This book delivers everything I look for in a dystopian novel—intense stakes, compelling characters, and a world that feels eerily plausible. The story follows Inesa, a taxidermist barely scraping by in the slums, and Melinoë, a genetically engineered Angel trained for assassination and spectacle. When Inesa’s mother forces her into the Gauntlet—a brutal, televised competition where Lambs must evade Angels—she and her brother Luka must fight to survive. What follows is a fast-paced, tension-filled journey through a dystopian world that feels disturbingly close to reality.

One of the book’s strongest aspects is its setting. Rather than leaning on the familiar “government as the villain” trope, this story shifts its focus to corporate control, making its themes of power and exploitation hit especially hard. The social commentary is woven naturally into the plot, particularly through its take on AI, climate change, and digital surveillance. While some might find these themes a little surface-level, they still add to the story’s relevance and urgency.

The characters are another highlight. Inesa is a scrappy, determined protagonist, and her relationship with Luka brings a heartfelt sibling dynamic to the narrative. Melinoë, as a lab-engineered weapon, provides an intriguing contrast, though I do wish her character arc had been explored more deeply. The romance between her and Inesa had potential, but it could have used more development to make their connection feel stronger.

The book’s pacing kept me hooked from start to finish, though I did feel the climax and resolution could have been given more time to breathe. The ending, in particular, left me with mixed feelings—not necessarily in a bad way, but it’s the kind that lingers in your mind long after turning the last page.

Overall, this novel is a great addition to the dystopian genre. It embraces the elements that made early YA dystopians so compelling while introducing fresh ideas and perspectives. If you’re looking for a standalone that blends action, tension, and thought-provoking themes, this is worth picking up. Just be prepared for some brutal moments along the way. 4 stars!

I don't know if I can find the words to express everything this book made me feel. The anger, hope, grief, fear, loss, and love that I felt alongside these characters was so palpable and real. It's like this book came along to remind me why I love reading so much in the first place.

As far as dystopian books go (particularly modern, YA dystopian), I am always a little reluctant. The Hunger Games is one of my favorite series' of all time, but it often feels like other books in the genre are trying too hard to focus on the formula of what makes a profitable dystopian rather than the message that makes a meaningful dystopian. This one felt like it did well at not falling into that trap. While it's true that there were moments where it felt like the love story might be overshadowing the dystopian hellscape of it all but honestly... at this point, we live in a dystopian hellscape, and we all would love for things like love and romance and hope to overshadow it, so I'm okay with it.

This was also unique as far as modern YA dystopians go because the oppressor wasn't the government, but a corporation, and honestly... in today's society here in America, it really hit. It was genuinely scary at times.

The book was also just beautifully written. The prose was lovely, and there were lines that truly felt like a punch to the gut in the best way possible. The characters were all not only complex and flawed and real, but also deeply lovable. For a book pretty heavy on the sci-fi aspect it felt so grounded in reality.

There were moments where the book did feel a bit derivative of The Hunger Games, but in a way where it felt more like a love letter than a copy. I wasn't terribly bothered by it, but if you are the kind of person who would take issues with that then this might not be the book for you.

I think it was an incredibly important read though, and I would highly recommend giving it a try. Just go in prepared for it to be gruesome and gory and know you're probably gonna get your heart crushed at some point.

4.5 stars (lost just a bit for being derivative and also because the ending wasn't what I wanted, but I don't want to discuss that here because spoilers) but rounded up to 5 because it deserves that more than a 4!

A MASSIVE thank you to NetGalley and the folks at HarperCollins for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review! It was an honor to get to read such a beautiful and important book.

In this dystopian society, the Caerus corporation controls everything and uses their influence to encourage the underclass to rack up massive amounts of debt and force them to participate in the Gauntlet, or send someone in their stead. The Gauntlet is a game of life-or-death where the debtor is hunted by an Angel, a physiologically altered assassin and it is broadcast for entertainment. Inesa was volunteered for the Gauntlet by her mother. Melinoë, the Angel, is trying to right her reputation after a mishap with her last Lamb. Both are fighting for their future. Both want something more than this life. Can they fight together or is Caerus’s influence too great?
I am a huge fan of the Hunger Games series so I was hooked from the beginning! It was fast paced and action packed. The reluctant allies to star-crossed lovers was tragic and beautiful. I cannot stop thinking about the ending and I am recommending this to everyone I know.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the e-ARC!

3.5⭐️

A lot of aspects of this story felt very timely; a world full of AI, capitalism, corruption, pollution, and class divides felt really relatable as an American in 2025. I do wish this corruption was explored more, though. With this being a standalone book, there wasn't time to really dig into what lead to the Caerus corporation really controlling everything. I did find the world building during the first 25-50% of the book to be a lot more interesting than the Lamb's Gauntlet. I did like how this looked at how people take the anonymity of the internet for granted and are willing to to do and say the nastiest things from the safety of their living room.

I can see where the comparison of Lesbian Hunger Games came from for this book, but ultimately the relationship between Melinoe and Inesa didn't work for me. Overall it felt rushed. I could understand Melinoe being able to override her programing to avoid killing Inesa, but the jump from saving her to the romantic relationship didn't flow as nicely. The pacing of the whole book was a bit odd for me as well. There was a lot of loose world building, followed by the beginning of the Lamb's Gauntlet that seemed to go a little too smoothly and then the last bit of the book was just jam packed with action that could have been spread more evenly throughout the book.

Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing this ARC to me!

I received an arc of this book through Netgalley

Reading this book was a bit surreal for me- I started my copy the night of the Eaton Fire in LA and ultimately picked it up and put it down for the next month after evacuating and while moving from place to place (we’re all safe thankfully). The climate change themes hit particularly hard and I felt a connection to the characters.

This is the second book of Ava Reid’s that I’ve read and I am simply amazed by their work again. A sapphic love story wrapped within a stunning critique on where the intersection of corporate greed and climate change can lead while being reminiscent of the ya dystopia books I read while growing up. It’s hard not to love.
I am very very excited to make my way through their other books soon 🖤

𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘈𝘷𝘢 🥲

I absolutely loved this from start to finish. I couldn’t put it down. The world building was well done, the pacing was perfect and of course the characters I couldn’t help routing for.

Ava has such a beautiful talent for building a story with strong emotional impact. She makes it easy to fall for her characters and feel for them deeply. The back story for both our mc’s was so heartbreaking in completely different ways, and though they start out fighting against each other I couldn’t help but be invested in them both equally from the beginning.

Ava did a great job of creating a dystopian setting that felt familiar, yet also unique. I could see that she was inspired by the Hunger Games, but still made it her own. The pacing and high stakes plot kept me on my toes and had me picking this back up at every available moment because I just needed to see what was going to happen.

The ending was really well done. It really pulled on my heartstrings 😭 it felt right for the story, and left me in tears.

Wow, I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did! I didn’t want to put it down. It captured my attention from the very beginning and held it all the way through. I loved that it was inspired by The Hunger Games but was completely and uniquely its own story.

The world building was perfectly done and I felt I had a firm understanding on the societal problems and the concept of the gauntlet with its “Angel” and “Lamb” to settle accrued debts. I could very easily picture the bleak dystopian world Ava created and her characters fit in it seamlessly.

I couldn’t help but feel so sad for Inesa and Luka and their upbringing but Melinoë’s story took the cake for me. I enjoyed the entirety of the gauntlet where we really got to see the relationship between Inesa and Melinoë grow all with the fear that they could turn on each other at any moment. Everything played out in such an interesting yet heartbreaking way but the end offers much hope! I think the ending was also left pretty wide open and I would absolutely love to see a sequel!

A special thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Books for early access to Fable for the End of the World in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fast paced read. Ava Reid is very open about her love for and homage to Hunger Games as well as her commentary on capitalism and society. This book served all of that up with a sapphic love story. It’s not often that the blurb you read about the book is pretty much the whole story. Yes, there are more nuances and details missing from the blurb, but it’s not much. I didn’t dislike it, and I didn’t love it. Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC.

while the start of the book is not my absolute favorite (cw for financial distress) I trulyoved that Ava Reid finally did a sapphic romance. I was never into Hunger Games but this felt like the perfect homage to it and as always, Reid's writing is phenomenal.

Huge hunger game nostalgia here! Nostalgic, but the environmental challenges are even more potent and relevant to current issues we could face. Love Ava Reid's writing style as alway.

In this electrifying and emotionally charged dystopian novel, the ruthless corporation Caerus maintains its grip on society by turning debt into a death sentence. The Lamb’s Gauntlet—a brutal, televised assassination game—serves as both entertainment and a grim reminder of the consequences of financial ruin.

At the heart of this gripping story are two unforgettable protagonists: Inesa, a survivor hardened by a world that wants her dead, and Melinoë, the deadly assassin tasked with ending her life. Their cat-and-mouse chase through the apocalyptic landscape is pulse-pounding, but what truly elevates the novel is its deep exploration of power, control, and the possibility of love in a world built on violence.

Inesa’s resilience and fierce determination make her an easy character to root for, while Melinoë’s inner turmoil and haunting past add layers of complexity to what could have been a simple villain archetype. As the two clash and navigate their growing connection, the tension is both exhilarating and deeply emotional. The novel expertly balances action-packed sequences with moments of introspection, making it a thought-provoking read that lingers long after the final page.

Dark, thrilling, and unexpectedly tender, this book is a must-read for fans of dystopian fiction, high-stakes survival stories, and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romances. It’s a brutal world, but the glimmers of hope and humanity shine all the brighter against its darkness.

I’ve read a few Ava Reid books and whole I find the writing to be lovely, I haven’t been blown away by the stories. But WOW okay is YA dystopian her genre or what?! This was so good!!!

You can definitley feel the Hunger Games inspiration running through this story - highly advanced govt, televised “game” to the death that often ends with the death of the participants that are from the poorest areas, a hope for a better future that’s separate from the govt, and a love story that transcends the violence.

I enjoyed the dual POV. I will say the romance kind of came on at a weird time? I thought there wasn’t enough build up leading up to it. I did like how it was written and developed but I coulda done with a little MORE. Not in a spicy way but in a pining, angsty, almost desperate way. It just felt almost “oh and by the way here’s the romance”. It was too insta love for me, especially with an enemies to lovers trope as well.

The ending definitley leads me to believe something has to be coming after this? If that’s the case, I think the ending was really good. But if that’s the ending and there’s no sequel, I think there’s a lot to be desired. If this is a standalone like I think is the plan, I definitley have more questions than answers.

I also think that a one pager with the rules of the gauntlet would have really helped the world building. While we get the general idea I think that would have been a bit more immersive. I think there’s a bit of an info dump near the end explaining the Caerus corporation that we could have gotten a bit earlier on to clearly outline the world building.

The societal commentary was thought provoking. Consumerism, climate change, corporate greed, the role and expectations of women in society, the impact of social medias and internet, and a few more topics were all present in this novel.

Overall I really enjoyed this and I think it’s worth the read! Dystopian is so back! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Ava Reid for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

3.75 rounded up

I've read several Ava Reid books now and just haven't been blown away like others seem to be. With that being said, this is my favorite so far. Dystopian YA might be her sweet spot. Reid calls out Hunger Games as an influence in her acknowledgments, and it's clear to see where she drew a majority of her inspiration. I tore through this book.

In a society where lines between corporations and government are blurred, the population spirals deeply into debt. Those who've gone too far are put into a gauntlet where they will be hunted by surgically altered trained assassins in exchange for their debt. Of course, it's all televised live. Dual POVs take us from Inesa, the lamb being tracked as she struggles to survive, and Melinoe, the most ruthless of the assassins looking to redeem herself. The stakes are high for two young girls in a world turned against them.

My biggest issue with the book was the ending. It felt like a sizzle where I expected a bang. I'm not sure if the author is planning on writing another book to continue the story as it's left open-ended. If a sequel is released I would definitely pick it up as I think there are more storylines to continue and wrap up. If you're a fan of the Hunger Games series, or YA dystopian novels in general, I would check this one out.

Unfortunately this book fell short for me, but before I go any further, don’t let my review or opinions stop you from trying this book out! As a dystopian lover, I was very much excited to hear about and read this book. I loved how Reid set up the beginning of the book, and Inesa and her brother’s relationship was a highlight throughout. As a post-apocalyptic world, Reid woven elements and themes that made the world-building intriguing in some parts.

What I didn’t like was the pacing. For a standalone, I was definitely expecting more and the book could’ve used being longer in length. Inesa and Mel’s relationship felt insta-love, and that’s a trope that I am very much over. While there were some things that set it apart, it felt like other dystopian books but make it sapphic. I was really hoping for more of the tension when they were enemies, before they quickly turned into lovers. To me, it was also missing the author’s prose that I’ve read in her other books. This book was still beautiful in its own way, and I encourage you to give it a shot!

🩵 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

Ava Reid perfectly integrates lyrical prose with deep commentary on such intense and pragmatic topics such as the value of memory, self vs. public image, the meaning of love in relation to ownership, and much more in ways that are stimulating and prudent. Young readers are given a space to unpack and consider what Ava Reid presents at such an important and relevant time. Fable for the End of the World is the resurgence of dystopian literature that our future needs. Ava Reid's writing stands next to that of George Orwell and Suzanne Collins not-so-safely challenging the status of present society and position of government practice.

Ava Reid is able to comment on an extraordinary amount of topics regarding humanity and society. Fable for the End of the World takes a dive into parent/child relationships looking to understand or dissect how love and ownership get muddled as well as the distinction between ownership and responsibility. Ava Reid subtly makes climate change and the governments role in said change a major theme in this novel, questioning its role and responsibility in protecting the world vs. the control and power grab it often reverts to. Another topic that moved me to its core in a thoughtful manner was how social-media streaming, consumption, and online interaction change the chemistry of how our minds perceive ourselves, others, our actions, and the world around us. Reid also notes on topics such as body adaptation vs. soul, debt vs. help, addiction, and one I thought was so important, the expectation/ habit of the female apology. Ava Reid integrates mythologies from around the world to personify and explain the roles and expectation of the characters with the story deepening the reading experience.

“Nothing is created without need. When we see flowers blooming or hear birds singing, we think it’s beautiful. But when people need each other, it seems so ugly.”

Fable for the End of the World is the Hunger Games meets climate change and an irradiate corporate hellscape as well as enemies to reluctant allies to lovers and sapphic yearning.

This book features to two young women living in this dystopian hellscape:

Inesa — a teenage taxidermist living in a not-so-future rural New York who works hard to scrape by and take care of herself and her family and keep them out of debt

Melinoë — a teenage assassin that’s basically half human half cyborg who was groomed to be the perfect killing machine except she is in fact not the best killing machine because of those pesky little things we call *human emotions*

Melinoë is part of what they call the Angel program that hunts and kills people who have racked up too much debt in what they call the Gauntlet. Due to an unfortunate series of events, Inesa ends up being chosen to be a Lamb (yes, like a sacrifical lamb) in the next Gauntlet with none other than our girl Melinoë hunting her.

The book deals with climate change, the ills of social media culture, and more, including an ‘Zon-like company that controls the market and keeps their citizens entertained and docile, and, of course, shelling out money.

If you are like me, you would say that sounds like everything I love! But unfortunately, the execution left something to be desired imo.

One major issue is I think it tried to tackle too many issues. Books like The Hunger Games (which Ava says was a huge inspo) tend to focus on a few key issues and really go in hard on those concepts with the criticism and commentary. This book tried to tackle so many issues like climate change, capitalism, class, corporate greed, social media and influencer culture, violence, plastic surgery (and probably more that I’m forgetting). Because of the many issues it tried to comment on a lot of it felt like surface level commentary. I do think this book has more substance than Divergent because it definitely wants to make commentary rather than just capitalizing on a popular genre, but it’s surface level thoughts did bring me back to Divergent in the sense that it just feels like a book you would read for fun and entertainment and not come out at the end feeling any different — unlike its inpso the Hunger Games.

Another issue, one that really contributed to my rating this 3.5, is the worldbuilding. In my teens when YA dystopians were all the rage, a huge part of understanding the story, the characters’ motivations, what the author is critiquing, etc… is the worldbuilding. Understanding the institutions that oppress the characters and how they came to be imo are integral to understanding what the author is trying tell, and I spent a huge part of this book not knowing much about the “villain” of the story that is Caerus. They are just a corporation that somehow came to control everything, but how did they end up in this position? We don’t find out until the end of the book near—I think—the 90% mark in a info dump. If this info had come earlier in the book and peppered throughout, I think my opinion of this book would be alot better because I wouldn’t have felt so lost about who we were trying to oppose. To me, a good book needs—especially one with a oppressive institution—to have a clear villain that you can rage against, and Caerus as a villain felt weak because I just didn’t know enough about it. I just had to fill in my own feelings about the ‘Zon.

Also, one last note, I just feel like this book should have been longer. The slow burn (ish) of Inesa and Melinoë’s relationship was soooo good (for my swifties, it was HARDCORE giving ivy) but once they got together everything got reallllly rushed.

That being said, Ava Reid’s writing style is beautiful as always. I had a very hard time picking out a quote to start this review with because there were so many GORGEOUS quotes. So, I think if you don’t go into this with high expectations for a social commentary/critque, and just want a beautiful sapphic romance (that felt a little shakespearean) with some great things to say about issues our own world is plagued with, then I think you would like this.

Ava Reid is becoming one of my favorite authors. I have a hard time with horror so I have to be selective but Fable for the End of the World was right up my alley.

Sapphic Young Adult dystopian fantasy. Themes of corporate greed, women in media, climate change and mob mentality. The nods to Hunger Game were appreciated and filled me with a sense of nostalgia.

I loved the character growth of Mel and Inesa through the book. Inesa got tougher and more confident right before my eyes and Mel got softer and more “human”.

The animal and human mutations were thrilling and terrifying and a very real concern if the planet isn’t taken care of.

I wish the ending had a bit more emotion behind it. I would have liked to see Inesa dealing with her grief and anger more and exploring that.

Thank you, Netgalley and HarperCollins, for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh man, what a trip. There was so much to love here. The writing was excellent, and the storyline—which, okay, yes—did feel a lot like the Hunger Games, but not in a derivative way, and I think there were notes of The Handmaid's Tale, too. God... poor Melinoë and the other Angels... I also want to shout out Ava Reid, who wrote this very dark tale, but everything encompassing the dark, tragic, or even horrific themes didn't feel gratuitous. Everything had a purpose.

I thought there was a good build-up with Melinoë and Inesa's relationship. The romance didn't feel forced or rushed and it very well could have been because the narrative's pacing was fast, but it just worked. Also, *god* I loved Inesa and Luka's relationship too. Excuse me as I sob to death.

My only nitpick was that the ending felt abrupt, but that might just be me. Overall, it was a solid, well-told tale.

4.75
Holy Crap. What a story.
The writing is amazing. The concept is entertaining and draws you in so well. It is definitely Hunger Games inspired and it invokes a lot of similar feelings in terms of thinking about the world. If you were a fan of the Hunger Games than I believe you would love this as well. I wish there was more. I was so invested in everything that was happening and unfolding. I didn't want it to end. The characters are so rich and develop so well over the course of the story. it's easy to see how this dystopian world could potentially come to be. READ THIS BOOK!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
# Pages: 400
Publication Date: 03.04.25

"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.”

* YA Sapphic Romance
* Dual POV
* Dystopian
* Climate Wasteland
* Enemies To Lovers
* Voyeurism
* Standalone
* The Last Of Us X Hunger Game Vibes

- The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this stand-alone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.

Fable For The End Of The World by Ava Reid is a sapphic dystopian standalone. Ava always has such creative, beautiful, alluring and captivating way of writing. She is amazing at world building and character development. This one didn’t disappoint, per the usual.

Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, who is trained to kill the “lambs”. Inesa, a taxidermist (with her brother), goes to the Gauntlet in place of her mother’s debt. Both our FMCs come from different walks of life. However, despite these differences, they’re able to teach each other, love each other and see things differently. I loved how their love story unfolds.

”she grows like ivy on the insides of my eyelids. the roots of her are in my rib cage, winding up around my heart.”

"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.”

I’m honestly surprised with the ending and I’m hoping Ava changes her mind about it being a standalone. If not, this will still live rent free in my mind. Overall, I throughly enjoyed the read and can’t wait to read more of her work.

Thank you netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for this ARC.