Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval (Caraval, #1)

by Stephanie Garber

Welcome to Caraval, where nothing is quite what it seems...

'If you ever wondered how it would feel to step into a dream, here's your ticket' - Stacey Lee

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. And for Scarlett and her beloved sister Tella it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless, abusive father.

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.

A mesmerising, magical and stunningly imaginative debut novel for anyone who loved The Night Circus.

Reviewed by Emma (SCR) on

4 of 5 stars

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This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews This book has been on my TBR pile for a long time. I have seen this book on Instagram for a long time and with the final book being released in May it was time to see what all the fuss is about.

The book follows sisters Scarlett and Donatella. The majority of the book is about Scarlett and follows her as she plays the game of Caraval. I won't really add much more of the story because there are layers, twists and turns that you really need to experience for yourself.

I will, however, talk a little bit about the characters. Scarlett is cautious. she's a planner and she's a worrier. Tella is impulsive, fun and a little dangerous! Then we have Julian oh that beautiful infuriating man! There are lots more characters and quite frankly I could go on for hours about them. These characters are well developed and have many many layers

This was a really good story with a good pace. I loved the descriptions and the grandeur of it. The whole thing just sounded so magical.

One thing that appears a lot in this book is roses. At the end of the book, there was an interview with Stephanie where she mentions that her sister gave her the idea for the roses when she said that they can beautiful or creepy. As soon as I heard that I thought you are SO right and then I tried to think back to all the uses or roses in this book both creepy and beautiful

Even at the end of the book, there are a lot of mysteries. I'm not sure what is real and what isn't. What I do know is that I am stoked for Legendary as it's all about Tella and I quite like her character.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 9 March, 2019: Finished reading
  • 9 March, 2019: Reviewed