"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!

The novel leans more into romance than I usually prefer, but the comp titles persuaded me to give it a try. And what a stunning cover!

Inesa's world is bleak and dangerous as she and her brother struggle to stay afloat financially and literally (her town is half sunken). It's exactly what I'd hoped for in this dystopian novel. Animals as we know them are dying, and in their place are mutations more equipped to survive in this world. Eating them isn't advisable - unless you want to turn into a zombie-like creature.

Inesa's despicable, hypochondriac mother offers her up as a lamb for the Gauntlet to pay their debts. Debt that Inesa and her brother Luka aren't responsible for - it's their mother's selfish needs for luxuries and meds to treat her nonexistent conditions. I hoped Inesa and Luka would tie her up and offer her life instead. The people who tune in to the Gauntlet aren't much better. Watching innocent people be hunted and killed is their entertainment.

The Gauntlet is very Hunger Games-ish. From the moment it begins, Inesa is trekked by a highly trained assassin who will in all likelihood kill her sooner rather than later in a very painful way. Inesa and Luka share a strong sibling bond, and he risks his own life to go on the run with her. As a trained hunter, he's much more familiar with weapons. When circumstances separate them during the Gauntlet Inesa is distressed, but I thought it seemed like his safety fell to the wayside for quite a while.

If you're a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, this novel is for you. Mel is sent to murder Inesa - and she tries - but you can guess from the description that things happen, and the two of them take a different path.

The ending makes me wonder if a sequel is coming. If so, I'll be on the lookout for it. Recommended for fans of gritty dystopian worlds, dual POVs, and deadly games.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love this author and everything about this book. The book itself is stunning and i absolutely adore the story inside

4.5 Stars

This sapphic story is very reminiscent of The Last of Us meets The Hunger Games meets The Walking Dead. I couldn’t put it down and was fully immersed in the dystopian world from the very first page.

In a world wrecked by consumerism, debt and nuclear fallout, the world Ava Reid built is one we can truly imagine. When Inesa’s mother racks up an ungodly amount of debt, Inesa is put into a televised Hunger Game-esqe hunt as a way to absolute the debt. She has 2 weeks to try and survive an angel of death whose sole mission is to kill her and make it an amazing show for all watching.

The problem is this angel is starting to malfunction and didn’t expect to have to be saved by the humanity of her target. Now the show being presented is waking up others to the grim reality of their world and it’s hard to stop that momentum, even if it costs your life (and those you love).

Deeply atmospheric and haunting, A Fable for the End of the World is a book that will not be forgotten easily and one that is perfect for the times we currently find ourselves in.

I desperately wanted to love this story. I loved A Study in Drowning, and I have a few of Ava's other works on my physical TBR that I am so excited to get to. This one sounded like it would be right up my alley - a mix between Hunger Games and The Last of Us?? That's my dream pairing!!

Unfortunately, this one just didn't hit the mark like I wanted it to. I believe what made Hunger Games great and believable was that we are given a perfect amount of backstory that is just crazy enough to make sense. People having to send 2 tributes per district each year because there was a rebellion 75+ years ago and the corrupt government wants to keep that from happening again? Yes! Makes total sense! Parents/family members sending their children/loved ones to be gunned down by physically altered hot semi-cyborg women because they are in too much debt? Why would enough other people find that interesting to watch and why wouldn't everyone refuse to watch it??

The romance also felt a little bit too insta-lovey for me. I didn't mind it, but I think the story would have been better to show them becoming friends first, and then have a second book where that deepens.

Not a bad read by any means! I just wanted better.

I devoured Fable for the End of the World. In a dystopian setting—where people have become slaves to debt and one corporation, Caerus, controls everything—people tune in to a livestream called The Lamb’s Gauntlet, where who accumulate too much debt are hunted by beautiful and technologically-enhanced assassins. Our main character Inesa finds out that her mom has put her up in her place as the next lamb after falling into too much debt—but with her years of surviving in the lower classes and with her brother by her side, she might have a small chance of surviving. Melinoë, a notoriously cold and efficient assassin, has to kill Inesa to make up for a big mistake in her last Gauntlet or she’ll be “decommissioned” and have her brain wiped of all memories. The stakes are high and both girls start to question whether surviving is the same as being alive. Ava Reid’s ode to The Hunger Games (but make it sapphic) hits hard—it is fast-paced, captivating, devastating, and full of gripping suspense. From the characters to the setting, Reid draws you in and keeps you wondering what will happen next.

This is an easy buy for my school library, and I know many students will enjoy this somewhat more mature and dark take on a competition dystopia. Just be prepared for this one to break your heart!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4.5-5)

Acknowledgments & Disclaimers
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Ava Reid, and HarperCollins, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book. ✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. ✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

A dystopian Sapphic romance that's perfect for fans of the Hunger games series and sees two opponents (the hunter and the hunted) stuck in a battle for their lives and forced to work together in order to survive. The world building in this was fantastic and I really loved the way the author uses technology as both a boost and a crutch for one of the FMCs. Good on audio and definitely worth a read if you like queer sci-fi romance with depth. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchagne for my honest review!

Sapphic dystopian!!!! Also, very cool sibling dynamics!

Very gripping writing, I think I finished this in like two sittings? Aand once again, I read it on a flight and started tearing up, I hope the air hostess didn't see me 🥲

The narrations of the two MCs were so good, I was very very invested in their emotions and their fast but very deep and meaningful relationship. That ending made me cry so hard!

Also, Inesa and Luka's sibling relationship was written with so much care, I loved that arc so much <3

TWs - murder, death, on page corpses of people, abandonment (physical/mental) by parents

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

It was my mistake to not review this once I finished it because now I can't seem to remember all the things I wanted to say about this book. Ava Reid did young adult dystopian well. The build up of the relationship tied in with the hunger games like competition was well done and I fell in love with both main characters. I loved the element through the book of this hope of a prosperous land beyond the wasteland that kept hope alive only for it to be nothing. I wish this was actually a series in some way, but wouldn't make sense with the ending.

4/5 Stars – Dark, Intense, and Surprisingly Romantic

Inesa is tough and resourceful without feeling cliché, and Melinoë? Total badass with a soft side buried under all that assassin training. Their dynamic had me hooked, and the tension (both survival and romantic) was on point. I loved how their relationship developed slowly and felt earned, especially given the whole “I’m supposed to kill you” thing.

Only reason it’s not a full 5 stars is that I wanted a little more detail on the world and how Caerus operates, but honestly, that didn’t stop me from flying through the book.

This is a gritty, emotional story with action, heart, and a romance that sneaks up on you in the best way.

Thank you to NETGALLEY and the publisher for the E-arc copy in exchange for an honest review

This was a high high 4 star. Gave hunger game vibes. I was recommending this at 10% in. I feel like the ending wasn't as strong. It was a little open ended but not in a bad way. In a way that I can hope the characters end up getting more than what we were left with.
I would still recommend it.

This book was perfection. I recommend this for anyone that likes fast paced romantic dystopian books. Such a different story from Ava Reid. I love love love it.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Fable for the End of the World had some strong concepts but for me, it didn’t quite stick the landing. The world-building didn’t hold up under scrutiny, the writing was repetitive, and the protagonist just wasn’t compelling enough to carry the story.

The beginning is intentionally disorienting, and things gradually start to make sense over time. But as the world unfolds, cracks begin to show. Some parts really tested my suspension of disbelief. The mutated animals? I could go along with it, until we got to deer growing scales and webbed feet, and then I checked out. It felt like biological logic went out the window. The idea that eating mutant animals turns people into zombies? Maybe that would’ve worked if it were explained as a virus, but it wasn’t. Instead, it felt vague and underdeveloped. Pain, for example, is wildly inconsistent. Sometimes it’s debilitating when it shouldn’t be, and at other times, it’s brushed off without consequence. I also struggled with Inesa and Lukas’ rationale that killing and embalming animals preserved them, instead of just letting them live.

Inesa, as a protagonist, was a bit of a letdown. She’s framed as “good” because she’s not violent and doesn't feel as much hatred as other people, but passivity alone doesn’t make a character good. Her life has been hard, no doubt, and I don’t want to minimize that, but as a character, she’s not that interesting. She’s so passive she practically fades into the background: overly hesitant, lacking a strong inner voice, and constantly stuck in a loop of self-doubt. Her arc doesn’t have much payoff, and her internal dialogue ends up feeling repetitive rather than revealing. Melinoë is a bit more engaging but falls into the same pattern, her inner monologue is repetitive and slows the story down.

The romance fell flat for me. The intensity is supposed to come from what the characters represent to each other — rebellion, freedom, escape — but it doesn’t feel earned. There’s a lot of staring, thinking about how beautiful the other person is, and repeating the same thoughts, but not much actual connection. It’s not so much a love story as it is a shared moment of defiance.

The world had potential, but it’s riddled with contradictions. For instance, why does this society sacrifice its children to repay debt, instead of, say, the elderly? The cruelty felt arbitrary. Scenes like Inesa killing the mother deer and leaving the fawns behind felt unnecessarily harsh, with little narrative purpose beyond shock value. Some scenes made sense within the story’s context, but others felt like they were trying to justify the premise without fully thinking it through.

One relationship I wished had been explored more was between Inesa and her brother. Their dynamic, which is built on the fact that they don’t talk much about their feelings, works to some extent, but there’s something missing by the end. After all they went through, they don't have anything to say to each other?

In the end, Fable for the End of the World had moments of resonance, but too many elements pulled me out of the story. Between the inconsistent logic, a flat romance, and a world that didn’t quite hold together, I found myself wanting more than the book delivered. It had all the ingredients, but they didn't come together like I wanted them to.

Bleak and raw. Yet vulnerable and soft. Ava Reid has such a subtle yet powerful way of taking something powerful and strong then cutting to the quick.

“The more vivid your dreams, the more agonizing the knife-twist of reality. It’s a privilege, really, to desire, to imagine, to believe.”

And yet even while reading something so sharp, you’re brought back to the softness within the relationship between the main characters. Their entire existence is steeped in violence, hatred, and scorn, yet these two girls continue to fight. It’s a story for all the queer girls out there who are yearning to see themselves, while also being a true fable explaining what could happen if the current debts and governmental systems continue to run amuck.

4.25/5.

It would have been higher, but the ending felt abrupt. I needed so much more.