Caraval

Scarlett has agreed to marry a count she's never met in hopes that her marriage will take her and her sister Tella away from their abusive, manipulative father. The only dream Scarlett has ever truly allowed herself is to attend Caraval, a five-night scavenger hunt with the prize of a granted wish, held in a fantastical city entirely created by the infamous magician Legend. After Tella and intriguing-but-exasperating stranger Julian scheme to get all three of them to Caraval, Tella is separated from the others, and Scarlett grows convinced that the scavenger hunt's clues lead not only to the prize but to her sister as well. Scarlett is enchanted by strange loveliness she discovers while searching: a carousel made of roses; divinatory tattoos that reveal the beholder's future. But Caraval may be as deadly as it is exquisite, and despite the distance from home, it's not as far outside her father's influence as Scarlett hoped. The stakes grow ever higher, and Scarlett is no longer sure what's real or whom she can trust. The suspenseful story is perhaps a bit too twisty-turny, but readers invested in the sisters' fates (not to mention the outcome of steamy will-they-or-won't-they? tension between Scarlett and Julian) will hang on tight and enjoy the ride. Garber's darkly beautiful and brutal magical world is the star here, anyway, full of luscious details that invite readers to linger despite the breakneck pace. katie bircher