The “Caraval” trilogy by Stephanie Garber began as a delight. The first book was like if Jay Gatsby staged “The Westing Game” with the cast of Cirque du Soleil. It was all color and wonder and spectacle. In it, a young woman named Scartlett joins a magical scavenger hunt to find her sister. No one is who they seem to be and no one can be trusted. She has to rely on wit and instinct to navigate the illusions and win the game.

The second story, “Legendary,” brings the sisters back together and takes on the viewpoint of Tella, the one who was missing in the first book. She goes on her own magical journey in this one, where she discovers secrets about her past as well as the identity of the mysterious founder of the game. It was a bit more contrived than the first but still enjoyable

Then in the third book, “Finale,” both girls muck about trying to figure out who to fall in love with and marry. I made it about 75 pages in before I decided I could’t spend any more time reading about teenagers in love.

I can wholeheartedly recommend the first book in this series but the follow-ups aren’t as much fun. #bookreview #bookstagram #bookish #bookworm