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Caraval by Stephanie Garber
5.0
adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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
🎟️🎠πŸŽͺ Caraval
βœ’οΈ Stephanie Garber
⭐️ 5/5

β€œπ‘Ύπ’†π’π’„π’π’Žπ’†, π’˜π’†π’π’„π’π’Žπ’† 𝒕𝒐 π‘ͺ𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒍! 𝑻𝒉𝒆 π’ˆπ’“π’‚π’π’…π’†π’”π’• π’”π’‰π’π’˜ 𝒐𝒏 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒓 π’ƒπ’š 𝒔𝒆𝒂. π‘°π’π’”π’Šπ’…π’† π’šπ’π’–β€™π’π’ π’†π’™π’‘π’†π’“π’Šπ’†π’π’„π’† π’Žπ’π’“π’† π’˜π’π’π’…π’†π’“π’” 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 π’Žπ’π’”π’• 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆 π’Šπ’ 𝒂 π’π’Šπ’‡π’†π’•π’Šπ’Žπ’†. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 π’”π’Šπ’‘ π’Žπ’‚π’ˆπ’Šπ’„ π’‡π’“π’π’Ž 𝒂 𝒄𝒖𝒑 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’ƒπ’–π’š π’…π’“π’†π’‚π’Žπ’” π’Šπ’ 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 π’šπ’π’– π’‡π’–π’π’π’š 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 π’Šπ’π’•π’ 𝒐𝒖𝒓 π’˜π’π’“π’π’…, π’šπ’π’– π’Žπ’–π’”π’• π’“π’†π’Žπ’†π’Žπ’ƒπ’†π’“ π’Šπ’•β€™π’” 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂 π’ˆπ’‚π’Žπ’†.”

I was super excited to start this after reading OUABH and noticed the difference immediately.  I loved how Stephanie Garber’s magical, fairytale world retained its dreamy elements while weaving in much darker undertones, reflected in the characters, the setting, and the writing itself. From the start, Tella and Scarlett’s distinct personalities stood out, yet their bond as sisters remained the heart of the story. Their connection is unwavering, and their priority to protect one another drives much of the narrative. Scarlett’s journey through Caraval to find Tella beautifully illustrates this, as she not only works to save her sister but also discovers her own desires and identity along the way.

Working alongside Julian, Scarlett learns that nothing in Caraval’s game is as it seems. As readers, we are constantly questioning the motives of the characters and the truth behind the game’s mysteries. This element of uncertainty makes the story incredibly engaging.

Beyond the mystique of Caraval, the romance adds another layer of complexity. Julian and Scarlett’s relationship captures the raw ache of yearning and self-denial. Both characters are filled with passion and hope, but they hold themselves back, which is evident in their interactions. The slow burn of their romance is absolutely worth it, as their experiences in Caraval help them growβ€”not only in their understanding of themselves but also of what they truly want in each other. I can’t wait to continue following the stories of the Dragna sisters and Legend as I make my way through this enchanting series
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