Caraval by Stephanie Garber – Spoiler Free Review

Title: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Series Name: Caraval
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: Jan 31st, 2017
Pages: 402 (hardcover)
Publishers: Hodder & Stoughton
Rating:

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

Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved 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 far-away, 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 that 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. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic 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.

Well first off I don’t own the edition shown above, I own the UK Hardcover but I am yet to find a image of it’s cover online that isn’t a tiny image and can’t be expanded without going blurry! So I will enter a photo from my Instagram below that shows it in part of my April Haul image!

I love how there was 4 different designs on the Hardcovers that you could get, I got the circus tent, but there was also the top hat, a dress and a clock! I really wanted the clock but as I ordered online I couldn’t really pick which one I received, so I had to live with the one I got haha.

I love the design on the front cover, it’s simple but also nice. I also like that the spine is half black and half white as the front cover it black and the back is white!

 I really enjoyed the writing, it was simple and easy and quick to read. The writing drew me in and made me not want to put the book down. At the end of nearly every chapter there was something there that just made you want to know what was coming next! I like how the letters were added into the book and looked like actual letters, not just part of the book. And I also like that each person’s handwriting on the letters was so different! I love that they added a map of Caraval! I don’t full understand where these balconies were, because in the book it says they were all around but on the map there is buildings on the edge of the map but not all of those buildings had balconies.

The plot was interesting, but also very different and weird! The world was just so curious and odd and I loved exploring it with the characters! The plot basically all twists and turns and alot of the time I thought I had it figured out what was going on and then the next chapter I realised I was completely wrong! I liked how it ended, it was really out there and unexpected especially the bit of info we learn at the end from a certain character I did not see coming. And also that kinda cliffhanger they left us on with that little bit of info in the last letter! That definitely made me want to know what happened next and what deal had been struck up!

Okay so there is only really 1 character that we really get to know and that is our main character Scarlett, I enjoyed her character more towards the end when she started growing and opening up to new possibilities a bit! A lot of the other characters are just such mysteries still! Even Tella is still a bit of a mystery however a little bit is revealed towards the end about what she is actually like and the things that she would do and I do like her character, but I need to know more! I can’t really talk about any others as it would either ruin the mystery of the book or the characters themselves are still a mystery to me.

Overall I thought this book was fun, inventive and interesting! The only reason it didn’t get a 5 star for me was that even though it was an amazing book it didn’t completely blow my socks off. Still a new love though!

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Let me know if you have read this and what you thought?!

Also what are you reading atm?!

Please no spoilers without warning in the comments, don’t want to ruin anyone elses reading experience!!

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