Book Review | Caraval
8:18 PM
synopsis.
Before you enter the world of Caraval, you must remember that it’s all a game . . .
Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their ruthless father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the legendary, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.
Then, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation to Caraval finally arrives. So, Tella enlists a mysterious sailor’s help to whisk Scarlett away to this year’s show. But as soon as the trio arrives, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nonetheless soon becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with her sister, with Legend, and 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.
my thoughts.
Caraval is a beautifully crafted story that both mesmerised and enchanted me from start to finish.
While the synopsis provides readers with an introduction to the story itself, I went in to reading it without knowing much at all about it and I’m so glad I did because once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. Garber has crafted a world that is magical and thrilling. All of her characters are engaging - there was not a single character that I didn’t enjoy reading about. From Scarlett and Tella, to the players in Caraval and the mysterious Legend, each character was unique and interesting.
The story is fast-paced. The twists and turns never stop coming and I was constantly waiting in anticipation for new clues and bits of information to revealed as the stakes are constantly raised throughout the story.
There are many comparisons to The Night Circus (Morgenstern) and while there’s some truth to those, Caraval is a book that is all it’s own. Magical, mesmerising and an utter delight to read.
I gave Caraval 5 out of 5 stars. It’s now one of my favourite books of all time. It will be released in Australia on January 31st, 2017. I cannot wait to get a physical copy of this book to relieve the magic of Caraval!
title // Caraval
author // Stephanie Garber
publisher // Hachette Australia, Hodder
genre // Science-Fiction & Fantasy
publication date // January 31, 2017
format // Paperback
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review from the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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