What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Book starts out with a teenage girl who's father is keeping her true identity a secret. She 'blacks out' or so she thinks and he erases her memory of shapeshifters who have come to retrieve her.

In parallel, theres a story line of another girl who is fighting in a competition. She fights an ex-boyfriend. She also befriends another fighter and uses magic to help him heal. This other fighter is one of the people trying to track down the girl whos father is keeping her identity secret. And he also has a friend that he takes care of like family.

At some point, the fighter-girl sends her boyfriend to thr human world in a cage. And her mother works in this place. Her mom haplens to be related to the dad mentioned above (siblings, i think??)

Anyway, they are all connected. And i really wish i could remember this book title!

what I remember is fragmented. the girls mother goes to the man she knows as her father and asks him for their protection. he agrees under a couple of conditions. raises her as his own. protects her from knowing her true identify.

meanwhile, in another universe?place? there is a competition where teens battle each other. a girl is doing well, but she is cheating with magic. at one point she has to fight her ex boyfriend. and kills him. but she doesn't really kill him, she banishes him to the human realm. she goes to visit her mother who lives in the human realm and we see him in a cage of sorts.

while this girl is fighting, she befriends another fighter. he lives in a cave (I think) with another guy - who he considers his tribe.

this guy is being paid to find the kings missing daughter (king??) and it's the daughter we read about in the first part of the book who doesn't know her true identify.

he goes to the human realm and befriends her.

A few long shots:
- The Unquiet by Mikaela Everett?
- The Almost Girl by Amalie Howard?

Christina, what year did you read this book? This will help narrow down the search.

Thanks Kris, it wasn't either of those. :(

I want to say that I read it in 2014 or 2015. I may have read it as late as early 2016. I'm frustrated with myself that I can't remember any of the characters names.

The story line goes between the 2 realms(?) before the teens all end up together on the human side. And then I can remember nothing - I wonder if I didn't finish the book (or series).

It goes back and forth to the point at first you don't realize the boy in the human world is the same boy fighting on the other side. But then it gives insight into his thoughts and there's a scene at a marketplace that makes it clear.

Carnival of Secrets originally published as Carnival of Souls

Anna - that's it! thank you!!