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nuin_giliath's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall, this had a pretty intriguing premise and decent execution. I loved the idea of having a week-long "game" where attendees had to search for clues within a kind of magical theme park. There's just so much potential there. Some of the marks hit - such as the dress that altered itself according to the wearer's mood or the idea of selling secrets/years of life to gain information. The writing was pretty good too - not anything spectacular but solid for what this is. I really liked how the author used colors to represent moods or situations. While kind of cheesy at times, I thought it actually worked for a YA novel. The descriptions of the various sights and attractions of Caraval made me wish I could experience it for myself.
My biggest issue and downside of this book was Scarlett. *sigh* She is definitely one of the most boring protagonists I've ever encountered. And the fact that we are stuck in her head 24/7 meant there was no reprieve of her constant distress and whining. Her obsession of finding and "saving" her sister so they could leave was so exhausting. Usually in a fantasy like this, where one character is reluctant to be mesmerized by the magic around them, they usually give in by the 50% mark. Scarlett? Ha! Now I didn't expect her to simply toss Tella aside, but I would have liked for her to interact more with what Caraval offered and engage in gameplay instead of stumbling into things. There were several characters - such as Dante, Aiko, and Caspar - that seemed somewhat wasted given that their time in the story was so short. We learn almost nothing about them and that's not my complaint because Scarlett doesn't really want to know anything about them and since we're stuck in her head/perspective, we don't. I get her protectiveness, especially given the upbringing that she and Tella had, but I wanted to see some actual growth from her and it never came.
Other parts that were just kind of "meh"... the romance. There were maybe one or two moments that I actually enjoyed between the romantic leads. Other than that, I didn't care for it. I also didn't particularly care for the "finale" with the multiple fake-outs. Even in the scenes that were supposed to be dramatic/tragic, the severity of what had happened was never emphasized so I wasn't impacted when the reveal showed up and everything was made better. I get the whole "It's just a game" tagline, but when the stakes aren't really present, it's hard for me to become emotionally involved when something "terrible" happens.
So yeah... it was a decent read. I don't regret picking it up and based on the reviews of later books, it sounds like the author/story do improve (and include less Scarlett đ) so I look forward to that.
My biggest issue and downside of this book was Scarlett. *sigh* She is definitely one of the most boring protagonists I've ever encountered. And the fact that we are stuck in her head 24/7 meant there was no reprieve of her constant distress and whining. Her obsession of finding and "saving" her sister so they could leave was so exhausting. Usually in a fantasy like this, where one character is reluctant to be mesmerized by the magic around them, they usually give in by the 50% mark. Scarlett? Ha! Now I didn't expect her to simply toss Tella aside, but I would have liked for her to interact more with what Caraval offered and engage in gameplay instead of stumbling into things. There were several characters - such as Dante, Aiko, and Caspar - that seemed somewhat wasted given that their time in the story was so short. We learn almost nothing about them and that's not my complaint because Scarlett doesn't really want to know anything about them and since we're stuck in her head/perspective, we don't. I get her protectiveness, especially given the upbringing that she and Tella had, but I wanted to see some actual growth from her and it never came.
Other parts that were just kind of "meh"... the romance. There were maybe one or two moments that I actually enjoyed between the romantic leads. Other than that, I didn't care for it. I also didn't particularly care for the "finale" with the multiple fake-outs. Even in the scenes that were supposed to be dramatic/tragic, the severity of what had happened was never emphasized so I wasn't impacted when the reveal showed up and everything was made better. I get the whole "It's just a game" tagline, but when the stakes aren't really present, it's hard for me to become emotionally involved when something "terrible" happens.
So yeah... it was a decent read. I don't regret picking it up and based on the reviews of later books, it sounds like the author/story do improve (and include less Scarlett đ) so I look forward to that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Death
Moderate: Suicide and Blood
Minor: Kidnapping
mj_86's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Suicide, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Kidnapping and Abandonment
caseylovett's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Kidnapping
emilywemily6's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
For a YA fantasy series, I really enjoyed it and wanted to continue the series asap! I loved how sinister and magical Caraval is, though I still have lots of questions about why. The ending gutted me and I really hated how everyone manipulated Scarlett and doesnât see anything wrong with it. I wasnât super convinced about the romance though. This book is a lot of vibes and pacing, not a fleshed out plot. But I am really intrigued for the next book, this book really sucked me in despite its flaws!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content
carrotnyx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I donât know how to feel about this book⌠The beginning felt so slow and I honestly I was getting kinda bored. For the entire first half of the book I didnât care about any of the characters. Literally none. Scarlett was kinda bleh, Donatella was annoying in all of her scenes and Julian seemed like a douchebag.
-
However, I know it felt a bit out blue but I enjoyed reading Scarlettâs and Julianâs relationship. I loved (past tense) their dynamic. And when the plot picked up I couldnât stop reading. Then the plot twists went little overboard. Basically every other page had another twist and I started getting desensitized to it. I think that was the downfall of this book.I wish it just had a sad ending where it ends after Tella dies.
-
Julian became bland because we find out he was acting this whole time aND HE DIDNT ACTUALLY GIVE UP HIS LIFE FOR HIS CRIMSON. HE STARTED CALLING HER âSCARLETTâ (which absolutely broke me) AND HE DIDNT EVEN HAVE THE SAME SMILE. YOUâRE TELLING ME HE DIDNT HAVE A CUTE TWISTED GRIN THIS WHOLE TIME???? To me, the Julian Scarlett fell in love with is dead. Hah. Sorry got a bit heated there . Their chemistry just vanished. Yet they still ended up together (-_-).
-
And omg Donatella. I donât even care if she âdid what she had to doâ. She still put her poor sister through SO MUCH TRAUMA.That is not âsisterly loveâ. She didnât respect Scarlettâs choice and she came off selfish. ESPECIALLY when she expected Scarlett to pick her over Julian.
-
Well the only character I actually enjoyed reading about was Julian before the plot twist and, surprisingly, Legend.EXCEPT IT WASNT LEGEND IT WAS SOME GUY NAMED CASPER. Reading about madness is so fun.
-
I didnât mean be so negative but I swear I enjoyed a good part of the book when the plot twist started kicking in
-
However, I know it felt a bit out blue but I enjoyed reading Scarlettâs and Julianâs relationship. I loved (past tense) their dynamic. And when the plot picked up I couldnât stop reading. Then the plot twists went little overboard. Basically every other page had another twist and I started getting desensitized to it. I think that was the downfall of this book.
-
Julian became bland
-
And omg Donatella.
-
Well the only character I actually enjoyed reading about was Julian before the plot twist and, surprisingly, Legend.
-
I didnât mean be so negative but I swear I enjoyed a good part of the book when the plot twist started kicking in
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexism
annadelreads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
âI think youâve forgotten how to live, and your sister is trying to remind you.â
Good to be back to reading a fantasy book once again! Iâve gotten a copy of Once Upon A Broken Heart by the same author and was told that to get the full experience, I had to read this series again, so here I am.
To be honest, I started this book thinking it was just pure fantasy so I was somewhat surprise to see a little bit of romance in it - although it was a little falling in love too fast in my opinion. The caraval story was done alright but the ending was sort of anti-climactic. I donât really have much to say other than, Iâm surprised to see that the next book is not Scarlettâs POV since I was already heavily invested on her now so itâs sad to have another characterâs point of view. But I do love Tella and I really hope and am excited to see her story with Legend!
Overall, itâs a good story but at the moment, not one I would immediately recommend to people. Maybe once Iâve read the next few books?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Kidnapping
dealfea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
ashybri's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
kirrakira's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I liked this book but I didn't love it. I read the OUABH series by Stephanie Garber before reading Caraval (which is backward, I know). I really enjoyed the whimsy and magic of the world in OUABH, and Carval is supposed to be in the same universe, so I thought it would be the same. However, the world didn't feel nearly as magical, and the magical elements weren't exactly explained, so I felt confused. Both the Caraval series and OUABH series are written in 3rd person point of view, which didn't bother me so much in OUABH, but in Carval, it left me feeling disconnected from the characters. In Caraval Scarlett is our main character. She's a very cautious, protective older sister. Who is set on obeying her abusive father (out of fear) who has given her an arranged marriage to a mysterious Count. Throughout the story these are Scarletts main concerns and they are repeated constantly. However, near the halfway mark, her personality does progress, and she becomes a more interesting main character.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Suicide, and Kidnapping