Book Review: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

SYNOPSIS

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world...
 
Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved 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 far-away, 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. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.
 
Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.

Synposis from Indigo.ca

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PERSONAL REVIEW

This book has basically been all over Instagram and Goodreads since it came out...which actually made me nervous to read it. I hate when there’s a lot of hype around a book because then there’s so much pressure to like it because everyone else does or my expectations are so high that the book can’t meet them.
 
So I’m happy I waited so long after this was released to read it because the hype died down and I could actually enjoy reading it. And enjoy I did. I can definitely see why Garber’s debut novel had everyone in love with it and I really enjoyed diving into it. So…
 
Why I Liked It So Much:

• Fun, Fast and Exciting Plot: This book moves so well from start to finish, that you really feel like you’re racing against time with Scarlett as the nights run out for her to find Tella. The interweaving of so many different plotlines and lies might have gotten confusing, but Garber does an excellent job of moving us along without stumbling over the details. I read this in a day simply because I couldn’t put it down. I was afraid to miss something!

 

• Excellent Characters: I wasn’t completely sold on Scarlett at first, but it’s quickly clear that everything she does is too protect her sister from their father. I thought she was great; I liked her passion, determination, and her refusal to give up on Tella. Julian was obviously wonderful, and I can’t wait to get to know Legend better in a future book (*it was actually just announced that there will be a sequel coming next year!). But even the secondary characters were well crafted and I’m excited to get to know Tella better in the next book.

 

• A True Fantasy World Come to Life: There are some books that the fantasy seems so ridiculously over the top that you just can’t get into the story because it seems so fake; this is not one of those books. We are wholeheartedly thrown into this world with no apologies and it’s obvious that Garber has really thought through the Caraval world we read in front of us. Through the confusing twists and turns of the changing walls, tunnels, and streets, we never fall out of this fantasy world. It’s wonderful and fun and I thought it was incredibly well done.

 
I had a really fun time reading “Caraval” and I’m so excited for “Legendary” to come out next year now that it’s been officially announced! This is definitely a situation where I almost wish I had waited longer to read the book so that there wouldn’t be such a long wait for the sequel, but I’m willing to put up with it because I enjoyed “Caraval” so much.

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FINAL REVIEW: 4.5/5