Okay, get ready for the gush because holy cow was this book a blast. Seriously, I cannot stop thinking about it and it's one of those books that I can just picture teens reading over and over again (at least I know I want to read it over and over again). Garber has done something extraordinary here and while the concept isn't necessarily new, what she did with it is totally unique and utterly fantastic. It really does have everything - mystery, intrigue, romance, magic, twists, turns, family drama, villains who may not be villains, heroes who may not be heroes and so....much....more! I tip my hat to Garber because she really takes her readers for one helluva ride, one that I'm certainly not ready to end. All in all - an absolute must have for every YA collection whether it be home or library. I've already gotten it into the hands of readers and I can't wait to share it with more!

Scarlett is betrothed to someone she hopes will be kinder than her cruel father. Her sister Tella, however, longs for another life for both sisters, and when Scarlett recieves an invitation to Caraval, a once-in-a-lifetime performance of magic, it is Tella who whisks her sister away.

Tella is kidnapped by Legend, the mastermind of Caraval who has put Scarlett's sister's life as the prize. Joined by the mysterious Julian, Scarlett is determined to save her sister and herself, but she will soon learn that nothing is what it seems in Caraval.

Lovely engaging magical read!

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read and review Caraval by Stephanie Garber! Scarlett and Donatella are treated harshly by their father. They have both always wanted to see Caraval since their grandmother told them stories about it years ago. They plan on running away to see Caraval and never coming back to their father. He has threatened them with harm if they ever leave and he has even gone to the extreme lengths of committing murder to keep Scarlett and Donatella on the island with him. Tella left their rooms a mess to make their father believe they were kidnapped while they sailed with Julian to Caraval, Legend's private island. The game on Caraval that Legend controls is adventurous, daring, mysterious and frightening. Scarlett never knows, from beginning to end, what is real and what is just the game. I grew to care about Scarlett and I wanted her to finally find happiness. I also admire her for the bravery and love she demonstrates to help her sister, Tella. Their father is selfish and violent and I wanted the sisters to be free of him. I also like the setting and time the story takes place in. It was familiar but also new at the same time because of Stephanie Garber's clever writing. 5 stars for the magical mystery of the game and all of its characters!

Caraval is a sparkling story that keeps you guessing until the very end. I loved the world building and performance aspects; it also had a bit of a Sherlock vibe that I was totally into. Caraval is a perfect choice for fans of the Night Circus.

Three and a half stars: A book with dazzling magic and lovely writing, but the characters and romance are disappointing.

Scarlett has written letters to the mysterious Legend for seven years, begging him to bring his magical Caraval to her part of the world. Her letters have gone unanswered until the last one. Just days before her arranged marriage, Scarlett finally gets a letter from Legend inviting her and her fiancé as well as her younger sister, Tella, to attend Caraval. Unfortunately, Caraval is a boat trip away, and there is no way Scarlett can leave as she will risk the wrath of her abusive father. Tella has other ideas, and Scarlett soon finds herself waking up in a boat with a handsome sailor, Julian, on her way to Caraval. Once she arrives, Scarlett learns that Tella has been kidnapped by Legend, and to get her sister back, Scarlett must play the elaborate Caraval game. A game full of magic and mischief where one can literally get swept away. Will Scarlett solve the mystery of Caraval and get her sister back?
What I Liked:
*Caraval is one of the buzz books for 2017, and though I have been avoiding hyped books, I couldn't resist this one because I was drawn to the magic and the setting. Needless to say, the world of Caraval and the magical part didn't disappoint. I loved getting swept away into this strange world. If you love books with gorgeous writing, magic and mystery, this is a fun one to try.
*What I loved the most about this book was the setting. Once Scarlett enters the world of Caraval, the book takes off. I loved the strange setting, filled with magic, mirages, mystery and mayhem. This strange world was amazingly crafted and the descriptions were filled with lovely metaphors and similes that I thought were enchanting. I thought the writing was wonderful, and I would recommend reading this one for the Caraval setting and the sumptuous writing.
*I liked that the story had a dreamlike quality, and you never knew what was real or imagined. In Caraval, there are plenty of illusions and strange occurrences that left me wondering as to what was going on. If you think you have it figured out, think again. I enjoyed the mystery and all the twists and turns. This book will keep you guessing until the final pages.
*The ending is satisfactory, and there isn't a cliffhanger or a bunch of nagging questions. Scarlett's story is tied up, while an interesting tidbit is left regarding Tella and a sequel.
And The Not So Much:
*I struggled with the characters. Tella is reckless and wild, and not present for most of the book. I had a hard time understanding Scarlett's love and devotion to her sister because from what little I saw of Tella she was selfish. I never felt the sister bond, and I thought the author should have done a better job showing the sisterly love. Scarlett was a struggle for me throughout. She comes off as rather spineless, and she has naive ideas about life and love. She is determined to escape her father, and she thinks that she will be saved by an arranged marriage to a man she has never meant. She has these Cinderalla like notions that drove me crazy. She does grow throughout the book, but not enough to satisfy me. I wanted her to be bold and fierce. She finally does show some gumption in the final pages, but it was too little too late for me. I was also frustrated with Julian. I wanted to like him, but I never knew who he was. Even when all was revealed at the end, I was still left confused by him.
*The romance didn't really work for me. There really isn't much buildup and then all of a sudden Scarlett is in love. I wanted more development and all of that. It felt to rushed and too much like insta love for me.
*I was left wondering about Scarlett's father and the Count. What happened to them? Not that it was a big important part, but I still wanted to know, and how did they get there in the first place?
*I was also bothered by all the buildup and mystery surrounding Legend. I wanted to get to know the man behind the curtain. Who exactly is Legend?

Caraval is a book that will certainly appeal to many readers. It has a gorgeous and imaginative setting, romance and mystery. I enjoyed the setting and the lovely writing, but I was disappointed in the characters and the hurried romance. Still, I would recommend this one based on the creative storytelling and the stunning setting of Caraval.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Caraval didn't live up to the hype. The plot was more confusing than intriguing, leading me to reread pages and chapters in the vain hope that something might start to make sense. I wish I could have been sold on the fantastical world of Caraval, but while the world-building had its moments of magic, it was bitty and difficult to immerse myself in. The characters, likewise, were two dimensional and predictable.

This is how I described this book to my students; "it's about an enchanted island full of magic. The participants are playing a game, and at the end, they will be granted one wish. However, Scarlett is not entirely sure if she is playing a game; she can't figure out what is real, and what is fantasy."

I loved this book! The descriptions are so vivid, I could see everything as I read. Caraval is a fantasy world where dresses change color with changing emotions, bridges move from one place to another, currency can be secrets or one day of your life and there are trap doors and hidden tunnels that you can get lost in.

Some of the images from the book:

"Someone screamed. As hot and bright as fire."
"The world tasted like lies and ashes when Scarlett woke."
"...pillows as dark as nightmares..."
"Behind her a cloud drifted over the moon, covering all but two two points of light, which hovered behind her silver hair like devil's horns."

There are more colors in this book than a 24 box of crayons. But purples, reds and blues dominate. The food imagery is delectable and made me crave sugary sweets as I was reading. It was simply exquisite.

This was a book that I couldn't put down. Not only was it beautifully written, but the story was so twisty that I would have to read on when I should have been turning off the light! I sped read the last 60 pages because I had no idea how it was all going to end. It was the kind of book where you are having a conversation with someone, but what you're really thinking about is Caraval!

I'm looking forward to the next installment of Scarlett's adventure, and I'm sure you will be too!

Unfortunately, I was not as impressed with Caraval as I expected to be. Which, trust me, shocked me just as much as it might shock you. Books like this, with themes of magic and intrigue are usually my bread and butter. I wholly expected to be swept away by this story. If Caraval had spent more time with the world building and character building, instead of so much time with sweeping purple prose, I really think this would have been a winner for me. More on that below.

First off, Scarlett is a tough character to love. Although I adored her connection with her sister, and applauded her fierce protectiveness, there wasn't much else about Scarlett that endeared her to me. She was frustrating, to say the least. I absolutely don't mind a character who puts others above themselves, especially when it comes to family. However the lack of character development in this case drove me mad. Scarlett barely learned. She barely grew. She made the same mistakes over and over, while lamenting her situation instead of doing something about it. I was only just starting to see a spark of a woman who might have gained something from all of this, when the book ended.

My other big issue, as I mentioned above, was that no real love was given to the world that Scarlett and her sister inhabited. From the island that they felt imprisoned on, to the surrounding islands, all the way out to Caraval itself, all it was just implied. Here is an island. It hold magic. This man who has a lot of power, due to a very quickly told backstory, holds a game here that you might win a wish out of. Done, and done. I was given only the briefest glimpse into anything, even when Scarlett was running all over the game itself. Again, frustrating. I'd have loved to see much less purple prose, and much more actual description. I wanted the world brought to life for me, and I truly believe it would have helped massively.

I believe I truly understand why a lot of people adore this book. The concept of a magical island, the idea of a game that pushes the very folds of reality, is a fascinating thing. If only it had been more fleshed out, and given much more attention, I would have fallen in love too. My Fantasy driven mind demands a foothold in any new book I read. A place that is described beautifully enough that I can find myself there in an eyeblink. Caraval lacked that for me, and so the story just felt flat.

I loved this book. It's ages since I read something just for me and that's novel just fit my mood. I loved the characters and twists and turns in the plot. I am assuming there will be a sequel

CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber has been chosen as The Marvelous Young Adult Novel for February and March 2017 by The Marvelous Site. The review below is a reviewaka, based on an ancient Japanese poetry form. (To learn how to read a reviewaka, please go to http://www.themarveloussite.com/quick-guide-to-reading-a.html.)

Caravan /
by Stephanie Garber /
c2017 //

dangerous intrigue /
a nighttime, magical game /
loyalties tested //

richly descriptive treasures /
hidden in this fantasy //

MM

This reminded me in equal parts Alice In Wonderland and The Night Circus. As in those two novels nothing what it seems to be and trying to distinguish fact from fiction becomes a big part of the novels allure. I've read that the movie rights have been sold, so I'm excited to see how it visually plays out on fi

I really enjoyed this book. Some elements in it were predictable, but the concept for the book was a new one for me. I appreciated the twists and turns. I changed my predictions for the ending more than once during my reading. I would definitely recommend to any lover of YA fantasy, and I'll be telling those coming through my store.

Great book! Excited for my students to read it! Very unique, great characters.

Confession: I went into Caraval with a lot of trepidation. I don't read a lot of fantasy, I'm not a fan of magical realism, and *whispers* I was the one person I know who DNF'd Night Circus. I tried a printed copy, then the audiobook, and just wasn't feeling it.

Luckily, I enjoyed Caraval much more than I expected. I do like books with a fairy tale vibe and to me this read more like a fairy tale than fantasy, with a lot of fairy tale tropes woven in. What it also reminded me of was Alice in Wonderland -- in Caraval, Scarlett gets thrown into a world that doesn't make sense, where things -- and people -- are not always what they seem. That part of the story was interesting and keeps you feeling a little off-balance the whole time. I was certain that I'd figured out at least one of the major twists in this book...
Show spoiler ...but then things didn't turn out the way I was expecting.

A few things about Caraval were a mixed bag for me. The writing seemed simplistic for YA in some parts, but was really lovely in others. I wasn't crazy about the main character, Scarlett. I'm also the oldest of two sisters and a rule follower, so you'd think I'd relate to her, but Scarlett's stodgy, fearful nature often got on my nerves. The romance was classic Gothic/old school bodice ripper, with sweet, innocent Scarlett falling for the last man she should, then spending endless hours wondering if she can trust him or if he was who he seemed.

That said, the ending of the book was interesting and unexpected, and it looks like there will be a companion book about Scarlett's younger sister, Donatella. I'll definitely give it a chance!

Caraval was a twisty-turny book. It kept me on the edge of my seat, never knowing who to trust or what to believe. Honestly, I finished it yesterday and I’m STILL not sure what to make of what happened!! This book reminded me of a combination of Wintersong (because of the sisters) and Fever by Lauren DeStefano (because of the “carnival” and the dark and gritty plot).

The world of Caraval was absolutely gorgeous and breath-taking – the island it takes place on, Isla de los sueños (the island of dreams) is up there with Wonderland and Oz, in my opinion. It’s magical and fantastical and I’d love to go there and experience it for myself.

As I mentioned, the sisters in this – Scarlett and Tella – reminded me very much of Liesl and Kath from Wintersong, respectively. Both Scarlet and Liesl are headstrong and overprotective. Each ends up on a bizarre adventure in an attempt to save their sister. Both Tella and Kath are carefree and a bit immature. They don’t think about the consequences of their actions. The one big difference? There’s more to Tella than meets the eye.

As for the other characters… Julian is cocky, sarcastic and a complete mystery. I was constantly shuffling back and forth, wondering if I could trust him or not. And even after finishing the book, there’s still something about him that’s nagging at me. I really wanted to like Dante. He was so kind in the beginning, but then certain things that happened later on had me rethinking everything he said and did. I think I liked Aiko, but I can’t be sure because we didn’t really get to know her very well. I really hope we learn more about her in the sequel because I think there’s more to her than we know. I REALLY wanted to like Count Nicholas d’Arcy. His letters had me hopeful, but then.. Sigh. Basically, I didn’t trust ANYONE at all and I’m dying for book two because I can’t wait to see where their stories all go next. Finally, obviously, I HATED their father with a passion.

The only negative thing I really have to say is this book started off REALLY slow. Like.. For me, it honestly didn’t pick up until about page 221. But once it DID pick up, it didn’t slow down again until the very last page – and then I was devastated that it was the last page and now I CANNOT wait for book two!!! That cliffhanger was INSANE!!!

Overall, if you can push through the first half and stick with it, the second half is AMAZING and mind-blowing. You won’t know who to trust, you won’t know what to believe – and you won’t want it to end.

I have to admit, I was pretty curious to read Caraval by Stephanie Garber, especially after reading so much hype about the book. I had heard the book was pretty awesome, and I couldn't wait to read it for myself to see what the fuss was about. I definitely was not disappointed; Caraval was great!

I absolutely loved the storyline for the book. It was mysterious and completely captivating. As I was reading the book, I actually felt like I was IN the story. All of the magical aspects of the book were completely fascinating as well. I love that the story kept me guessing throughout the WHOLE book; I never knew what to expect next as I turned the pages. I love when a book does that! I'm definitely on board for reading the second book as soon as it's released, and I was be impatiently waiting to get my hands on it!

There are SO many characters that I love in the story, including the main character, Scarlett. I love that she's so strong, despite the horrible father that she has, and that she's willing to do whatever she has to do to protect her sister. It was really interesting to follow her on her journey through this magical world. There was also Julian, who, to be honest, was hard not to fall in love with. *grin*. There are a few more interesting secondary characters in the story that you will love, and a few that will you will not love in the least, but they are all very well written, and I was left wanting to know more about quite a few of them.

Overall; Caraval was a really great read, and is definitely a most welcome addition to my bookshelf! I'm now even more excited to get my hands on the next book in this duology, which does not yet have a name or release date, but I still can't wait to have. Pick up a copy of Caraval today!

Happy Reading!

It was an okay book. The premise was good and well executed. It the voice wasn't there. It felt generic, cookie-cutter. I wanted something bold, something as daring as it was built up to be. My heart was never racing and I wasn't desperate to turn the pages. I felt...blah.

This book captured and help my attention from the very first page! And from then on, it was one wile ride! Garber’s world feels surreal, but somehow believable, and one can easily find oneself wanting to also enter the world of Caraval, to hear, feel, see, and smell the same things with the characters are.

And speaking of characters, they were all quite developed, and stuck to their way of being, while also developing throughout the book. I don’t know about you, but I get very frustrated with characters do things that are “out of character” for the sake of the plot. But you see none of this in Caraval! The characters all felt unique, and I liked that I found many of them to be unpredictable and mysterious, as it added to the overall effect of the plot. I also like being unable to predict how things will go, and I definitely had no idea how Caraval‘s plot would develop.

The main character, Scarlet, did furstrate me at times, but I also understand where she is coming from. And I like how she grew as a person while experiencing Caraval and through the relationships she forges while she is there. I also appreciated that the characters were diverse.

There is also a good dose of romance in this book, and the attraction between some of the characters was very believable. The growing closeness was not only portrayed realistically, but also with a satisfying amount of detail.

The imagery in this book is lush and described to the point where you almost believe it to be tangible. And I cannot begin to express how happy I am with them amount of imagination Garber is in possession of, and how much she chose to share with us through Caraval. The people, the landscape, the buildings, and even the fashion was delightfully magical, while also containing a very satisfactory amount of darkness, and I cannot wait to have the time to sit down and re-read this book!

I highly recommend Caraval to those who like a good mystery and scavenger hunt, all while being enchanted while trying to figure it out!