Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Caraval was a magical book unlike any I have ever read.
So basically, in Caraval we have a magical carnival that is world-renowned for its unordinary magic tricks and games. The mastermind behind it all is a guy named Legend. Then we have Scarlett and Tella, two sisters who have been wanting to experience Caraval since they were little to get away from their evil dad, for at least five days (how long it takes to play Caraval). One day Scarlett receives three tickets to Caraval, but doesn’t want to go because she is supposed to marry a count in a week. Meanwhile, Tella really wants to go, even if it means she’ll have to bring her sister along with the help of a mysterious sailor, also known as Julian. Long story short, they arrive at Caraval, only to realize that to win the game, Julian and Scarlett will have to locate Tella, who has been abducted by Legend and is the key to winning the prize of the elaborate game, one wish. Little do they know, Caraval isn’t as it seems...
Setting
The setting was awe-inspiring. Stephanie Graber crafted an amazing world of magic and beautiful scenery into a single house. Yes, you heard me, one house held an entire town. I learned early on in this book to not question the logistics, because with Legend (the creator of the town and Caraval in itself) anything is possible, and that’s important to keep in mind while reading this book. At first, at Trisda I was getting a strong Pirates of the Carribean/sailor vibe and then when they got to Caraval that transitioned into bustling crowds, bright colors and lights, scenic rivers that rush through the city like roads (similar to the Grand Ole Opry at Christmas lol),and old brick buildings. I also loved the fact that everything took place at night. It added to the mystery a lot, even though I know if I were a player at Caraval there was no way I was getting used to that sleep schedule.
Characters
My opinion on Julian really fluctuated. Mostly I loved him, and I thought he was an amazing character but then there were times I was not so sure he was on the right side of things..but ultimately he was really great and I almost cried when he got locked out of the hotel and when he got separated from Scarlett because I thought that was the last time I would see him. Also, he and Scarlett’s relationship was perfect and so good; I ship it all the way.
Scarlett I liked a lot. I thought she was really smart and strong, and she loved her sister a lot. But I will say, at times she was overly cautious and it kind of frustrated me because I felt like she wasn’t enjoying the thing she knew was just a game.
Tella I didn’t really have an opinion on. I thought she was fun but kind of reckless (like there was no middle ground between her and her sister) but I get that those are parts of their characters. Throughout the book I liked her, whatever, but at the end, that’s when things started to get rocky. I still liked her and thought she was super smart for doing what she did, but I couldn’t help but be a little mad...you’ll see why later.
Dante was, once again, one of those character’s I fluctuated between liking and disliking. Most of the book I hated him and though he was described as “attractive” the way the author pictured him just wasn’t it for me. In the end, I stopped hating him and just remained neutral. Though I am interested to see how my opinions might change about Tella and Dante in the next books.
Governor Dragna- I haaaate him
Aiko- She was really annoying if I’m being honest
Plot + Random thoughts
(Not me basing everything off of desperate texts I sent to Lyla lol.)
Where to begin. Perhaps the beginning.
So when Scarlett was making a choice about whether to follow Julian through the front door or go through the one leading straight to Caraval, I had major flashbacks to Heartless, and people going through wrong doors...it was very traumatizing. Anyway, so we get to Caraval, right, and we take in all the beauty, then begins our first day of the game. I really didn’t want Julian to leave her, and when he implied he was going to, I was about to have a heart attack because I really thought they would remain a team, you know? Lucky for me, they did team up, and went about trying to find the second clue (they already received the first).
During this time I was going through my brain of mine because Scarlett mentioned something about Tella going missing the same way their mom did, and it got me thinking, what if their mom got lost during Caraval and died or something, or, what of she was Annelise, Legend’s long lost lover?? And might I just say while I wasn’t entirely right, it actually was their Grandma who was Annelise, so....
Ok and then they threw in that stuff about Julian being Legend and I about died right there because all I could think about was that Julian liked Scarlett, but if he was Legend that meant he liked her grandma too...plus it was a major betrayal.
Thankfully, Julian wasn’t actually Legend. But, I remember I was still a little untrusting of him, and at that point I started to understand why Scarlett had trust issues.
And then guess what happened. Legend pops up and tells me Julian was playing her this whole time and is actually his accomplice. (At this point it is clear that Caraval isn’t just a game and is actually deadly). You can imagine the pain I was going through at this part and I simply wasn’t willing to accept that Julian would actually do this and I thought it was just another trick.
So then it comes out that Julian was on Legend’s team but actually wanted to help Scarlett and wasn’t playing her this whole time. So then I started to feel better about the whole situation until…
Legend stabbed Julian.
At this point my emotions had been dragged all over the place and I was in no place to be experiencing this kind of grief. Yet still I watched as Julian died right before Scarlett’s eyes, and I almost cried with her.
And then Tella jumped off a balcony.
But don’t fret, she comes back to life, and…
So does Julian!
Now you would think the plot twists would end here, but noooo. It’s moments after Tella commits suicide that we relaize this whole life threatening game was a performance. NONE OF IT WAS REAL. Not Julian, not Legend, not the clues or situations or games...they were all actors. This whole plot was generated by Tella as a way to rid the sister’s of their abusive father. Now, it is smart, but what do you think this did to poor Scarlett, who believed she was fighting not only for her life, but for her sister’s, who believed Julian really loved her, who already has major trust issues as is? And in the end, he might still love her, but the fact is, now Julian is a stranger, because how are we supposed to know what was real and what was pretend? So even if he claims that the love he showed during the game wasn’t all fake, how are we supposed to believe that? Their precious moments together where they were literally saving each other...Julian knew he would come out alive,therefore there was no fear in that man. So now how will I know who the real Julian is??? How do we know what was crafted beforehand? You see, we don’t. And while this concept pains me, I love the author for coming up with it all the same.
Quotes
“Do you always focus on what you're giving up, rather than what you'll be gaining? Some things are worth pursuit regardless of the cost.”
“Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.”
Caraval was an intricate and detailed book full of mystery, love, and major plot twists that kept me engaged the whole time. I haven’t read a book like it before, and I really really enjoyed the plot twists, even if I came off a little strong. This book was amazing and I highly recommend it, so go check it out if you haven’t already. As always, thanks for listening to me rant; love ya!
Current favorite song: Mr. Perfectly Fine- Taylor Swift