Fable for the End of the World is a sapphic dystopian novel set in a (no too) distant world where the earth is ravaged by the fallout of nuclear war and climate change and where we’ve exchanged our government for a monolithic capitalist corporation called Caerus. Our two fmcs live in drastic opposition to the other yet both are inarguably fodder for the monopoly that runs every aspect of their lives. Inesa, a taxidermist living a bleak life of survival in the outlier colonies with her brother and mother finds herself offered up as a lamb to the slaughter in a televised death game called “the gauntlet” where few lambs survive as half human half perfected machine beings called “angels” prey upon the unlucky. Melinoe, our angel, has never failed a gauntlet, never lost a kill, yet her most recent foray into the death game has left her haunted and traumatised, something no angel should ever feel. And now she's been given the perfect chance to prove herself and forget her weakness once and for all. All she has to do? Kill Inesa. This world, its story and these characters gripped me very easily it's a world with a familiar dystopian vibe not too dissimilar from the world of the hunger games and i think Reid has done a wonderful job of paying homage to that world while still grounding her own story enough to be something different enough to not be drawing constant comparisons. Inesa and Melinoe’s slow fall towards each other, Melinoe’s deprogramming of the vile things that have been done to her memories and thought processes in the name of cold perfection, and the world and atmosphere itself both dreary and bleak were all things i thoroughly enjoyed throughout this book. BUT i will say when i read dystopia i always hope for a bit more social commentary on well anything really. I kept hoping all the threads of themes Reid has left bread crumbs of throughout this story would end up forming into a more solid think piece but i feel only half statements were made and nothing really drove home any big notions of anti capitalism, anti war, or the ever growing reality of climate change and its drastic fallouts. And without spoiling too much I also really really wish it had ended in almost any other way especially if this is a standalone. I fear the helplessness, hopelessness and uncertainty of a young girl's fate after so much fighting for something different left a bad taste in my mouth (but feel free to write a sequel and prove me wrong!!). I’m also just not one for vague open endings but if you are don’t let this scare you off! overall a solid dystopian read but the ending muddied my enjoyment a bit 3.75 ⭐ thank you to netgalley and harpercollins for the e-arc copy of this book in exchange for honest review!

4 ⭐️

I adore Ava Reid! This was an incredibly addicting novel and I really loved it. I was a bit skeptical at first, but the hunger games inspo really worked for this story. I thought it was still really unique, but weaved in some of those classic dystopian plot points. (Especially Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes). The two main leads are written SO well and I found myself rooting so hard for them.

The world building definitely could’ve been a bit stronger, but I still think it was enough to create an interesting world. I thought it was a good mix of the Last of Us and the Fall Out video games. The climate change themes are lowkey too realistic to where I was uncomfy!!! But that’s what is so amazing about fantasy/dystopian books!! Ava Reid’s writing is always super fascinating to me and I haven’t found any other authors like her.

I really enjoyed the romance, although she could’ve dug a bit deeper and maybe made the book a bit longer so we could really see these characters together for more time.

I made sure to take my sweet time reading this book. I absolutely love Ava’s writing and I felt so lucky when I was approved to read an E-ARC!

It was a little slow paced for my liking. But I did like the world building. It was a dark read. I wasn’t expecting it to be so dark. Definitely some triggering topics so make sure to look those up before you read this.

I was very surprised by the ending. I’m wondering if we will be getting a sequel 🤔

Thank you so much NetGalley, Ava and HarperCollins Children's Books for the E-ARC!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: March 4 2025

#FablefortheEndoftheWorld #NetGalley

4.5-5⭐️

inesa runs a taxidermy shop while her brother luka hunts. they live in lower esopagus (spelling unsure of) which is slowly drowning due to climate change, warming temps and rising water levels.

Caerus is a company that holds credits / debts over all its people while everyone needs them to survive as water is undrinkable and food is harder to come by (basically imagine if amazon takes over everything and is eviler than it already is …).

the gauntlet are games where ‘the lamb’ (nominated by whomever to wipe their own debt) is hunted by angels (girls taken and trained, modified as well). it’s essentially their version of sport where technology and streaming has taken over so everyone is always glued to their tablets.

i adored ava reid’s writing for this book and the alternating view points. i was completely sucked in from the start and the last 30% i had to finish in one sitting. while at times the relationship might have been a bit fast paced for the amount of time the story took place over

i would like to note i have not read hunger games in well over a decade and thought this was a beautiful love letter to it and still its very own story. i don’t read books in this genre often like ‘games’ and apocalyptic situations so to me this was fresh and an enjoyable read.

4 stars!!!
Thank you to Ava Reid, Harper Collin’s Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC!!
THIS MADE ME SO SAD
Why did the lesbians have to have a sad ending? They don’t deserve this!!!
Either way, this book was incredible. I love Ava’s writing so much, and this honestly felt real and authentic
The world they live in is eerily close to ours, but also different. They live in a world where everything is monitored, and the Gauntlet, a tournament, is closely watched by millions.
The plot of this story is refreshing for me, giving me a good break from the fantasy. I loved the characters, and felt the emotion from them and the scenes that came out of it. I loved how Mel and Inesa were able to get along despite the differences, and teach each other things that the other didn’t know. Inesa got to give Mel the chance to experience humanity again, and Mel gave Inesa a love she never expected, and told her about Caerus.
The plot was a bit slow in the beginning to set up the middle and climax, but the rest was incredible!! The emotion was high, the story was pretty well developed and it made me cry :( But overall I loved this!!

So this is my first read by Ava Reid and let me start off by saying I was OBSESSED with the world building. I’m partial to authors who info dump and then build upon that dump. Like, give me ALL the deets and then show them to me.

Inspired by The Hunger Games, I vibed heavily with that. The sense of hopelessness, determination, and guilt was so heavy I felt as if it were my burden to carry.

The characters were raw and unfiltered and multi-faceted. The story did drag in a few parts but the entirety of the tale was so epic it barely took from it.

I’m impressed y’all.

An intriguing premise that never quite lives up to its potential.

Inesa lives with her brother and mother in a town slowly being swallowed by rising sea levels. Together, they run a taxidermy shop, barely scraping by. When her mother accrues a large amount of debt, she submits Inesa to the Lamb’s Gauntlet, a televised spectacle where people are hunted for sport. Melinoë has trained since childhood to kill the Lambs who enter the Gauntlet, and knows nothing but survival. When the two become trapped in the woods, they must work together to survive the mutated creatures lurking within.

Fable for the End of the World is a cautionary tale about what happens when everything goes wrong. The story tackles several relevant themes, including the rise of fascism, the oligarchy, class inequality, climate change, and more. While I appreciated how these issues were incorporated, they weren’t always developed in ways that felt fully realized. One subplot explores streaming culture and the apathy that arises in online comment sections, which is undeniably important. However, this element felt out of place in the dystopian world Ava Reid has crafted. The inclusion of streamers made me physically cringe every time it was mentioned. Am I supposed to believe that people who can barely afford electricity are sitting around with tablets, watching Twitch streams?

While I understand the intended purpose of the Lamb’s Gauntlet, its execution felt inconsistent. If you rack up enough debt, you can essentially sacrifice anyone to have it forgiven? Can it be anyone, or just a family member? In theory, could I spend money I don’t have and then nominate some random guy from the city to enter the Gauntlet on my behalf? And why does the Gauntlet take place everywhere instead of it being confined to a specific space? The idea that people could be going about their daily lives and casually witness someone being sniped in the street is baffling. I couldn’t quite grasp the Gauntlet’s ultimate purpose. Was it meant to keep people in line or distract them from their own suffering?

The best part of this book was Melinoë. She was fascinating to read about. A girl sold as a child, trained to be an emotionless killer. Through her perspective, we get a glimpse of how this world operates. We watch her wrestle with inner turmoil as she tries to reconcile the only life she’s ever known with the possibility of something more. In contrast, Inesa felt underdeveloped. She was annoying at times and lacked a distinct personality outside of her interactions with Melinoë or her brother. That said, I loved the dynamic between the two main characters. Their love story was very believable to me. Two people starved for affection, forced to rely on each other to survive in the wilderness. Of course, they would form a connection.

However, these characters were way too self-aware. Inesa, in particular, constantly made observations that didn't make sense. She explicitly states that she doesn’t watch the Gauntlets, yet she somehow recognizes the exact sound of the cameras? I don’t mind when characters figure things out through context clues, but when they seem to instinctively know everything, it makes the story less compelling.

Despite its flaws, I really liked how this book ended. It’s a world where people are doing their best to survive, yet there’s still room for hope and a belief that, one day, things might get better. That people can find solace in simple joys, like the beauty of a sunrise or the company of loved ones. I found that to be a beautiful note to end on.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Epic Reads for providing me with an early copy of this book before its official release.

Reid’s latest novel is a dystopian in which characters are often in debted due to the lack of resources after nuclear war irradiated much of the US. If you end up owing enough you join the Gauntlet where you need to survive as a modified human hunts your whereabouts. It reminded me of a bit of Hunger Games and Beasts of the Southern Wild.

This was my first book by Reid and I have to say I get the hype. The book worked for me and while some might have felt the ending lackluster, I thought it made sense. I enjoyed this one and would recommend to fans of this genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This truly is a love letter to the dystopian ya of the 2010s. You get the same feelings that you got when reading books like The Hunger Games but with more of the issues we face in the world today. Ava Reid excels at providing a compelling and thought provoking narrative while still giving a story that you don’t want to put down.

In a world, much like our own, where woman are valued for their looks before anything else Melinoë is an assassin. Part human and part machine she is the perfect weapon. She is also, however, extremely beautiful. The assassins, or Angels as they’re called in the book, are forced to undergo elective cosmetic procedures because who would watch the gauntlet and sponsor them if the killers weren’t beautiful? The perfect weapon in the perfect body.

Enter Inesa. The girl who was nominated to the gauntlet by her mother who just couldn’t stop spending money they didn’t have. She wants to live. She wants to live for herself, for her brother, and because she still believes in love and goodness in the world. You could really tell how strained her relationship was with her family. Her mom obviously didn’t care about her at all and her brother seemed almost indifferent towards her at the beginning. It definitely becomes clear throughout the story that he does, in fact, love his sister. Trauma can cause relationships to change and twist and that’s definitely something that you can see here. It was a little bit heartbreaking to see. It almost was like they were so busy just trying to survive and to get by that they just didn't have the mental capacity to check in with each other, especially after dealing with their mother, to make sure everything was okay.

Her brother really does a good job, though, of showing how much he cared the further into the book that we get. He's just a teenager himself and younger than Inesa, but he protects her so vehemently that it's obvious he wasn't able to be a child for long.

I really loved reading the relationship aspects of this book. Inesa slowly showed Melinoë that there were still people who believed in goodness and helping one another just because you want to and not because you’ll get anything out of it. When Melinoë finally decided that she wanted more? That she deservered more? Watching her fight for Inesa and the life that they wanted together was my favorite part.

This was such an intriguing and accelerating read! I was completely invested in the plot, characters, and setting; everything about this book had me hooked. The story centers on Inesa, who is chosen as a sacrifice to settle her mother’s debt, and Melinoë, the assassin tasked with hunting her down. As Melinoë pursues Inesa across the wastelands, their paths cross in ways that kept me on edge.

From the moment I started reading, I felt easily transported into this dystopian world Ava Reid created. The world-building is vivid and immersive, and the dynamic between the two leads is both tense and captivating. The pacing kept me on the edge of my seat, balancing suspense, action, and emotional depth perfectly. If you love dystopian, atmospheric reads with morally complex characters, this book is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much. The dystopian setting, the character development, and the story progression were amazing. I really admired the dual POV and how the characters felt similar, but still very different. This book really does feel like the near future.

A sapphic, dystopian gauntlet? Sign me up!
I really appreciate all the nods to the 2010s dystopian era. Ava Reid had a beautiful mashup of a gritty world being fed by cyber voyeurism. At times, the setting even felt like a dark capitalism video game with all of the wildlife mutated by chemicals, polluted natural resources and CEO overlords.
Melinoë was such an interesting character; being part human, part android. I wanted more of her!
Themes explored:
-women in media
-voyeurism
-community
-blurred lines between corporations and government
-commodification of people
-online currency (tiktok, twitch, live streamers)

This was such a stunning yet brutal story, and truly so well paced for YA audiences. Highly recommend!

Sapphic Hunger Games? Say less

This was such an interesting read. It had a lot of familiar concepts (it is very clearly inspired by The Hunger Games--as the author's note even states), however with a fresh spin that I had never seen before. I really enjoyed the sci-fi elements of this. I specifically found Melinoë to be an extremely interesting main character, and the politics and details of her android-adjacent life intrigued me from the start. I wish this book had spent more time diving into these topics, as it was by far the most interesting part, in my opinion.

I found Inesa's family dynamic to be very interesting as well. I specifically loved seeing the brother/sister dynamic--it was a sweet reprieve from the otherwise tense story, while also adding some stakes.

Unfortunately, while I understood enough to get by what was going on with the Gauntlet, I needed a lot more details on this tournament than this provided. I was left with a lot of questions that I never really got the answer to. For example--contestants are allowed to enlist outside help. I feel like this begs the question of why people as a whole do not rally around a contestant. The answer seemingly is that people like the entertainment of being able to watch this on TV. However, you cannot convince me that Inesa is the only person in this whole society that sees a problem with this. It's very clear that many do. So why? The corporation leading the Gauntlet did not seem powerful enough to rule over this entire society. I have a lot of political questions that I wish this answered, as I was left feeling like things were kind of glossed over/many plot-holes were left for the sake of a quicker pace for the story. Similarly, there were multiple things that were mentioned once, never to be mentioned or become relevant again. For example, Inesa being a streamer at the start of the novel? Never relevant again--why did we have a whole scene of her streaming to followers we never heard of again?

I also have to say, while I enjoyed the love story (who doesn't love a good sapphic, against-all-odds love story), I don't fully understand why they liked each other so much. It seems like they developed feelings because the other was nice to them, and that's pretty much it. And let's be real here: I ate it up, I don't need it to make logical sense to enjoy a fun romance. But I feel like if all it takes to fall in love and throw your career and potentially life away is for someone to be nice to you... the bar is in hell.

All of that said though, I still flew through this, and never once did I find myself bored, so credit where credit is due. It won't stand out among favorites in my mind, but it was still a good time and I do still recommend it, especially if you love Ava Reid's writing or if you love a tournament/trials storyline.

3.75 stars rounded up

Thanks so much to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

2.5/5 stars rounded up.

I don't know how to feel about this book.

On one hand, I really like the themes and ideas here. The horrors of capitalism, the dangers of one corporation owning and controlling everything, the long-lasting effects of climate change, even the implementation of misogyny was very well done here. But I also feel like it could've been explored a lot more in-depth than what was shown in the book. Taking all the good ideas from the Hunger Games without diving beyond the surface-level of that world you created feels like wasted potential.

The main characters were fine. Again, the idea of Mel was very compelling but didn't quite live up to the execution. Inesa being a taxidermist was an interesting angle, but her choices/beliefs were really questionable to me. I also found the relationship with her brother to be quite cold?? The book kept telling us they cared about each other, but Luka never explained/apologized for letting his sister be the scapegoat under their mom's eyes. Every other side character didn't really matter so much. Additionally, the pacing after the Gauntlet started got really rushed, and the development of Inesa and Mel's relationship was far too fast, especially when you consider they knew each other for a little over a week.

The ending was also so, so strange. I won't spoil it, but let's just say it ends in a realistic matter. It also seems like it's setting up for a sequel, too, and I don't know if I'd want to read it or not if/when it comes out.

Overall, I've got mixed feelings about this book, so mixed I can't tell if they're positive or negative. But I still like that Reid's attempt to tackle a story like this wasn't horrible; that much I feel certain of.

This truly is a love letter to the dystopian ya of the 2010s. You get the same feelings that you got when reading books like The Hunger Games but with more of the issues we face in the world today. Ava Reid excels at providing a compelling and thought provoking narrative while still giving a story that you don’t want to put down.

In a world, much like our own, where woman are valued for their looks before anything else Melinoë is an assassin. Part human and part machine she is the perfect weapon. She is also, however, extremely beautiful. The assassins, or Angels as they’re called in the book, are forced to undergo elective cosmetic procedures because who would watch the gauntlet and sponsor them if the killers weren’t beautiful? The perfect weapon in the perfect body.

Enter Inesa. The girl who was nominated to the gauntlet by her mother who just couldn’t stop spending money they didn’t have. She wants to live. She wants to live for herself, for her brother, and because she still believes in love and goodness in the world. You could really tell how strained her relationship was with her family. Her mom obviously didn’t care about her at all and her brother seemed almost indifferent towards her at the beginning. It definitely becomes clear throughout the story that he does, in fact, love his sister. Trauma can cause relationships to change and twist and that’s definitely something that you can see here. It was a little bit heartbreaking to see. It almost was like they were so busy just trying to survive and to get by that they just didn't have the mental capacity to check in with each other, especially after dealing with their mother, to make sure everything was okay.

Her brother really does a good job, though, of showing how much he cared the further into the book that we get. He's just a teenager himself and younger than Inesa, but he protects her so vehemently that it's obvious he wasn't able to be a child for long.

I really loved reading the relationship aspects of this book. Inesa slowly showed Melinoë that there were still people who believed in goodness and helping one another just because you want to and not because you’ll get anything out of it. When Melinoë finally decided that she wanted more? That she deservered more? Watching her fight for Inesa and the life that they wanted together was my favorite part.

Ava Reid is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her writing style is like a beautiful painting of ideas and emotions that produce a thought provoking story and fully developed characters. She immerses you into a world she has created to feel tangible and real even though it is fictional. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this story, and was pleasantly surprised as the plot unfolded and we got to witness the story through the eyes of these two characters. She is able to create a world that provides commentary on our own, and build these queer characters who are unique and have complex stories and perspectives. She is able to do this without it feeling out of place or contrived. To be lesbians trapped in a dystopian capitalist hellscape and find hope and love!!! *sigh*

Ava Reid is so atmospheric, and her stories that I've read have all been set in the past so I wasn't sure how well she could pull of a futuristic American setting. I had no need to worry because she spread in the perfect about of background worldbuilding for a YA novel, and that good old Ava charm.
I thought the end was gonna be something that it wasn't and I was very happy with how it turned out, so points for subverting my expectations.
I think my one complaint was that the connection was too instant, and I didn't super buy them both being willing to sacrifice family and friends for each other. Like, I get not wanting to kill someone, but it felt like the love wasn't as earned as I thought it should be. That could be because I'm well beyond that instant connection teenager age so its a trope that doesn't super work for me anymore.

Fable for the End of the World takes the cake as my favorite Ava Reid book. Strong from the start, the plot hit the ground running, with quick worldbuilding worked seamlessly into the plot. The action started quickly and never lulled, which had me gripping my kindle for dear life.

The emotional stakes in this book were relatable and intense, which had me nauseous with anxiety a good chunk of the time (a sign of an excellent author), and I quickly fell in love with both of the characters. Mel and Inesa were beautiful opposites, the juxtaposition in their own internal conflicts like angels of life and death bringing such a beautiful element to this dystopian story.

Overall, there was great commentary on capitalism, environmentalism, and the treatment of girls and women as objects of entertainment. The ending pulled at my heart in ways that will always stay with me, and I will forever adore this book. (I wouldn't be mad about a sequel though lol)

Content Warning: Abusive parent, child grooming, child body modifications, death (people and animals), slut shaming, trafficking, distribution of child porn (i'm happy to expand on this one in the comments if anyone wants because it wasn't a major plot point, but still important to list, I just don't want to spoiler further)

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fable for the End of the World is an entertaining dystopian romance with elements of The Hunger Games. It’s a more futuristic/modern take and definitely has its differences in the story, but there were several moments or little “Easter eggs” that really brought back the Hunger Games and 2010’s dystopian vibes! Once again, I enjoyed Ava Reid’s writing style, her attention to detail, and the relevance this book has to what’s happening in the world today.

I only have two small things to note - one of which is that Fable felt too short to me. I actually liked the characters and their connection(s), but the romance felt a bit rushed because there wasn’t enough time to develop their feelings without it feeling unrealistic (what do you mean that the FMC falls in love with someone who almost killed her literally a day ago??). The second thing is that I was surprised to learn this book is a standalone. The ending wasn’t particularly satisfying for me personally, and I’m still left with a couple of questions about the plot or what happened to certain characters. With that in mind, I did enjoy much about the story, but I wish Fable could have been longer or extended into a series.

All opinions below are my own. This was my first Ava Reid book and she is very popular at my bookstore. It was exciting to finally read some of her work after much hype.

Inesa and Melinoë are the new Everlark with this tale reminiscent of Hunger Games and all your favorite YA dystopians meets Survivor. Inesa is just doing what she can to survive but she wishes for a world that could be kinder, even after shes nominated as a Lamb for a deadly competition called the Gauntlet. Melinoë is an Angel, the hunter sent out in the Gauntlet to hunt down the Lamb at all costs, and is quite literally made for this job. But things get complicated when the two of them get stranded without any reception and must help each other if they have any chance at surviving. But what will happen when the cameras are back? Will the show go on?

As a diehard fan of the Hunger Games trilogy I am always excited to read something inspired by it. It was fun to read the little bits I could tell had been inspired from the original trilogy. It was the author's first foray into YA after previous adult novels and I believe she handled the transition well. Ava Reid was a masterclass at weaving the inspired moments with her own original story that captured my attention immediately. This book is definitely for any fans of 2010s dystopians and anyone who enjoys critiquing reality TV shows and capitalism.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and thank you the HarperCollins Children's Books for picking this story to publish.