The New York Times Book Review - Marjorie Ingall
Caraval is The Night Circus Jr., with a dash of Alice in Wonderland and a sprinkle of Fantasy Island.
Publishers Weekly - Audio
★ 04/03/2017
Sisters Scarlett and Donatella “Tella” Dragna have always dreamed of going to Caraval—a once-a-year, multiday event that is part magical spectacle, part treasure hunt. With only a week before Scarlett’s wedding to a man she’s never met, Tella runs away to Caraval and arranges for Scarlett to be abducted by a sailor named Julian and secretly taken to Caraval too. But when Scarlett arrives, she discovers that Tella has become the prize of the game, and all the players are searching for her. In order to save both herself and her sister, Scarlett must figure out the ambiguous clues and confounding puzzles and journey through a magical world where secrets and plots abound, nothing is as it seems, and no one is to be trusted. Actor Soler’s narration, by turns curious, afraid, frustrated, and exhilarated, immediately draws the listener into this world. In a story full of colorful characters, she gives each one a distinct voice that is faithful to their descriptions in the text. This magical fairy tale will thrill lovers of fantasy and mystery. Ages 13–up. A Flatiron hardcover. (Jan.)
Publishers Weekly
★ 10/17/2016
At the start of Garber’s magnificent debut novel, the mysterious Master Legend invites sisters Scarlett and Donatella Dragna to attend Caraval—a magical multiday event that is part spectacle, part treasure hunt. Although their tyrannical father has threatened death if they leave home without his permission, Tella strikes a deal with a roguish sailor named Julian for transport to Legend’s private island—a plan that essentially involves kidnapping the conflicted Scarlett, who is weeks away from marrying a man she’s never met. Upon arrival, Tella is taken, and it’s revealed that she is the subject of this year’s hunt. Scarlett and Julian join forces to find her, but in a game in which secrets are currency and appearances deceive, Scarlett has no way of knowing whether she’s a Caraval player or Master Legend’s pawn. 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. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
NEW YORK TIMES bestseller
#1 Indie Next Pick
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Flying Start
ALA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults List
YALSA Teens’ Top 10 Pick
TEEN VOGUE Best YA Book of the Year
“Impressive, original, wondrous.” —USA TODAY
“A spellbinding tale of love, loss, and hope.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review
“A twisty, terrifically fun page-turner perfect for fans of THE NIGHT CIRCUS, STARDUST, and THE HUNGER GAMES.” —SLJ
“THE HUNGER GAMES meets THE NIGHT CIRCUS in this tale of two sisters enmeshed in a deadly game.” —ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY (Top 10 YA Novel of the Year)
“I lost myself in this world and never wanted to come out.” —Sabaa Tahir
“Beautifully written.” —Renée Ahdieh
“Shimmers with magic.” —Marie Rutkoski
“Like stepping into a living dream.” —Stacey Lee
Library Journal
09/01/2016
In this YA fantasy debut, Scarlett, who lives on a small island with her sister and icily domineering father, receives an invitation to Caraval, a fabled audience-participation performance taking place once a year. It's shortly before her arranged marriage, but Scarlett sneaks away to attend. A likely crossover title pitched as having a Night Circus-like atmosphere; with sales to 25 territories and preempted by Twentieth Century Fox.
APRIL 2017 - AudioFile
Rebecca Soler is an ideal listener’s companion through a heady world. Scarlett's lifelong wish is to travel with her sister, Tella, to Caraval, a spectacular annual performance that draws its audience into the show. But when the sisters manage to escape their cruel father and attend, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind, Legend, who makes her the feature of this year’s show. Soler imbues each descriptive passage with exhilaration and wonder, providing a vivid sensory experience in which listeners will easily lose themselves. Though her accents occasionally slip, her inflections are pitch-perfect, capturing Scarlett’s yearning and growing worldliness, the jaunty tones of her erstwhile companion, and Legend’s ominous, mesmerizing whisper, which dominates the story as he dominates his world. B.E.K. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2016-09-19
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the enchanted circus trope. Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome golden-brown sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarletts arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets. Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)
