A review by ishu_u
Spectacular by Stephanie Garber

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

this sure was... something. i have to say i'm really disappointed it was centered around tella and not scarlett 😭 i like scarlett sm better. and i love julian so so much so i was excited to read thinking omg i'm gonna see my scarlett and julian again. and i did see them. for like a second or two. so yeah that sucked. i liked the magical feeling this book had, though. like i did when i read caraval. and the holiday vibes and all of that. it's like the one thing i enjoyed about this book. and this is a novella so i can't expect the plot to be good but it wasn't even cutesy 😭

like i'm reading about tella being tied up and assaulted and i'm supposed to be giggling about it?? fuck no. that scene was so weird and creepy and then it's made out to seem like tella knew who it was all along. like okay? weird. i am not matching her freak.

oh and i wanted some amount of evajacks. like. at least some amount of jacks. but no, neither of them were there. which, i can understand. but depriving me of scarlett and julian is crazy!!! not a great novella and it makes me sad it isn't bc i love caraval. oh and the illustrations are cute.