Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Published: Flatiron Books, January 31, 2017
Pages: 407
Source: Hardcover, purchased
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4/5

How I Felt:  I really enjoyed this book! At first, it was a little hard for me to get used to the writing style but once I did I felt it really worked for the whimsy and mystery of the book. I didn't expect to love this because I'd heard a lot of negative reviews but I was pleasantly surprised! I probably wouldn't have enjoyed this as much if I went into it with higher expectations so I suppose it's a good thing I'd seen those reviews.

This book was full of some awesome plot twists. While reading, I thought I'd already figured everything out and that the book was so predictable but I WAS SO FREAKING WRONG. Some twists I didn't see coming and came out of nowhere and I absolutely loved them. This was so beautifully plotted and I loved every second of this book. There was never a dull moment and I always wanted to continue reading to figure out what happened next. I actually stayed off the internet for most of the day yesterday because all I wanted to do was read this and I didn't care about what was happening online. A CONCEPT, I know. But that's how good this book was to me.

I couldn't give it five stars because the beginning was a bit hard for me to get into and it had a bit of a rocky start but once I got past that and got into the story there was no stopping me!!!

I need to discuss the writing a lil bit. At first (and you can tell by my status update) I found the writing to be a little weird and unnecessarily fluffy. But. I was so wrong because I think it really worked for the story. Caravel is such a whimsical, mysterious place and the writing perfectly complimented that in my opinion. It honestly reminded me a little of Wonderland and reminiscent of how Marissa Meyer built Heartless' Wonderland and I loved that. It was like that but with a much darker twist that made it its own world. The writing really flowed and the world building was really intriguing as well. I'm so glad there's going to be a second book because I thought it was a standalone and Garber can't leave us hanging like this!!! That ending. It crushed my heart, put it back together, and then gave it a punch for good measure. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT THERE'S SO MUCH MYSTERY I MUST KNOW MORE. So, what I'm trying to say is that the cliff hanger at the end was masterfully written and literally made me scream because this book can't end like this these dirty tricksters I must know more.

I really enjoyed Tella's character as well as Scarlett's and I was so emotional getting to see them be free of their wicked father and make their own choices and grow into their own people. Another thing I thought was well done was the crafting of their father's character. He was so complex and well written I feared him just as much as Tella and Scarlett. He was truly wicked and not just a superficial villain. I thought his character was extremely well written. Also, can I just say that I ship Julian and Scarlett so freaking much like they're just so cute and I love them together and want them to be together forever, ok?

For this whole book I kept thinking about how the mystery surrounding Tella and Scarlett's mother was never really addressed and I wondered if that thread was just going to be left hanging but then I read the epilogue and HONEY NO THAT THREAD IS ABOUT TO BE SEWED IN MY BODY IS READY FOR MORE PLOT TWISTS KEEP EM COMING. I'm just really excited for that plotline to be expanded in the second one.

I love a good scavenger hunt so I really enjoyed the game of Caraval and watching Scarlett figure out all the clues. It was so enjoyable and I really liked how it was full of mystery and nothing was as it seemed. SO well written!

Overall, I think you might be able to say I loved this book. I thought the writing, plot, and characters were all done excellently and I can't wait to read more of Garber's work in the future! I can not wait for the second book. I must know everything!!! This book completely surprised me and I think it's going to be one of my favourites of the year. I highly recommend this if you're a fan of dark, mysterious, whimsical fantasies. Amazing!

Thanks for reading!
~Birdie