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britbauman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
tobias_lmn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I just got into reading again, so idk if my opinion is actually useful at all, but I can tell you I read this in six days and only bc i had things to do. I literally couldn't stop reading.
Tho I didn't expect the amount of romance that was in this, I actually enjoyed it, even tho I'm not a big fan of romance. I loved Julian, but I also loved the way I could empathize with him AND Scarlett.
Also, about Scarlett, I'm not gonna say that she's the best character development I've read in my entire life, but it is true that I enjoyed the way she slowly started to care more about herself and what she wanted than what her sister needed, or "what had to be done".
ALSOOOO, I loved that she didn't instantly gave in to Julian when she met him again like I first thought she would (I would've, he's so hot, I don't think I have ever been this gay about a character before hahaha). THO I did find it weird that he was definitely more than 60 and she was 17, like why'd you do that to me, they were so pretty just like that
Basically, if you're looking for a romantasy, I think this is your book, and if you're not, I insist in giving it a chance, it is actually good even if not everyone on "booktok" agrees, do NOT listen to them.
I'm sorry about my english, but I'm actually from South America, so Spanish is my thing but meh.
Tho I didn't expect the amount of romance that was in this, I actually enjoyed it, even tho I'm not a big fan of romance. I loved Julian, but I also loved the way I could empathize with him AND Scarlett.
Also, about Scarlett, I'm not gonna say that she's the best character development I've read in my entire life, but it is true that I enjoyed the way she slowly started to care more about herself and what she wanted than what her sister needed, or "what had to be done".
Basically, if you're looking for a romantasy, I think this is your book, and if you're not, I insist in giving it a chance, it is actually good even if not everyone on "booktok" agrees, do NOT listen to them.
I'm sorry about my english, but I'm actually from South America, so Spanish is my thing but meh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
kymboh78's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I teeter between four and five stars, overall giving it 4.5 but Goodreads doesn’t have that option yet.
I can say this is the fastest I’ve read a book in a minute. Having a three hour flight helps—but what helps even more is getting wrapped up in the story. The magic of Caraval easily sweeps off the page and captures you much as it captures the players in the book.
But let’s breakdown the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The Ugly—
My biggest grievance with this book, and the biggest reason I knocked off half a star is because I found the main character incredibly irritating on more than one occasion. You might be asking, well then how and why did you keep reading? For me, it wasn’t a deal breaker because it wasn’t constant. There was enough going on (and I think the story being told in third person really helped) that we weren’t always in her head hearing her regrets or having her narrate everything she was going through. Although, I will admit, I think the author has more freedom with adding details in the first person.
The Bad—
Some might argue this is literally the ugly of the book, but what I mean by “the good, the bad, and the ugly” is what I found my least favorite to favorite about the book. So take that with a grain of salt.
There weren’t any trigger warnings at the beginning of this book.
I understand the book was published in 2017 and trigger warnings weren’t really a thing then, but as the book has gained more popularity and new editions have been released, I wish there was a list of trigger warnings (I also think we as reviewers have a duty to mention these as well). Although these weren’t necessarily heavy throughout the book (depending on your definition) I do believe that for some, even the smallest blindsided mention of some topics can lead to hard traumatic triggered events.
With that being said, here are some trigger warnings.
- Domestic violence/parental abuse: this is the most prominent
- Suicide: mentioned a couple times
- Death
- Arranged marriage: this is a focus of the book
I can say this is the fastest I’ve read a book in a minute. Having a three hour flight helps—but what helps even more is getting wrapped up in the story. The magic of Caraval easily sweeps off the page and captures you much as it captures the players in the book.
But let’s breakdown the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The Ugly—
My biggest grievance with this book, and the biggest reason I knocked off half a star is because I found the main character incredibly irritating on more than one occasion. You might be asking, well then how and why did you keep reading? For me, it wasn’t a deal breaker because it wasn’t constant. There was enough going on (and I think the story being told in third person really helped) that we weren’t always in her head hearing her regrets or having her narrate everything she was going through. Although, I will admit, I think the author has more freedom with adding details in the first person.
The Bad—
Some might argue this is literally the ugly of the book, but what I mean by “the good, the bad, and the ugly” is what I found my least favorite to favorite about the book. So take that with a grain of salt.
There weren’t any trigger warnings at the beginning of this book.
I understand the book was published in 2017 and trigger warnings weren’t really a thing then, but as the book has gained more popularity and new editions have been released, I wish there was a list of trigger warnings (I also think we as reviewers have a duty to mention these as well). Although these weren’t necessarily heavy throughout the book (depending on your definition) I do believe that for some, even the smallest blindsided mention of some topics can lead to hard traumatic triggered events.
With that being said, here are some trigger warnings.
- Domestic violence/parental abuse: this is the most prominent
- Suicide: mentioned a couple times
- Death
- Arranged marriage: this is a focus of the book
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicide
joongarten's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
treeleef's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Murder
barbarianmissy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a neat one! It was really well paced and kind of refreshing and cool having a fantasy book in a surrealist setting.
For the positives, this book had really excellent world building. There was a continuous guessing game throughout it. What may be magic, may also be illusion, but may also be real, so you never truly knew what to believe. And due to the unpredictable nature of the game there were lots of really cool twists and surprises I didn’t see coming! It was fun to try to figure out everyone’s true intentions, as you could truly trust no one.
As for what I felt was a smidge meh. The character development felt a little undercooked for me. Some of the conversations felt a little out of place and the reasonings for certain actions felt too simplified for the complex emotions that would undoubtedly come from the consequences of them. (If that makes sense).
Another thing is, I liked the romance plot, but it never felt genuine because, as with every single character in this book, you could never fully trust it.
Overall, it was a really fun read. BbI’m gonna try book 2 next and see how it goes!
For the positives, this book had really excellent world building. There was a continuous guessing game throughout it. What may be magic, may also be illusion, but may also be real, so you never truly knew what to believe. And due to the unpredictable nature of the game there were lots of really cool twists and surprises I didn’t see coming! It was fun to try to figure out everyone’s true intentions, as you could truly trust no one.
As for what I felt was a smidge meh. The character development felt a little undercooked for me. Some of the conversations felt a little out of place and the reasonings for certain actions felt too simplified for the complex emotions that would undoubtedly come from the consequences of them. (If that makes sense).
Another thing is, I liked the romance plot, but it never felt genuine because, as with every single character in this book, you could never fully trust it.
Overall, it was a really fun read. BbI’m gonna try book 2 next and see how it goes!
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol
bfogleman's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Far too many similes and descriptive words and some plot elements/“twists” that were so obvious it evoked an eye roll from me, but overall an enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Domestic abuse
aralalala's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh, dang. This book is a lot of things.
The writing is so good, I get transported into its universe with no problem. There were no unnecessary pop-culture references that slap me back into reality. It’s its own story and I’m so… stressed. I probably felt more than the character’s did in that moment. I felt myself seething around 85% in (iykyk).
My heart is still beating fast. The tension was insane. The story is exciting. I wasn’t sure what to expect next and it was honestly just so stressful and I get why people are so drawn to it.
I read this after I’ve read the Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy, and though most people I see recommend reading this first, I actually seem to like it more that I read that first because it feels a lot like how Star Wars 4-5-6 is recommended before 1-2-3. Lol.
I also feel that the line (spoiler for A Curse for True Love)“He’d heard every person gets one impossible wish—just one—if the person wants something more than anything, and they can find a bit of magic to help them along.” foreshadows not just Scarlett and Tella’s story but also Jacks and Evangeline’s in OUABH. That, at least, lets me reconcile something I felt was left unanswered in my head.
Overall, I love it but it is not for the faint-hearted. The stress of the last few chapters was beyond what I could normally bear.
The writing is so good, I get transported into its universe with no problem. There were no unnecessary pop-culture references that slap me back into reality. It’s its own story and I’m so… stressed. I probably felt more than the character’s did in that moment. I felt myself seething around 85% in (iykyk).
My heart is still beating fast. The tension was insane. The story is exciting. I wasn’t sure what to expect next and it was honestly just so stressful and I get why people are so drawn to it.
I read this after I’ve read the Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy, and though most people I see recommend reading this first, I actually seem to like it more that I read that first because it feels a lot like how Star Wars 4-5-6 is recommended before 1-2-3. Lol.
I also feel that the line (spoiler for A Curse for True Love)
Overall, I love it but it is not for the faint-hearted. The stress of the last few chapters was beyond what I could normally bear.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
bjehbjeh's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Plottwist after plottwist and at the end of the book you’re still not sure what’s true or not. Only the main character has been honest about herself and her intentions. The others are all part of a big game. Frustrating but bittersweet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
carissacaitlin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really quite enjoyed this book! I love the storyline of the sisters and the plot of a mysterious game that blurs the line between reality and fantasy.
The plot twists were also very unexpected!! The way the author also describes the scenes had a very magical touch & I enjoyed this read very much!
I started this series after reading the Once Upon a Broken Heart series; Caraval is the prequel to that series & i don’t think it matters which order you should read it in, but now im excited to find out more of the backstory of the characters in OUABH!
The plot twists were also very unexpected!! The way the author also describes the scenes had a very magical touch & I enjoyed this read very much!
I started this series after reading the Once Upon a Broken Heart series; Caraval is the prequel to that series & i don’t think it matters which order you should read it in, but now im excited to find out more of the backstory of the characters in OUABH!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Minor: Death, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder