PLOT:

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world...

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.

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

THOUGHTS:

Scarlett has written to Master Legend, the master of Caraval, ever since she was young. In her last letter, bidding farewell to her fantasy of ever attending Caraval, the grandmaster finally responds with three tickets. Looking for Tella, her sister, she discovers her doing something she should not be doing, with a sailor named Julian. They got caught by their cruel father and when you think that they were pushing each other at whose fault it is, you then discover that they were actually protecting each other. Thier father is so cruel he punishes the other if the other one has made a mistake.

Julian proposes to help the sisters get off their prison island, for the price of one ticket to Caraval. Scarlett, the square one (does anybody still use this term? LOL!), refuses and because she's getting married in a few days. Tella, the edgy sister thinks otherwise though. Julian "kidnaps" Scarlett, bringing her to the island where Caraval will be held, where they should be meeting Tella, but discover her gone.

Julian and Scarlett help each other get to Caraval and look for Tella. Scarlett does find her only to be gone again the next day. She discovers that the game revolves around them. That the first one to find Tella will be the winner and gets their wish granted.

First of all, Scarlett as a main character is boring, I prefer it was Tella. She was predictable as hell. She was always safe. Her repetitive "I am engaged" line was damn annoying. I can't believe Julian fell for her. For what reason may I ask? I really question Julian's taste. Seriously.

Tella, because she was kidnapped, for the benefit of the game, was mostly absent which was too bad because she had a way more colorful character than her older sister. She freakin' moved the whole story! The story flowed because of her actions. If she hadn't wrote to Legend, they never would have been invited to Caraval.

Scarlett's characterization is so weak that even when it's her POV you feel that she's merely a player in the entirety of the book. She went where she was pointed to and she did what she was told to. She didn't put a twist in the game. She was defintely drowned out.

Julian was a great support character. But honestly I think he was there for the giddy-effect of the story. He tries to be a mystery but you get that he is part of Caraval. That was too obvious. Only to Scarlett it was not, because she was dim. Hahaha!

I want to love Caraval, but I'm sorry. It's too poorly conceptualized. I was expecting it to be magical and to be on my feet with the mystery of it all. But it was all a big disappointment. ANd what's more, I feel that it was Night Circus-inspired but instead fell flat and short.

Legendary is coming out on May. Will I read it? We'll see.

RATING:
★★☆☆☆

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