First of all, I didn’t know I was supposed to read the Caraval series first. Oops. My bad. But I didn’t ever feel lost, so I don’t think it matters.

Anywho … this was such a fast-paced read with a really solid and shifting plot to keep you turning pages. I enjoyed the balance between Eva trying to find her happily ever after and Jacks mysterious need to open the Valory Arch. It allowed for a nice mix of character development and plot progression, which a lot of YA books (or just books in general) tend to throw away for one or the other.

OUaBH also had some great themes. My favorite was definitely the unique take on fate versus free will. It’s a timeless theme, and this book shows how there’s space for both to coexist. We make our own decisions and face the consequences of them, but sometimes there are things beyond our control.

The Fates existing in a physical form exemplifies the uncontrollable with their chaotic meddling. You can’t control them. But our other characters influence the story just as much, if not more. It is not dictated solely by Fate … or is it? Jacks?

• It’s leaning heavily into fairytale stereotypes. It felt a bit gimmick at first but I’ve settled into it. It’s the vibe. I get it.
• Page 7: We give words power/meaning. Our belief in a story is what matters, not the story itself because of that. If we believe a rumor, it often doesn’t matter if it’s true. We make it true.
• I like Jacks. He seems so angsty and mischievous. 
• Page 29: “Heroes don’t get happy endings. They give them to other people.”
  • So is Jacks insinuating he’s a hero or the opposite? He could be warning her
• Page 60: I like the meshing of fate vs. free will in this story. Usually it’s fate vs. free will, but this feels different. The Fates can meddle, but you still have choices.
  • But also Eva should apply this more broadly to her life. She can still love who Luc was to her; all the pieces of him she cherished.

• Girl … you just met this man … oh my god … am I getting old?!?
• Prince Apollo is a simp. But it’s not his fault.
• I like that it all goes back to that quote on page 7. Eva has the choice to believe the story Apollo (Well, Jacks) is writing. She gives it meaning. She can go along with it or rewrite it. She can also believe it, even though it’s still part lie.
• We love a prophecy …
• My guess is Eva’s mother was part of the Valors family and ran away. Jacks somehow knows or can tell and that’s why he wants her to marry Apollo.
  • Someone in the crowd also mentioned earlier how she looked like some princess … interesting 
• Chaos being a vampire makes sense.
• Oh, Luc. What a twist. What a fate.
  • Looping back to pg. 7 … what’s true about Luc’s story and what’s the lie. Was he actually cursed or is he just saying what Eva wants to hear? I don’t think I believe him 100%. Like Jacks said, if he loved her, he’d find a way to break the curse.
• I’m obsessed with this take on fate vs. free will. Having Fate be a physical thing is so clever. It really exemplifies the unpredictability of it. We can’t control other people. We can only choose how we react to the world and our own decisions.
  • And taking responsibilities for those actions/choices
• That dang wolf who attacked Luc has to matter. They keep mentioning it. It wasn’t Jacks so why did it happen?
  • Oh, Marisol. Should’ve guessed. She’s actually cursed because she’s a witch.
    • I knew she was a conniving bitch 
• The prophecy seems too on the nose lol I’m used to Rick Riordan prophecies. Twisty, turny, hard to decipher.