Book Review: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Hello to all! Finally, after a couple years of not writing a single review, I'm back at it with a review for Caraval by Stephanie Garber.
For the past two years, I would say, I've been in a bit of a reading slump. I had several books I would pick up and read a chapter or two of here and there, but the avid reader I once was felt all but gone. Was it that what I was reading wasn't interesting enough? Had I simply lost my love of reading? Whatever the reason, I was sad over the fact that picking up a book and trying to read did not hold the same glorious appeal it once did, where I could read for hours and hours being swept up in another time and place. Truly I think what happened was that life changed and got busy and many things happened that prevented me from having the time to read, or oftentimes the desire because there were other things I needed or wanted to be doing.
While life is still a bit hectic, I've recently been determined to make time again for reading and writing, and slowly but surely I've been easing back into both! I'm very excited to be a book person again! It just feels "right" ! That being said, let us commence with the review!

Caraval 

by Stephanie Garber

Story synopsis from the book:

A legendary competition.

A mesmerizing romance.

An unbreakable bond

between sisters.

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her 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 faraway, 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. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . 

beware of getting swept too far away.

My review:

While this book was entertaining, and the idea is certainly intriguing, there were definitely some flaws. I can see how someone could love it and become swept away by the magical feel the entire book possesses, but for me the whole book felt lacking. I enjoyed the story and the "game" and the concept, but the book was mostly full of flowery descriptions of magical scenes described with fancy words. There was almost no character development, all the characters felt two dimensional and like they were all simply playing their part of being the type of character they were supposed to be without having any real depth to them. Scarlett was the typical brunette heroine who thinks she's to blame for everything and will do anything to save the ones she loves. Tella was the typical flirtatious blond sister who is prettier and "naughtier" than the heroin. And there was nothing to like about her. The whole book is about Scarlett trying to finding her, but I didn't care at all whether she did or not, and actually hoped she wouldn't. LOL. (not saying whether she did or not, but just saying my feelings throughout the book). They were supposed to have this deep sisterly bond but it really wasn't felt. Also, I felt that all of the conflicts throughout the book were way too quickly and easily resolved. I don't know about you, but I love bringing my characters to their lowest low and then bringing them lower still and basically destroying them and then slowly bringing them back out of the pit. You have to actually find yourself feeling for the characters and connecting with them emotionally to even care about whether they are triumphant or not. And sadly this book did not have that. 

So while this review might have sounded pretty harsh, I actually did like the book. I loved the idea, and the fact that it was an easy read was nice for getting me back into reading, but I'm sad it didn't have more depth. I'm also a little sad the idea was snatched up and already used, because I would love to write something with a similar story myself only add the depth and character development to it that this one was lacking. This book is the first in a series of 3 and I definitely do want to read the other two because there were things left unresolved, but I do wish there was more depth to the "Sugary, glowy, flowery, serpentine, emerald, swirly, dagger-like" adjectives that speckled the book. Okay, I'm done now! XD.