Caraval

[A quick note: Why did it take me sooo long to read this series. It’s super hyped and I just didn’t get around to picking it up forever. Until I discovered that I’d be seeing Stephanie Garber at Yallfest this November. I knew I needed to read it before seeing her so that I can meet her and have her autograph my copies!]

“𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.” —Stephanie Garber

Two sisters, Scarlett and Donatella, escape their abusive father to attend Caraval, a legendary game full of danger and mystery. This year’s winner will be granted a single wish, whatever their heart desires. Scarlett intends to win that wish.

I absolutely ADORED this book. What I loved the most was the mystery and the mind-trickery. From the very first pages, I was on a roller coaster of twists and turns. Every time I thought I’d figured something out, I was wrong. By the end, I learned not to trust a single thing!

I loved Scarlett’s journey, her desire to protect her sister no matter the cost, her fight to be true to herself. As an older sister, she struggled between wanting things for herself, and the guilt that sometimes the things she wanted made her feel like she was failing her younger sister. She felt the pressure to take care of her younger sister, even at the expense of her own happiness. So, when she finally had the chance to take something for herself, she was forced with a difficult choice.

Caraval was so MAGICAL! I loved the concept, the world building, and the enchantments. It reminded me a little of the Night Circus in that aspect, so I totally get why people often compare the two. But it was in no way a circus (which was what I had the impression of before I picked this up). It was fun, immersive, and unique. It was a mystery, at heart. A quest to solve clues.

The romance between Scarlett and Julian was unexpected but welcome. I really loved seeing the two of them together. I especially loved seeing Julian fight his attraction for Scarlett. It was clear that he carried a lot of secrets.

Overall, I was not prepared for the mind-fu@%ery that took place at the end of the book. I read the last few chapters with wide eyes, gasps, and tons of explicatives. This was absolutely a wonderful book and I am already deep into the trilogy because I just cannot stop reading.

𝑴𝒀 𝑹𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮: 𝟓/𝟓⭐️