Caraval

This story was so magical, so whimsical, and so perfect. I was skeptical, because I'm pretty much the only person on Goodreads that did not like The Night Circus, but this didn't remind me of The Night Circus at all. Well, at least the 15% I read before I couldn't force myself to read more. I mean, I can see where people would draw the parallels because of the plot, but the writing in this is much more reminiscent of The Raven Boys or Heartless. The prose is the epitome of lyrical, with descriptions that were nothing short of magical, and I devoured it all with a smile on my face. “It looked like a storybook come to life. She peered down at bright pointy rooftops, moss-covered towers, gingerbread cottages, gleaming gold bridges, blue-brick streets, and bubbling fountains, all lit by candled lamps that hung everywhere, giving an appearance of time that was neither day nor night.” Can we talk about how this is Stephanie Garber’s debut novel? I am seriously shocked, because this is not the writing of a new or amateur writer. She has perfected her craft, and made just a really addictive and impressive first story. I hope and pray she wins 2017's Best Debut Goodreads Author award, because she is so deserving with this masterpiece. I'm in awe of her talent, honestly. God, the writing was so good. The descriptions were perfection. I understand this might not be for everyone, but this world consumed me and I didn't want to leave when I turned the last page. I know this book is about a magical place, but it truly ended up being a magical experience that I'm not going to forget anytime soon. Caraval is the first book I gave five stars to in 2017, and it is so very deserving of that title. The plot of this has a perfect thriller tempo, too! Yes, I've been raving about how magical and lyrical this book is, but I have to emphasize that the pace is fast, too! Each chapter holds a new mystery, and I felt so compelled to never put this book down. Caraval truly is a fast and magical journey that I can't help but recommend everyone take! Caraval is a magical game that is played once a year. Not everyone can go, but the lucky ones are sent tickets, and once they arrive they are able to choose if they'd like to watch the game or actually play the game. Scarlett has been writing to the master of Caraval, Legend, her whole life in hopes to acquire tickets for her and her sister, and after all these years she finally gets a letter back. And the sibling love in this is so amazing. My brother and I are really close, and there is nothing I wouldn't do for him. Scarlett's devotion to her sister warmed my heart completely and I loved reading about it. Also, seeing them pick each other over boys is my freaking jam. This book also tackles the hard topic of parental abuse, emotional, mental, and physical. This topic is so important, and doesn't seem to be in much YA, unless it is the center of the story. So many kids grow up being abused, yet, it doesn't become the center of their life. Seeing Scarlett realize she is not the value of her father's rage was beautiful. We need more books that handle this issue, because Uncle Vernon and Harry Potter isn't close to being the epitome of an abusive relationship. Many parents can be manipulative, abusive, terrible, and it isn't the victims fault, ever. “People think no one sees all the nasty things they do in the dark. The foul acts they commit, or the lies they tell as part of the game. Caraval takes place at night because you like to watch, and see what people do when they think there are no consequences.” This book does border on unreliable narrative though, because as Scarlett is learning the rules of the game and the magic of Caraval, so is the reader. Caraval is a facade, it might be a beautiful facade, but it is still a facade. The reader is never sure if what they are reading is true, and that is because Scarlett never knows if what she is experiencing is true. I loved the mystery factor and thought it worked perfectly, but I can see where others might not like it as much as me. And the characters and players in this world are so wonderful! Scarlett was my favorite, and I feel like it would be almost impossible not to fall in love with her. Her sister, Tella, has a good heart and her actions were coming from a good place, but she was a little frustrating. Hopefully, in the next book, my love for Scarlett will carry over to Tella. Julian is the other main character you read about, alongside Scarlett. His character was so endearing and I absolutely loved this story-arc and twist(s). Not knowing whether to root and cheer for him or wish him dead was a unique experience to say the least! I loved this book. I loved it with my whole heart. I read this in one day; I couldn't put it down. This book is the definition of a sensory read. Please give it a try. I understand that not every book is for everyone, but this book is pretty close to perfection, in my eyes. I whole heartedly expect this to show up on my "Best of 2017" list, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel.

“Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.” I had been looking forward to this book for months. I kept trying to get an ARC of it but no dice, had to wait for the release date like everyone else. Nearly pounced on the the poor UPS guy when he finally showed up with it at 5pm. How could I resist a book that promises magic, mystery, drama, and just a touch of heartbreak? Stick that all in a pot, give it a good stir, and you have yourself the makings of a good book. Alright. Before I get too far along here, something has been nagging at me. I’ve read dozens of reviews of this books. The lucky ducks who did manage to get ARCs of it have been popping their thoughts up on Goodreads for weeks. Of all of them, I only read one or two that went, “Hey wait, does this remind any one else of The Night Circus?” Yes. Yes, it does. Thank you for saying so. We have the magic circus/carnival, the master/masters overseeing things with their own set of rules, a forbidden love, delicious and extraordinary food that is never seen outside of the venue, and Caraval even goes black and white for a few pages under a magical influence much like Le Cirque des Rêves is. I’m not complaining, mind you, I just found it odd that no one was mentioning the parallels. Now that that is off of my chest… We begin with two sisters, Donatella and Scarlett, who live a rather isolated life with their father. He is a hard and cruel man who takes any opportunity to physically and mentally punish them. I wanted to reach in the pages and slap him around. He had even gone as far as murdering a man who was trying to help his daughters. The girls want to escape their oppressive life and Scarlett means to give them that escape by marrying a count who would take them away from the prison they were forced to call home. When tickets arrive for them to get into the magical Caraval, a wrench gets thrown into her plans. She had always wanted to go but she knows her marriage and ticket to freedom are upcoming and if she goes to Caraval those will be taken from her forever. Donatella has other plans and along with the help of a dashing sea captain, they kidnap Scarlett and head to the mysterious island that is home to Caraval. Upon arriving on the island Donatella immediately disappears which sends Scarlett into a frenzy as she feels it is her responsibility alone to watch out for Tella. That was irksome about Scarlett. Every action she took was about finding and saving Tella. It never occurs to her that Tella is an independent and intelligent woman who, perhaps, is capable of saving herself. So Scarlett along with Julian, the sea captain who took them to the island, enter into Caraval and begin their search for Tella. Caraval itself is full of wonder and the fantastic. People come from all around to take part in it. During the day the guests are confined to their hotels but at night everything comes alive. The guests take part in solving a mystery. This year, the mystery is the disappearance of Donatella. There are clues, some they are given and some they must find, to lead them to the damsel in distress. Scarlett, of course, is frantic to find her sister. She and Julian follow the clues and find themselves pretty constantly in some sort of perilous peril. The most enjoyable part of the story for me was Scarlett’s progression as a character. She starts off as this timid, rule abiding mouse but through her trials and tribulations within Caraval she grows into a more confident, strong woman. There are many twists and turns through the story and with each page you learn more and more that Caraval can be a frightening place. The guests are warned at the beginning that everything is just a show and not too get too enraptured but it feels less and less like a performance with every passing chapter. Scarlett is caught up in the mystery and in finding her own confidence and heart and you will be, too. It is a lovely story that is very character driven. Admittedly, I would have liked a little more focus on the venue as I never did get a clear image of it in my head but overall well worth the read.

Wooow thos was so good!! I cant wait to read Legendary now!

Good quality and a must read book Caraval is an absolute masterpiece! Stephanie Garber's writing is beautifully immersive, pulling you into a world of magic, mystery, and high-stakes adventure. The story follows Scarlett Dragna, who has always dreamed of seeing Caraval—a legendary performance where the audience plays a role in the spectacle. But when she finally gets her chance, things take a dark and thrilling turn as her sister, Tella, is kidnapped, and Scarlett must navigate a dangerous game where nothing is as it seems. The world-building is breathtaking, full of lush descriptions that make you feel like you're walking through the streets of Caraval yourself. The plot is fast-paced and filled with twists that kept me turning the pages late into the night. I also loved the romance—subtle yet swoon-worthy! If you love books like The Night Circus or The Selection, you’ll absolutely adore Caraval. Highly recommend for fans of fantasy, mystery, and adventure! — A very happy reader

I really enjoyed this one! The world building in this book fully immersed me - it was enough to get a real feel for the magic of Caraval without being too descriptive that it became annoying which I often struggle with in fantasy based books. With this story I found it easy to visualise the setting, people and experience and became fully invested. Character wise I loved the storylines within the different relationships. The main characters were well written and intriguing. I enjoyed the sister aspect and the relationship involving how far you would go to protect those you love as a sister. I also enjoyed the relationship building between Scarlett and Julian - I was never quite sure if he was trustworthy and that added a great additional layer to the story. The performers although not main characters had me intrigued and wanting to know more about them! However I do wish the relationship between Scarlett and had father had maybe been explored more. The game aspect as a whole was extremely clever, being reminded that ‘it’s only a game’ still didn’t stop me getting drawn in and I was often questioning which parts are in fact the game and what might just be real. Can’t wait to read the next one!

J’ai lu Caraval et j’ai vraiment apprécié ce livre ! L’univers est très immersif, plein de magie, de mystère et de surprises, et je n’ai pas pu m’arrêter de lire jusqu’à la fin. L’histoire de Scarlett à la recherche de sa sœur dans ce jeu incroyable est bien écrite et pleine de rebondissements. Pour moi, c’est une lecture parfaite si tu aimes les romans fantastiques pleins d’imagination et d’aventure.

“Welcome, welcome to Caraval! The grandest show on land or by sea. Inside you’ll experience more wonders than most people see in a lifetime. You can sip magic from a cup and buy dreams in a bottle. But before you fully enter into our world, you must remember it’s all a game.” This is the second time reading Caraval for me. It all started one year ago: I was watching a BookTuber talking about her favorite reads and she grabbed my attention when she mentioned The Night Circus. She talked so highly of that book I knew I needed to try it for myself. I immediately checked on Amazon - keep in mind that, at the time, I was still reading mainly in Italian, so I was pretty disappointed to find out that, for some reason I don't remember, I couldn't order the Italian edition of that book on Amazon. Pretty bummed I returned to the video I was originally watching. The girl proceeded to talk about Caraval, another book she really enjoyed and that she considered perfect for fans of The Night Circus. I hadn't read the latter yet, but I already considered myself a fan, so I returned on Amazon full of hope and I managed to order the Italian edition of Caraval. What happened next is history (for me lol): the book stole my heart in a blink, making me fall in love with every little detail, every description, every character, every plot twist... I was obsessed. As soon as I finished it, I discovered the sequel had already been published and I ordered it without even thinking about it. And that's when I made the mistake that led me to where I am right now: too excited about Legendary, I didn't notice that I was ordering a book in English. Yes, the sequel wasn't out in Italy yet, but Amazon had the original edition and that's what I bought. Legendary was my first English book! Looking back I'm so glad I made that mistake because it made me realize my English level was more than enough to allow me to read books that hadn't been published in Italy (as long as they were written in English of course). It's been almost a year since I finished Legendary and when Finale was announced I screamed! I couldn't wait to discover how everything was going to end. I still had to wait many months though, so I decided to sell my Italian edition of Caraval, order the English one and do a re-read of the series, in order to remember every little detail when I eventually started Finale. Even though this was my second time reading Caraval, it felt like the first. It didn't matter that I already knew how it was going to unravel, I enjoyed it so much - discovering how many things I forgot since last year. From the first pages, I felt the urge to keep reading because I needed to know what happened in the next chapter! In the book someone says that "Caraval is the closest you'll ever find yourself to magic in this world" and I honestly think he was talking about the book itself, not the game. This book is pure magic. Like Queen Garber would say, it's made of dreams come true. I won't go much into details because I'm honestly not able to analyze this book as I would normally do. It's too intense, too unique, too unexpected. Stephanie's writing style is one of the most beautiful I've ever come across. It made me dream on a whole new level! She uses lots of romantic metaphors and thanks to them you find yourself experiencing the story with all your senses, almost like you were the main character. “He tasted like midnight and wind, and shades of rich brown and light blue. Colors that made her feel safe and guarded.” Quotes like this one make you feel everything. Every single character is perfectly built and three-dimensional in a very unusual way. They're all actors and they're even more complex and faceted, at the point where you're constantly asking yourself if they're telling the truth or if they're just acting. Just like Scarlett - the MC - you're always wondering what's real and what's part of the game. Talking about Scarlett, I've heard many people saying how they didn't like her and how much Tella was better than her sister. Even though I more with Donatella as well, I must say that this re-read made me appreciate Scarlett a lot more: she's not boring as many people say, she's clever, she evaluates her options carefully, she thinks twice before taking any decision because she's analytical and precise. Maybe this makes us more similar than I realized when I first read the book. She doesn't want to waste her time, she's driven by her infinite love for Donatella and she only cares for her. She spends the entirety of the game thinking about Tella, looking for her and hoping she's okay. Her dedication is touching and admirable. The romance is a very strong part of the book, yet it never feels too much. It's a slow burn, always present but always on the side, never exaggerate to the point where it feels like the main point of the story. Knowing that you can't really tell reality from act makes it even more unique and interesting, to the point where you find yourself analyzing every little detail of it to understand what's really going on. The final plot twist didn't take me by surprise because I remembered it, but I also remember that it left me shook the first time I've read it, so I can say it's quite a good one. I know, this review is probably useless, it feels like I haven't written anything. I just think that Caraval is one of those books that need to be experienced without knowing too much about the plot, you need to dive in completely blind. Do it and I swear you're in for a marvelous, magical adventure!