Library

Caraval

Posted on August 14, 2019

Hi everybody!

Summer is almost over and so is my short break from book reviews. I decided to jump back in with this very popular book everyone is reading. I got Caraval as a birthday gift, and was so excited to start this series! Although Caraval is in my usual genre, this book has a different story type than what I normally read (aka no love triangle). No spoilers ahead…lets get swept away!

Caraval

By Stephanie Garber

YA Fantasy Fiction

Synopsis

A legendary competition. A mesmerizing romance. An unbreakable bond between two sisters. Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her 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 faraway, 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 the 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. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away.

My Thoughts

The Caraval series has been widely advertised since the last book in the series has just recently been released. I really wanted to love this book because the synopsis made it seem so magical and fun. Set in a fictional time and place, we are only given a vague picture of the world as a whole. The focus is on two major locations, the Isle of Trista, the home of our main character, and Isla de los Suenos, the home of Caraval.

Caraval is described as an elaborate performance in which the invited guests participate in the show. It used to be a traveling show, until one year when an unfortunate incident occurred. Now the show is only performed on the Isla de los Suenos. The master of Caraval and ringleader of the performance is only known as Legend and is rarely, if ever seen. Magic reigns in Caraval and nothing, and no one, is as it seems. The guests have only a few days to solve the puzzle and win the highly coveted prize.

The main character is Scarlett Dragna, a seventeen year old girl who has wanted to go to Caraval her whole life. She is very careful, cautious and non-impulsive. Her sister, Donatella, is the complete opposite and plays an important, albeit lesser role in the story. Scarlett’s main goal in life is the safety of both herself and her sister from their physically and mentally abusive father, Governor Dragna. Scarlett is convinced that their savior is her fiance of an arranged marriage, of whom she knows absolutely nothing about. Her plan goes off track, however, when she and her sister receive three tickets to Caraval a few days before the wedding.

Enter a confident, handsome sailor, Julian, who offers to take the sisters to the Isla delos Suenos in exchange for the extra ticket. Upon arriving at the island, the sisters are immediately separated and Scarlett is thrown into a strange land with a strange sailor.

Scarlett is a very timid for most of the book and you can tell she is really out of her comfort zone. I found that her character would be pretty accurate for someone with her childhood and background. The story progresses through Scarlett’s point of view so you, as the reader do not know what the other characters are doing and have to guess right along with her.

The entire book takes up a span of eight days. The first chapter hits the ground running and the action never stops. There is always something new popping up and the momentum keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, a wrench is thrown in and you have to rethink everything.

This book is a non-stop, page turner full of magic and mystery. Absolutely worth the read! Pick it up today and see if you can figure out what’s real and what’s not before the game ends!