There are heroines for whom leadership is thrust upon them. These are the girls who reluctantly rise to greatness, which usually involves some major soul-searching and testing of their fortitude. Then, there are those heroines like Fable by Adrienne Young. These girls know their strengths and weaknesses, both physical and mental, and have no problems rushing headlong into danger for the right reasons.
Fable is T-O-U-G-H. Not only does she survive for four years on an island of thieves and cutthroats living by herself, but she also free-dives like she was born underwater, stares down potential rapists, and faces danger with a clear, pragmatic head. Yet, Ms. Young lets us know just how fragile she is underneath that cool exterior. After all, being abandoned as a preteen by your father after being told you weren’t meant for this life, is going to leave emotional scars, of which Fable has plenty.
One of the best things about Fable, outside of the fact that she can kick some major ass, is her self-awareness. She may have daddy issues, but she doesn’t (always) let them interfere with what she needs to accomplish. She knows her strengths and plays to them. Also, she has the ability to read others’ body language, which helps tremendously in her situational awareness.
For most of the novel, Fable does everything right no matter what the world throws her way. She sets goals, follows her instincts, observes, and acts appropriately, and eventually achieves her goals. This does not mean the story is boring. In fact, the story is exciting as she finds her plans thwarted at every step through no fault of her own and must constantly adapt. There is only one mistake she makes throughout the course of the novel, which ultimately sets up the cliffhanger ending to leave you wanting more, and boy do I want more.
Fable is not a long read. Personally, I finished it in the course of a few hours. This is partly because it is not a very long novel at 368 pages but also because I did not want to stop reading. I found myself so engrossed in her story that I could not put it down. In addition, with its tropical setting, Fable is the perfect antidote to a gloomy autumnal weekend.
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