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
tays_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Pregnancy and Alcohol
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
thegazillionthreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
This book hooked me in, I was transported into the pages. It gave me Alice in Wonderland vibes at times and I absolutely loved it. I also buddy read with a friend and that made it so much more fun too. We were reading two chapters a day and a lot of times those two chapters were my favorite part of the day and being transported into the story, and I couldn’t wait to read the next two chapters!
This isn’t a genre I often read but I’m so glad I read this one. I am easily confused, and there were a few things I was sort of confused about but for the most part I understood. It’s a whimsical story meant to have you scratching your head most of the time anyway though.
Loved it!
This isn’t a genre I often read but I’m so glad I read this one. I am easily confused, and there were a few things I was sort of confused about but for the most part I understood. It’s a whimsical story meant to have you scratching your head most of the time anyway though.
Loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Murder
anneliedip'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed reading. Scarlett and Julian are great together and I Iiked the way Scarlett got more and more courageous. The game itself was not what I expected. It felt dark, twisted and dangerous, but that might be because you experience it through Scarlett's eyes and she is almost constantly scared, worried or full of doubt.
Spoiler
The way the book dealt with suicide and death didn't sit right with me. Scarlett's sister Tella was like: "I am gonna kill myself, but you just have to love me enough to bring me back..." Please No!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Suicide, and Abandonment
abbypeekreads'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
3.75
Caraval was a mysteriously intriguing and adventurous read that I had a lot of fun with! The premise--a magical game filled with riddles and puzzles--really hooked me in, and I enjoyed the historical feel of the setting. My only complaint was that I had hoped the writing and characters would feel a bit more upper-YA than it did, as that's what typically prefer when it comes to YA these days, but it didn't take away or distract me too much from the fun of the story. The ending got me super curious about the next book as well, and I'm looking forward to continuing the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Blood, Suicide, and Murder
saraavowlerr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Physical abuse, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Suicide, Child abuse, Injury/injury detail, Violence, and Misogyny
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