Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jan 2017
416 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
Welcome, welcome to Caraval—Stephanie Garber's sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.
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.
"Starred Review. A must-have fantasy debut for high school collections." - School Library Journal
"Starred Review. Intriguing characters, an imaginative setting, and evocative writing combine to create a spellbinding tale of love, loss, sacrifice, and hope. While the search for Tella drives the narrative, Scarlett's quest for self-empowerment is equally captivating. Scarlett and Julian's chemistry intoxicates, and Garber's tantalizing conclusion will leave readers hungry for a sequel. Ages 13–up." - Publishers Weekly
"Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations." - Kirkus
"A spellbinding tale of sisterhood, love and betrayal. Like her characters, I lost myself in the dangerous, enchanting world she created - and never wanted to come out." - Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Ember In the Ashes and A Torch in the Night
"Enchanting and mysterious, Stephanie Garber's Caraval is a story rich with sumptuous detail, beautifully written." - Renée Ahdieh, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn
"Caraval shimmers with magic. This is an inventive, delightful tale with several aces up its sleeve." - Marie Rutkoski, New York Times bestselling author of the Winner's Trilogy
"In a book where nothing is at it appears, one thing is certain: Caraval is the darkly enchanting adventure you've been looking for!" - Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken
"A decadent and enchanting tale. Caraval will sink its teeth into you, and you will not want to leave." - Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen
"A tale of sisterly devotion painted in colors of cerise and shimmering gold. If you ever wondered how it would feel to step into a living dream, here's your ticket." - Stacey Lee, critically acclaimed author of Outrun the Moon
This information about Caraval was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Stephanie Garber loves Disneyland because it's the one place on earth where she feels as if the fantastical stories she loves to write about could actually come to life. When she's not writing young adult fantasy, she teaches creative writing at a private college in northern California, where she's known for turning assignments into games and taking students on field trips that involve book signings. Caraval is her first novel for young adults. She would love to hear from you on social media.
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