think this book lacks some depth between the plot, characters and worldbuilding, I can see that, and it felt like I read this book at just the right time for me.

I also felt that it was reflective of our current politics and wealth gap. Dystopian comments on our current realities with our worst fears applied and this book did just that.

this is lowkey if the hunger games had lesbians
i had a lot of fun reading this and i finished in a day because i just couldn’t put it down

3.5/5
This was actually my first Ava Reid book.
I really liked the concept of this book. Poverty forcing people to get so far in debt that they must send a family member into the ‘gauntlet’. There are modified humans who are put in there to hunt down the ‘sacrificial lambs’ and it’s all live streamed for everyone to watch. You get both the hunter and the one being hunted pov in this. They both need to win and it’s hard not to root for both of them too.
It is very hunger games ish which was fine by me. I love the hunger games so much and this has enough differences that i liked it.

I guess my main complaint is that the gauntlet portion didn’t really seem all that life or death and I didn’t love the romance. I just didn’t feel it. In the middle of the book when it’s just the two of them together was my least favorite part to be honest. Melinoe’s backstory with a different person was more intriguing to me.
I liked both main characters and their individual storylines though. I really liked Inesa and her brother’s relationship a lot. Almost everyone has an ulterior motive or they’re just out for themselves in this world but those two had each other’s back. I loved it. 🩵

This wasn’t my favorite book but I look forward to reading more from this author.

This was alright, but really hard for me to get into. I understand it's inspired by the Hunger Games and although it is unique in its own way, I just couldn't help feeling like I had read all of this before. I didn't necessarily attach to the characters in the beginning, and didn't find myself wanting to pick the book up and keep reading. Was probably most intrigued by the idea of this taxidermy shop and the possible sibling relationship but we barely get any of that before moving on to elements that I did not find as new or interesting in the slightest. I think I will try Reid's adult books because I saw promise with the storytelling, but would have just appreciated adult characters and more depth.

There's no way that was the ending?!?! Ava Reid has always amazed me with her words. Not one book has felt similar to the others. This story felt nostalgic and brought back the memories of diving into a new dystopian world just like in the late 2000's. This felt fresh and new and made me reflect of the happeningings of the world and political climate today. Many compare it to The Hunger Games and while it has the element of making a game out of killing people it is a completely different world. This world is ran on debts, rich people running society and the online streaming culture. There were so many parallels to actually society, I don't know how anyone can read this book and not walk away deeply thinking about how we engage in the world. The explanation of how the gauntlet started, the rich corporation swooping in under the guise of saving the community and taking them out of a recession. Only to further put it into ruin where people lost their ability to afford to live unless they indebted themself to the very cooperation that claimed to be trying to help them. The main characters Inesa and Melinoe (beautiful names) journey was just truly heartbreaking. Two people that just wanted to be set free. Ugh I hope there to be a continuation of their story some day because the way that ended was not good enough for those two. I demand justice!

Very hunger games core! It was a lot of "oh wait, we're both just trying to survive" and i loved seeing them bond.

HOWEVER WHAT WAS THAT ENDING? I've never been more upset and annoyed with anything in my life.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This book took me completely by surprise—in the best way. Fable for the End of the World is a fast-paced, emotionally layered dystopian story that somehow feels familiar and completely original at the same time. It pulls from the legacy of The Hunger Games and even reminded me a little of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, but it never once feels like a copy. Instead, it builds its own fierce identity and carves out a space that feels both relevant and refreshingly new.

The story follows Inesa, a girl thrown into a brutal survival competition called The Gauntlet to pay off her mother’s debts, and Melinoë, the assassin designed to kill her—live, on camera, for mass entertainment. It’s a dark and gripping premise, but what really stood out for me was how Ava Reid managed to pack so much heart and nuance into it. I binged this in two days (which, for me lately, is impressive) because the characters were so well written and the pace so relentless that I had to know what would happen next.

Melinoë in particular broke my heart—her story is devastating. As a tool of the regime, modified and controlled since childhood, she’s more machine than girl in the eyes of the world. Yet Reid gives her so much depth, showing her as someone aching for connection, struggling with memory loss, bodily autonomy, and a life she never chose. The dual POV worked so well, with both voices feeling distinct and meaningful. And I really appreciated how their relationship developed slowly and carefully, even against the odds.

The world Reid has built here is terrifyingly believable: climate change devastation, corporate control, and the hollowed-out spectacle of pain as entertainment. But even in the bleakest moments, there’s a thread of hope, softness, and resistance that runs through it. That balance is one of the reasons this worked so well for me. And as a standalone, it delivered a satisfying conclusion that didn’t feel rushed—something that’s not easy to pull off in dystopian fiction.

This is a book that asks hard questions about power, love, and survival, but never loses sight of the people at its centre. It's sharp, emotional, and beautifully crafted. I’ll be thinking about it for a long time—and eagerly awaiting whatever Ava Reid writes next.

I think the book was alright but there might’ve been too much going on. The fmcs seem interesting but I had a hard time grabbing on to the story. I really wanted to like it, it had a decent premise/plot, but I think some points could’ve been shifted. Maybe I’ll try rr again at a later time.

Fans of the hunger games and criers war may be interested.

"We all do what we have to in order to survive."

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Fable for the End of the World is an ode (as Ava Reid stated) to the dystopian genre of the early/mid-2000s, and to the carefully crafted and cultivated world of The Hunger Games and explored in the realm of fanfiction. It's a statement on climate control and environmentalism, the dangers of overconsumption and capitalistic controlled worlds that become oligarchies. This story delves into geographic and thereby economic inequalities, and how communities and relationships can either be uplifting, or full of debt.

And after all of that, at its core, this is a story of what it is to be human. The power of being able to feel and that all of those emotions are what make you human. The ability to feel anger, and love, and hatred, and hope, no matter the circumstance. To find that little speck of light, even when you're surrounded by darkness. To take those things that make you infuriated, and use them to push forward to find something better.

Dystopian worlds are meant to take aspects of our current world, and push them to the extreme. To show just how bad things can get, if we forget to, ultimately, be human. To care for our neighbors even when they're crazy. To believe that there is good in the world, and that people are, inherently, good. It's meant to give us a reality check, and force us to feel and to try and be better, to avoid those types of futures.

There's a lot to be said for dystopian style novels being popular amongst YA fiction stories. To have people in their formative years—when they're just learning about what it means to be your own kind of person, and to choose right and wrong for yourself and to learn how to expand your horizons and connect with people both in and outside of your own little world view and bubble—read these types of stories. To see themselves in these characters who are inherently flawed, but unapologetically themselves, and who fight and strive to make the best of their world for themselves, but to also make it better for everyone else, and the people who come after them.

I do also find it fascinating that so many dystopian stories really take a hard look at the lines between what is human, animal and machine when it comes to survival and living, versus just surviving. How so much of the world wants us to be placed in these boxes and live this very standard, formulated life. But that humans, as a species, have never really been all that good at it. We want more out of life, just like Melinoë.

Reid is clearly a mastermind at weaving worlds together, and saying so much in just a few pages. The world they've crafted in this novel and with the inspiration of its predecessors and current political, gender, social and environmental climate and overall state of things, is a masterpiece worth reading and taking to heart. The conversations around hybrids, mutations, humanity, technology and corruption are so crucial, especially right now. Because we are human, and that is what makes us different.

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"Who knows what they would do, if they had another choice? If they knew they were safe? If they were free?"

I was so excited to read this book, even before I was approved for the arc, and boy did it deliver! I fell in love with the characters and their journey. The world building was immersive and the writing transported me immediately. The RAGE that Reid made me feel towards Caerus was palpable. Especially loved the ending as there was no way this world that Reid built could produce a cookie cutter ending, but there was still hope. Definitely would recommend to anyone interested in YA/ dystopian.

Every time Ava Reid puts pen to paper you know it’s going to be good. In a dystopian future where a single corporation controls society, the poor either struggle to survive or go into debt. Those that accumulate too much debt can choose to enter themselves or a loved one into the Lamb’s Gauntlet to have their debt forgiven. The lambs aren’t supposed to survive the gauntlet, after-all, their death at the hands of the corporations enhanced assassins is the spectacle so many tune in to watch.

I love dark dystopian and I really enjoyed the unique world Reid created, it genuinely feels like it could be our near future. Reid also has a way of writing flawed and imperfect characters that truly embody feminine rage. One of the things I like most about her books is that they don’t have perfectly happy endings. Everything is not okay by the ending, the world has not been irrevocably changed, but the characters definitely have been. And as a reader, you will be too.

Wow wow wow!! I have been missing YA dystopia in my life and Ava Reid delivers in this fantastic sapphic romance. This love letter to The Hunger Games is one fans won’t want to miss!

#FablefortheEndoftheWorld takes place in there future when the world as we know it is very different. The rich drink clean water, eat food provided by Caerus the company that owns pretty much everything including a program called The Angels.

Inesa lives in a town full of Outliers people who aren't as rich as those that live in the gilded city above them. instead they live in a town that is almost underwater, having to use pole boats to get themselves to and from their homes. In their world you live by Caerus's rule accruing constant debt and once that debt reaches a certain point Caerus comes calling for a Lamb for The Gauntlet.

The Gauntlet exits for entertainment and is used to erase debt. the Debtor can put up themselves or a family member to be used as The Lamb while the Angel hunts them down and kills them all while it is being veiwed live.

Inesa's mother has accrued massive debt and has put her up for The Gauntlet. Now with her brothers help she has to survive 13 days to the end of The Gauntlet.

Melinoe is one of the best Angels that has been created brutal in her efficiency but sometimes these kills can be too much and permanently damage an Angel. After a mind wipe she is sent on another Gauntlet to redeem herself.. However this one also is different, this Lamb is different. She brings something to life inside Melinoe.

#AvaReid brings to life a dystopian world where you never know if you are safe. #FablefortheEndoftheWorld is an interesting story that makes you wonder what our future will look like.


I would like to thank #Netgalley for the chance to erad an eArc of #FablefortheendoftheWorld in return for a fair and honest review.

Ava Reid is a auto buy author for me. This is another beautifully written story that makes you delve down and really FEEL. I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next

A bleak and unforgiving wasteland sets the stage for Fable for the End of the World. It's a dystopia that will be familiar and wholly captivating, following two girls as they find their way to survive and question all they've been led to believe.

This is my first Ava Reid book and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT! I really enjoyed this world as I found it to be eerily timely to current state of affairs and it had my brain thinking, which led to annotating. And I LOVE when books can offer a space for conversation along the margins.

Throughout the book, Mel x Inesa challenge ideas wrought by the world they have grown up in. Their softness, particularly for one another, is courageous and brave, especially when individualism is valued vs community. Their queer love is truly beautiful and it sends a message to queer teens who may read this and find strength in it.

This may have been my first Ava Reid read, but it definitely won't be my last!