Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by hannahs_library__
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
If I had read this when it first came out, it would have been my ENTIRE personality!
This series has been shamefully sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust since... 2020. 🙈 2025 is the year of tackling my TBR and reading some of the Booktok classics because I absolutely binged this!
This book was so full of whimsy and I definitely got swept away in the magic of Caraval. The descriptions of Caraval and this world were so vivid and created a setting unlike anything I have ever read before. There was so much thought put into every detail of the event and it really came through the pages. From the magical shifting dresses to the clock shop, I was fully sat captivated by the movie in my mind.
Read this if you like:
- Trials/ games
- Mystery
- Dark YA Fantasy
- VIVID imagery
- Alice in Wonderland
- Tim Burton Claymation (this is what I was picturing in my head the entire time!!)
- Strong sisterhood bonds
Honestly, I did not expect this book to be as dark as it was. Please check the trigger warnings because it was not what I was expecting at all!
My only complaint, and the reason for the 3.5 stars, was that I didn't feel very connected to Scarlett or really any of the characters. Scarlett is a very protective and guarded character that has been through a lot but I would have loved to feel more for her and be more in her head. Hopes are high that we'll be able to get to know her more in the rest of the series! I also hope we get to learn more about this world and how the magic works.
This series has been shamefully sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust since... 2020. 🙈 2025 is the year of tackling my TBR and reading some of the Booktok classics because I absolutely binged this!
This book was so full of whimsy and I definitely got swept away in the magic of Caraval. The descriptions of Caraval and this world were so vivid and created a setting unlike anything I have ever read before. There was so much thought put into every detail of the event and it really came through the pages. From the magical shifting dresses to the clock shop, I was fully sat captivated by the movie in my mind.
Read this if you like:
- Trials/ games
- Mystery
- Dark YA Fantasy
- VIVID imagery
- Alice in Wonderland
- Tim Burton Claymation (this is what I was picturing in my head the entire time!!)
- Strong sisterhood bonds
Honestly, I did not expect this book to be as dark as it was. Please check the trigger warnings because it was not what I was expecting at all!
My only complaint, and the reason for the 3.5 stars, was that I didn't feel very connected to Scarlett or really any of the characters. Scarlett is a very protective and guarded character that has been through a lot but I would have loved to feel more for her and be more in her head. Hopes are high that we'll be able to get to know her more in the rest of the series! I also hope we get to learn more about this world and how the magic works.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape