I almost didn't finish this book, but I'm glad I did. I'm also unsure whether to give this 3 or 4 stars. The story, once it got really into the plot, I thought was highly entertaining and eventful. However, I often got confused by the writing style. Throughout the book I was having to back track and re-read sentences as I was unsure what exactly had just happened. I felt many parts didn't flow so well and were a little too blunt, almost as if the author was simply listing off events.

Nonetheless, I definitely found this to be a page turner. It was exciting and I often found my self exclaiming 'no way!' at certain reveals during the story. The world is definitely one I would love to visit personally and is reminiscent of Wonderland, with all the magic and uncertainty of who or what you can trust. For a debut novel, I think Stephanie Garber did a wonderful job, and I will be reading the second book to Caraval.

I was not moved by any of the characters, but I did find a few of them enjoyable to follow. I found comfort around certain characters and irritation from others. The villains I found to be very exciting and kept me on edge through many of the scenes.

I particularly enjoyed the authors descriptions. I loved the reoccurring themes and the magical feel of rose petals, gem stones, and potion bottles. Although I did not enjoy her writing style, I was still able to become fully immersed in the world of Caraval. I was able to easily imagine walking through the streets, imagine the smells, the feel of the changes in time, and the chaos that is Caraval.

The book is both predictable and unexpected. I thoroughly enjoyed how the story unfolded, and whilst I guessed in many instances where the plot was going, I did not expect the ending and many secrets were revealed throughout which pieced the story together nicely.