This truly reads like a love letter to The Hunger Games and the dystopian genre I know and love back in the early 2010s. It taps into that nostalgic vibe, the bleakness, the rebellion, the desperate clinging to hope in a world that’s crumbling. At the same time, it blends in real world issues we’re grappling with today such as climate change, capitalism, debt, inequality, and violence. That grounding in reality made for a compelling and thought provoking narrative..

One of my favorite things about this book was the worldbuilding, this world is desolate, bleak, and terrifyingly believable. The stark depiction of our potential future was chilling, but through it all, there’s this fragile thread of hope that keeps the characters moving forward. That glimmer, no matter how faint, was something I really appreciated. Hope against all odds? Yes, please.

That said, while I liked several elements, there were a few things that left me wanting more or expecting more. Some plotlines felt underdeveloped or unresolved, and the few plot holes that popped up along the way.
The biggest letdown, though, was the characters. The plot was great, sure, but I never felt fully connected to anyone. I wanted to root for them, to feel something deep and visceral, especially with the romance, but it just didn’t land. The romance, in particular, felt incomplete like it needed more time or development to feel something.

And then there’s the ending. I keep seeing people call this a standalone, but it didn’t feel finished to me. The ending left me unsatisfied, and unless Ava Reid has a secret sequel planned (please?!), I’m a bit disappointed. T_T

This captures the spirit of dystopian fiction I grew up loving while exploring themes of today, but it didn’t quite hit the mark I was hoping for. If you’re craving that classic dystopian vibe with modern relevance, it’s worth picking up but maybe lower your expectations?

Thank you HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for my review!

I loved this book so much! The suspense! The yearning! Ava Reid continues to be amazing.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, but I’m always super picky about endings. So it didn’t take away from the story at all. Definitely will reread!

This is a sapphic dystopian story with Hunger Games vibes—so if you love THG, take note and add this amazing book to your TBR!

One of the things I love about Ava’s writing is how she creates characters that feel so real and deeply relatable. You don’t just read about them—you connect with them. And that’s what makes her books so special to me. They make me feel seen. So, thank you, Ava, for making me—and so many others—feel understood, for reminding us that it’s okay to be scared, and that vulnerability is not a weakness.

The story itself speaks for all the victims of oppression under a corporate oligarchy. The book has a dual POV:

📖 Inesa lives in poverty with her family in a world where even saying “thank you” is dangerous—it could put you in someone’s debt. She’s forced to participate in The Gauntlet, a brutal, high-stakes game where contestants can erase their debts… at the cost of a deadly game of cat and mouse.

🐾 Melinoë, on the other hand, is another victim of this system—but this time, she is the “cat.” Modified and constantly controlled, she exists as nothing more than a tool for the oppressors’ entertainment.

And let’s talk about the romance—it’s absolutely beautiful! The chemistry between Inesa and Meli is everything.

I truly think this is a book best experienced with minimal spoilers. Ava writes with such intentionality, always weaving deeper messages into her stories, and that’s something I deeply admire.

If you love:
📌 Enemies to lovers
📌 Sapphic romance
📌 Dystopia

Then you need to pick up this book!

“…I think I realize, then, why most people are too afraid to hope. The stronger your faith, the more brutal it’s shattering. The more vivid your dreams, the more agonizing the knife-twist of reality. It’s a privilege, really, to desire, to imagine, to believe.”
✎ Fable For the End of the World

Every time I read a YA dystopian book, I am transported back to my 13-15 year old self who devoured dystopians every week because they were my original genre hyperfixation.

Fable For the End of the World perfectly blends my over-a-decade-ago love for dystopian with my current adult tastes.

This book pulled on my nostalgia (fanfiction being an influence on Ava, which they mention in their Author’s Note), addressed the intertwining of capitalism and the destruction of earth, and pulled on my heartstrings tenfold—family-wise and romantic. All of those elements made this book so fascinating to uncover.

And we only scratched the surface of this world! Readers get a taste of New Amsterdam because Inesa and Melinoë live there, but I want more information on the country next door New England. What happened to the wider United States due to the environmental changes? Is Canada a part of this? I have endless questions about this world because the settings move mostly between Inesa’s neighborhood Esopus and the wild. They’re crumbs of New Amsterdam’s city life, but I want more.

I’m curious if this will become a series because that ending is very much open ended. I really didn’t expect those final few scenes, and I’m hoping readers can get more time in such a compelling world.

3✨ An ode to the dystopian genre. I enjoyed the overall concept but felt like the story lacked depth - I would have loved to see more character development and world building. The pacing was a bit off for me. I found myself getting bored around the 60% mark. All the dystopian type attributes felt a bit reused from other books/movies/games etc. The romance felt rushed and I had a difficult time believing in it. I’m an Ava Reid fan but this was not favorite of her works.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5
Ava Reid is one of my favorite authors, so this was naturally one of my most anticipated releases of the year even though I'm not usually a YA dystopian reader. I will also admit that I've never read "The Hunger Games," which I'm sure many will compare this novel to. Maybe that's a good thing though, so I can appreciate this book for what it is on its own?

This book took some getting into as it is very bleak and I wasn't in the mood for that when I first started reading it. The world-building had me hooked though. In this world, people can buy whatever they want, but when they reach a certain level of debt, either they or one of their family members must be nominated for the Gauntlet, a televised fight to the death. Inesa is nominated by her mother and must fight against Melinoë, a trained assassin who must prove herself by quickly dispatching Inesa.

If you are a fan of sapphic romance with a lot of yearning, this is definitely the book for you. Or if you're a fan of beautiful prose, Ava Reid's writing is as stunning as ever. There's also great commentary on climate crisis, wealth inequality, messy family dynamics, and love despite all odds. Highly recommend and looking forward to loving this even more when I inevitably reread it! I will be thinking about that ending for a long time!

my favorite ava reid book to date, and if you know how much i adore ava reid books, you know how much that means. it's got very strong hunger games vibes, but it also has a real voice of its own through its assessment of what it means to be destroying the environment and the world you live in, and some absolutely gorgeous examinations of love and what it means to be human. the final 10% or so of this book hit me like a truck and 10/10 would be hit by a truck again.

this story is one of those that is easy to get transported into because it had me so hooked. i quickly felt a connection to the characters, inesa and melinoë, and i wanted to protect them so badly. the action scenes had me sweating enough to keep reading and not stop.

“We all do what we have to do in order to survive.”
— Chapter 15, p. 170


i do wish we could’ve gotten more background history on how their world came to be. the concept of new amsterdam is so intriguing and the history buff in me wanted more. (view spoiler)

I know that flowers grow most brilliantly from ashes.
— Chapter 30, p. 319


there was a lot of great topics this could’ve delved more into—objectification, particularly of young girls and women, overconsumption and unnecessary consumerism by the overworked, beaten down lower-and-middle classes, impossible to compete with beauty standards, dehumanization and apathy—but this is a young adult novel; so it had to be an easy to digest commentary of said topics for the target audiences.

Feeling nothing is true cowardice.
— Chapter 34, p. 346


all that being said, i truly believe capitalism will be the end of the world, and with the increasing rise and demand for more AI tech, this dystopian world isn’t so far-fetched than we think. this was a great cautionary tale.

special thanks to NetGalley and to HarperCollins / HarperCollins Children’s Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, this one really got me. Part of me doesn’t understand why this isn’t a series, but the other part of me acknowledges that taking this story to its natural conclusion would tread a lot of the same ground as The Hunger Games (it’s already kind of reheating those nachos, as the kids say.) I’m choosing instead to be very happy with what we got, which is not a cure-all for corporatocracy or a happily-ever-after romance, but instead a brief but intense story about two people who have more potential for love and connection than their backgrounds would normally allow them. All of the details and world-building felt upsettingly realistic (note to self do NOT accept Amazon’s promise to relieve student debt should that occur in 2027) and I really felt for Inesa and Melinoe as they navigated the way they felt about each other. I found them so sweet and while it’s hard to do a romance like this so fast in a way that feels satisfying, I did believe it at the end of the day. They’re just two kids who’ve rarely been touched gently by someone with no ulterior motive, and they find that in each other, and that’s really special. I’m so happy I read this, it’s so sweet, and that ending! Yeah, baby! Romance is alive!

This absolutely scratched that Hunger Games itch I didn’t know I had. Dystopian is such a hit or miss and it’s rare to find a great one after so many popular series came out several years ago. Ava Reid is so good and makes stories that are so grabbing that you finish them in one sitting.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for giving me early access to this book! All opinions are my own.

This literary masterpiece is an exceptional read. The prose is exquisite, the characters are well-developed, and the narrative unfolds with captivating ease. Ava Reid’s talent is evident in every page, and I am thoroughly impressed by the intricate world-building and intricate plot. This book will be stuck with me for some time to come. This is definitely a must read for anyone that is a fan of dystopian like stories.

i’ve seen people describe fable for the end of the world as sapphic hunger games. i cannot confirm how true this is because i’ve never read the hunger games, but the sapphic romance was definitely giving.

in the dystopian era of new amsterdam, the world been destroyed by nuclear war. people fight to make ends meet, while caerus, the corporation that practically rules society, offers a credit system where you can spend as much as you want and go into debt.

the angels are the ruthless, beautiful assassins of caerus. they are assigned to kill the sacrificial lambs, people in debt or people related to someone in debt. caerus carefully crafts a narrative to keep viewers engaged with the story. the gruesome matches, also known as gauntlets, are broadcasted for the world to judge and rate.

inesa lives with her younger brother, luka. the two of them make ends meet by running a taxidermy shop, where they preserve the bodies of non-mutated animals. however, their mother has fallen deep into debt with her destructive spending habits, and has nominated inesa to represent her as a lamb.

melinoë, the angel assigned to kill inesa, has had a catastrophic streak recently. currently one of the most hated angels, melinoë is desperate to redeem herself with this lamb.

this book makes a lot of allegories to the sexualization of female celebrities. the angels undergo plastic surgery to appear more beautiful, and they are all assigned a certain role to play on. for instance, melinoë is the cold beauty, killing with little effort. there are also bits in the book where melinoë talks about the comments on her streams. i will give credit where credit is due, ava reid crafts fantastic worlds and i would love to hear more about the other angels.

one of my main gripes was the pacing. the middle part of the gauntlet grew boring at times, and most of it was romantic development. while i did love the two fmcs relationship, i wish there was also some action as well! the ending, on the other hand, was hit after hit after hit. i genuinely could not put the book down for the last 20%. the last few chapters absolutely destroyed me, and i kind of found myself wishing that there was more after it. it all felt like the most intense scenes were crammed in the final pages. the ending feels veryyyy vague for a standalone—but who knows. if there’s ever a sequel of this book, i’d 1000% read it.

YA dystopian novels will always be near and dear to my heart! And I'm excited to see Reid add to this genre.
While the pacing felt a bit off throughout, I was still plenty entertained and engaged with the story. I do wish some more of that uneven pacing had been spent expanding on the relationships between characters. I feel like that would've really elevated this for me.
Otherwise, a solid addition to YA dystopia and one I'd recommend!

A sapphic dystopian YA romance by Ava Reid inspired by the Hunger Games?? Sign me up! This was everything I wanted it to be in more. In Reid's capable hands, this was an extremely well written, lovely yet sharp and poignant story that I will sit with for days to come. I recently reread the Hunger Games books for the Act YA Age podcast and was struck by how thoughtful and clever they were, really driving some of the worst points of humanity home while also maintaining a thread of hope. I really think Reid grasps the same concepts in this story.

In a world that used to be ours but is now only vaguely recognizable (but also eerily prophetic), humanity runs on debts to an omnipresent oligarch. Once you hit a certain debt ceiling (sorry, couldn't resist) you have to enter into the Gauntlet...or enter someone else. Once in the Gauntlet, you are televised prey for the Angels, lethal and beautiful assassins. The same voyeuristic themes from the Hunger Games run deep here in a world where millions tune in to watch the slaughter. Inesa, a young woman who works at her family's taxidermy shop, finds out that she is the next lamb to the slaughter thanks to her indebted mother. Her brother refuses to let her fall to the trained assassin, Melinoë. But what happens when the lion falls in love with the lamb?

My only complaint about this book is that I wanted more from the ending. I love the slight ambiguity to it, but I find myself intrigued by the power players here and how it might be possible to enable the system to crumble even more. Inesa's is my favorite character and I loved her growth in this book. Once again Reid has managed to craft a haunting and beautiful cautionary tale about hope and love and what happens when the corporations are in control.

Thank you so much to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've read all of Ava Reid's books, and Fable for the End of the World is by far my favourite! I loved the two main characters, Inessa and Melinoë, and I liked how they complemented each other, as they were very much each other's opposites. The book's plot was extremely fast-paced from the get-go, and I couldn't put this book down! I liked the light romance, and the character development for both Inessa and Melinoë was very well done. I also liked the somewhat ambiguous ending. I would love to read more from Ava Reid in this world, and I'm excited to read what she writes next! I completely recommend this book :)

I can’t quite reconcile the writing in this book coming from the same mind that wrote Juniper and Thorn and The Wolf and the Woodsman. I know not every book can be a banger. I know not every book is going to match a reader’s tastes (after all, I wasn’t a fan of Lady Macbeth but I could still appreciate the lovely writing style, world building, deliberately bleak narrative, and poetic prose); however, I didn’t think a book about five books in to an impressive and lauded catalog could feel like an underwhelming and underdeveloped YA debut novel.

I almost DNFd this book several times, but I stuck with it because I liked the plot. I liked the story it seemed to keep trying to tell. I kept hoping it would get better or something would happen and I would be wowed. Instead, this book came in mild and left just as mild.

From a first act that takes entirely too much time setting events up and fails to engage the reader in the story, to a sapphic romance that made no sense to me (and that was one of the parts I was looking forward to most), to dialogue so cringey I actually physically cringed, this book just didn’t hit.

I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. All reviews rated three stars or lower will not appear on my social media. Thank you.

I really enjoyed A Study in Drowning and recently finished a Hunger Games reread. So I was SUPER hype when I discovered Fable was a sapphic, dystopian YA romance! And maybe that is part of the reason it just didn't hit home.

Reid's writing is as beautiful and atmospheric as ever and I really enjoyed the beginning of the book. The plot and world are interesting and Inesa and Mel are compelling.

But once the Gauntlet started, it all kind of fell apart for me. Mel didn't feel like the killing machine she was made out to be and the romance just didn't...do much for me, I guess?

I enjoyed unraveling Mel's memories, but the rest of the book was kind of lackluster and the ending didn't feel earned. If the book itself has been more compelling and I'd cared more about the romance it could have been really powerful. But it just wasn't for me.

All this to say: it's not a bad book but I was hoping for so much more.

Maybe I need to reread Catching Fire to make myself feel better 😅

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this e-arc!

I had very high hopes for this book based on the synopsis and all the amazing things I've heard about other Ava Reid novels, but unfortunately this book just wasn't for me.

I found that the pacing felt rushed in all the places that mattered and I just couldn't seem to form a connection with the main characters.

The story itself had great potential, but in the end my inability to enjoy the characters made the story feel flat and in the end overall unenjoyable. The writing also felt very direct and plain, despite some of the wording and quotes being beautiful.

I'll definitely give Ava Reid another chance, but ultimately this book felt flat and rushed and I'm the end, emotionless.

Fable for the End of the World is one of those books that immediately throws you into the world of its characters. With a premise like this one it can seem daunting, but Ava Reid does it seamlessly. She peels back the layers of the world just enough, adding more details as the story progresses and drawing you in deeper. The world feels lived in and complex and morally grey. There's a lot going on and not all of it is explained at once, but I liked that we learn and grow alongside the characters.
Speaking of the characters, Melinoë and Inesa (and Luka) are great. I loved seeing the layers peeling back on Melinoë as she regains her memory and her agency. I love the anger in these girls and how it fuels them in different ways.
However, what I really wanted out of this book was more. More of the world and the effects of the Gauntlet. More of the angels. More of Luka. I dislike that so much of the story seems to be revealed through extras. On Reid's Instagram there was art of the other Angels, but we barely met them in the story at all. Even Lethe who is part of the story is barely a character at all. It's also disappointing that Luka and Lethe's story is part of a special edition only novella when I feel like it could have really benefitted the story and shed more light on Caerus.
I will say despite the feeling that it arrived too quickly I did really like the ending. I'd be happy with this book as a standalone, but just as happy to see more stories set in this world even if they are told through other characters.

*Actual rating is 4.5 stars*

Fable for the End of the World is described as a sapphic tribute to the Hunger Games, and that is honestly a really good description of the book. The similarities to YA dystopia that essentially kick-started an entire genre are there, but more in a lovable way that encapsulated many of the things I loved with THG without being a thinly-veiled copy.

The characters are honestly what made this story, which is good since the book is told through the first person POVs of the two main characters Inesa and Melinoë. I’m typically not a big fan of multiple first person POVs, but I didn’t have any problem following what chapters were from which person since they had distinct differences between them. It was actually nice to get insight into each girl's thoughts and actions, especially since they are in a cat-and-mouse chase turned uneasy truce turned blossoming romance. I was all for the enemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes in this book. Also, the sibling relationship between Inesa and her brother Luka was so well written that it made me sad that we didn’t get that much of it.

This book is a fast-paced YA dystopian that balances a bleak future and sadness with a sense of hopefulness and romance. Like, the ending was a bit of a gut-punch, but I appreciate the story ending on a hopeful note.