A review by librarylacquer
Caraval by Stephanie Garber

3.0

Though the concept was intriguing and I cannot deny how quickly I devoured this book, there is something off about it. I think it's the world and rules of Caraval. From the first scene walking through the snowy, abandoned town, I got the impression that the author strung together a bunch of half-clever ideas and hoped that would be enough to cary the book. I never knew what to expect in each chapter--and not in an exciting, rewarding way that comes from reading an intricate, detailed story. Instead, this was kind of a mess; chaotic not because the main character was uncertain about the truth of events around her or the rules of the game, but more so because the author either didn't do enough world building to establish the universal truths of this world, or just wasn't able to articulate those concepts to her readers. I think this was an attempt at "show, don't tell," but to me it came off as disorganized and aimless. Again I certainly enjoyed it, but I have no desire to return to this world via the sequels.