savanah's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
It’s kind of like if the author took the Original Peter Pan (the dark one where Peter kills the lost boys when they’re too old), Alice in wonderland, and just a touch of terror/horror genre, gaslighting, mixed in with with the most cliche YA tropes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Suicide, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Abandonment
eggfartz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Suicide, Blood, Violence, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
lermaline's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
J'aimerais en savoir plus sur la manière dont le monde en est arrivé à son état actuel, comment la magie fonctionne en détails. Cependant le livre, pourtant recoupant certains parties des contes préférés de l'autrice, et semblant être adapté aux ados, contient énormément de scènes de violence graphique. Cela ne me semble pas cohérent, ou du moins pas bien géré.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, and Stalking
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, and Colonisation
qdbibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I wanted to love this book more than I did. The world was certainly magical but there were aspects that felt confusing or muddy and the FMC’s flaws were consistent throughout. Without spoiling the ending, short of verbalizing her feelings toward one of the villains, I didn’t feel like she had grown much.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
shriya_v's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
To be honest, the story kind of runs away from you. I lost the plot a little bit and even more so in the next book. But the characters are cute, even though their decisions are...interesting. Overall an okay book! I really think this book is more so just for vibes!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, and Confinement
Minor: Blood
itsmaryssae's review against another edition
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Child abuse
thebookaholic's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'll be completely honest and say that the only reason I'm reading this series is because I want to read Once Upon a Broken Heart... and I DNFd this one a couple years ago so it took a lot to get me here lol.
I'd say I did enjoy the book, it was whimsical and the setting was lovely and I liked the premise, however a fair few things fell fast for me. Namely, I didn't really like any of the main characters and that meant I was way less interested in what was happening. They were all just a little flat without much growth, or I they just came across as bad people to me and even with good intentions, I disagreed with their outcoming actions. The audiobook definitely helped a lot as it was much easier motivation, and I didn't hate the book by any means I'm just not a huge fan!
I'm gonna try to give the next one a go but I already know its about and that makes me SO UNMOTIVATED
I'd say I did enjoy the book, it was whimsical and the setting was lovely and I liked the premise, however a fair few things fell fast for me. Namely, I didn't really like any of the main characters and that meant I was way less interested in what was happening. They were all just a little flat without much growth, or I they just came across as bad people to me and even with good intentions, I disagreed with their outcoming actions. The audiobook definitely helped a lot as it was much easier motivation, and I didn't hate the book by any means I'm just not a huge fan!
I'm gonna try to give the next one a go but I already know its about
Spoiler
Tella and not Scarlett
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Abandonment
gillshea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Child abuse
Minor: Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, Death, Blood, and Abandonment
steen19's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is totally YA for a reason. The main character is painfully immature.
The final ~15% of this was really fucked up. Like serious psychological trauma.
This book is like 80% telling and only 20% showing. The MC kinda just walks up on situations and people recount it all. There weren’t really game-like challenges or carnival ambiance.
The final ~15% of this was really fucked up. Like serious psychological trauma.
This book is like 80% telling and only 20% showing. The MC kinda just walks up on situations and people recount it all. There weren’t really game-like challenges or carnival ambiance.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Suicide, Abandonment, Classism, Confinement, Death, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse
jessicaludden's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Hope is a powerful thing. Some say it’s a different breed of magic altogether. Elusive, difficult to hold on to. But not much is needed.”
I loved Scarlett. I loved Julian. I loved how this world was so unpredictable and full of risk. The magic left me with a simultaneous feeling of wonder and unease. The ending felt a little rushed and there was a lot going on. Everything in Caraval is truly not what it seems and I’m excited for the rest of the series.
I loved Scarlett. I loved Julian. I loved how this world was so unpredictable and full of risk. The magic left me with a simultaneous feeling of wonder and unease. The ending felt a little rushed and there was a lot going on. Everything in Caraval is truly not what it seems and I’m excited for the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
Minor: Abandonment, Blood, and Kidnapping