It’s kind of like if the author took the Original Peter Pan (the dark one where Peter kills the lost boys when they’re too old), Alice in wonderland, and just a touch of terror/horror genre, gaslighting, mixed in with with the most cliche YA tropes. 

I just don't knooow. I really wanted to like it but the romance felt weirdly horny and I got weird vibes all the time and the resolution at the end felt super unsatisfying. I dunno. 

This was CREEPY. Very clever and the synesthesia element was really cool and wow that ending but it was creepy and dark and heavy and emotional and maaaaan Tella was making me mad at the end!!

Scarlett Dragna has always wanted to go to Caraval. When her sister Donatella finds a way for them both to go, and for Scarlett to escape her arranged marriage and their dangerous father, she has a hard time declining the offer. When she finally arrives, Scarlett is quickly whisked into the magic of the game, and has a hard time keeping a grip on reality, despite the constant warnings that Caraval is just a game. Can she and Tella make it out alive before she gets too caught up in the world of Caraval and has no way to escape?

After having read it years ago and it being one of my favorite books, I reread this book in 2021 in anticipation of the release of Garber's new book, Once Upon a Broken Heart. Even the second time around, it did not disappoint. This will be one of my go-to recommendations for anyone looking for a fantasy set in a magical world where everything seems just a little bit too good to be true. 

 It was nice. I liked the idea, and I liked the first half. The second half though, or should I say last quarter, beat my brain up in a secluded alleyway and then dragged me out and told me it was a joke. The ending was anticlimactic and a bit weird too 

I went into this book a little cautious of the hype, but hoping I would love it. I adored The Night Circus when I read it years ago, so I was looking forward to giving another "travelling circus" story a try.
I think there were a lot of things that this book tried to do that just didn't work for me though... I still enjoyed it, just not as much as I had hoped.

Let's start with the things that I did like:
- I loved the plot and pacing. There was a good mix of fast-paced sections, with slightly slower paced scenes, and it worked really well to drive the story and to keep me interested in the goings on of the Caraval competition. Not to mention how intriguing the set up of the competition was! I found the idea unique and intriguing, and it had some good twists to how things worked or worked out. I will say the ending seemed a little rushed to wrap everything up, but it still explained everything. I just think after the whole competition was most of the book, the explanation and wrap-up was like two chapters...
- The magic! There was an element of mystery and magic that worked so well for a competition and performers who relied on magic to drive the story forward. I thought some of the uses of the magic were well-done and unique.

The things that made it difficult for me to really enjoy this book:
- Scarlett... and well, most of the characters who were main to be honest. I will admit that I was intrigued by Julian, enough that I could overlook at parts how annoying and frustrating both Scarlett and Tella were to me... I'm sorry, but we get it, Scarlett loves her sister more than anything. I don't need it written like 25 times in the book... (that might be an exaggeration but definitely what it felt like) The only characters I was interested in were Julian, Aiko, and Dante - side characters we don't get much from... also there was one reveal at the end that left me a tad bit uncomfortable.

I was not a fan of the reveal about Julian's age... It made sense for his connection to Legend and how he knew the games of Caraval so well, but that means that he is close the age of Scarlett's grandparents!? That just felt kind of icky to me, even if he doesn't age because of magic... It's not the same as if he were some magical creature who lives a long time, he is still human and has aged in everything except looks... and Scarlett is supposed to be what? Under 20? I just didn't like that very much...

- The weird colour descriptions for emotions... I really didn't like these. I am so confused why the author felt she had to constantly describe the colour of things that don't have colour? It actually became frustrating to me and I started recording some of the more ridiculous ones down: panic is described as "shades of hemlock green - the color of poison and terror;" "Scarlett had an emerald-green premonition;" "Sour shades of yellow-green made her stomach roil;" disappointment is described as "forget-me-not blue;" I think panic is described later on as purple instead of green; and don't even get me started about how a kiss is described as tasting like "shades of rich brown and light blue." This might work for someone who sees the colours in everything, but it gives me NOTHING for describing emotions and abstract things... Honestly I just found it an annoying attempt at descriptions that I wish had been taken out...

I did enjoy the book overall - it was an easy read. I am not entirely sure if I will continue the series, unless someone can confirm for me that Scarlett gets a little less annoying... but I am glad that I read it!