Although enjoying Caraval after reading it, I feel that my opinion on the book has changed over the time. When I first read it, I did like it. It was a fun book that was quite easy to read and it got me out of my reading slump, however, on reflection, it was quite similar to other YA fantasy books out there and the main characters were not that likeable. I would have likely to see more from her sister in this book but this did not happen. I also am not really sure if I would continue reading the last book in the series and I am just not sure if I liked it as much as everyone else did.

I wasn't a huge fan of this book, unfortunately, but I can see from Goodreads and my Twitter that I'm in the minority! I felt the language was a bit too flowery, and I didn't really connect with the characters.

Trigger warning: physical and emotional abuse, violence, grief
Wow, this was a ride. Caraval was incredible, complete with magic, mystery, danger, sister love, and romance. I think the best way to sum it up is Alice in Wonderland set in Venice.

I loved that this story was driven so much by Scarlett's love for her sister, Tella. Tella was very much a flighty, flirty type, impulsive in her actions. Scarlett, being the older sister, did everything she could to keep Tella in line and safe from their abusive father. Both wanted to get away from him, but each had a different idea of where to go to: Tella wanted to go off on an adventure, while Scarlett thought marrying a count and bringing her sister with her would make them both comfortable and safe. Both sisters revealed more depth as time went on, learning more about themselves and each other. A++ for these girls.

Props also to Julian. He was sexy as hell, and I expected him to be a love interest/annoying but sexy aide, but his role within the story surprised me. In fact, everything was so much more intertwined than I anticipated, and not all of it was untangled at the end.

I also loved the world, both the glimpse at the wider one and the world within Caraval. Like I said before, I got vibes of both Alice in Wonderland – because of all the magic, bending of time and space, and interesting cast of characters on the island – and Venice – because, well, it's set on an island with canals and beautiful clothes. This was aided by the inclusion of a map, though I found I didn't refer to the map as much as I've done when reading other books.

Three things bothered me a little while reading.

First and foremost, the physical and psychological abuse depicted and hinted at all throughout the novel made me uncomfortable. I understand that it was the key motivation for Tella and Scarlett's desire to escape, but that didn't make it any less agonising to read. It's books like this that make me understand the call for trigger warnings.

Another thing that made me go ehhhhhhh was the quick development of the romance, to such an extent that it somehow compared to other relationships.

Finally, some of the pacing was off, particularly at the end. This resulted in quite a bit of confusion. I don't know if this was intentional, as Scarlett was also confused, but it reduced the impact of the conclusion and left me with even more questions than were answered.

That being said, the ending did offer enough of a conclusion to this particular adventure, while very successfully leaving me eager for the next instalment. The epilogue hints at big things for the sisters, so bring on book 2!

I found this rather slow going, and had somewhat mixed feelings about it. The setting/world building was intriguing but not explored enough. I felt like the main character spent the whole novel chasing her tail and she was rather too passive about it all, to the point that I found the whole reading experience... frustrating. And anticlimactic. I don't usually mind a few twists in the end but these were over the top and just too convenient. I might read the next one to see if the world is expanded on more, or I might not...

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

A new and innovative YA book. I had not read a story like this one before. The worldbuilding was exceptional, the characters as fascinating as the concept. I loved it and have recommended it to teenage friends!

Sorry but I requested this book by mistake. Therefore I have not reviewed it.

The inevitable comparison here is THE NIGHT CIRCUS, and while this does have some elements of that - the luxurious world, the focus on descriptions above action, etc - there is a lot more happening in this world which I think isn't done justice by the comparison.

It reminded me a lot in tone of THE GRACEKEEPERS, a dreamy, water-based world where nothing quite makes sense, and THE GIRL OF INK AND STARS. Both books with strong sister/friend relationships between girls, both wonderful.

A really lovely read!

Title: Caraval

Author: Stephanie Garber

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Series: Caraval #1








A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

This book has a lot of hype attached; does it deserve it? Urmmm - let's take a look...









Premise:

Remember, it's only a game...

Or is it? Because Scarlett is beginning to wonder.

It starts with an invitation - a reply to Scarlett's numerous letters to the game's master, the mysterious Legend - but things quickly begin to escalate.

And now, Scarlett must find her sister, Tella, before it's too late...

...Remember, it's only a game.








Best bits:

I love the ambiguity of this book. As in, I have thought and thought about it, and I still have no freaking clue how I feel about the various characters... and I kind of like that.

Let's face it, it's not an everyday occurrence to get that level of complexity and nuance in YA - and that impressed me.

Plus there's enough twists and turns here to keep even the most battle-weary reader guessing.

No sooner do you think you've figured it out, than everything is turned on it's head again. And that's pretty cool.

I also liked the whimsical-ness.

Ignoring the comparisons to The Night Circus (because no, it's not like The Night Circus - ignore the marketers,) there was a good level of intrigue and muted magic.






What do I mean by muted magic?

Well, it's not like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings levels of wand-waving and sparkly explosions etc., but it's def. more magical than, say, magic realism.

There's magic here, but it's grounded in illusion, and doesn't do too many physics/reality-defying things (though it does do a few... when convenient.)



















We have people of colour (PoC) characters in this book - which is a plus.

They are also just as complex and morally ambiguous (good, bad-ish, and indifferent,) as everyone else - another plus.

One PoC character, Julian, who is described as brown-skinned and has a Spanish-sounding last name, is the love interest/one of the main secondary characters - yet another plus!

BUT, there are a couple of issues with the diverse rep in this book - see next section.










Not so great bits:







First things first, there's a lot of potentially distressing content here, please pay attention because this book gets quite shocking in places:



- child abuse (teens) - VERY GRAPHIC

- physical abuse - VERY GRAPHIC

- emotional abuse

- threat/fear and danger of rape and sexual assault - v distressing

- forced marriage

- violence against women

- parental condoning of rape

- sexism and misogyny

- murder - GRAPHIC

- suicide - GRAPHIC

- suicide attempts - GRAPHIC

- violence - GRAPHIC

- gore - GRAPHIC

- kidnapping

- drugging

- parental abandonment

- controlling parent



There's also some references to sexy-times.


Honestly, a lot of the imagery in this book is very

strong - especially considering it's YA - so be aware.





























One of the most definitive things I can say about this book is that it's just... ok. Not great. Not awful. Just... meh.

Now, given the amount of hype around this book, people will be expecting something special... and I can't tell you that it delivers.

Because, while enjoyable, it's not the 'wow' that many people will be looking for.

Some of the characters are also a little irritating.

Scarlett can be a little dim/frustrating, and I honestly would've debated whether or not to actually rescue Tella. But then, family's family.

Also, Scarlett sees colours sometimes for emotions - but this is a comes-and-goes sort of event, and seems completely inconsistent.

It's also never made clear whether this is metaphorical, magical, or some form of synaesthesia.




















Scarlett and Donatella's father, Governor Dragna, is the one always-gonna-be-a-bad-guy character of the book.



He's an out and out villain. He's also queer coded.


This means that, without it ever being explicitly mentioned that he is gay, or anything other than allo-cishet, signifiers are given that he is stereotypically, (and negatively,) effeminate.


- He's portrayed as vain: overly-concerned with his clothing, and his looks.

- Dragna wears perfume, and it's from this floral scent that Scarlett detects his presence before he arrives in a scene.


- A lot is made of this scent - it's described as a sickeningly sweet sort of smell, and it makes Scarlett feel nauseous.



Queer coding isn't OK - it stereotypes men who have more 'feminine' traits, as somehow inherently bad, or evil.

This forms the trope of the Sissy Villain, and compounds 'flaming'/camp stereotypes, as well as the idea that LGBTQ+ people are somehow inherently bad.





















Issues with PoC rep

If any PoC reviewers/bloggers/internet-people have written about the PoC aspects of this book, please let me know - I'd love to link to it.

I also felt like maybe Julian's race was a bit... undeveloped...? Understated...? Unexplored...? I'm not sure which word works better.

It wasn't spot-on guys, there was something amiss... like you could've swapped in a white character with little-to-no effort.

It took me a while to figure out whether Julian even was PoC - for a long time he was just described as tan, or as olive-skinned.

Since both of these terms have been used fairly regularly to describe me, and I'm white, they're pretty inconclusive as descriptions.

It was only when he was described as brown-skinned, several chapters after we first meet him, that I was sure.





















Verdict:


It's readable. It's entertaining. It's enjoyable.

But, for me, Caraval just wasn't quite up to scratch.

Yeah, I enjoyed reading it but... *shrugs* meh.

While I enjoyed the book, there were parts that were confusing as to what was happening. I would read as follow up, especially if its set in the same magical settings.

It's always makes me nervous when books receive the amount of hype that Caraval did, my expectations are raised sky high and that can be hard for any book to live up to so it often ends in disappointment, especially when you compare a book to two of my favourites - The Daughter of Smoke and Bone and The Night Circus! Thankfully in this case Stephanie Garber's debut more than lives up to it's reputation though and I was captivated from the very first page.

Scarlet and Tella's father has gone from overprotective to downright abusive since their mother's disappearance and the girls are desperate to escape his clutches. For years Scarlet has been trying to get them tickets to Caraval, an exclusive performance of magic and mystery held once a year and offering one lucky winner the chance at a price of a lifetime. She had hoped to use that prize to win their freedom but after getting no response to her letters from Caraval's Master Legend Scarlet has found another way to escape - an arranged marriage to a stranger. Then just days before her wedding the sisters receive the tickets they've always wished for but will Scarlet be brave enough to risk her future happiness for a game that she has very little chance of winning.

I honestly don't know if I can do this book justice, especially when I want to go into as little detail as possible about what happens after the girls arrive at Caraval. This is the kind of story that it's best to go into without knowing what to expect, you'll have a lot more fun with it if you just let things unfold as you're reading. Scarlet is repeatedly told that Caraval is only a game and that nothing is quite what it seems but it's very hard not to get sucked into the events that play out around her, especially when Tella is missing and it's up to Scarlet to find her. Stephanie Garber throws twist after twist at her readers and I loved experiencing everything through Scarlet's eyes and seeing how much she grew over the course of the book.

Scarlet and her sister are complete opposites but they both try to protect each other in the best way they know how. Scarlet is the shy sister, the one who overthinks things and tries to plan ahead for every possible outcome, she's less of a risk taker but she's very, very protective of Tella. On the other hand Tella is much more impulsive, she lives for the moment and doesn't worry about the future when there is fun to be had in the present. She wants to escape their father just as much as Scarlet does but she wants to have her freedom rather than finding another safety net. They have very different ways of looking at life but it's obvious that they care about each other deeply and that sisterly love shines through in a lot of different ways. I found Scarlet much easier to relate to and very easy to root for while Tella could come across as a little selfish and rash. One of my favourite characters was Julian though, he's very much a mystery for most of the book and he's keeping some pretty major secrets but I loved the way he brought out Scarlet's more adventurous side and how he was always there to help her. The romance that develops between them was sweet and even though it happened over a fairly short time period it never felt rushed.

Caraval contains a bit of everything from action and romance through to magic and mystery. The island is like a huge playground for adults where every dream can come true but so can every nightmare, anything you could wish for is there for the taking but you have to be very careful you don't end up bargaining away something you can't live without. I was completely captivated by Stephanie Garber's beautiful writing, the story is very cinematic and it's easy to picture events unfolding in front of you so it's no surprise that movie rights have already been optioned. I would absolutely love to see this on the big screen so I'm really hoping that the movie will go ahead. This was a fabulous debut and I'm already looking forward to reading the sequel, Stephanie Garber is definitely an author to watch out for.

Source: Received from Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review

"What I liked most about the book was the world of Caraval. It is a positively magical place, and I would love to be a passive observer of the game if only to experience the magic. The author mostly used scent as descriptors, and I was captivated by how a particular place can smell of a first kiss, long-lost love, or of dreams and fairytales. The other attractive quality of Caraval (the carnival, not the book per se) is that it plays on the fantasy of readers who desire to be in the world of their favourite books. In Legend’s Caraval, the performers are not just the people who tells the future with cards, or plays songs, or sells food and drink: all are actors, and they are ‘citizens’ interacting with the guests, driving the game’s plot as directed by their gamemaster. Imagine being able to actively participate, to breathe in and experience the world of your beloved fantasy stories?"

This book has been on my TBR for ages!! Initially thought it would be a big read, but I read through it really quickly and thoroughly enjoyed! Looking forward to the next one!

Caraval by Stephanie Garber MY VOTE ~ 2017 Best YA Fantasy novel

*REVIEW POSTED ON CGBG BLOG*
WARNING THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

There was and still is a huge amount of hype about Caraval and I'll admit I was swept away with the rest of the crowd. What's not to love about a world where you can lose yourself... the only problem with Caraval is that loosing yourself can be very deadly


“Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or performance. It's the closest you'll ever find yourself magic in this world.”

The story is set around two sisters who are emotionally and physically abused by their father. He uses one sister to control the other. The girls have been dreaming about escaping for so long that Scarlett is now afraid to believe in a future where she may decide who she loves and wants to marry. Scarlett originally comes across and a weak willed character, someone afraid to take risks as previous experience has shown taking risks can be deadly for the people she loves.

Enter Julian the mystery male character.... what secrets does he hide and why has he bounced from one sister to the other. First thoughts on Julian is that he's a bit of a player!

description

At Chapter 11 I'm pulling my hair out, Scarlett is SO ANNOYING! I can understand watching your father kill your friend to prove a point is extremely scary but Scarlett doesn't seem to want to take any risk if anything she's become a little bit yellow and weak willed

The further I delve into Caraval the more questions I have than answers:-

• What game is Legend playing?
• How is it that no one has seen the real him?
• How does he know everything?
• What magical powers does he control?
• How is this all connected with Scarlett and Donnatella?

I can honestly say I have never read a novel as frustrating as Caraval, I may have lost a bit of hair from all the hair pulling. Stephanie Garber character development of Scarlett was beautifully crafted, in the many webs she weaved with her words. Gone was the Scarlett that I was screaming at...."Get a backbone!" and enter a character where you understanding that jumping in head first could be costly. That being a little scared is okay.

Would I recommend Caraval? HELL YES!!! There are no words to describe this frustratingly, well crafted novel. Don't take me word for it.... pick up a copy and tell me what you thought. Just remember to leave a link below. HAPPY READING!

So, Whatever you think, comment below, let me know! And as always, if you like what you’ve seen here and you want to see more, click right here to see more!

Caraval was one of my most highly anticipated releases but as we got closer to release date I was starting to worry that the huge amount of hype surrounding this mysterious book would leave it falling short for me. I am SO happy to report that this did not happen and this book is in fact as marvellous and wonderful as everyone has been saying. From beginning to end, I could barely put down this magical story and was completely sucked into the world Stephanie Garber has created.

Caraval tells the story of sisters Scarlett and Donatella (or Tella). The girls have been brought up by their father since their mother disappeared and are desperate for a brighter future. Scarlett has been writing to Legend, the mysterious leader of Caraval, and both girls wish to attend this magical experience before Scarlett is married to a Count she has never met. When their wish finally comes true, they discover that Caraval is not all that they imagined, will they come out the other side?

I love that this book opened with a series of letters from Scarlett to Legend. They looked really pretty on the opening pages and immediately set the scene of just how much Scarlett wants to experience Caraval for herself. It definitely added a level of intrigue into what exactly Caraval was. There was also a gorgeous map at the front of the book and I can’t not talk about how gorgeous the covers are. I have two copies so far and I love the hidden covers we have here in the UK, they are beautiful.

This book was a lot darker than I was originally expecting. I had somehow convinced myself that Caraval was going to be this lovely, happy circus-esque place but it was so much darker than that. The people in Caraval were creepy on a number of different levels. Some of them seemed pure evil whilst others left my skin tingling and I did not know who I could trust except for Scarlett. The writing definitely threw me right into the story with her. The various shops and stalls gave me some serious Knockturn Alley vibes: where else would you find a shop where you pay for a dress with a day of your life? I also found it difficult to extinguish between what was real in Caraval and what might not have been. Who was an actor? Who was a contestant? I really enjoyed this element of the book a lot and the feelings it created in me are a true testament to how wonderful Stephanie Garber’s writing is.

On another dark note, this book could be triggering to readers and I feel that it’s important to acknowledge that in my review. Scarlett and Tella’s father is an incredibly abusive man and throughout the book we see the effect of his physical and emotional abuse of the sisters. He is absolutely evil and I really hated him throughout the book (which I’m sure is the point). I’m not going to expand any more on that except to be mindful of this point if you are going to read it and this could trigger you. I’d be happy to talk in more detail about that to anyone who may want to know more.

This book is overflowing with emotions and I honestly felt like I was being dragged up, down, sideways, backwards and any other direction possible. One minute I was laughing along at something light-hearted, the next I was terrified, then I was anxious, next up was the overwhelming sadness I felt on several occasions topped off with a sprinkle of love. To me, this truly felt like I was on the journey with Scarlett and everything that happened to her felt really personal which is why I went through so many emotional states.

The writing is GORGEOUS. I was completely captivated by every sentence that was written and honestly couldn’t get enough of this book. I absolutely have to acknowledge the exceptional use of colours in this story. They are integral to the world of Caraval and help to create such vivid images in the readers mind. I am so in love with how Stephanie linked colours to emotions. Scarlett says on several occasions throughout the book that she views emotions in different shades of colours but whilst reading the book you come to realise that she sees literally every colour of the rainbow and it is beautiful! Some of my favourite examples were ‘peach embarrassment’ and ‘forget-me-not blue disappointment’.

Characters. So many excellent characters. I really liked Scarlett and I related to her on so many levels as I am also the older sister to my siblings. Her caring and protective side is something that I also harbour and could easily understand the decisions that Scarlett often made. I LOVED Tella and wish that there had been more with her in the middle of the book. From our first encounter with Tella I knew I would like her. She is headstrong, independent, sassy, spontaneous and carefree. Both of the sisters have a FIERCE love for each other and I always enjoy reading about sibling relationships so it was inevitable that I would like them both.

I knew there would be more to Julian from the beginning of the book, I just had this feeling he would be important. He definitely has the potential to become a well-loved YA book crush, I think. He is ruggedly handsome, adorable and a bit of a rogue. I loved the slow burn romance in this book and thought it was really well done. It completely and utterly made me root for them whereas an instalove would have completely turned me against it I think.

I hope that book two will give us more about Legend as he is (excuse the pun) still a bit of a legend and a mystery to us. I can’t decide if I will like him or if I just think that he is evil at the moment so we shall see how that pans out as the series continues.

Caraval is full of twists and turns. Literally every time I found myself thinking ‘Oh, _____ will happen next’ the book responded with ‘Not on my watch it won’t!’ and everything would morph into a whole new direction. I loved that I couldn’t really predict what would happen or what was going on, it made this book so mysterious and I would advise others to just throw themselves into this book wholeheartedly.

A wonderfully magical and mysterious book full of emotion, colour, excellent characters and gorgeous writing. It’s safe to say that Caraval will be one of my favourite books of 2017. Marvellous!

Caraval is an amazing read and I enjoyed every minute of reading it.
Mystical, magical, gripping, twisted are just a few words I can use to describe it. I instantly connected with Scarlet and her situation and will definatly recommend this book to other fantasy readers.

Finally, a fantasy. I book that is actually as good as I initially thought it would be! Actually no, scratch that, it's better. And so imaginative and just... Magical could easily see Caraval being snatched up to be made into a film (I think it has as well)

This was one of those books that you spend most of the day reading and when you tell yourself to take a break after the chapter ends something happens moments before that you just have to keep reading to see what happens next (and where the book takes you) and before long you realise you've been reading for a lot (lot) longer than you told yourself you would

Over the years there have been a few books were I've been utterly awed by the depth and breadth of the writers imagination. Caraval is one of those; I’m still awed by the magnitude of detail in the book.

Caraval is a true adventure and I'm glad that I actually believed the pre-publication hype about it and decided to read it (of course, receiving it as part of FairyLoot helped a little too . Although, if I’m honest, I would've bought and read it either way).

I was so caught up in the book that at the end of it I felt like I'd just watched the most elaborate production come to life right in front of me. I'm actually emotionally exhausted.


I've heard that there will be a second book and I can't wait to see what'll happen in that one - especially after that ending.

Caraval begins with two sisters, Scarlett and Tella Dragna, talking about the mysterious game that happens every year called – you guessed it – Caraval. Caraval is a game full of magic and mystery, set up by Legend – a person no-one has actually seen in real life. What will happen when they attend Caraval? And is it all it's made out to be, or something a lot darker?

I absolutely loved the mystery, suspense and magic of the whole book. The town in which Caraval is set is described so well and in so much detail that it made me want to visit it myself! There were cool twists which made the story more interesting to read. For example, the game only ran at night, with the buildings and shops only opening after dark. This added to the intrigue and the mystery of the game.

The story moved along at a great pace. I never found myself wanting to read ahead to see what happened next; I was reading it completely in the moment, wanting to devour every word. The twists and turns were unexpected. Seriously, every single twist that happened throughout the whole book, I didn’t expect at all! It added so much to the story, when I thought I’d worked out who was who and what was about to happen, and suddenly I was completely wrong. It turned people into unexpected bad guys, and places with no value into the next big clue. I loved it!

As I kind of expected there would be, there was a romance element to the story. I felt a bit mehhh about this when I saw it coming. I didn’t hate it, though, and as the story progressed, I could see that it was going to happen, so I wasn’t surprised. The great thing was that there were even huge plot twists in the relationship! Gotta love a good plot twist. (If you love plot twists as much as I do, this is the book for you. There are TONS of them.)

I loved how the story was put together, and how the characters were always changing. I didn’t feel too involved with any of the characters, but it didn’t really matter. In a story like this, I felt that maybe the narrative was more important than getting to know the characters too deeply. I must have felt involved with the characters on a certain level though, because when bad and unexpected things happened to them, I was so shocked!

Stephanie Garber’s writing was SO good that each and every development was amazing, well thought-out, and nothing was left unanswered. The book ended on an open note which makes me excited to see what will come next! If you love magic, mystery and CRAZY plot developments, this is 100% the book for you. READ IT RIGHT NOW.

A fantastic opening to a fantasy series, this novel is sure to be one to watch this year. I can see this being a big hit and can’t wait for a follow up, with the characters all having so much more to give in terms of secrets and emotional development. I thought that this first book had something to offer everyone, with there being a great balance between characterisation and plot twists, with the world building being second to none. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the secrets of Caraval, but can’t help feeling that we’ve only scratched the surface.

*Full review available on the blog*