Finally knocked one off my list for The BookCon! I'm starting to feel the crunch, y'all..! This is sadly a 2.5 star rating for me. 
 So first off, I was slightly wary when early reviewers compared Caraval to The Night Circus. I usually dislike circus stories. And movies. And TV shows. (Also I haven't read The Night Circus so I dunno what I'm talking about.) But thankfully Caraval isn't a circus story! 
 Instead it was surface-level YA fantasy fun. Even though my read was interrupted twice by TBR coups, Garber's intriguing premise kept me itching to know what happened next. I imagined it akin to David Fincher's The Game. However, when I scratch past that colorful surface, I'm left feeling disappointed. 
 There's just SO much glossed over or otherwise left for future installments. And that, for me, never makes for a satisfying story. My biggest complaint actually revolves around the game's clues and challenges just being...unexciting. Scarlett's competitors are only ever blurry background beings, with none (save Dante) existing enough to pose even a slight threat. And these things, combined with poor character development, made the ending more of a whimper than a bang. 
 I'd actually really root for the next book to get everything right - so I'm clearly still invested in the premise. I'd like to inject way more competition and adventure into the gameplay. I'd trade the muddy identities for more advancement of character. And I'd like to retroactively make the whole thing the anti-instalove narrative I was hoping for... 
 I dunno guys, this is partially my fault. I wanted a dark adventure from a frothy romance. But I do hope the second installment improves for those sticking around. I dunno if I will.