Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I read Fable for the End of the World entirely too fast. I wanted so much more of it, in the very best way. Even though it had elements similar to the Hunger Games with the televised hunting of unwilling participants, it was entirely unique and I would LOVE if the author made more stories in this universe where they all meet up in the end to bring down the tyrannical overlording corporation that runs the providences. I loved the romance, the ending though bleak was also hinting at the conclusion that both of the FMC's deserved. The creatures that inhabit the woodlands were a great touch, and I really think that with this combination, it's what sets this book apart from other dystopian novels. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy!!!!

4.5☆

Fable for the End of the World is a dystopian novel inspired by Hunger Games, told from two points of view. One of our protagonists is Inesa, a girl who lives in a half sunken town with her younger brother and mother. They barely have anything and they work all day long to avoid falling deeper into debt. However, their mother has other plans and her decisions turn Inesa’s life upside down.

Mel, according to people like Inesa, is more machine than human. She is a trained killer who starts to unravel after hurting a little girl. Though they try to "fix" her, she is given one more chance to prove she can continue doing her job. But as she is sent to kill again, unwanted memories resurface, and everything begins to spiral out of control.

In this book, Ava Reid transports us into the future and with the help of her fictional characters shows us the consequences of our actions. They really develop their characters, give them the depth and humanity we need to care for them and their journey. I also appreciate how they don’t just portray everyone as either good or evil, each one has flaws.

The romance is sapphic enemies-to-lovers, so not only did Ava bring us back to the dystopian era, they also made it lesbian! I loved the relationship between Inesa and Mel, but I do wish they would be more slowburn. Don’t get me wrong, I adore them, but I felt like their story was a little bit rushed.

The worldbuilding and writing were impeccable. So far, I haven’t fully connected with Ava’s writing style, but I do think if I read more of her work, I will appreciate it even more, so, please, write a sequel (or more)!

This was a very interesting story and you can definitely see how Hunger Games influenced the dystopian world created here by Ava Reid. You have a lot of similar themes: a single entity or company controlling the vast majority of society. Class stratification takes a big role here in particular. All the wealthy congregate in the major cities, given the very best technologies, medicines, and benefits while everyone else in the outer areas (aka the 'Outliers') are just trying to survive and avoid crippling debt. At the same time, debt is how this society is run and used to exploit its lower class citizens.

There are also a lot of subtle nods to current pop culture and some of the negatives surrounding how we treat folks on the other side of a screen, for example. E.g. using livestreams/influencers as part of the commentary. I thought that was particularly cool.

Funnily enough, the only other story I read by Ava was a Study In Drowning which had a peculiar fascination with water and flooding. This one shares a lot of similarities except the flooding and water-logged cities are due to climate change and a vastly changing dystopian world trying its best to adapt to said changes and nuclear corruption.

I also found it fascinating how Ava crafted the stories behind the assassins aka the not-quite android not-quite human killing machines and how easy it was to sympathize with their plight and backgrounds.

Where I struggled was the love story. I didn't feel particularly drawn to either Mel nor Inessa as a couple. There was also a period of time where I felt myself getting bored when it was just the two of them (Mel and Inessa) and wanted to see more action. I feel like there could have been more happening while their relationship was beginning to blossom vs the stagnant "wait" period I felt we were being forced to sit through.

Despite that, I do think this is Ava's best work and the world is one of the most interesting I have come across in a while. I think my favorite part that kept me wanting to know more was the relationship between Inessa and her brother Luka. In fact, I felt the stronger love story was the story between the two siblings. The love Luka had for Inessa and vice-versa flourished despite their odds of success and it was hope that drove them forward along with the shared love for their father.

Growing up, I so desperately wanted to find people like myself in the fiction I read. Fable is everything I wish I could have read as a queer teen, and I'm so happy YA readers today will have this book. Inesa and Melinoe are both really strong characters, and I loved how each influenced the other to be a better person despite the hostile world around them. Without spoiling anything, the ending wrecked me and had me rushing online to see if there is a sequel planned (devastatingly, no). If you're a Hunger Games fan, you will not want to miss this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not kidding if we don't get a sequel i'll be in the STREETS.

people aren't lying when they say lesbian hunger games, which is exactly what lured me in. I'm so grateful i was able to read this! you can feel the love for thg and other young adult dystopian novels in this, and that made me nostalgic.

a world ruined by climate change and capitalism, it felt entirely too real. mix in some commentary about social media, people's desensitization of violence and murder, women and their lack of self autonomy and their bodies.

it was beautiful and creative and brilliant. the relationship between mel and inesa was slow burn but so worth it.

im actually still crying about this and im begging for more.

thank you to netgalley and harper collins for the arc read!

I absolutely love the premise of a stand-alone, Hunger Games style dystopian YA romance. Right up my alley. I thought Reid had a unique take on the expected commentary of this genre - capitalism, climate change, human greed, etc. I loved the dual POV, but I did find myself getting confused as to who was speaking sometimes because they didn't have that distinct of a narrative voice. Still, Inesa and Melinoe are adorable and tragic as both individuals and a pair and I loved listening to their stories. I recommend this to fans of The Hunger Games (duh) but also to those who enjoy good writing, a solid stand-alone, and being sad (lol).

This book made me sob! I loved Mel and Inesa's story so much and it made me wish that we could live in their little world for a little longer.

On paper, this sounds like it should be really, really good. I can see the vision: a dystopian world with Hunger Games-style games that pit the two main characters against each other in an enemies-to-loves romance. Unfortunately, while there were moments of good writing and I think that what the author was trying to say was valid, there was too much going on to be really enjoyable. You've got criticisms on capitalism and consumerist culture; you've got criticisms on the kind of voyeurism that comes with being in the public eye; you've got commentary on climate change. And honestly that's just some of what's going on. Given that the comp title is the Hunger Games and the author herself cited the books as an inspiration, a lot of that is expected. However, the Hunger Games had multiple books to build on the commentary and the criticisms it was trying to make; this is a standalone that's essentially trying to do the same thing and it doesn't work.

Then, there's the romance. It's so under-baked and, while I can see how it could've worked, I don't think it worked the way the author wrote it. Inesa and Melinoe are, on the surface, interesting characters and foils for each other in certain aspects, but the author never really digs deep enough into either character before smashing them together. Even the author herself doesn't quite seem to buy into the romance, not when writing things like: "She didn't even know why she felt compelled to do this." I needed something a lot more concrete than hand-wavy descriptions about how the two of them were drawn to each other for inexplicably no good reason. Especially not when Melinoe literally tried to kill Inesa... multiple times. I think I would've liked the romance a bit more if Melinoe and Inesa had some connection in childhood that Melinoe was programmed to forget about. It would've amped up the angst and also given them a better foundation for a romance than just "because the author said so".

Lastly, no spoilers, but while I understand how the ending fits thematically with what the author was trying to do, I hated it. Doubly so knowing that this is a standalone. It didn't feel as hopeful as I think the author was intending and, instead, felt pretty cheap and frustrating as someone who struggled through the book, hoping that maybe the ending might redeem it.

Technically, I don't think this is a bad book, but it tried to do far too much with far too little space and didn't go much beyond surface level explorations of the topics it brought up. I'm not saying the book needed to get too deep into it, especially as a YA book. However, there needs to be more focus and depth than it currently has. I'm glad other people have and will continue to enjoy this. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me at all.

what happened to hi? hello? how are you? my name is??? ava reid you ruined my life. it’s midnight and i’m crying over melinöe and inessa. i care more about them than most other book characters out there. i can’t believe this is a stand-alone and making it a stand-alone with that ending is criminal. these two are going to haunt me for the rest of my life. do you know that ava reid? it’s important to me that you know that. if you are reading this review, read this book. apply for an arc, time travel to the future i don’t care how. just read it!!! oh and azrael is someone i have never hated more in my entire life. all the girls hate azrael.

“Sometimes love isn’t enough.”
“I think it is. I think it has to be.”

“You can hate the person who imprisons you, but you can’t hate the person who set you free. So what do you do when they’re one and the same?”

“What keeps me from sleeping at night is the knowledge that I gave everything I had, and it still wasn’t enough to save her.” Melinoe and Inessa destroy me 💔

“I’m grieving for the living.”

Moral of this review— read this book ASAP.

(thank you to netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review)

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC!

Anytime I get to visit a world created by Ava Reid, it is a treat. This was such a departure from her normal books, and it was so interesting to read her spin on a the dystopian genre. While I do feel like this was lacking some of the depth that is usually present in her other novels, it certainly was not without her beautiful prose. I was fully engrossed in the story, although I wish we were able to go deeper into the characters and the world building.

This felt very nostalgic for the dystopian stories of the 2010s, and I think that anyone who is a fan of the hunger games, divergent, etc, will really enjoy this as well.

Thank you so much NetGalley for a copy of this beauty of a book 🥰

I’ve always loved Ava Reid’s writing and even if her style changed a little, it suits well the YA dystopian narrative she went for.
I loved the way she wrote this impossible love story between a hunter/killer and her prey.
I loved also the concept of an ultra capitalist society where everyone has debts and has to pay for it with the life of someone else (family member for exemple).

I had a wonderful time reading it 💞

I loved the main characters and the sapphic romance in this book, but wasn’t the biggest fan of the plot as some things didn’t 100% make sense to me. The writing style is vastly different from Ava Reid’s usual very lyrical writing, but it felt more fitting for a YA dystopian book. The ending of the book broke me and I hope it gets a sequel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“And maybe that’s all it takes—at least at the beginning. Just a few people who care. And that caring matters, even if it can’t cool the earth or lower sea levels or turn back time to before a nuclear blast.”

a love letter to dystopians (esp hunger games), reid has imagined us a (not-so-distant, more likely than not) future fully disrupted and firmly altered by climate change and oppressed by the staggering debt to the monopoly corporation, saerus. flooding storms are a regular occurrence, so have your raft on hand!

within the first 15% i was getting some minor but noticeable hints of terminator, blade runner, even ghost in the shell, handmaid's tale. animals have been disfigured and mutated by the chemical pollution in the air, land, and water. evil seagulls!!!

“When we see flowers blooming or hear birds singing, we think it’s beautiful. But when people need each other, it seems so ugly.”
“Caerus has poisoned everything.”

capitalism destroys the idea of community, bc it needs us to rely on IT (buying things) rather than each other. it also allows more control to government/authority bc ppl are divided.

there's also a major theme of the dehumanizing voyeurism of trauma and entertainment brutality. the lamb's gauntlet itself is an apathetic bloodsport twitch/tiktok live, complete with watcher comments. people livestream their own reactions and cameras film 24/7.

there is definitely major commentary on women in media, the expectations of beauty, and objectifying commodification of them in online spaces.
slight spoilers: [
for melinoe as an assassin, this is a fight for temporary survival as well. as an "angel", she's commodified as a weapon, until she's run her course or someone offers enough money. then she would be rendered into a lobotomized concubine as other angels before her. they're altered w bionic enhancements for killing, but also must be the highest standard of beauty, receiving false lashes, lip injections, permanent makeup, face lifts, rhinoplasties, and more. they even have their individuals brands and market demographic of lambs. (hide spoiler)]

so, the set up and concept were very strong and intriguing to me, with clear parallels to what is currently happening rn and a cautionary tale of what could happen to us all.

however, i did feel the overall story execution was a bit underwhelming for me, as well as the ending. i thought the relationship between inesa and melinoë was well constructed for a YA, but i wanted more from the other characters and subplots/hints.

“Sometimes love isn’t enough.”
“I think it is. I think it has to be. Otherwise, it’s not really love. If the world can break it . . .”

the way this ends feels more open-ended then not with some loose ends. i v much suspect a sequel and hope for it bc there are many questions that i would like the answers to.

"I’ll always be able to find my way back to her."

an honest arc review ♡

Have you ever had such a bizarre dream that when you wake up, all you can think is “what the fuck was that?”

That was my reaction for the first 25% of Ava Reid’s latest book, Fable for the End of the World. It’s a dystopian romance that’s has mega-capitalist Hunger Games vibes, and it’s uniquely relatable AND far-fetched all at the same time. I loved it.

My only complaint is that it’s marketed as standalone novel when the ending could have easily led to a duology or even a trilogy. I’m not ready to leave the characters or the world yet, and it doesn’t feel like the story is even close to over.

As always, thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Fable for the End of the World is easily one of my favorite reads this year.

I don’t normally go for dystopian stories but I love Ava’s books and wanted to check it out, and I’m so glad I did! It was stunning and creepy and atmospheric and such great messaging on what our world could someday end up as if we don’t collectively “get it together”.

I truly believe this is going to be one of the standout books of 2025! *Fable for the End of the World* captures the essence of dystopian YA novels that many of us grew up with, reminiscent of *The Hunger Games* and *Divergent*. I couldn't put my Kindle down.

The story centers on Inesa, a protagonist chosen to fight in a deadly gauntlet, tasked with paying off her family's debt. Instead of multiple tributes, there’s just one—her. She faces off against Melinoë, an "angel," a genetically modified female fighter with superhero-like abilities. What makes the angels compelling is their tragic background; they have their memories wiped after each fight, adding depth and complexity to their character instead of merely portraying them as villains.

As the competition unfolds, a twist occurs: their communication goes down, prompting Inesa and Melinoë to form an unexpected alliance. With the threat of zombie-like creatures lurking in this dystopian world—where the wealthy thrive in the city while the poor struggle against debt and mutated wildlife—the stakes couldn't be higher.

There's also a subtle undercurrent of connection between the two female leads that hints at something more, which adds an intriguing layer to the narrative.

Overall, this book is a thrilling ride, combining action, emotion, and social commentary. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

I don’t quite know where to begin when talking about Fable for the End of the World. Do I tell you how it broke me five ways and put me back together again? Do I tell you how it made me despair, how it made me hope? Do I tell you how Inesa and Melinoë’s dystopia didn’t always feel so far away and fictional? Do I tell you all the things it made me think about love and humanity?

Even if I wrote all of this out, I still don’t think I’d do it justice.

What I will tell you is that Fable for the End of the World is beautiful and heart-wrenching and hopeful. It is a story of greed and fear and desire. Reid’s prose is effortless and evocative, as usual. It is a love story under the most unbearable of circumstances. It is a story of love enduring.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ava Reid has finally found her niche and its dystopian novels! This was the best book by far that I have read from Ava and I hope she writes more in this genre. The world building was so clever and very classic YA dystopian. It felt like coming home. The characters were well developed and easy to connect with, even the Angels. My one complaint is the romance did feel a little forced because there didn't seem to be any emotional connection in the build up. But other than that, in my opinion, this was Ava Reid's best work so far.

Ava Reid is bringing a whole new definition to the "forced" in "forced proximity," and not in a good way. The previous books of Reid's that I've read, A Study in Drowning and Lady Macbeth, have all featured darkly atmospheric writing and a beautiful setting that pulls readers into the heart of the story. Unfortunately, all this was severely lacking in "Fable for the End of the World."

For what it's worth, I do believe there are aspects of this book that were salvageable. Melinoë's chapters were a fascinating dive into a cyborg's psyche as well as being insight into the worldbuilding Reid has crafted for her dystopian sci-fi world. The Angel enhancement technology was really intriguing and I wish Reid had dove deeper into the psychology of memory and being bred for the hunting of Lambs. With that being said, the reason this book does not work is due to its many plot holes, mainly attributed to poor research coupled with how the character decisions lacked any and all flow.

Inesa is a taxidermist; she lifts deer carcasses, she has experience with dead bodies. Ergo, one would think Inesa should know what a drowned body looks like (hint: bloated around the chest), and wouldn't automatically assume wet hair correlated to being drowned. One would also think that Inesa wouldn't be constantly described as weak, due to the heavy lifting she performs everyday for her line of work. And yet, both contradictions are made clear within the first few chapters.

The climate change described in this book singularly focuses on rising global temperatures, which felt like such a juvenile understanding of global warming, when year after year, populations across the world are experiencing *extreme* weather conditions due to global warming, that are not simply attributed to a few degrees shift in temperature. Where are the monstrous hurricanes, the searing blizzards, the overly humid and hot summers? Not to mention, the analysis of capitalism from start to finish felt so heavy handed while also lacking in understanding of the deeper reaching ramifications of settler colonialism that was so intrinsic to The Hunger Games. The poorly researched plot holes are disappointing on another level when you consider how well-researched Lady Macbeth had been, and experience how lifeless this book feels in comparison.

And of course, all these critiques pale in light of how completely forced the entire book feels. Inesa's hesitancy to kill, her drive to see the humanity in all living creatures, felt like such an abrupt shift. One moment she's down in the trenches in her hometown, and the next she's in the forest monologuing like a religious fanatic about how all of life is sacred, which ultimately felt like such convenient plot armor for Melinoë when they have their second big encounter. And following that, it feels so awfully convenient (see: forced) for ALL of Melinoë's systems to be "down" EXCEPT the tracker she has for Inesa. The plot is littered with all these "convenient exceptions" to situations the characters find themselves in; Inesa is trained in wilderness survival EXCEPT she doesn't understand basic fire starting, Luka is no longer a worry in Inesa's mind EXCEPT when he's being used as leverage, Melinoë has extreme third degree burns that need to be seen to EXCEPT she has plenty of time to kiss Inesa for 2 chapters, and so on and so forth.

And with enough of these exceptions that Reid makes in her story, the plot itself begins to be utterly predictable. The relationship between Inesa and Melinoë lacked chemistry and build-up, but the characters were forced together for the sake of the plot, with their dialogues telling ("I've wanted to kiss you for so long") instead of showing any sort of yearning. This in particular heavily ties back to how Reid's previous works flop the moment she adds romance, so a book entirely centered on romance was perhaps doomed from the start. Any conflict or obstacle these two encounter was solved within 2-3 paragraphs, simply in order to keep the story moving. Frankly the story is entirely flat and one-dimensional, it feels like nothing is happening throughout the entire story. This book was a flop for me but I will hold out hope that Reid's next book will be a return to her usually phenomenal writing.

“I’m sick of just surviving,” I whisper. “I want…more.”

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the e-ARC of Fable for the End of the World! I received an uncorrected proof, which means there may be changes before publication.

“[A]s much as Fable is about the horrors of climate change, wealth inequality, corporatocracy, and technology, it is also about love… If there’s one thing I wish for readers to take away from Fable, it’s that the bravest thing you can do in this challenging, frightening time is to choose love.” - Ava Reid

This is the fourth Ava Reid novel I've read (after the Wolf and the Woodsman, Juniper & Thorn, and A Study in Drowning), and she moves between genres flawlessly. Fable for the End of the World is a dystopian enemies-to-lovers in a setting reminiscent of The Hunger Games. In post-apocalyptic New Amsterdam, those in severe debt can wipe it out by sacrificing themselves (or a dependent) to The Gauntlet, a murderous game where the sacrificial Lamb is set upon by a murderous Angel. The Angels are like Bucky Barnes / the Winter Soldier from Marvel or Specials from the Uglies series; they’re genetically modified into hyper-resilient brutal killing machines that almost always come away victorious.

In Fable, the Angel Melinoe is assigned Inesa as a Lamb. Inesa, who has done nothing wrong but whose mother is both indebted and spiteful, Inesa who is vulnerable and kind in a world that punishes both. And though Melinoe has been trained to kill Lambs who haven’t done anything, her last Gauntlet tested that to its limits. A young child, dying slowly and painfully. And now, besieged by flashbacks, Melinoe is facing her inner demons as she and Inesa are forced to depend on each other to survive.

I would highly recommend this to fans of dystopian novels along the lines of The Hunger Games or Uglies. Please keep in mind that this is not a kind of just world. The depictions within are bloody, violent, and distressing and there are various issues around consent, control, and autonomy. Happy (and safe!) reading to you all.