Caraval

Caraval by Stephanie Garber is a mysterious and magical fantasy that immediately pulls you into its world. The story follows Scarlett Dragna, a girl who has always dreamed of seeing the legendary Caraval, a yearly performance where the audience can become a part of the enchanting game. When Scarlett and her sister Tella finally get a chance to attend, they hope to escape and leave behind their suppressed life. However, Tella suddenly disappears and Scarlett realizes Caraval is much more complicating than what she expected. She is given clues and told that finding her sister is a part of the game, as she delves deeper, it becomes harder to tell what is real and what is an illusion.

One of my favourite things about Caraval was the atmosphere that the author created which was a world that felt incredibly dreamlike and mysterious. The scenery and actions were so descriptive it felt almost realistic and Caraval is built around the idea that almost anything can happen which means you can't trust everything you read. This gave the journey a unique twist and made you question everything as a reader.

Scarlett was such an interesting character and she changes so much throughout the story. At first, she's afraid to make decisions by herself and all she wants to do is make sure her sister is safe no matter what. But, the more she stays in Caraval, the more she starts taking risks and discovers that she is capable of making her own choices and be independant. I also really liked Julian and his humour in the story, the readers never really know if he can be trusted or not which adds another element of mystery.

Overall, Caraval will always be one my best and life changing reads because it combines fantasy, mystery, romance, suspense, and adventure in a way that makes the story feel completely unpredictable. Some moments were definitely a little confusing and sometimes, i wanted further explanation but that didn't stop the book from still being a very enjoyable and entertaining read. This book is for sure for anyone who loves magical worlds, fantasy and stories where you constantly question what is real.