Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Tough-as-nails girl hero makes grim seafaring tale a gem.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In FABLE, Fable has been holed up on a thieves' island for four years since her mother died in a shipwreck and her father dumped her there at age 14. She works as a dredger like her mother did, pulling up valuable rocks and gems from the surrounding reefs, and has a special secret skill that helps in her daily hunt. When she gets a regular trading customer, West from the Marigold, she starts to amass enough coin to think she may finally be able to pay for passage off the hellish island. But when other dredgers get wind of her precious stash, they scheme to steal it and leave her for dead.
Is It Any Good?
Seafaring adventure stories don't get much better than this gem about a tough-as-nails dredger named Fable who scrapes her way out of hardship with the help of a secretive crew. The secrets everyone holds—about family and alliances and even illicit trades—keep the reader guessing. No one ever shows their hand too early, and we stumble along like Fable does in this grim world that she desperately wants to conquer.
The best part of Fable, by far, is the titular main character. Adrienne Young has a talent for creating memorable, layered female characters. Not once does the author put her in a frilly dress. When her luck starts to turn for the better, she's not suddenly dressing like some pampered princess. Fable finally owns boots instead of going barefoot, but never once does she actually bathe. Everything about this consistently scrappy character is like the free dives she takes for treasure: very calculated, very physical, and desperate. In the dives, it's a desperation for air, and in her life, it's for the connection that she always thought was too dangerous to allow. This story will connect with all kinds of readers looking for high-seas adventure with a fantastic main character—a real treasure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Fable in Fable. Can you think of a more courageous main character? Where do you think her bravery comes from? How does the island teach her to persevere?
Both Fable and West have complicated relationships with Saint. Would you forgive Saint for anything he's done? What does it offer both Fable and West to find peace with at least some of his choices?
How often do you read stories with characters grappling with such conflicting feelings? As you've gotten older, when did characters in the books you read stop being easily categorized as mostly good or mostly bad? Are these characters more interesting to you? Why, or why not?
What do you think will happen next in the duology? What's the significance of the last one-word sentence of the book?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Pirates
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Wednesday Books
- Publication date : September 1, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 368
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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