skeptic_hecate's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This has more twists than the Amazon river, except that, unlike the Amazon river, the twists here are pointless and full of plotholes. I didn't like the protagonist at all, Scarlett Dragma reads like an anime filler episode monologue:
"I should do 'x', but if I do 'x' then I cannot do 'y', but perhaps people will expect me to do 'y' so I shouldn't do 'y', unless when two dimensional and pointless side character hinted that doing 'x' is better..." and so on.
The only character I liked was Donatella, and she was in a few pages of the book. The decisions taken by the characters are very stupid to the point of being random, and the clues are designed to be solved by something that happens to appear out of thin air rather than forshadowed.
The climax is meh, there are no real consequences to the actions of the characters. I had to force myself to finish this book. The outfits and setting are nice.
"I should do 'x', but if I do 'x' then I cannot do 'y', but perhaps people will expect me to do 'y' so I shouldn't do 'y', unless when two dimensional and pointless side character hinted that doing 'x' is better..." and so on.
The only character I liked was Donatella, and she was in a few pages of the book. The decisions taken by the characters are very stupid to the point of being random, and the clues are designed to be solved by something that happens to appear out of thin air rather than forshadowed.
The climax is meh, there are no real consequences to the actions of the characters. I had to force myself to finish this book. The outfits and setting are nice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual harassment
anielabooks'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
The world of this book absolutely captivated me. I truly enjoyed observing Scarlett throughout her time in Caraval. The ending made me feel satisfied while still yearning for more time with the characters. One character I felt very drawn to was Legend, he has absolutely amazing character traits. Somehow he is ever-present in the game while also feeling distant. I will absolutely pick up the next book in this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Violence, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Injury/injury detail, and Physical abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Confinement, and Rape
tenshiwing07's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Physical abuse
Minor: Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Confinement, and Emotional abuse
eeread247's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Blood
Moderate: Murder and Physical abuse
Minor: Kidnapping and Sexual harassment
esmewasreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
lynnloveshobi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
One of the best book i have read in a long time, I'm low-key breathless, can't wait to read the next one
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Suicide, Child abuse, Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Body horror
nikitanavalkar's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The only way to describe this book, and the world Garber has created, is according to me, whimsical and vicious. It’s like living in a fairytale, or the dream of one that can quickly morph into a nightmare where you’re being chased by demons (not the good kind) and struck by disaster. And you’re in so deep you can’t tell what is real and what isn’t. Really, I finished the book but I still couldn’t tell you exactly what was real or not.
This makes for a dreamy, eerie reading experience where your head feels like it’s buzzing on bubbly, but you had a little too much. The drawback though is, you don’t really get to know any character other than Scarlett too well, everyone else is an enigma wrapped in a puzzle. This is a book foremost about the bond of sisterhood between Scarlett and Tella forged of blood and heightened by shared trauma, but until the last page you can’t tell who the protagonist is. Scarlett? Tella? Legend? All of the above. Is Scarlett’s story over? Idk idk. Let me not even get started on Julian. Do we know him at all? Luckily YA fantasy has taught me to trust nothing so I was on tenterhooks the whole time with the more trust issues than even Scarlett.
None of this is necessarily a criticism about the book, see I’m also talking in riddles now. I’m not gonna lie, I wasn’t as invested as I’d want until about quarter of the book, but then Ms Garber sucked me in with her conundrums and puzzles and mysterious boys and sketchy villains. And the writing is lyrical and fanciful to match the story. And now I need to know the rest of the story.
This makes for a dreamy, eerie reading experience where your head feels like it’s buzzing on bubbly, but you had a little too much. The drawback though is, you don’t really get to know any character other than Scarlett too well, everyone else is an enigma wrapped in a puzzle. This is a book foremost about the bond of sisterhood between Scarlett and Tella forged of blood and heightened by shared trauma, but until the last page you can’t tell who the protagonist is. Scarlett? Tella? Legend? All of the above. Is Scarlett’s story over? Idk idk. Let me not even get started on Julian. Do we know him at all? Luckily YA fantasy has taught me to trust nothing so I was on tenterhooks the whole time with the more trust issues than even Scarlett.
None of this is necessarily a criticism about the book, see I’m also talking in riddles now. I’m not gonna lie, I wasn’t as invested as I’d want until about quarter of the book, but then Ms Garber sucked me in with her conundrums and puzzles and mysterious boys and sketchy villains. And the writing is lyrical and fanciful to match the story. And now I need to know the rest of the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Child abuse
emmacartlidge's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Child abuse, Blood, and Suicide
Minor: Sexual content, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
japanasi's review against another edition
part of it has to do with the narrator who pronounces Tella’s name in a such weird, annoying way (TeL-LaH)
I could get used to that maybe? But my main problem lies with the main character, Scarlett, who constantly recaps her situation or things have happened literally two minutes past. It was so annoying! I am not stupid, thank you :)
This is the second book by Garber that I read/heard and it’s the second MC to behave like this. I’m sorry but frankly, her writing just isn’t good.
I could get used to that maybe? But my main problem lies with the main character, Scarlett, who constantly recaps her situation or things have happened literally two minutes past. It was so annoying! I am not stupid, thank you :)
This is the second book by Garber that I read/heard and it’s the second MC to behave like this. I’m sorry but frankly, her writing just isn’t good.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Minor: Kidnapping
raypaws's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Murder, and Suicide