Wow, not sure where to start. It took me until about 15% of the way in to get into it but once I was in, I was IN. This is a beautiful, well written dystopian that had everything I love about the genre. As a person who grew up reading the hunger games (Peeta ily forever), this has been the only other dystopian book that’s given me the same level of panic. It’s good because you can BELIEVE it almost could happen. This is my favourite book I’ve read by Ava Reid. It’s nothing like the other books I’ve read by her. You ripped my heart out Ava but I want more. There is more isn’t there Ava?? Ava????

This was my favourite AR book so far! I adore dystopian fiction so was incredibly excited when the synopsis of this book was announced, and it did not disappoint. The two MCs are flawed and real and pulled me in right from the start. The ending was harsh but also hopeful

Reid’s writing is encompassing and immersive. I can tell that it’s inspired by the author’s own interest in dystopian stories like The Hunger Games, but Fable for the End of the World has its own spin. The characters are compelling and the love story that develops throughout is beautiful.

Dystopia is so back, baby!

Anything Ava Reid writes is an auto-buy for me, and when she announced Fable for the End of the World, I was champing at the bit. I had incredibly high expectations, and I was not disappointed. As a teen, I was a fanatic reader—but my attention span is absolute trash these days. I reaaaally struggle to sit down and mindfully enjoy a book. Let me tell you, I inhaled Fable for the End of the World. This book transported me back to the period of my life where I'd rush home from school to read (okay, okay, I wasn't very popular). I've seen this novel compared to The Hunger Games, and I definitely felt those vibes while reading - not just in the thematic similarities, but in the way I could. not. get. enough.

The book follows Inesa and Melinoë, two girls on opposite sides of the capitalist hellscape Reid has crafted. Despite all her hardships, Inesa is kind and compassionate—a ray of light in a world which values individualistic survival. Melinoë, on the other end of the spectrum, is cold and calculated. She’s built to kill, and to look beautiful doing it. They have both been traumatised by the regime they live under, and process the horrors they’ve lived through together. I LOVED seeing both characters develop over the course of the book, and their romance was an achingly tender contrast to the otherwise gritty themes.

The plot is a riveting and sometimes horrifying vehicle for Reid to explore deeper societal issues: corporate-driven consumerism, the parasocial relationships promoted by media consumption, and climate change wrought by the hands of industry (which made my little conservationist heart sing). It also touches on issues I’ve always wanted to see explored in books, like the disparity between how men and women are treated in online spaces, and the thirst for “acceptable” male-on-female violence.

Reid's signature lush, fairytale-esque prose absolutely sings in this book. It created a striking contrast against the book's dystopian setting, which was particularly apt in the case of Inesa who still manages to find beauty in the desolate landscape. I've highlighted so many passages where I had to put the book down and bask in Reid's words. She's an incredibly talented author, and seeing her talent applied to a new genre was a real pleasure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cornerstone for this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This book is for anyone who has ever wanted to read a queer, hunger games, divergent, dystopian…so basically this was written for me!

The world building was immaculate and the concept, that I was instantly drawn in by upon hearing it, was well crafted.

I thought that the characters were complex and so incredibly well written. The only thing that stopped this from becoming a 5 star read for me, was the switch between enemies to lovers happened very quickly…I wish it had been drawn out just a little bit more and a with a clearer distinction in the switching of feelings.

This was my first Ava Reid but definitely not my last! How do I continue on with normal life after that cliff hanger?!

This book was utterly heartbreaking! I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and publisher.

This book takes some of the worst fears in society today and subtly realises them. It takes these real, tangible problems and imagines them just a few years in the future. It’s so close to reality that it’s absolutely terrifying.

Our main character lives with her brother and mother. She works as a taxidermist and her brother hunts animals. However many animals are infected and mutated and healthy ones are hard to find. They are barely managing to stay afloat and their mother is cruel to her daughter and continually spends money they don’t have on expensive health and medical treatments.

They live against a backdrop of a mega corporation that when people rack up too much debt, allow them to sell a family member to run a gauntlet in which they are stalked and largely killed by ‘angels’. These are modified girls who have cybernetic augmentation and training to make them elite assassins. They slaughter people in the gauntlet live for people’s entertainment.

Our MC finds herself involved in the gauntlet in a way I found just so utterly cruel and heart wrenching. My heart broke for the main character here. We see two worlds colliding and people overcoming their differences to find out more about who they are and they desires and dreams. This book is both tragic and beautiful. It’s often so hard to read but it’s so incredibly clever, thoughtful and insightful. It’s also utterly scary, just far too close to reality! What a talented author to create a book with a solid, thought-provoking story that also evokes such a huge range of emotions.

Some big ending spoilers ahead so don’t read if you don’t want this book spoiled :)

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙐𝙆 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚-𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚.

3.5 ★

Fable For The End of The World is a standalone dystopian, sapphic, YA romance set in an almost climate change on steroids induced post-apocalyptic world. Its society is ruled by Caerus - a single corporation that encourages accumulations of debt and drives classism to the max.

I found this book to be so interesting and flew through the first half of it! Reid touches on so many important political themes throughout this book ranging from classism, capitalism, sexism and many more. I feel like it also touches on a degree of childhood trauma and ongoing narcissistic abuse (from a parent) so as always - check TW & CW before reading! 🙂‍↕️

The downside - I felt that even for a YA romance, this really lacked the romance. I wouldn’t even go as far as calling this enemies x lovers because they weren’t really lovers at all and since this is a standalone - there is no “happy” ending for the romance either so that felt slightly disappointing. Overall just slightly underwhelmed on the ending of the book, from about 80% in it dragged for me. I really rooted for them to escape and live happily ever after but I guess this only shows the brutal reality of the world in the setting of the book.

Overall, an interesting concept & definitely a star reminder of the threats of climate change & capitalism. I would definitely recommend this if you love Hunger Games and other similar dystopian novels or are a fan of Black Mirror - very similar vibes!

Fable for the End of the World is a sapphic dystopian love story highly inspired by The Hunger Games and I was so worried that it would be too silmliar to one of my favourite series but it is rightly it’s own story and I couldn’t put it down!

It’s not like Ava Reid’s other books and where those are full of darkness and atmospheric moments, Fable is very much a YA book with two fmcs that show that there is beauty in love, hope and defiance in a world that can be very cruel and scary. The worldbuilding is creative, vivid and descriptive and is easy to understand and follow along everything moved at a good pace and I just loved how different it is from the authors other works.

I never found myself lost or confused and I absolutely loved that the plot was so intriguing that I wasn’t sure how it would end until I got there and while I believe this is a standalone it does leave it very open ended for the potential for a sequel.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 ⭐️

“Survival is the most natural thing in the world, as natural as breathing. Stripped down to its essence, any creature will choose to save itself. Even if it means stealing the breath from another”

FftEotW is a story that follows two ‘sides’ of a not so distant dystopian future. A society that feeds on the desperation of those living without basic necessities. Inesa is struggling to make ends meet, living in a world where getting into debt could lead you to be hunted for the entertainment of the masses. Melinoe is a tool used by the capital, manipulated and physically enhanced to be the ultimate killer. The only chance of survival for either of them is the destruction of the other. The ‘Angel’ vs the ‘Lamb’.

This is a little different to the other work I’ve read of Ava Reid’s. The atmospheric dark gothic vibes of her other work was replaced with a thought provoking sapphic dystopian story about love, family and hope. This was a lot less whimsical, it was gripping, gruesome and I was hooked. Like many The Hunger Games series is one of my all time favourites and it holds the torch for the champion of dystopian literature. This felt like such a fantastic homage to that series, I had such nostalgia reading Ava’s take on the issues facing the world today - climate change, capitalism, women’s body autonomy and the perception and expectation of women in society.

This was a quick read, the duel perspective worked fantastically and I loved seeing both the Angel and the Lamb’s perspective of both the world around them and the Gauntlet they were forced into. I think what stopped it from being 5 stars was that the romantic relationship felt a little rushed and underdeveloped, I can understand from a YA perspective why it played out this way but I just wanted a little more time and progression spent of their relationship. I did however really love the prose and the internal monologue about how each character felt about the other.

I wasn’t sure how the story would be resolved, I was anxious if there was any chance for a happy ending for anyone, the ending left me both heartbroken but also full of hope - which I guess is the ultimate message.

Thank you Ava for writing this story. It was everything I needed and wanted and like all of her other works it stayed with me long after turning the last page.

Thank you Netgalley, Del Rey and Ava Reid for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

There’s always something so beautiful and so tragic about Ava Reid’s books that leaves me hooked.

Melinoe and Inesa are from completely different worlds in this very dystopian story. Melinoe is a young teenage girl transformed by her handler, Azreal. Melinoe is an assassin who hunts down those entered into the gauntlet, anyone entered into the gauntlet usually by a loved one to clear a debt is called a “Lamb”, essentially they are being led to the slaughter and Melinoe is the wolf hunting them in this case.

Inesa is a young woman of a similar age to her predator, her mother enters her into the gauntlet and this betrayal cuts deep, though it is not surprising. Inesa is courageous and kind, she is really tested throughout.

If you like elements of the hunger games with its theatrical murder and game like scenario then you’ll love this.

Hunger games but make it ✨️lesbic✨️. Amazing! Fable for the end of the world is a love letter to all of those dystopian novels that I read and loved growing up.
Is also, of course, a story of the impact of the clima change, inequality and the poor use of technology presented in a very scary tale of what may happen (or is actually happening already with our current society).

The best thing for me about this book is that I ate it up in almost one sitting cause the narration and the plot kept me deeply engaged.
There's a mayor theme of exploring the dehumanizing reality of what could be entertainment and also the expectations on beauty standards for women in media.

My bigest problem with this book its that first, doesn't feel as beautiful and well crafted in terms of setting and worldbuilding, like previous books by Ava, and also, I get it's YA, but I needed it more from the romantic aspect of the story.

Personally I think that with this book, the author gets the job done. It's not a groundbreaking take on "clasics" dystopian novels, but its entertaining and scratch the itch of the nostalgia.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

A gripping, hopeful dystopian YA adventure perfect for fans of The Hunger Games. I really enjoyed this and thought the world building and character development were excellent. The plot is intriguing and fast-paced.

Ava Reid’s newest novel gives a contemporary twist to the classic dystopian stories of The Hunger Games and Divergent by exploring the devastating impacts of the climate crisis and how it could shape our world. Reid is such a beautiful writer and incredible storyteller, and “Fable for the End of the World” is a true culmination of her wonderful talents as a writer. She always makes a social commentary within her books and this one was truly like no other— capitalism, media literacy, body politics (especially of women), consumerism, climate change… all the fun stuff! Which meant this book was on the darker side, definitely her darkest to date but she handled the topics with so much eloquence and grace as she always does.

Hoping for a sequel after that ending👀

Set in the not so distant future, the world is ravaged by climate change and nuclear wars and people are split into the upper echelons who live in the city - where money is no object but nothing is real, or the outliers where people have had to find ways to eke out a living in their new reality. Inesa and her brother Luka are from an outlying town, Esopus Creek, where Luka hunts and Inesa performs taxidermy on the animals he kills, in order to preserve normal specimens that have not yet been touched by mutations from radiation. Everybody in the country has a "choice" they can either scrimp and save and do whatever they can to survive, or they can use credit given by Caerus, a massive corporation that owns most of the country. If you run up debt to the tune of 500,000 credits then the debt is called to be repaid and someone must be nominated for the gauntlet - and chased down by a modified part cybernetic human, in this case Melinoe, with the whole ordeal being streamed live across the tablets that everybody relies on.

The worldbuilding was great, I was fully invested in Inesa and Melinoe and the different struggles they faced throught the book. As the author said, this is heavily influenced by The Hunger Games series (not a bad thing by any means) but there is a lot of things that are pulled directly from it (city dwellers youth treatments, the dogs in particular, the entire spectacle aspect of the trial).

I thought the whole thing was really believable, to the point I was really quite annoyed on behalf of a lot of the characters due to the things that were happening to them that they had little to no control over!

Really good dystopian 2000's flashback fare.

Only Ava Reid could make me feel nostalgic for the dystopian reads of my teens whilst breathing fresh air into the genre. Reading "Fable For the End of the World" was like a fever dream, I felt transported to my childhood bedroom curled up under the covers reading into the early morning despite knowing my alarm will soon blare out for school.

Reid has created a fast paced read that despite this, still provides a fully fleshed out world that seems scarily real. The tale feels eerie in its description, something that could happen in our near future. It questions if love is truly strong enough to break though, exploring the difference between living and merely surviving.

Definitely an homage to 00s dystopia. A strong, engaging read right up until the end, it will absolutely be a hit with anyone after YA Hunger Games vibes. Unfortunately, it was much more YA than I expected, which just isn't my cup of tea, but definitely will be for those who don't mind it!

Ava Reid’s Fable for the End of the World is a hauntingly beautiful tale that masterfully blends lyrical prose with an emotionally resonant narrative.A captivating story filled with rich characters and a heartfelt romance. The main characters are relatable and face their own challenges in a world facing destruction. Their relationship is both sweet and complicated, showing how love can thrive even in tough times. Reid’s writing brings their emotions to life, making their journey truly memorable. This novel is a beautiful mix of hope and heartache, making it a must-read! Set in a richly imagined world, the story explores themes of love, loss, and the fragility of humanity in the face of impending doom. Reid’s characters are vividly drawn, each navigating their struggles with depth and authenticity. The atmospheric writing envelops you, making it impossible to put down. . A truly captivating read!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I've read and loved Ava Reid's books in the past, so I was eager to read this new title from her.
And this may be her best yet. So spic and beautifully written.
I can't see myself not picking up any future titles from Ava Reid in the future!

Of course - tysm to NetGalley and Random House UK for this arc :)
now for the actual review!

ratings:
- plot: 7.5/10
- characters: 8/10
- character development: 8.5/10
- originality: 5/10
- themes: 9/10
- overall: 3.75/5

Overview: the opening of this book really hooked me. I think the dual perspective really does hook you into reading into the different lives of the 2 girls. For those who may have not read the blurb, it follows 2 girls - Inesa, which basically lives in the poor part of the country and Melinoe (with those 2 dots), who is an Angel: a 'machine' designed to kill 'lambs'. I have read so much dystopia but just not much that are related to the environment so I thought the way that Inesa worked around that was really interesting.

INESA: I thought her character was really well developed, and even though it is dual, i feel like she was a bigger main character in my head. Her character is different from what i've read most of the time, very soft and quiet but not in a way that makes her boring. She has less character development that Melinoe in my opinion but I think her morals are really strong and she knows what she's after.

MELINOE: She was definitely my favorite in the beginning although towards the middle, I liked them equally the same. I thought her position as an Angel was really interesting and it reminded me of putting a lamb with wolf clothing. I think her trauma is thought out and it doesn't just randomly disregard anything.

5 STARS? i personally didn't rate this 5 stars because I felt like the romance was a little too rushed and present for my liking. I understood that they were in this situation and perhaps it's because it seems to me to be written like a standalone but I think that the romance jumped rather than glided?

TW: domestic abuse, violence, family trauma

I went into Fable for the End of the World a little hesitant after Ava Reid’s last release left me very conflicted, but this was an absolute winner from the very start. It is a love letter and homage to the dystopian craze of the late 2000’s-2010’s, whilst being extremely relevant to now (as all the best dystopians seem to be.) I loved how simultaneously far-fetched and realistic the situation was. The writing, as always with Ava Reid, was hauntingly beautiful, with so many lines that give you pause.
The sapphic romance was both heart-warming and heart-breaking. Both protagonists were well developed as individuals, and I really enjoyed the scenes of them opening up to each other. The actual relationship timeline felt a little rushed and insta-lovey, but I’ve had that opinion for every one of Ava Reid’s books so far - it was not enough to diminish the enjoyment of the relationship or the story overall.
I think a lot of people will really adore this story and look forward to it coming out.
Thank you to Del Rey, Random House UK, Cornerstone , and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.