Lefty's Lowdown: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

(Caraval #1)

Published: January 31, 2017 by Flatiron Books

Source: Purchased

Summary from Goodreads: 
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 faraway, 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.

Let me tell you a quick story. We alllll know how much hype has surrounded this book this year. It felt like everyone was talking about this book for months leading up to its release, and for months after. I'm sure, then, you understand my trepidation when it came to reading it. Of course, it has such a lovely cover that I had to buy it, but once I purchased it, I began to wonder if it really interested me anymore or if it was just the hype. Was I ever really going to read it? Then, I did a twitter poll at, like, 1 AM and asked what I should read next. I was on a serious  contemporary streak, but I threw this book into the poll on a whim. And what do you know? The vote rested heavily in Caraval's favor. My mentions were blowing up with people telling me I absolutely HAD to read it. I decided to trust twitter and crack 'er open.

It was an incredible decision.

I had to work in the morning, so I was not planning on reading an ENTIRE book that night, but that's what I did. I could not tear myself away from this novel or its characters. It was the book I didn't realize I needed, but luckily, my tweeps had my back.

What really kept me engaged in this book is that you never quite know who to trust or what is real. It was riveting. The gears in my head were turning the whole time trying to puzzle out the truth, and I could not wait to see how everything played out.

Of course, one reason I adore this book so heckin much is because of Julian!!!! I began to fall in love with him the moment he was introduced, and as I got to know him more, I straight up plummeted. There's an air of mystery surrounding him, but he's also kind and willing to actually give pieces of his life for Scar. He is my new book boyfriend and I will fight all of you for him, okay? I think my one complaint with this book, without giving any spoilers, is that I don't love where his story ends up. The way he is characterized in the end made everything we learned about him throughout the novel seem kinda superfluous. I really hope we get to see more of him in book #2 though because I need it.

This novel was an absolute roller coaster of emotions. One second I was wearing a toothy grin and the next I was getting misty-eyed and the next I was swooning. I just felt so connected to this story and absolutely engrossed. I couldn't tear myself away from it while I was reading, and now I can't tear my heart away from it weeks after having finished it.

My rating: 

5/5 stars

One of my favorite reads this year! 

A post shared by The Left-Handed Book Lover (@leftyreads) on Jun 27, 2017 at 2:29pm PDT

Lefty's Lowdown: Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin

Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin

(standalone)
Published: June 27, 2017 by Flatiron
Source: I received an electronic galley for review from the publisher via Netgalley, but all opinions stated in this review are 100% my own..

Summary from Goodreads:
In the tradition of Jandy Nelson and Rainbow Rowell, a big-hearted journey of furious friendship, crazy love, and unexpected hope after a teen's decision to end an unwanted pregnancy

“Troubled.” That’s seventeen-year-old Genesis according to her small New Jersey town. She finds refuge and stability in her relationship with her boyfriend, Peter—until he abandons her at a Planned Parenthood clinic during their appointment to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. The betrayal causes Gen to question everything.

As Gen pushes herself forward to find her new identity without Peter, she must also confront her most painful memories. Through the lens of an ongoing four act play within the novel, the fantasy of their undying love unravels line by line, scene by scene. Digging deeper into her past while exploring the underground theater world of New York City, she rediscovers a long-forgotten dream. But it’s when Gen lets go of her history, the one she thinks she knows, that she’s finally able to embrace the complicated, chaotic true story of her life, and take center stage.

This powerfully immersive and format-crushing debut follows Gen from dorm rooms to diners to house parties to auditions—and ultimately, right into readers’ hearts.

 I was absolutely not prepared for this novel. It's one of those books that sounded interesting, so I requested it, but was not actually excited to read it. I should have been excited, though, because this book was fantastic! It had me hooked from the very beginning and I consumed it whole. It's emotional and complicated and angsty as heck. This is not a book you need to sleep on.

If there's one thing you need to know about me, it's that I love books that so fun stuff with formatting. And Aftercare Instructions does something I've personally never seen before in a book: The chapters alternate between standard formatting and playwright formatting. And boy did it work well! The sections that are standard formatting tell the Now story, following Gen as she tries to piece herself back together after her boyfriend Peter abandoned her while she was getting an abortion. The sections with the play formatting takes us back Before. When Gen and Peter's relationship first started to develop, and the two different sections collide to form one complex, heartbreaking narrative.

It was a strange experience, because as I was reading, I was falling in love with Past Peter, despite the knowledge that he did something really shitty to Gen Now. My feelings while reading this book were all over the place, because I wanted her to get back together with Peter but I also wanted her to move on with the cute, charming new guy she meets at a party. I got tangled up in Gen's life, and I felt like I was struggling and making decisions right alongside her. I really connected to her and experienced her growth with her.

Now, of course, this book deals with the subject of abortion, which is touchy for a lot of people. Personally, I admired the way Pipkin portrayed abortion as messy and complicated. It's not a simple choice that leaves you the second the fetus gets removed. But Pipkin also doesn't paint a portrait of someone's morals based on this decision alone.

This was such an edgy, emotional read, perfectly suited for those who like dark, heavier contemporary books. It got me thinking a lot and I sincerely hope that the people who need a book like this are able to find it.

My rating: 

5/5