‘Caraval’ fantasy novel brings imagination to life

Photo credit by Goodreads.com

Photo credit by Goodreads.com

Madisyn Hardy, Reporter

Welcome to “Caraval,” where nothing is quite as it seems and one can barely distinguish fantasy from reality. The book “Caraval” by Stephanie Garber follows Scarlett and her younger sister Donatella Dragna as they cling to the hope of magic and both try to escape the abuse of their manipulative father, Governor Dragna.

The girls have never left the small island of Trisda in fear of death. Scarlett tries to get out of marrying a count she’s never met, but when Donatella strikes a deal with a mysterious stranger, Scarlett’s plan has to change. Scarlett has only ever allowed herself one dream, “Caraval.” “Caraval” is a once a year, elaborate performance where the audience participates in the game, and both of the girls’ lives will change forever when they enter the magic world of “Caraval,” created by magician Master Legend.

I’m not usually into fantasy books, but I couldn’t put “Caraval” down. It has all the basics of a young adult book without making it too boring or predictable. Most books that I have read were very basic and the endings were always very easy to predict, but with “Caraval,” there were plot twists on every page, making it impossible to predict, and Garber’s use of character development and suspense allowed me as a reader to really connect with and empathize with the characters.

I personally believe that “Caraval” is the best book that I have read in a while and it is a really good page turner. Garber brought her story to life and set it apart from other young adult fiction books, making it unique. I would recommend “Caraval” to anyone, and I can’t wait for the second book to come out.