Teen Review: Caraval
Review by Esther, member of the Cedarbrae Youth Advisory Group.
If your a fan of fantasy, romance and mystery, Caraval is definitely a book for you. Written by Stephanie Garber, Caraval tells the story of Scarlett Dragna and her adventures through the Carval show, the once-in-a-lifetime performance filled with magic and mystery.
Scarlett and her sister Tella have lived their whole lives on a tiny island, under the rule of their father, Count Dragna, without any freedom whatsoever. Ever since Scarlett was little, she has yearned to go to the Caraval. Years have passed without any hope of her dream coming true and when Scarlett’s father arranges her marriage, she gives up any hope of escaping the Isle.
But in the year of her marriage, Scarlett finally gets the chance to go to the Caraval. Scarlett isn’t sure if she should even go at that point, when she already has the safer route of marrying her fiance but her sister Tella is adamant about going, So with the help of Julien, a sailor they meet on the beach, both sisters travel to Caraval. Yet when they arrive, Tella is kidnapped, and this season of the Caraval revolves around her.
When I first read Caraval, I immediately knew it was going to be one of the usual adventure-romance novels, where a girl starts on an adventure to save someone, and at the end of the day, saves them plus finds a new boyfriend (yay!) But when reading Caraval, you almost feel like you are playing the game yourself, and you get entrapped in all the mystery, heartbreak, and clues throughout the game. Every single chapter has a new twist, and you find yourself absorbed by the world of Caraval. This is definitely a book I would recommend to young adults.
The sequel to the book, Legendary, is also available with the Toronto Public Library
Check out other Fantasy Young Adult books available with the library.
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