Welcome to the exciting world of Caraval! That is what my library could have told me when I found out it was available for download after a short time on the waiting list. Caraval is a book full of magic, mystery, danger, and love (mostly between sisters).
Scarlett had always wanted to experience the magic that was Caraval. From the age of ten, she wrote to Legend, the Master of Caraval, hoping to get tickets for her and her sister Donatella (Tella). Her grandmother had told her stories and made it seem wonderful. It seemed like a wonderful dream, while in her own life…
Her father was abusive, he wouldn’t let them leave the island that they lived on, and she decided to get married to someone that she had never met just to escape. One day, she finally gets tickets to Caraval, after she had given up. She no longer wants to go, thinking that her marriage will save her from her toxic life.
She ends up going anyway; you’ll just have to read the book to find out how. After she gets there, she discovers that it’s not quite what she was expecting. It seems to be a magical, more dangerous version of Las Vegas, where everything that happens in Caraval is supposed to stay there. We find out that not everything stays there, however. Scarlett’s sister is kidnapped, and she has to find her before it is too late.
She ends up partnering up with Julian, a brash sailor who is definitely not Scarlett’s type, although deep down inside, she finds him to be devastatingly handsome. Over the course of the search, Scarlett grows as a person, and comes to the realization that maybe she’s putting her hopes into the wrong things.
In the end, we find out the truth about what went on in Caraval. Maybe… Scarlett wasn’t actually saving Tella after all. Perhaps Tella was saving her. Maybe Julian isn’t actually a sailor. Again, you’ll have to read to find out.
What I Liked
I enjoyed this book. The characters were likeable, and they grew as people as they struggled through the book. Scarlett is very practical (maybe a little too much so) and protective of her impulsive sister. Tella is a little too impulsive. The love between these sisters is what drives the story, which I found to be a really sweet underlying theme.
There was a lot of mystery to this book, and as I read, I couldn’t help but to wonder what was really going on. In Caraval, nothing is exactly as it seems. The book reveals much of its mysteries by the end of the book… but then we realize that there is one more mystery to be solved. Now I can’t wait to read the next book, which I’m on the waiting list to read at the library.
Anything I Didn’t Like?
I can’t think of anything that I didn’t like about this book. Maybe at the beginning of the book, Scarlett seems a little hopeless and clueless, but as she grows throughout the book, she becomes a strong person in her own right.
I enjoyed Caraval quite a lot and am looking forward to reading the next book, Legendary, as it becomes available. If you haven’t read it yet and choose to check it out, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I’m so glad that you found joy in Caraval! It’s been a long time since I’ve read a review for this book, but with the sequel coming out soon, I guess I’m not surprised. 🙂 Will you be reading the next book in the series?
Jackie B @ Death by Tsundoku recently posted…The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
Yes I have it on hold at the library. I’m seventh in line for it I think.
The relationship between Scarlet and Tella was one of my favorite things about this book as well. I was also a big fan of the storytelling and the world. I found it sort of fantastical, and enjoyed learning more about the magic and mystery as the story progressed. Hybrid books always work well for me too. This book had mystery, adventure, magic, and romance. Sort of covered all the bases.
It definitely had a lot of excitement. I hope the rest of the books are just as good. I saw they were moving the release date up for Finale too!
Caraval was a really fun read. Very different, too. I can’t remember any other book like it. I guess the parts I could do without were the extensive descriptions of Scarlet’s dresses. Too much detail that doesn’t go anywhere. Otherwise, Caraval is like a big cake with lots of frosting and cherries on top.
Yeah, perhaps a little too much description on the dresses, although since she had a magical dress, that probably was an important fact.