Caraval

Caraval by Stephanie Garber
407 pages
Published January 31st 2017 by Flatiron Books

My rating: 4 1/2 stars
Book source: I received an ARC for free from a book vendor.

Summary:
Once per year there's a legendary performance known as Caraval. It's invitation-only, and invitees can either participate in the show or just be observers. Scarlett has always wanted to see Caraval, and with her upcoming arranged marriage this is her last chance to experience the magic and possibility. Luckily she receives a pair of tickets and she and her sister, Tella, escape their isolated island and enter the Caraval. Scarlett expects magic and wonder and instead finds mystery and mayhem when she's immediately separated from Tella and must set out to find her. Time moves more quickly in the Caraval and you can only venture out at night. Can Scarlett find Tella and still have the experience of a lifetime? Or will she be trapped or even killed in her pursuits?

Cover: 5/5
You say your book is about a magical world? And you have designed it with what appears to be magic pixie dust all over the cover? Sold! Ugh yes, it's another black background, but what's on top is to die for. This cover very expertly conveys the atmosphere of the entire world of Caraval. Keep in mind I'm heaping praise on the ARC cover, and that's also to do with all of the insane amounts of advance praise (4 pages worth!) you have to go through in order to find the title page. The hype made me a little nervous, though, as it raised my expectations a ton. But I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed!

Characters: 4/5
Scarlett & Tella's dad Governor Gragna is an utterly abusive tyrant, a bloated big fish in a small town on their tiny isolated island. Let's get that out of the way right up front! Tella is a bit underdeveloped, but as she's a secondary character and vanishes as soon as the adventure begins it's not too troubling (also less so when you consider the sequel will be Tella's story). Scarlett spends a lot of valuable Caraval time searching for her sister, and feels guilty any time she strays from that path and enjoys herself. I felt that was true to her character, so I didn't mind it. I also liked that I was right about predicting that she would develop feelings for Julian, who was definitely more than he seemed at first blush.

Plot: 5/5
Magic in fiction is only as good as the author lets it be. If I don't understand your rules, or if you are inconsistent in applying them, I'm not going to enjoy your story. I'm happy to report that Stephanie Garber nailed it! I totally understood what was happening and every magical rule seemed to be applied consistently.
The whole concept of a Caraval-style magical experience really charmed me. Imagine your dreams becoming real and getting to live out your best fantasies. There was enough whimsy to keep me entertained but not so much that it lacked substance. The big reveals at the end of the book really tied everything up for me, and allowed me to love the parts of the book I thought, when I was reading them, I hated.

Romance: 4/5
Oh, forbidden romance! Scarlett is betrothed to a man she's never met and Julian is a sailor who favors live on the open seas to any long-term commitments on land. As they learn to trust each other they also discover they have feelings for each other. But will those feelings last, or are they an unreliable byproduct of Caraval?
There were opportunities for insta-love in this book that were thankfully passed over in favor of more action. Yes, Julian and Scarlett are thrown together into a shared room for Caraval but they don't let it force them into a heated romance. However, there's enough bonding that goes beyond friendship that kept my heart pitter-patting throughout the book.

Mystery: 4/5
Caraval is expected to be deceitful, in that participants cannot believe their eyes and ears. But even so I was amazed at how some of the characters' storylines developed and the big secrets that were revealed by the end of the book had me literally gasping! Layer upon layer of different plots converge at Caraval, not the least of which is the identity of its organizer, Master Legend. As Scarlett and Julian delve into the secrets of Caraval on their search for Tella, they also start to peel back the layers of mystery that surround Master Legend and his obsession with organizing such a massively magical time for the strangers he has invited to participate.

My rating: 4 1/2 stars

Final thoughts:
I read this back in December and at that time I predicted it would live up to its hype and be January's biggest YA book. I also predicted we would see this in a future OwlCrate. Well, I received my January OwlCrate yesterday and guess what February's theme is going to be? Run Away with the Circus! If Caraval isn't the February OwlCrate book I'll eat my hat!