The queen of sapphic romance has done it again with this blissfully hopeless yet hopeful dystopian-like novel with the added "the purge" vibes. Lambs are out for slaughter due to greed and sport. We meet two siblings struggling to survive their mother's hypochondriac illness that eventually costs them more than money but also their freedom. Inessa discovers that the assassin set to kill her isn't like the rest...Melinoe is layered and struggling to adjust to the new knowledge unfolding before her. Together, they discover where the true monster has been hiding and that they have a lot more in common with each other than their own kind. I feel like there may be a book 2 on the horizon, but time will only tell. Until then...

There are so many elements that will please dystopian readers, an homage to the genre with a dystopian hunger gamish, Snow Globe kind of vibe, and sapphic romance.
The author handles well the rhythm of romance, description, action, and social criticism where we wish it was in a distance future but very much sounds like today. We destroy ourselves, and the feeling is present from the start to the finish.

I love the atmosphere of the story. I also love the characters and their different viewpoints as the story progresses. I will be recommending this book through readers advisory and my library will be purchasing this title.

Ava Reid's science fiction debut tells a harrowing tale of love and survival - but its not a new one. Pulling heavy inspiration from Susanne Collins' Hunger Games, the story follows broad grooves of a televised death match between two teenagers, one born to kill and one born to survive. Reid has clearly taken pains to try to differentiate the story: a climate apocalypse setting, a protagonist unused to hard survival - but these do not succeed in separating the story from its inspiration. I was also deeply, deeply frustrated by the romance, which takes itself too seriously for something so incredibly unbelievable. You would think this supremely unlikely enemies to lovers conceit would at least result in a happy ending - not so! I had high hopes for Reid's sapphic debut, and was hugely disappointed to find yet another story co-opting sapphic misery to Make A Point About Feminism. Also curious how Reid's first non m/f romance is denied a happy ending. Curious indeed!!!!

gosh, we're so back!!! I'm loving this resurgence of dystopia and I hope it's here to stay. I read the first chapter and immediately felt like I zoomed through the rest. Is that a good thing or not? I'm not sure. The pacing was incredibly fast, and I hope there is a sequel. I'm always able to relate to a character in Ava's writing, and this time it was Inesa. I think there is such power in feeling a lot to the point of being accused of feeling TOO much. That's when you find the courage when others have stopped caring to try.

I really enjoyed coming back to this dystopian type of stories. I love the likes twist in the story and how we can learn more about this world. My only complaint was that the ending never felt like a true ending, but I can understand how it can open up that if more is to come Otherwise it’s just to leave you hopeful that things might change in the future.

Fable for the End of the World merges the horrors of climate change, increasing inequality and oppression, with the spectacles of social media. Heavily inspired by dystopias like The Hunger Games, Fable for the End of the World is another to add to the YA dystopia list. And that's my first disappointment. I felt the world building was a bit hazy. There's supposed to be this ultra corporation spectacle and oppression between classes - similar to Hunger Games disparity - and the threads are there. But when we needed a bit more to truly understand the stakes, the larger systems at play, I felt a bit unmoored.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for access to this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, I'mma be real with y'all. I requested this book on NetGalley because I saw the hype it was getting and I didn't think I would actually get approved. Low and behold I did, and honestly, I'm so happy I did end up requesting this book. You can tell the author was inspired by the Hunger Games, but she still made the story uniquely hers. Honestly this book is very relevant today to what's happening in the US as well.
I love a good enemies to lovers, and boy did this book bring that. The world building was also developed well, and there were points where my friends literally had to snap me out of the book because they were talking to me and I literally could not hear them over how invested I was in this book. This book might have convinced me to try Ava Reid's other books as well. Also, I highly recommend reading the authors note in the beginning of the book (if it's in the final version), because it really gives insight into what Reid was thinking while writing this, and it only elevates the story more.

Wow. I haven’t been this enthralled by a story for a very long time. My jaw was hanging open for the last few chapters.

Set in the Catskill Mountains of New Amsterdam in a dystopian future where the climate is barely habitable, with survival elements of Hunger Games and some horrifying Black Mirror vibes. A greedy corporation rules by driving everyone into extreme debt. Life for the common folk is bleak, but as usual for the genre, we get to see what happens when our main characters experience a touch of kindness and maybe even love.

I loved Ava Reid’s writing and can’t wait to catch up everything else she’s written.

Thank you to HarperCollins for the ARC!

This one gripped me from the start! The vibes are exactly as described - it reminded me of Hunger Games and Dollhouse. The world building was interesting - the credits, the flooding, the surgeries. A world in fear of just saying ‘thank you’ - it was terrifyingly relevant. I was definitely rooting for Inesa during the Gauntlet and it was wild to see what was really hiding behind Melinoe’s tough exterior. Overall, it was sapphic and dystopian and I absolutely loved it.

Fable for the End of the World might be my new favorite Ava Reid book. A mix of The Hunger Games and some Westworld vibes, this was such a fun ride.

I thought the setting was very interesting, and I loved the dystopian aspect of a corporate run country set in a flooding world. The commentary on capitalism was amazing, along with the warnings of what our future could look like in the not so distant future with climate change.

I thought the Gauntlet was interesting, and it obviously had similarities to The Hunger Games. However, I did find the pacing to be too fast. I wish that we had more of a set up phase, where the Lamb could prep a bit better. At times it felt too easy for our fmc and brother to escape the Angel, which is supposed to be crazy deadly. The pacing definitely could have been better—I feel like this was such an ambitious attempt at a standalone. So much happens, but it would have benefited from multiple books or condensing the story down.

Mel was a wonderful character with so much depth, and I loved her povs. Reading her initial chapters gave me Westworld vibes, since she’s partially machine at this point? I think?
I also liked Inesa, and I thought her story and life at home were similar to Katniss’ story (again) which isn’t a bad thing! If it works, it works.

The love story was good, but again, I wish we had more time. They say I love you at the end of it all, and I just think that’s too fast for only a few days together. They were also incredibly naive at points, which bothered me. Of course this is YA, but they should have known better and that it wouldn’t be that easy.

The pacing was off, and I think that’s my biggest issue and why I knocked this down a little bit. I could totally see this being a series, as the end is left open for interpretation or for a sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC!

I absolutely loved Fable For the End of the World! Ava is such a wonderful storyteller and I liked the world she created in this book. I was a huge fan of The Hunger Games and Reid did an amazing homage to that series.

If you enjoy YA dystopian sapphic stories, definitely check this one out!

This book broke me in ways that only Ava Reid has been able to do for me. When I went into this book, I really thought I was just going to get a hunger games style sapphic romance but it was SO much more than that. It’s about what it means to be human and have your own sense of individuality in an overbearing society that is always watching.

I loved everything about this book from the characters, to the setting, to the language that manages to enrapture the reader into the story from page 1. In true Ava Reid fashion, this book was unputdownable and plays with the reader’s emotions in ways that make this book so much more than a book, it is an experience unlike any other.

Inesa and Melinoë are 2 drastically different characters who come from drastically different worlds, assassin and taxidermist, richer and poorer, hunter and pray. And yet the more you get into the story, the more you learn they aren’t that different at all.

Follow Inesa as she tries to fight for her life in the Gauntlet, a lamb sent to the slaughter and Melinoë, the highly trained assassin sent to kill her. Who will survive and make it out alive.

I loved the style in which this book was written. It is more lyrical then I am used to reading but it fits the story perfectly. Both of the main characters are unforgettable in the best way. Watching their dynamic evolve over time was amazing and I loved getting a peak into both their minds. The world building was captivating and as a dystopian world ruled by debt-fueled corporations their were some elements that felt extremely realistic. Due to Ava Reid's writing style you truly feel that you are a part of the world. I loved the wildness of the romance mixed with moments of tenderness that made it feel realistic within the world that they are living in.

Inesa runs a taxidermy shop with her brother in a flooded town in New Amsterdam. The government is a corporation, Caerus, and it controls all parts of society. When people accumulate too much debt, they can put themselves or a family member up for the lamb's slaughter, a 13-day ordeal of trying to escape an "angel" (a cyborg enhanced girl) that typically results in a quick death. When her mother puts her up, Inesa must try to survive with the help of her brother, a hunter. Melanoë is the angel and she is haunted by flashbacks from her memory wipes gone wrong. As she pursues, she starts to question everything.

Thankfully, the author addresses the similarities to the Hunger Games at the very beginning of the book, ensuring that the readers are not just upset about a direct rip off. Caerus is a lightly coded Amazon.

I would say that everyone should read this book because it is so relevant to our current rise of oligarchy but the sapphic romance would prevent some from absorbing the message. The romance is excellent and I am not upset about it but it may keep a much needed audience from this book. Stupid bigotry.

I think this should be added to high school and public libraries. It left me on the edge of my seat and I listened to the entire thing in 24 hours.

Thank you to Net Galley, Harper Collins, and Harper Collins Children's Books for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

Fable for the End of the World was absolutely incredible — Ava Reid has a true talent for atmospheric story-telling and her characters always feel raw and real in a way that leaves a mark on you long after finishing the book. One of her finest works in my personal opinion.

Ava Reid has been an instant read author for me since I read Juniper and Thorn in 2023, and she definitely still is after I have finished this novel. This novel follows Inesa and Melinoë, who have were placed into a gauntlet, witth the intention of Melinoe killing Inesa. This isn't the case, and instead we follow their love story over the few days after they are placed into this gauntlet. I loved this novel so much, and its probably the closest I have felt to reading the Hunger Games novels.

i HATE to say it. i really do. but i fear im gonna have to dnf this one 🫣 based on the description and comparisons to dystopian classics, i was truly hoping this would be an homage to the good ol’ days, but i felt it was lacking in not only stronger world building but character empowerment that would really solidify this story. while this didn’t hit for me, im SURE to still be checking out her future books! 💞

Fable for the End of the World is a YA dystopian novel. It was a compelling read. The world has changed, is changing, and not for the better. Caerus, a coporation, controls all aspects of society and encourages people to take on debt. Inesa and her brother live with their mom, and while those two live frugally, her mother has taken on debt. The mom submits her daughter, Inesa to the Gauntlet, in order to pay down her debt. The Guantlet is like Running Man or the Hunger Games, but not either exactly. In the Gauntlet, Inesa has a tracker put in her and she is given a headstart. Inesa is the lamb. An Angel is sent after her to track her and kill her and the whole thing is televised so everyone can get some entertainment out of it. Only this time, all does not go to plan. I enjoy Ava Reid's writing and this thought provoking story. I want to thank Net Galley and Harper Collins for my advance reader copy. This book comes out tomorrow, March 4, 2025. 4 stars.

♡ Thank you for the free book, BookSparks and author Ava Reid. Thank you for the free ARC, Epic Reads | Harper Collins and NetGalley.

Let me preface this by saying that I am a huge fan of Ava Reid. I love her lyrical prose, gothic vibes, and penchant for evoking emotion. So, when news of a sapphic romance set in a dystopian world hit the streets, I felt a bit skeptical. Indeed, this book is a strong departure from the author’s previous books. But it managed to leave me with what I love most in dystopian stories: a good ponderance on society’s morals and values.

The book did leave me wanting just a bit more. I would have liked added world-building in order to gain a better understanding of the society. I also needed more Inesa and Melinoë, as their attraction was a sliver of beauty in a hellish world. In the end, Reid leaned into her knack for body horror and unique storytelling abilities to pull this one off. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!