Name: ⋆.˚⭒⋆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆⋆⭒˚.⋆'s review of Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Item: Caraval
Rating: 5
Author: ⋆.˚⭒⋆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆⋆⭒˚.⋆

Stephanie Garber

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. But this year, Scarlett's long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor who she has just met, 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.

Caraval

⋆.˚⭒⋆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆⋆⭒˚.⋆

She remembered thinking falling for him would be like falling in love with darkness but now she imagined he was more like a starry night: the constellations were always there, constant, magnificent guides against the ever-present black.

"Id appreciate if you stopped looking at my fiancée like that." 

"That's funny, the gentleman said "All this time, I thought she was my fiancée.'"

"𝓜𝔂 𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓻"

taci

But how is it possible? You're so young. "I don't age as long as I'm one of Legend's performers," Julian explained. "But I was feeling ready to grow up when I decided to leave." "So then why did you stay and play this time?" Julian looked at Scarlett almost nervously, as if she were the one who now had the power to break his heart. "I stayed because I started to care about you. Legend doesn't always play fair, and I wanted to try to help you. But I knew if we grew close, and you found out the truth, it would hurt you. So at first I tried to give you excuses to hate me. But then it became harder to push you away: it pained me every time I lied to you. This game brings out the most selfish parts of many people, but it had the opposite effect on you. Watching you restored my belief that Caraval could be what I believe it used to be-and that my brother could be good once again."

Julian nodded, but didn't elaborate. The glowing leaves of the willow tree rustled as he quietly went on, “Legend sent me a letter, asking me to play one last gamne. He claimed he was trying to redeem himself. And I wanted to believe him." Julian took a deep breath before continuing. "I was only supposed to bring you and Tella to the isle, but every time I tried to walk away from you, I couldn't do it. You were different than I expected. Most people only worry about their own pleasure during Caraval. But you cared so much about your sister; it reminded me of the way I had always felt about my own brother " Julian's caramel eyes met Scarlett's as he finished. And suddenly a thought struck her. "Legend is your brother?" she asked.

"Before each game, the performers are bound by magic that prevents them from confessing certain truthslike admitting they are really actors." Tella went on, "They're given guidelines to follow, but their actions are not all on, predetermined. I think you already know this, but during Caraval there's always a bit of real mixed in with everything. There is some free will involved. So, I can't tell you what was real for Julian. And I probably shouldn't tell you that his role was supposed to end shortly after he got you to the isle." Tella paused meaningfully.

"So this really had nothing to do with Nana Anna?" Tella nodded. "They did have a romance. It's true that it didn't end well because she chose another man, but Legend never vowed to destroy all the females in her line. After Nana went to the Conquered Isles to marry Grandfather, a rumor started that she'd fled there to hide because Legend wanted revenge, but that's not entirely true either. I'm fairly certain lots of women have warmed his bed since then.

Personally, I think clever is a more appropriate word." Scarlett spun around. A girl with a devil's smile and a cherub's curls. Tella? Is that really you?" "Oh please, I'd think you could come up with something better than that." Tella's curls bounced as she glided farther into the room. “And please don't Cry." "But I saw you die," Scarlett sputtered. "I know, and trust me when I say, plummeting to the ground is not a good way to go." Tella grinned again, but her death, no matter how short-lived or how -put me through that?" Scarlett stammered. "How could you "I think I'l leave you two alone." Caspar edged toward the door with a fake, still felt too real too soon-for her to joke about. "How could you- pretend to kill yourself while I watched?" 

The words my role replayed in Scarlett's thoughts. "You're not really Legend, are you?" A faint smile. "Does that mean yes or no?" Scarlett was in no mood for riddles. "My name is Caspar." "That's still not an answer," Scarlett said. But even as she glared at him, puzzle pieces were clicking together inside her head, creating a complete picture of something she'd been unable to see until that moment. Around her neck, the pocket watch felt hot as she recalled the way Julian's confession had cut off, as if he'd been physically unable to speak the words. The same thing had happened to him on the carousel, right before Scarlett had jumped. "As a performer, magic prevents you from saying certain things," Scarlett guessed aloud. She remembered something else then, words from a dream she'd been told she would not forget. They say Legend wears a different face every game.

But I've learned you did atualy feel something when that woman, threw kerself from your balcory aftee you rejected her during Caraval a few years ago. I heard you were so npset, that was the real reason you stopped thaveling. Helping my sister an me wont Completely make wp förF whatever happencd then, bat it miglt help a lizele. I aso tlink it would creAte a very interesting game, and I know kow you like to play.

Scarlett now hated that crest more than the color purple, but she distinctly knew that box, with its wretched emblem, had not been there before. Slowly Scarlett raised the lid. A slip of paper. Carefully, she unfolded the note. It was dated almost a year ago.

Scarlett looked up to find Jovan. The candles and lanterns had almost turned to smoke, so Scarlett could barely see her, but she recognized the light lilt of her voice. "The game's about to officially end. Soon the morning bells will toll, and people will start packing up. I thought you might want to collect your sister's things." Scarlett craned her neck toward Tella's rimless balconyno, Legend's rimless balcony. "Whatever is up there, I don't want it." "Oh, but you may want these items," said Jo.

But Tella was not only her sister, she was Scarlett's best friend, the one person in the world she should have loved more than anything or anyone else, the person she was responsible to take care of. Scarlett turned to Legend, her decision made. “I won. You owe me a wish." Legend snorted, as if amused. I'm afraid my answer to that is no." "What do you mean, no?" Legend responded dryly, "From your tone, I think you know exactly what I mean." But I won the game," Scarlett argued. "I solved your confusing clues. I found my sister. You owe me a wish."

I know your secrets, Father. I was always too afraid before, but now that you can't use Tella to control me, I have no reason to stay quiet. I know you think you can get away with murder, but I don't imagine your guards will stay loyal much longer when I tell everyone you murdered one of their own sons. I will tell the entire isle how you killed Felipe, drowned him with your own hands, just to frighten me into obeying you. How well do you think you'll sleep once Felipe's father learns about that? AndI know other secrets too, ones that will put an end to everything you've built." Scarlett had never been so bold in all her life. Her heart and her soul and even her memories managed to hurt. Everything ached. She felt hollow and heavy all at once. It pained her to breathe and it took effort to speak. But she was still alive. She was still breathing and speaking and feeling. Most of what she felt was agony, but she also didn't feel afraid of anything. And for the first time, her father looked afraid of her.

Your father thought he could kill me," Legend said. The governor mistakenly believed Dante was the master of Caraval, and took his life instead." Scarlett looked at her father aghast. "You murdered Dante?" Even the count, who now stood at a distance, looked unsettled by this. Governor Dragna's breathing turned heavy. "I was just trying to protect you!" 

"Oh, Scar," Tella said. Tears streamed down her pink cheeks. "I love you, too. And I wish I was strong like you. Strong enough to hope it could be better, but I can't do this anymore." Tella's hazel eyes met Scarlett's, as sad as fresh-cut wood. Then she closed them, as if Tella couldn't bear to look at her. I meant it when I said I'd rather die at the edge of the world than live a miserable life on Trisda. I'm so sorTy." With trembling fingers, Tella blew her sister a kiss. Don't Tella stepped off the edge of the balcony. No!" Scarlett wailed, watching as her sister plummeted into the night. With no wings to fly her down, she fell to her death.

A hidden door in the back opened, and Legend's maniacal smile returned as Scarlett's father, along with Count Nicolas d'Arcy, walked through. The governor strode forward purposefully, head high, shoulders straight, as if he were an honored guest. The count appeared interested in only one person- Scarlet. "Tella!" Scarlett's panic escalated. For the first time there was a flicker of fear in Tella's face as well. "What are T invited them." Legend waved an arm magnanimously toward Scarlett, who "All tied up and ready to go, as promised," said Legend. they doing here?" continued struggling against the rope, while the two men stepped closer. "Daniel, what are you doing?" Tella whispered. You really should have listened to your sister." 

Tella's eyes darted from Legend, in all his pristine glory, to Scarlett, with her knotted hair and tear-stained cheeks. "I'm sory," Tella said. "I don't want you to get hurt." "No!" Scarlett thrashed again, ripping the sleeve of her dress and spilling beads on the floor, as Legend took her from her sister. Hands as strong as iron manacles twisted her wrists behind her back, while Tella disappeared behind her dressing curtain. "See how willing she is to do whatever I suggest?" Legend purred into her ear. "Please," Scarlett begged, "leave her alone. I'll do whatever you say if you let her go. You want me to jump off the balcony, I will. Just don't hurt her!" 

"T'd like you to meet my sister, Scarlett." Tella beamed again, so brightly, she didn't notice the way Scarlett had involuntarily taken a step back, or how the young man at her side ran his tongue over his lips when Tella wasn't looking. "Donatella, step away from him," Scarlett said. “His nane is not Daniel."

Tella's mouth formed a soft downward curve. "I know no one loves me more than you do, Scar, I'd be desolate without you. Please, don't leave me now. And do not ask me to leave Daniel." Tella's lips shifted into a deeper frown. “Don't make me choose between the two loves of my life." Two loves. Scarlett's heart ached at her sister's choice of words. Suddenly she was on the steps again, watching Julian's head fall before his breathing stopped. She needed to find a way to bring him back, but she also had to get her sister safely out of this tower 

que rapariga inconsciente🤦🏼‍♀️

"I know, because unlike you, I actually know my fiancé." "Did you say fiancé? Tella nodded proudly. "You're not serious," Scarlett said. "When did he ask you to marry him?" "Why aren't you happy for me?" Tella's expression fell, like a doll Scarlett had dropped.

"After tonight I don't think Father's hands will be a problem anymore, at least not for us." Tella's eyes twinkled with the same dangerous glint as her smile. I haven't been up here alone this whole time. I've met someone. He knows all about our father and he's promised to take care of us. Both of us." Tella beamed,

"Scar?" A petite figure sat up in the bed. Honey-blond curls bounced around a face that might have been angelic, if it wasn't for her devil's grin. "Oh, my love!" Tella squealed, jumping out of the bed and capturing Scarlett in an embrace before she made it halfway across the room. When she hugged Scarlett with her fierce arms, it made Scarlett believe happy endings were possible. Her sister was alive. She felt like softness and sunlight and seeds for growing dreams. Now Scarlett just needed to bring back Julian. 

Thequeen

I love how magical stephanie's stories make me feel. very excited for the next book!

lowkey had my eyes glazed over the entire time I read thi

𝑂𝑑𝑖𝑙𝑒

I was intrigued by this series because of its interesting concept. I liked the dynamic between Scarlett and Tessa. Scarlett was so protective of Tessa, and you could tell that they loved each other very much. This was a decent read; I got pretty into the story sometimes. But other times, I honestly just didn't care what happened that much. This book was pretty crazy at the end; you never knew what was real or not. I thought the ending set up for the next book pretty well. Overall, good book, but I just don't see myself reading it again. 

Maggie Hotmer

It’s a 5 but I don’t like the epilogue.. a cliff hanger? Seriously? But the book is amazing and full of plotwists

Domdom

It was awesome, it really felt like I was one of the characters in the book. 

Kriscel Ofemia

Really, really good I honestly has a lot more high expectations for the plot I thought it would be really creepy since the whole phrase they have going on is it’s all just a game but honestly the end had lowkey shocked me it was really good they really pulled all the missing pieces together I enjoyed reading. Donatella is seriously so much smarter than they made her seem to pull all that off crazy.

Yuliana 

I was really excited to read this book after seeing it all over social media. I did enjoy it ot but a thought it might be  bit more twisted.

Kathy gerrard

This was a reread lol. This is probably my favorite book ever and this was my third time reading it. One of the best storylines ever, perfect characters, this book is so special to me.

Sofie I

I had so much hope for this one but i was left disappointed. I don’t know why I was expecting a different romantic crossovers 

Angie

Welcome to another edition of a book that has been sat on my shelfs for years and I should have watched ages ago but was too daunted to pick up but on a week where all I wanted to do was escape the real world, It was amazing to escape of the world of Caraval! This Review is properly not needed at all as I expect most will have already experienced this one before me but in case you have not here goes.

Describing this one is rather hard but the atmosphere, the characters, the game, the magic… the writing was so poetic that I found myself obsessing over the words that Stephanie has written it was like the words were jumping off the page and I was dead centre in the world created smelling everything and experiencing it all with Scarlet & her Sister Tella.

"Welcome, welcome to Caraval! The grandest show on land or by sea. Inside you’ll experience more wonders than most people see in a lifetime. You can sip magic from a cup and buy dreams in a bottle. But before you fully enter into our world, you must remember it’s all a game."

I don't want to give anything away or ruin the surprise for others. There were many twists and turns that I didn't see coming while listening to this story. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, something else would happen that made me question everything again. This story held my attention and kept me guessing right to the very end.

Ian Brakspear

Welcome to another edition of a book that has been sat on my shelfs for years and I should have watched ages ago but was too daunted to pick up but on a week where all I wanted to do was escape the real world, It was amazing to escape of the world of Caraval! This Review is properly not needed at all as I expect most will have already experienced this one before me but in case you have not here goes.

 

Describing this one is rather hard but the atmosphere, the characters, the game, the magic… the writing was so poetic that I found myself obsessing over the words that Stephanie has written it was like the words were jumping off the page and I was dead centre in the world created smelling everything and experiencing it all with Scarlet & her Sister Tella.

 

"Welcome, welcome to Caraval! The grandest show on land or by sea. Inside you’ll experience more wonders than most people see in a lifetime. You can sip magic from a cup and buy dreams in a bottle. But before you fully enter into our world, you must remember it’s all a game."

 

I don't want to give anything away or ruin the surprise for others. There were many twists and turns that I didn't see coming while listening to this story. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, something else would happen that made me question everything again. This story held my attention and kept me guessing right to the very end.

I felt something was missing, the book was good but not amazing, maybe because I was comparing the world building to Harry Potter a little bit, even though they're very different. But I felt of caraval wasn't that magnificent to me. 

I definitely liked Julian, and the writing. 

"She imagined loving him would feel like falling in love with darkness, frightening and consuming yet utterly beautiful when the stars came out"

Monica Faez

I felt something was missing, the book was good but not amazing, maybe because I was comparing the world building to Harry Potter a little bit, even though they're very different. But I felt of caraval wasn't that magnificent to me. 

Planning to read the next book though. 

I definitely liked Julian, and the writing. 

"She imagined loving him would feel like falling in love with darkness, frightening and consuming yet utterly beautiful when the stars came out"



Me parece injusto calificar este libro porque probablemente no soy el público meta, sin embargo, al pensar en otros libros parecidos, Caraval queda pequeño en cuanto a la construcción de su propio mundo, me parece inmediata y apresurada, los personajes sorprenden y dejan de sorprender cada dos segundos y me parece que el “build up” de lo que sucede es mínimo, todo sólo pasa y ya, y hasta me parece “gracioso” porque el libro está lleno de descripciones muy detalladas sobre lo que podemos ver y aún así sabemos muy poco del universo en sí; los juegos de Caraval suenan maravillosos hasta que entras en ellos.

dani ocean.

The ending really caught me off guard, and some of the moments had me going back to reread parts! There was just once or twice I got a little bored, but other than that it picked back up quick. Love Scarlett!

Lily

didn’t surprise me the way i expected it to. i love julian & scarlett + scarlett & tella’s sisterhood tho <3

ALSO WHY DIDNT HE CALL HER CRIMSON AT THE END. WHY.

chel

3.5!

didn’t surprise me the way i expected it to. i love julian & scarlett + scarlett & tella’s sisterhood tho <3

ALSO WHY DIDNT HE CALL HER CRIMSON AT THE END. WHY.

many people said this book was overhyped, and i finally read it in 2024. for me it was a very fun easy 5 stars read! i managed to read it blindly even i already saw some reviews of this so for me theres no dull chapters at all, it was really fun & made me more and more intrigued by each chapter. a simple fantasy book, easy to understand yet still surprising. i actually feel like i can guess where the plot is gonna bring me but the book succeeds to keep me at the edge of my seat worrying about how the next chapter is going to be. very appropriately hyped book 👏🏼

almeera

"Hope is a powerful thing. Some say it’s a different breed of magic altogether. Elusive, difficult to hold on to."

 to like this book more than I did but sadly I just wasn't feeling it. The premise seemed enchanting and magical, I was excited to read this apparently mesmerising romance and follow the mysterious adventure but in the end I was mostly just confused and disappointed. We're told that everything is a performance and not to trust anything or anyone, and so I read the book like this, wondering if Scarlett herself was an unreliable narrator and believing that everyone within the game was likely lying to her or part of the performance. But for some reason Scarlett didn't follow this advice and despite being told to not let herself be too swept away in the game, she absolutely was and this just made me frustrated. Plus everything just felt too... flowery for me, I usually like purple prose and overly detailed descriptions but unfortunately this just fell flat for me and I found it just slightly too chaotic to fully immerse myself.

 entertained a lot of times throughout this story, there were aspects of this that were almost immaculate, the vibes were sooooo good - there's just something about a twisted carnival full of twists and turns and madness, like a Alice in Wonderland-esque adventure. I was initially excited to learn about this world, with conquered isles and empires, where Scarlett and Tella's father seems to be the most powerful man on their remote island and they get swept away by a rough pirate like sailor to an enchanting world neither really knew existed, giving me that Pirates of the Caribbean - Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner aesthetic. I liked that everything was wild and unpredictable right from the moment Scarlett and Julian landed on the island where Caraval existed. The map at the beginning reminded me of Venice, Italy - the canals and gondolas, and I was hoping for the magic of a masked ball where everyone is wearing a different face and you're not sure who you're surrounded by, and for a big part of the story it delivered this pretty well.

Unfortunately, I think maybe it felt slightly too young for me in the end, maybe I am starting to outgrow YA a little too much so this could be a mess problem. But for one, I just didn't feel the chemistry between the two love interests, it felt a bit like insta-lust considering how hard it is to trust anything that Julian says. Another thing is the lack of world-building, we get swept away in the world of Caraval but in the end it just didn't feel as magical as it could have if we had understood the world where Caraval exists, who was this empirical and conquering force? What was the setting and what time period is this, is this medieval with Latin influences based on the naming and the map? Is this fantasy or magical realism? How did the magic of Caraval even work? I ended up finishing this book with more questions than when I started it. I also found the descriptions quite confusing and then randomly like 40% in, we learn that Scarlett apparently sees emotions in colour!? And then even this wasn't actually explained, and it didn't help understand why the author used quite so many similes. Then the ending just pissed me off>>>

“I’m guessing Dante didn’t really die either?”

“No, he died, but also came back, like Julian,”

had me close to throwing the book across the room and DNFing at 95% (which would've just been silly) - it felt like those stories where everyone wakes up at the end and nothing is real, it was all dream and it just ruins it for me, I'm afraid.

Overall, I think this book had a great concept and that the author can write well but tried too hard to make this as complex and convoluted as possible - and not to say that this story shouldn't be complex and convoluted but I think it was applied to the wrong parts. I think I was hoping for something just a little bit deeper, I loved the whimsy and enjoyed the craziness for the most part but then there just wasn't anything solid to hold onto and so I didn't really develop a connection to it. I think I will still give the second book a try, and I do still want to read Once Upon a Broken Heart too but I am a little bit worried that maybe Garber's works just aren't for me or maybe I've outgrown the level that she writes at. I can see why some people really enjoyed this book, but for me, it just didn't quite hit the spot I was hoping it would.

Genevieve 

"Hope is a powerful thing. Some say it’s a different breed of magic altogether. Elusive, difficult to hold on to."

3.5 ⭐

I really wanted to like this book more than I did but sadly I just wasn't feeling it. The premise seemed enchanting and magical, I was excited to read this apparently mesmerising romance and follow the mysterious adventure but in the end I was mostly just confused and disappointed. We're told that everything is a performance and not to trust anything or anyone, and so I read the book like this, wondering if Scarlett herself was an unreliable narrator and believing that everyone within the game was likely lying to her or part of the performance. But for some reason Scarlett didn't follow this advice and despite being told to not let herself be too swept away in the game, she absolutely was and this just made me frustrated. Plus everything just felt too... flowery for me, I usually like purple prose and overly detailed descriptions but unfortunately this just fell flat for me and I found it just slightly too chaotic to fully immerse myself.

I was entertained a lot of times throughout this story, there were aspects of this that were almost immaculate, the vibes were sooooo good - there's just something about a twisted carnival full of twists and turns and madness, like a Alice in Wonderland-esque adventure. I was initially excited to learn about this world, with conquered isles and empires, where Scarlett and Tella's father seems to be the most powerful man on their remote island and they get swept away by a rough pirate like sailor to an enchanting world neither really knew existed, giving me that Pirates of the Caribbean - Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner aesthetic. I liked that everything was wild and unpredictable right from the moment Scarlett and Julian landed on the island where Caraval existed. The map at the beginning reminded me of Venice, Italy - the canals and gondolas, and I was hoping for the magic of a masked ball where everyone is wearing a different face and you're not sure who you're surrounded by, and for a big part of the story it delivered this pretty well.

Unfortunately, I think maybe it felt slightly too young for me in the end, maybe I am starting to outgrow YA a little too much so this could be a mess problem. But for one, I just didn't feel the chemistry between the two love interests, it felt a bit like insta-lust considering how hard it is to trust anything that Julian says. Another thing is the lack of world-building, we get swept away in the world of Caraval but in the end it just didn't feel as magical as it could have if we had understood the world where Caraval exists, who was this empirical and conquering force? What was the setting and what time period is this, is this medieval with Latin influences based on the naming and the map? Is this fantasy or magical realism? How did the magic of Caraval even work? I ended up finishing this book with more questions than when I started it. I also found the descriptions quite confusing and then randomly like 40% in, we learn that Scarlett apparently sees emotions in colour!? And then even this wasn't actually explained, and it didn't help understand why the author used quite so many similes. Then the ending just pissed me off>>>
SPOILER: this quote alone: “I’m guessing Dante didn’t really die either?”
“No, he died, but also came back, like Julian,”
had me close to throwing the book across the room and DNFing at 95% (which would've just been silly) - it felt like those stories where everyone wakes up at the end and nothing is real, it was all dream and it just ruins it for me, I'm afraid.

END SPOILER

Overall, I think this book had a great concept and that the author can write well but tried too hard to make this as complex and convoluted as possible - and not to say that this story shouldn't be complex and convoluted but I think it was applied to the wrong parts. I think I was hoping for something just a little bit deeper, I loved the whimsy and enjoyed the craziness for the most part but then there just wasn't anything solid to hold onto and so I didn't really develop a connection to it. I think I will still give the second book a try, and I do still want to read Once Upon a Broken Heart too but I am a little bit worried that maybe Garber's works just aren't for me or maybe I've outgrown the level that she writes at. I can see why some people really enjoyed this book, but for me, it just didn't quite hit the spot I was hoping it would.

The acclaimed New York Times bestseller! Welcome, welcome to Caraval—Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of the unbreakable bond between two sisters. It’s the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world... 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. Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away. New York Times bestseller #1 IndieNext Pick Publishers Weekly Flying Start Entertainment Weekly Best 10 YA Books of 2017 Teen Vogue Best YA Book of the Year Amazon Best Book of the Year Barnes & Noble Best Book of the Year BuzzFeed Best Book of the Year “The Hunger Games meets The Night Circus. Grade: A-.” —Entertainment Weekly “Impressive, original, wondrous.” —USA Today “Spellbinding.” —US Weekly “Magnificent.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “I lost myself in this world.” —Sabaa Tahir, author of An Ember in the Ashes “Beautifully written.” —Renée Ahdieh, author of The Wrath and the Dawn “Shimmers with magic.” —Marie Rutkoski, author of The Winner’s Curse “Darkly enchanting.” —Kiersten White, author of And I Darken “Decadent.” —Roshani Chokshi, author of The Star-Touched Queen “Like stepping into a living dream.” —Stacey Lee, author of Outrun the Moon “Destined to capture imaginations.” —Kirkus Reviews “Ideal for fans of The Night Circus, Stardust, and The Hunger Games.” —School Library Journal

I really enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down. My favorite part was the romance and plot twists— I would definitely recommend!

Jeweliet Coffee

world building so good bro !! also the descriptions always eat 🙂‍↕️☝️ got confused midway kasi ang daming nangyayari pero am so excited for legendary ack 

rara

Wow. Just wow, this book is like something I've never read before in fantasy. It had me questioning everything and I almost went as crazy as the characters in the game trying to figure it out. Loved it every second of it, can't wait to read the next ones.

Tsu 💙

I read this after OUABH so I’m looking forward to seeing certain cameos. Very intrigued with where this series is going

Dreamy and whimsical

I read this after OUABH so I’m looking forward to seeing certain cameos. Very intrigued with where this series is going

this was a cute, cozy, fairytale ! it was fun but also felt a little young. it would be good for starting fantasy 

taylor

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.Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.

I wanted to love this book so badly. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad but i just couldn’t quite grasp themagic. I had a gard time picturing everything as i was reading. Will definitely continue the series though.

Christine

I really liked it. It was very magical and fast paced. I read it in a couple of hours! 

Salomé Gleusteen 

You know when you find a book that just sweeps you into the pages and fills you with magic. This book did just that it pulled me in front the start and has me hooked to continue the series.

Brilliantly written with great characters 

Samantha King

You know when you find a book that just sweeps you into the pages and fills you with magic. This book did just that it pulled me in front the start and has me hooked to continue the series.

Brilliantly written with great characters 

Thequeen &
Caraval by Stephanie Garber

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Thequeen &Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Thequeen &
Caraval by Stephanie Garber