Caraval: the mesmerising Sunday Times bestseller

By Author / Illustrator

Stephanie Garber

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Hodder & Stoughton

ISBN

9781473629141

Format

Hardback

Published

31-01-2017

Synopsis

Welcome to Caraval, where nothing is quite what it seems...

'If you ever wondered how it would feel to step into a dream, here's your ticket' - Stacey Lee

Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda, pining from afar for the wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long performance where the audience participates in the show.

Caraval is Magic. Mystery. Adventure. And for Scarlett and her beloved sister Tella it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless, abusive father.

When the sisters' long-awaited invitations to Caraval finally arrive, it seems their dreams have come true. But no sooner have they arrived than Tella vanishes, kidnapped by the show's mastermind organiser, Legend.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But nonetheless she quickly becomes enmeshed in a dangerous game of love, magic and heartbreak. And real or not, she must find Tella before the game is over, and her sister disappears forever.

A mesmerising, magical and stunningly imaginative debut novel for anyone who loved The Night Circus.

The hardback will have FOUR secret hidden-on-the-board covers featuring stunning foiled illustrations. The one you receive will be random, but all are jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Reviews

Wow, what a debut novel. This book is a rollercoaster of a story. It had me gripped right from the start. The story tells of a young girl called Scarlett who dreams of witnessing a week-long magical performance called Caraval. However, Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda where she suffers abuse by her father alongside her younger sister Tella. For her, Caraval not only means magic, mystery and adventure, it also represents freedom from her father's monstrous grip. The day finally arrives when the invitations for this performance arrive, but Caraval does not turn out to be as she expected! This book is mesmerising and had me totally gripped. The author spins a wonderful web of a story that keeps you guessing until the very end. I think that there may be a follow up book to this and if there is, I will be eager to read it. One of my favorite things about this book was the budding romance between Julian and Scarlett, which isn't gross and cheesy; the tension between them continually grows throughout the book. The romance is tastefully done and, while refraining from being cheap and raunchy, sucked the reader in as the relationship grew. Suitable for 14+ avid readers of fantasy novels with 402 fantastically written pages (hardback) and when you have read this awesome book you can look forward to the upcoming film. 402 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Linda Brown, school librarian.