Hoping For More: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Title: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Series: Caraval #1
Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult
Page Count: 407 Pages
Published: January 31st 2017 by Flatiron Books
Rating: 5/5

Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her 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 faraway, 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. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

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

My Review:

Goodreads awards brought this gem to my attention and my birthday put it in my hands. I might just make my wish list the top picks every year if this is what I'll get.

This book for me was a mixture of Alice and Wonderland, a murder mystery, and Pirates of the Carribean -- while at the same time nothing like any of them because it was totally unique.

From the very start of the book, I was trying to figure out if there was really magic Scarlett's world or if it was all illusion and that question wove through the whole story. You never know what is real, or if anything is real and it is fantastic!

Even the love interest side of the story is twisted and turned into something I wasn't expecting. I love being surprised and Stephanie Garber got me over and over again while staying true to the story and the characters.

In a nutshell, the story is about a girl who finds herself stuck on a mysterious island trying to win a bizarre game in order to save her sister, all the while living out her biggest dream of being a contestant. The competition is fierce and she's not the only one who will lose if she doesn't claim the victory.

The ending was totally satisfying, but I can't wait for the sequel to see where the story will go.

Fav. Quotes (minus the spoilery ones):

“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.”

“Dreams that come true can be beautiful, but they can also turn into nightmares when people won't wake up.”