“No one is truly honest…even if we don’t lie to others, we often lie to ourselves.”
-Caraval
| Romantic Subgenre(s) | Romantasy, Young Adult |
| Spice Level | 0.5 Chili Pepper (out of five) |
| Open or Closed Door? | Closed door *slam* |
| Notable Tropes | (In order of prevalence in the story) Scars, Tortured, Enemies to Lovers, Arranged Marriage, Mistaken Identity, Revenge, One Bed, Kidnapped. |
| Similar Books | Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern |
Summary – Includes spoilers! Open at your own risk.
Seeking escape from their power hungry and abusive father Governor Dragna, Donatella partners with the ringmaster of Caraval in an elaborate scheme to secure freedom for both her and her sister. Within the magical world of Caraval where nothing is what it seems, Scarlett must partner with the mysterious Julian to overcome her fears, find her sister, and win the game. Caraval is a story of love, redemption, empowerment, and learning to trust.
What did the book do well?
The author creates an imaginative world that plays with our understanding of space, time, and physics. The storyline moves with a quickness, partly due to the pressure of time throughout the book.
What are your nitpicks?
I have two: First, this is not a subtle plot. The internal conflict of the main characters is plainly stated over and over. Aannnddd…….over. and over. (¡one more time for the folx in the back!) and OVER.
Second, the book as a whole was uncompelling due to an overt writing style. The relationships, the history, and plot devices felt clunky.
What was the Candy Mountain (highlight) of the book?
The book uses magic to play with our sense of space, time, and physics and in doing so creates a world that is vibrant, unexpected, and unique.
What was the dungeon (worst part) of the book?
Scarlett’s near-constant angst about her sister, her arranged marriage, and her general fear and lack of agency coupled with the fact that her character growth happened as a result of manipulation on all sides.
Who would you cast as the main characters for a Caraval movie?
Young Natalie Portman (Scarlett) and Josh Hartnett (Julian) …Johnny Depp (ringmaster)
What is a better title for the book?
Donatella’s Great Escape
What does this book feel like to you?
This book feels like the black velvet of a circus master’s hat – a little dark, a little mysterious, a little lusty and at the end of the day…a little like an empty trick.
Final Recommendation:
Would I recommend this book? Meh…I didn’t keep it for my own collection.
This book tasted like all of the right ingredients with the wrong recipe. Magic, adventure and discovery, hidden pasts, a dreamworld, and dark/broody/morally gray men come together around a central female character that is essentially manipulated into playing the game and spends most of the book just plain dithering.
Want to form your own opinion of Caraval?
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