"In this brilliantly imagined work, the impoverished are terrorized not only by the environment but by the government, and women's bodies are mutated to men's ideals. This masterful queer narrative encourages readers to question messages around gender and sexuality. A thrilling, page-turning must-read: prescient and necessary, impressive and disturbing." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Stunningly crafted, Reid displays an eye for human connection with her enemies-to-lovers Sapphic romance and portrayal of complex familial relationships. Inesa and Mel are thoughtful foils to each other, their characteristics bleeding together as they survive the Gauntlet and the painfully realistic depiction of
the ramifications of climate change. Fraught with social commentary as well, Reid's tale touches on the dangers of debt and late-stage capitalism, the addiction to screens and technology, and the realities of corporations buying out governments. Suzanne Collins fans, meet your new favorite dystopia." -
Booklist (starred review)"Reid is well regarded for her lyrical writing and nuanced characters; here she paints a vivid portrait of a world fallen to climate change and capitalism, juxtaposed against the ways love is redemptive. VERDICT A dark dystopian novel for readers craving something more mature than
The Hunger Games. Perfect for high school collections." -
School Library Journal (starred review)"An immersive setting rendered via descriptive prose ferries this invigorating story, which questions the nature of humanity, survival, and memory. . . . Reid deviates from the expected through the leisurely unspooling of Mel and Inesa's dueling POVs and their heart-pounding sapphic romance." -
Publishers Weekly"A stunning exploration of an ailing society and the love that thrives anyway.
Fable for the End of the World entwines the harrowing with the poignant-and lands an ending that cements it high among the YA dystopian greats." -
Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights"Ava Reid's latest hearkens back to the dystopias of yore: a world of highs and lows, haves and have-nots, a drowning underworld ruled over by a city of brittle, icy beauty. Reid's observant, compelling prose makes this at once an homage to those classic tales, and something fresh and necessary, and all her own." -
Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns "With her singular gift for metaphor, Reid has crafted a frighteningly prescient dystopia about the ravages of corporate greed-and also a beautiful love story between two girls determined to survive. Brilliant and devastating, Fable for the End of the World will arm you with the strongest tools we have: both anger and hope." -
Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic "Knife-edged and tender-hearted,
Fable for the End of the World will at once feel like your favorite classic dystopia and like nothing you've ever read. In a cruel, debt-driven world not vastly unlike our own, Reid explores the bravery of not just surviving, but learning to be truly alive. I will be thinking of the final line for years to come." -
Courtney Gould, award-winning author of What the Woods Took"Nobody balances sweetness with brutality, tenderness with violence, quite like Ava Reid. This hit all the nostalgic
Hunger Games notes while bringing fresh sapphic blood to the dystopian genre-I inhaled it!" -
L. K. Steven, Author of Silvercloak and Our Infinite FatesPraise for
A Study in Drowning: "Reid wields lyricism, dark academia, and fairy-core elements to eloquently imbue the narrative with originality and depth that ferries themes surrounding grief, gender, and the value of folklore." -
Publishers Weekly (starred review)"A dark and gripping feminist tale." -
Kirkus Reviews"Lusciously evocative and dripping with verbal texture." -
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"
A Study in Drowning is everything: a dark fairytale, a tender romance, a haunting historical mystery, and a quietly furious tribute to the people whose stories have been stolen from them. I absolutely loved it." -
Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Once and Future Witches"Achingly atmospheric and beautifully sharp,
A Study in Drowning will draw you in from the first page. A spell-binding mix of magic, myth, and mystery." -
Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls "Haunting and elegantly rendered,
A Study in Drowning is a lyrical examination of stories told, cherished myths, and an unraveling of truths held dear. Darkly romantic and unsettlingly eerie, I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come."
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Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows and Small Favors"As always, Ava Reid's worlds feel lived-in and rich in history. This one is also full of myth and superstition, and heavy rains that fall upon crumbling old houses. A rewarding, romantic read, with much to chew on." -
Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns"Lyrical, moving, and sensitive,
A Study in Drowning is a magically romantic tale, filled with writing that will sweep you into a whimsical and gothic world. I'll recommend this beautiful and thoughtful book over and over again." -
Isabel Ibañez, author of Together We Burn"Incandescent, tender, and fierce.
A Study in Drowning is a deftly woven mystery, brimming with lyrical writing and compelling characters who will steal your heart. This is a story that lingers, long after the last word." -
Rebecca Ross, bestselling author of Divine Rivals 
