Book Review: Love Bomb

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Betty Plum has never been in love. She's never even kissed a boy. But when Toby starts school it's like Betty has been hit with a thousand of Cupid's arrows. A bomb has exploded-a love bomb.

More than ever Betty wishes her mom didn't die when Betty was a baby. 

She really needs her mom here to ask her advice. And just when she misses her most, that's when she finds hidden letters for just these moments. 

Letters about what your first kiss should feel like and what real love truly is. Although her mom isn't really there, Betty feels closer to her more than ever.

Love Bomb, book two in the Ladybirds series and the follow-up to Flirty Dancing by Jenny Mclachlan, will have you in both fits of laughter and tears. 

Check it out on Amazon

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

"Betty Plum has never been in love. She's never even kissed a boy. But when Toby starts school it's like Betty has been hit with a thousand of Cupid's arrows. A bomb has exploded-a love bomb." She has never been in love because they are still young, in high school, and she still has years to go. 

I honestly think I missed something with all these 5-star reviews of this book. Or perhaps my reading tastes have changed, and this isn't the kind of book that I like anymore. It was too cheesy and instant-lovey for my tastes. This is in no way a badly written book and it if you liked it then that is great. 

In Love Bomb, the Ladybirds are back. I can't believe I decided to continue on with this series.  This installment follows Betty Plum's adventures through high school. We also get to see her go boy crazy and more of her annoying unique personality come out. We also get to see her dad's new girlfriend which I found interesting.

I did enjoy seeing Betty have to confront emotional pain from the loss of her mother. That part was so well done. That gave the book a deeper emotional connection with me. Having to cope with the loss of her mother, during her high school years made her so much stronger. This was the only redeeming quality in the book in my opinion.  

For a book targeted for high schoolers I felt this was a bit immature, it read for like 10-13-year-olds but I am not even sure I would have read this at that age. I felt like the romance was forced, awkward, puppy love and I really didn't enjoy reading it. I disliked how she made the choices to blow off her best friend for the school hottie, I wouldn't have done that even at 1o. I just disliked how forced everything felt. 

I picked this up at the library, and I am so glad I didn't spend money on it. 

Book Review: Little & Lion

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (along with her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.

But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself--or worse.

Check out the book on Amazon. 

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

I know how easy it is to believe you're doing the right thing if you say it to yourself often enough

Little & Lion, is a moving novel about a beautiful story that can't be anything but incredibly marvelous. At first, the book seems like a typical book about a sixteen-year-old girl who is home from school to be with her loving family.

The complicated relationship was probably one of my favorite parts of this story. As a person who has a sibling that has a severe mental illness, I could genuinely feel for Suzette. They obviously love each other despite their issues.The story has a bipolar representation inside of it. Lionel shares his true feelings about his mental illness. He also shares about the meds he has to take. The way he describes it is raw and honest. You can see his emotions just flowing off the pages. These are feelings that I have had and can relate to. I believe many people could really relate to him and his issues. It was really nice to see actual mental illness representation in young adult literature, 

“I hate that I feel like nothing good is ever going to happen to me again. And that sometimes I don’t really feel like anything at all.”

The writing was so moving and powerful. The author Brandy Colbert handles tough topics like racism, bisexuality, mental illness, and blended family without being offensive, stereotypical or demonizing. This is something that almost never happens in literature. Authors mean well of course but rarely actually succeed in this area.

 My only complaint about this book is that it was a bit predictable and slow at times. I mean I guessed everything that happened before it happened. Which took away the enjoyment of it a little bit. That is still a good book regardless of the pace of this book.  

Little & Lion is a contemporary young adult novel that is very mature and far from the manipulative drama filled typical nonsense out there today. It is a story that builds relationships that are true and honest. It is a dynamic story filled with authentic diversity. Please check this book out! You need it. 

Book Review: I Crawl Through It (super short review)

                                                                Book Information:                                                                                      

Four talented teenagers are traumatized-coping with grief, surviving date rape, facing the anxiety of standardized tests and the neglect of self-absorbed adults--and they'll do anything to escape the pressure.

 They'll even build an invisible helicopter, to fly far away to a place where everyone will understand them... until they learn the only way to escape reality is to face it head-on.

                                                  My Thoughts On This Book:                                                                  

You are not ovals. You are not letters. You are human beings and every time someone rolls their eyes like your opinion doesn't count, picture me giving them the finger."

I can't believe I finished this book. I wanted so much to love this book. Unfortunately, it is complete gibberish, and I like a challenge, but this book was beyond that. Crawl through it is one of the most confusing A. S. King books I have ever read. I enjoyed Everyone Sees the Ants and Ask the Passangers, they were about seriously hard topics like bullying and coming out. This one just didn't have a point in my opinion. I missed that in this one, which made it one of the most disappointing books of 2017. 

This book is too far for me; it isn't experimental fiction (whatever that means), it isn't magical realism ( which I hate, as much as I am sad to say). I would call this complete gibberish as I have previously mentioned. It is filled with entirely fragmented sentences and strange comparisons. I kept having to re-read sentences to understand them.

I think that's all I have to say about this strange little book. 

Book Review: Whatever Happened To Janie? *** Lots of spoilers****

Book info

As Janie Johnson glanced at the face of the ordinary little girl on the milk carton, she was overcome with shock. She recognized that little girl?it was she. 

How can it possibly be true? But it is. With the mystery of her kidnapping now unraveled, Janie's story continues, and the nightmare is not over. No one can bring back or relive the 12 years gone by. The Spring family wants justice, but who is really to blame? 

The Johnsons know that they must abide by the court decisions made, but it's difficult to figure out what's best for everyone. Janie Johnson or Jenny Spring? Who is she? Certainly there's enough love for everyone, but how can the two separate families live happily ever after?

My Thoughts About This Book:

THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 
THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 

THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 

THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 

THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 

You know that book that you have read over and over again from your childhood or teens, and each time it just is so good? That is this entire series for me. There is just something about Caroline B. Cooney's dramatic flare that just entertains me so much still. I will say in the latest re-read I didn't realize just how overly dramatic the writing is. At least it shows me that my tastes have improved a little. 

I first read this book when I was a preteen wandering the rows of books at the library. I came across a librarian that I knew who asked me what I was looking for? I have no idea what I exactly said but it was something to the affect of "surprise me" and she ran off and brought this series to me. It quickly became my favorite series. 

I never thought I would say this but this book is so much better than the first book, The Face on the Milk Carton, which is a book that hooked me from the start. At this point, Janie has found out that her parents that she has lived with since she can remember aren't her real parents. Her life and her world has shifted, twisted, and been thrown upside down. There is so much complexity to her feelings, she loves her "so-called" mother and doesn't want to leave. 

She has a challenge ahead of her. She has to deal with conflicting emotions and feelings. She has to deal with the anger from her siblings. She has to deal with the feeling of betrayal, which is something she feels that she is doing to her "fake" family. She has to learn how to live and find her place among the Springs. Her real family, her real blood. 

In the end, she makes a decision that so few expected. Which was to return to the family that kidnapped her. As she didn't feel as if she belonged or fit into the family. This creates chaos and hurt in the Springs, and ultimately both families are rocked to their core. The siblings now want revenge. Will they all just suffer more sorrow and pain?

This book is so captivating. It will draw you in and take you on an emotional journey. It is far from perfect, but has a great plot line and takes on issues that few young adult books did at the time it was released. I believe many readers will enjoy this one.

Book Review: Asunder (New Souls #2)

Book info

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In this second book in the Newsoul trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

Links to Purchase: Amazon // Barnes and Noble // Book Depository 

My Thoughts About This Book:

This book was not that great. This book is so boring and so very slow. Part of me wanted to give up and just say I can't do this anymore, but I stuck with it. There was just something about this book that makes me want to read it. I have no idea why this sucks. I just can't stop myself. I can't put it down. This love of reading really can be a sickness at times. Perhaps it is how lovely the covers are in this series or maybe there is something wrong with me. Never the less I keep reading this ridiculous series.

I had some expectations due to my previous feelings about the first book Incarnate. It wasn't my favorite book but it wasn't terrible. It was a solid three stars. The concept was quite awesome, but not completely to my liking. I felt like the second book could redeem the series in my mind. Unfortunately, this book didn't do that at all instead it completely ignored the mysteries about the first book. I honestly feel like this book could be about 200 hundred pages lighter. It just seemed far too long.

This book is just filled with romance drama. It is completely melodramatic. It continually made me roll my eyes. In the first book, the love story was cute, all little immature but okay. In this book, all they did was fight. It really wasn't healthy or good. I felt like the main character Anna was always fearful of falling in love, of giving her self to someone. I think we all have these moments for sure. I am not saying being fearful of love is a bad thing. She is just childish and he is too patient with her. I will say that this doesn't involve any sex which is typical of young adult and something I prefer.

The main plot wasn't terrible. The story building and writing were so much better than the first book, in my opinion. I liked the way the other spun the events and explained a couple deep issues. I just felt like it always took way to long to accomplish anything. Which was part of the letdown? The resolution is at the end of the book, like I mean the very end. It was frustrating feeling like nothing was going to come to pass or get taken care of. It does make me want to read the last one.

Overall this book just wasn't great for me. I don't know if I will continue on to the third book. As always my thoughts are just my own and you should check out the book for yourself. Happy reading!

Book Review: Incarnate

Book info

New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

Links to purchase: Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Book Depository 

My Thoughts About This Book:

This is a book I have had on my shelves for years. It has moved to several houses. I figured it was probably time to pick it up! This book initially grabbed me from the cover. As it is so gorgeous. To be perfectly honest I expected it to be better than it was. Perhaps because it was a beautiful cover, I figured it must be better, more dramatic, and ultimately fantastic. I guess this teaches me not to buy a book solely for the cover. Regardless of how pretty it looks on my shelf.

The premise of this story is that Ana, the main character. She is new in a town were new souls aren't created people are just incarcerated. In Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over. Their memories are present, and they know about everything from their previous lives. This all changed when Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

I won't go into the details of the story as I don't want to spoil anyone. This is a hard book to describe without ruining it for everyone. Instead, I want to talk about how the writing was. I enjoyed the author's prose and the message that this book carried. To me, this book was speaking about peace and an underlining hope for our future. It explores how society could have a positive outcome over the sad and bleak results that seem to plague dystopian fiction. Which yes I do understand is the point of dystopian novels, but I still like this change.

The romance in this book isn't revolting and is developed. It is a realistic relationship pace which I was beginning to think was impossible for young adult literature. It isn't instant-love, and it isn't love at a snail's pace. It is a breath of fresh air in my opinion.

The way this book dealt with the changing of genders was just bizarre to me. I understand that gender can be a sensitive topic, so I won't get into that black hole. I was really excited when I found out that this book could potentially explore what life could be like genderless or one gender. After all in my opinion gender is really just something society sets on us. For me, this part of the book just confused me. The point I am referencing is when Anna gets jealous of her boyfriend's curves from back when he was a woman in one of his past lives. I just couldn't understand or grasp that thought formulation.

Personally in my opinion Incarnate could have been excellent. It could have been a favorite of mine. It had so much possibility with the use of nature and reincarnation. It could have used the concept of souls in such a better and more profound way. It could have been an in-depth book that invokes meaning and personal reflection. It didn't though, so it is just a bit flat.

Book Review: Mean Girls

Release date: September 12 2017

I don't know how I am supposed to feel,  as I was reading it was super fun and nostalgic but then it was also just the movie in novel form? So it wasn't exactly ground breaking stuff. At least this book is what it promises to be, and doesn't disappoint you like that Harry Potter book did. 

Perhaps it is too late to try and write this type of book. Mean girls is pretty much over, unless this is an attempt to revitalize the cult base.

My number one complaint was it felt more immature then high school. The way that it was portrayed I would have guess why younger than their supposed age. The writing style was quite basic with nothing really risky or unique. It's sort of the reason why I don't like young adult all that  much.  At least the easy writing style allows you to read the whole book in one day!  

Also I feel like the claim of ‘‘tons of extra, never-before-seen bonus content’’  is completely bogus, some of those scenes happened in the movie. If your going to promise my content that is new, give me new content already. 

My favorite part of this novelization is the multiple points of view it is told in. Each chapter is told by a different mean girl cast member, example Regina, Karen, and Cady. It provided much needed interest to the book. I was never a popular girl or with the in crowed so Cady gave me hope that a normal girl could be friends with the popular girls. 

The book follows the movie quite closely. The opening scenes involve her getting ready for her first day of real high school. She lived in Africa most of her life. It is home, a sanctuary, her safe harbor. Unfortunately she is forced to move when her mother relocates for a new job. If that wasn't enough of an adjustment, get ready for this, she isn't being home schooled anymore. I think she honestly wants to go but is a little apprehensive. 


She quickly makes friends and basically becomes a plastic and changes. We watch he spiral out of control. Which is sad that none really sets her straight or comes to her rescue. Overall it was nice to remember the storyline, might read it again.

Disclaimer: Thank you scholastic for sending me an arc for review! 

Links to purchase: Amazon and Barnes & Noble


Goodreads Description:

You know the story--or do you?

Cady Heron grew up homeschooled in Africa with scientist parents as her teachers, monkeys as her classmates and the African plains as her playground. But when her family moves to the suburbs of Illinois, she finds herself a stranger in a strange land: high school.  

With no prior research to guide her, Cady's forced to figure out North Shore High all on her own. Suddenly she finds herself sucked into Girl World as a new member of the social elite dubbed "The Plastics." Cady discovers that unlike the wild, Girl World doesn't have any rules--especially when you maybe, possibly, okay definitely, have a giant crush on their ruthless leader's ex-boyfriend. Turns out, life in high school might be even more brutal than a showdown on the Savannah.

Based on the screenplay by Tina Fey, this retelling of the cult classic film includes tons of extra, never-before-seen bonus content.

Book Review:The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire, #1)

Title: The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire, #1) 

Author: C.J. Redwine

Page Count:

Where I received: From The Library

Actual Rating: 1 out of 5 stars


Can I give a negative star rating,  please? I mean really. I am sure I am going to get so much hate on this review, but I hated this book. With a passion. I almost didn't finish, it but then it was like I was getting so annoyed I had to keep going. This book seriously disappointed me.

I wanted to read this book because it seemed sort of like the television show Once a upon a time. I am a sucker for retellings so that was part of it. Also look at that awesome cover. How can a cover be so pretty in black and white? Also, why is the typography so amazing? Also, I found out the apple is actually carved and not digitally edited, so props to that person.Unfortunately, this cover lies about who awesome this book is. I guess don't judge a book by its cover.

The story isn't terrible or anything, the writing wasn't horrific. It was just the same story we have heard time and time again. The writing was simple. There was barely enough detail or descriptions of things. The characters were uninteresting and stale. They weren't anything special, and after reading, I had to actually look up the names again. That is how forgettable they were. The villain made my yawn, with his one-dimensional self.

In this story, we follow the main character Lorelai, who has recently lost her mother. The Father is now going to marry her sister. Her sister Queen Irina, seems to be exactly what this broken family needs. She is a magic wielder and has a close bond with Lorelai. Unfortunately, Queen Irina seems to be quite evil, and Lorelai is forced to make tough decisions to save her family, but not before her sister breaks apart their family. Fast forward ten years, now a powerful sorcerer is starving the Kingdom. Will she be able to save her people?

This is where things got ridiculous for me. She is "supposedly" a strong princess but she doesn't believe in diplomacy? Well.. sweetheart, you can't be a princess and run a Kingdom then can you? I just really didn't understand why she cared about her people, if she didn't intend on doing anything afterward. Her character was just not build up. Instead of learning from things, she just let things happen. She was completely naive and idiotic. The other thing that bugged me was that she didn't know that things were so bad in her kingdom. That some mother in the village were killing their children so they wouldn't have to starve. How much does she know of her own Kingdom and their situation? What is she even fighting for? Why should the reader care, if the main character doesn't even care?

The world-building was virtually nonexistent. Which was sad because there were multiple kingdoms. It just had so much potential!

In conclusion, this was so boring and super flawed. I'm a huge fan retellings and I just can't see people liking this book. Try it out for yourself, you might just love it.

Links to purchase: Amazon // Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Description:

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

Book Review: Zenn Diagram

Title: Zenn Diagram 

Author: Wendy Brant 

Page Count: 328 Pages

Where I received: From The Library

Actual Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Before I start this review I need to say I loved the premise of this book and the cover. Which I realize is a bad reason to read a book but still. Everyone in their sister loves this book, so I was pretty excited to start it. Unfortunately, it wasn't my kind of book though. 

When I found out that the main character of this book is a girl who loves math, I was pretty stinking excited. As a girl in a STEM program, this is a pretty could have been a great representation and inspired more girls to join. I also just think this is a great idea for a book. The parallels with math, the fractals the main character receives are really beautifully written. The details are described will, even if the reasoning isn't solid. It could have been pulled off in a really imaginative way.  

Essentially Eva Walker can't have contact with a single soul without having an in-depth look at the persons emotional struggles. This is something she had dealt with since before she can remember. She feels things so deeply and is forced to be rather withdrawn from people. She loves math but struggles with having only one friend. So of course since she is a tutor, her student just happens to be this boy named Zenn. One little touch from his jacket causes an emotional punch in the gut. Of course, the attraction between them grows and Eva must find a way to cope. 

Unfortunately for me, this book is, in my humble opinion, one hundred and ten percent instant love. It doesn't even pretend to hide it. The reason for connection can be seen a mile away. There is zero mystery because it is just so pat! I dislike the idea that giving up something you have worked hard for and wanted for is a romantic gesture. That is not romantic, it's completely idiotic. I know this is a difference of opinion but I feel like it shouldn't be viewed as selfish for having goals and working hard for them. 

I also dislike how much time Eva spends talking about how she is different, and "isn't like other girls." I was so annoyed by that comment by the end of the book. I really hated that she makes everything about herself and is honestly a horrible friend. She gets upset when her friend develops an interest in boys, clothes, or other supposed normal teenage things. This drove me up the wall because you can have different interests than your friends. It doesn't mean you can't be friends. 

In conclusion, this book is your typical young adult book. Filled with instant-love, fate, and ridiculous best friend drama. At least this idea was super interesting and fun, so that is something. This isn't the type of book for me, but that doesn't mean it is  a bad book at all. Try it out for yourself, you might just love it. 




Links to purchase: Amazon // Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Description:

The more I touch someone, the more I can see and understand, and the more I think I can help. But that’s my mistake. I can’t help. You can’t fix people like you can solve a math problem.

Math genius. Freak of nature. Loner.

Eva Walker has literally one friend—if you don’t count her quadruplet three-year-old-siblings—and it’s not even because she’s a math nerd. No, Eva is a loner out of necessity, because everyone and everything around her is an emotional minefield. All she has to do is touch someone, or their shirt, or their cell phone, and she can read all their secrets, their insecurities, their fears.

Sure, Eva’s “gift” comes in handy when she’s tutoring math and she can learn where people are struggling just by touching their calculators. For the most part, though, it’s safer to keep her hands to herself. Until she meets six-foot-three, cute-without-trying Zenn Bennett, who makes that nearly impossible.

Zenn’s jacket gives Eva such a dark and violent vision that you’d think not touching him would be easy. But sometimes you have to take a risk…

Book Review: Caraval

"Scarlett knew he was trying to manipulate her. She’d had enough experience to recognize the signs. Unfortunately, despite her lengthy history of being used by her father, or perhaps because of it, she was never good at evading it.?" 

This book is beautiful. The concept is perfect two sweet sisters, raised by an abusive father, decide to go to an island and run away to play a game. The prize is one wish, something more prized than anything else in the world. 

While this book had a lot of bad tropes such as instant-love, reckless girls, and love triangles. I still really loved it. I loved the character Scarlett, she is so good and genuine that you can't help but fall in love with her. Scarlett really wants security, she wants to escape the wrath of her father. I loved Tella's impulsiveness, she was cute and adorable. She fell in love quickly and was the voice of reason in the crazy moments. 

The Caraval is exactly like what it sounds like, it is a carnival-ish game on an island. People will often go there to play and try and win. The Master is this guy named Legend, who Scarlett is kind of in love with, though she wouldn't admit that. She has been writing to him for years. Finally, he has replied and was nice enough to send three tickets for Scarlett, Tella and Scarlett's fiance. Upon arrival at the island, Tella goes missing and it soon becomes apparent that finding her is all a part of the game. Scarlett must solve the clues and find her sister before Caraval is over.

There is an overall dark feel to this lovely book. I liked the disturbing violence, interesting world building, and fantasy feeling. It was so interesting. 

I disliked the ending though. It isn't a cliff hanger, but it didn't feel like it was wrapped up.  I really want to see what happens next. 

Goodreads Description: 

Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the far away, a once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away.