Title: Caraval (Caraval #1)
Author: Stephanie Garber
Rating: ★★★★★

I’ve been in a horrible reading slump for over a month and this was exactly the kind of book I needed to pull myself out. I was pulled in from the start and was thoroughly entertained until the very end. Caraval was a phenomenal, magical, breathtaking book. I was hesitant at first because it has been compared to The Night Circus over and over, but honestly I didn’t see any huge similarities.

First of all, I refuse to believe that this is Stephanie Garber’s debut novel. Her writing was flawless. I was so impressed by her worldbuilding, descriptions, characters, everything! The plot was fast-paced and thrilling to the point that I didn’t want to put the book down. The relationship between Scarlett and her sister was one of my favorite parts of the book. The selfless love and devotion between them was heart warming. Scarlett was a fantastic heroine and I loved reading the story through her narrative. I felt like I was playing the game alongside with her, trying to figure who to trust, what to believe, and whether things were real or not. Julian was another character that I really enjoyed. Oh Julian. I knew I was going to love him from the first moment he called Scarlett, “Crimson.”

I was actually surprised when I learned there would be a sequel, since I went into the book believing it was a standalone. But the epilogue definitely has me intrigued for a second book. Caraval was mesmerizing debut novel that takes the reader on an enchanting journey from beginning to end.