Caraval

Caraval
by Stephanie Garber

From the publisher:
"Remember, it’s only a game…

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."

The feelings I have for this book are quite similar to those I had after reading The Night Circus, and there are actual similarities in the stories as well. So I will use some of the exact sentences I used for that book. "My 4 star rating doesn't really mean "really liked it", it's actually more like "amazing on many levels, but not sure how I really feel about it". What imagination and creativity went into this!" 
For a lot of the book I was thinking, "What the heck is going on?!", yet it was mesmerizing and I couldn't stop reading (once I really got into the story). The writing is incredible, so beautiful and gripping. So many secrets! Who to trust? Who to like? The setting of Caraval is amazingly unique and magical. I would like to see what the director of The Greatest Showman would do with a movie of this. There is one part where the main character starts seeing only in black and white, unless it is something really important for her to notice, and I can imagine that being put on the big screen - it would be beautiful!
This book has action, adventure, heroes and villains (although you're not always clear which is which), romance, magic, character growth, and above all - sisterly love. And that sounds like I just described Frozen, but it is nothing like that :) . It was amazing, but do I recommend it for middle school students? Maybe 8th graders, but no younger.

Areas of concern:
*Serious abuse.
*Steamy romance - although it was kind of more a feeling of steamy than actual graphic steaminess, if that makes sense.
*Several disturbing murders - one off stage and 2 right in front of us.

Suggested Ages:

Booklist - Grades 9-12

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 13+

The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum

The Great and Only Barnum...
by Candace Fleming

From the publisher:
"Discover the true story of P.T. Barnum, the man who created the world-famous Barnum & Bailey Circus, as featured in the movie The Greatest Showman! 

The award-winning author of The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary, Amelia Lost, and Our Eleanor brings us the larger-than-life biography of showman P. T. Barnum. Known far and wide for his jumbo elephants, midgets, and three-ring circuses, here's a complete and captivating look at the man behind the Greatest Show on Earth. Readers can visit Barnum's American Museum; meet Tom Thumb, the miniature man (only 39 inches tall) and his tinier bride (32 inches); experience the thrill Barnum must have felt when, at age 60, he joined the circus; and discover Barnum's legacy to the 19th century and beyond. Drawing on old circus posters, photographs, etchings, ticket stubs--and with incredible decorative art by Ray Fenwick--this book presents history as it's never been experienced before--a show-stopping event!"

I read this after seeing the movie The Greatest Showman , and I have to say I like Hugh Jackman a lot better than I liked P.T. Barnum after reading this book. It is interesting that the things I didn't admire about P.T. Barnum (his treatment of his family, his lies and "humbuggery"...) were not shown in the movie, but conversely, the things I DID admire about the real man (he insisted his employees acted circumspectly and dressed modestly, he was a huge philanthropist...) were not brought out in the movie, either. I watched the movie with the director's commentary and he said, "We didn't let the truth stand in the way of a good story" (or something like that). He said they made the movie P.T. would have wanted about himself, and I think that is probably true. Who wouldn't want to be portrayed by Hugh Jackman?

Enough about the movie - the book itself was very interesting and informative. I liked the format with the circus-y font emblazoned across a whole page for every new chapter and the boxes with interesting facts on almost every page. I learned a lot, and it was never boring. But then, how could a book about the stupendous P.T. Barnum be boring?

Suggested Ages:
Kirkus Reviews - Ages 10-14
School Library Journal - Grades 6+