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 Leigha on

2 of 5 stars

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Two sisters participate in the game of a lifetime in this young adult fantasy romance.

I've never been captivated by books centered around the magic of a carnival or circus. Sadly, Garber's Caraval is not the novel to break me from my apathy. The plot is simple - two sisters, Scarlett and Donatella (Tella), are given tickets for Caraval, an elaborate whodunit dinner theater event performed once a year. The plot may be simple, but the rest of the novel is convoluted and cliched. To me, this book failed on almost every level.

It failed as a fantasy. Development, what is thy name? We are given a generic, brief sketch of the world. The world-building is pretty much dropped once the sisters arrive to Caraval in chapter two. I would have loved more description about the world, and Caraval's context in the world.

It failed as a mystery. The mystery revolves around the kidnapping of Tella. The clues around her kidnapping seem so arbitrary. Scarlett's thought process for discovering these supposed clues make very little sense to me.

It failed as a romance. First strike - I'm usually tapped out when the romantic lead begins by kissing another sister (Page 1). Second strike - I'm very rarely a fan of romances developed over a short span of time. I never believed the strong feelings between Julian and Scarlett developed over a five day period, and certainly never love. Third strike - I'm not a fan of a romance starting as a lie.

It failed as a character-driven novel. I was not a fan of the sisters. Or Julian. Or any other character featured in this novel. It deals in too many cliches - the older, responsible sister; the younger, flight sister; the mysterious, attractive love interest; the cruel, oppressive father. I don't mind cliches, but I'd like them to be used in a unique way. This novel would have been far more interesting if Scarlett was kidnapped over Tella.

Honestly, I do not understand the hype around this book. If you like it, great. But if you’re looking for something unique to the young adult fantasy genre, this is not it.

tl;dr A unfulfilling novel featuring cliched characters and a convoluted plot. Skip it.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 5 March, 2017: Finished reading
  • 5 March, 2017: Reviewed