Began reading: 9.8.2017
Completed reading: 15.8.2017
Overall rating: 5 stars
Welcome to Caraval, where nothing is quite what it seems.
Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda, pining from afar for the wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long performance where the audience participates in the show.
Caraval is Magic. Mystery. Adventure.
When the sisters' long-awaited invitations to Caraval finally arrive, it seems their dreams have come true. But no sooner have they arrived than Tella vanishes, kidnapped by the show's mastermind organiser, Legend.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But nonetheless she quickly becomes enmeshed in a dangerous game of love, magic and heartbreak.
And real or not, she must find Tella before the game is over, and her sister disappears forever.
Trigger warning: this book contains suicide.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber is a fictional young adult novel that contains fantasy and romance. I have been wanting to get a hold of this book since its release but (call me a cheapskate) I didn’t want to pay $16 for it. Imagine my excitement when I saw it at the library! I fell in love with this book from the very beginning, so the hype wasn’t exaggerated! I highly recommend this book for fantasy-lovers!
Since they were little girls, Scarlett and her sister Tella have been fascinated with the stories of Legend and his game Caraval – an annual game where the exclusive guests compete to win a magical prize. One day, Scarlett receives a letter from the mysterious Legend with three tickets to join Caraval. With the help of a sailor, Scarlett and Tella arrive on Legend’s magical island, but Tella soon gets swept away and disappears – later captured by Legend and held as the final answer to the clues before finishing the game. Scarlett will have to rush to save Tella, but as she progresses through the game, the line between fantasy and reality will blur – putting Scarlett’s sanity at risk. Will Scarlett manage to rescue Tella before the game is over, or will Scarlett return home empty-handed?
The book was well-written, and I was surprised that it is Garber’s debut novel. The pacing was fast, the atmosphere was immersive, and the characters were relatable. The use of literary techniques was notable, including personification, similes and allegory. These writing tools helped with adding detail in a way that words ordinarily can’t achieve. There were also some great quotes throughout the text, including:
Wishes were things of wonder that took a certain amount of faith[…] (p. 84).
Scarlett had been kissed. At the time she’d told herself it was nice, and she had been content with that, but now nice seemed like a word people used when they had nothing better to say (p. 143).
He’d never stared at her like this before. Sometimes he gazed at her as if he wanted to be her undoing, but just then it was as if he wanted her to undo him (p. 173).
‘Do you always focus on what you’re giving up, rather than what you’ll be gaining? Some things are worth pursuit regardless of the cost’ (p. 191).
Hope is a powerful thing. Some say it’s a different breed of magic altogether. Elusive, difficult to hold on to. But not much is needed (p. 318).
More quotes from the novel can be found here.
World-building is usually something that I don’t really notice – I could take it or leave it. But if I’m honest with myself, I’d say that world-building hasn’t been a significant aspect I look for in the books I’ve read. This novel made the world the story took place in seem really well-developed. I could tell that a lot of thought and creativity was put into its formation. Because of this, I noticed that it was immersive and I found myself wanting to explore more of the setting. Thanks to this book, I’ll now be paying more attention to the worlds in the books I read.
Another aspect of books that I like to comment on is the range (or lack thereof) of characters. I think that having a diverse group of characters in a story mimics reality, as individuals have unique personalities, and gives readers an opportunity to relate to at least one of the individuals in the narrative. Garber incorporated a variety of interesting characters, both primary and secondary, to reflect a realistic community and an elaborate performance. I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the group of characters, primarily because there weren’t too many to keep track of. Each character had distinctive characteristics and contributed to the plot in some way. Again, I’m amazed by Garber’s writing proficiency given that this is her debut novel.
Plot twists are something that many writers fail to successfully portray, but Garber managed to structure that the twists so that they were unpredictable and emotional at times. I have said in past reviews that, depending on how they are structured, can make or break a novel. The twists in this book were unpredictable, which made me want to know what happened next. There were also some emotional surprises that made me want to cry. I wasn’t aware that I had formed a connection with the characters, so I was shocked to discover that I was overcome with feels when something happened to them. Because of this, I’m eager to see the plot twists in the upcoming sequel.
In some of the books I have read, I noticed that I prefer a main plot and disregard sub-plots. I believe that this is because some sub-plots have felt insignificant or lacked interest. In this case, the main plot and sub-plots were just as interesting as each other. All of the plot lines flowed smoothly alongside each other and seemed relevant to the overall story. It allowed me to enjoy the book in its entirety, as opposed to racing through a section of the book that I disliked.
The conclusion of the book was extremely enjoyable because it provided closure and laid the foundation for the sequel. I always look for this in epilogues or when the novel is coming to a close because I don’t want to be left with unanswered questions or feeling confused. It is important for a book to answer questions but create a decent set-up for a sequel (if there is one), which I understand can be difficult sometimes. The way in which Garber structured the conclusion of the book was well-done, and I’m excited to see how the narrative continues in the sequel!
My favourite character was Scarlett because she is relatable, protective, loyal and courageous. I could definitely see myself in Scarlett because being the eldest sibling, I know how frustrating it can be to always be held responsible for your wild little sister, then to have said little sister call you boring because of it (if my little sister is reading this, sorry, not sorry). Aiko was a notable character.
When I began reading this book, I disliked Tella because I thought she was getting Scarlett into trouble. That was until I realised that she was just as protective of Scarlett as Scarlett is to her. Obviously, I didn’t like the governor, so I’m eager to read about how the sisters get revenge.
My favourite part of the novel was Scarlett’s ‘death’ because it was intimate, insightful, dramatic and full of plot twists. We were given a first-hand look at the stories that Scarlett and Tella were told.
Recommendation time! If you like The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Freeks by Amanda Hocking, the Wintersong duology by S. Jae-Jones, and the Hibiscus Daughter series by Lana Popović, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes The Greatest Showman, Water for Elephants, Carnival Story, and Cirque du Soleil: The Magic Circus.
I will also be reviewing the Caraval sequel when it becomes available. Keep an eye out for that!
Happy reading!
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