A review by sarahadrake
Caraval by Stephanie Garber

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I have to say I remembered nothing about this book from when I read it in 2017- so I was basically going in blind for the reread. And it made so much sense that I didn't remember it, this book is such a whirlwind. It can almost be confusing because of our narrator, Scarlett. She is highly emotional and spacey, and much of her POV revolves around the main love interest and her sister, instead of the inner-workings of the game and its setting. Perhaps we are meant to be in the dark because Scarlett has felt sheltered her whole life on Trisda. But as a stand-alone, it doesn't work as well without the context we get in the next book. I just got confused at the end, like Scarlett.

I enjoyed the whirlwind of the romance during this book, but I was questioning reality by the end. I guess I went mad.....

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism