A review by ciciforreal
Caraval by Stephanie Garber

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Despite the fact that I usually love this style of book, it took me forever to get through this one. I think my issue with it was that the family background of the main character hit a bit close to home for me, so I had to take breaks from it every once in a while. That being said, I still love the story here and recommend it to all fantasy lovers. The main character is witty and likeable, the setting and world building is awesome, the plot twists are mind blowing, and the dresses are so very beautiful. 

My biggest issues are that I wish there were more consequences for the abusive father, and I wish the love interest had grovelled more. I get forgiveness is a big motif in the story, but I wanted to see some warning of trust back. The romance happened very fast and I wanted to see it earned more. 

Other than that, though, I think the story was beautiful and the sisters are great. The sibling love is a wonderful and heartfelt theme that I never see enough. 
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