this was heaps better than caraval - we actually have more character depth and development, and donatella is nowhere near as annoying (that doesnt mean she didnt piss me off though).

Before I say anything, id like to celebrate by telling you that my prediction of legend’s identity was correct teehee.

Okay now to my thoughts:

starting off by giving dante all of the love and appreciation in the world. i was so drawn to him from the beginning which was only intensified during this story since we got to know him a little more. i love him actually. youre telling me he sacrified everything for her - “I know you were willing to sacrifice yourself for her, but I wasn't willing to sacrifice you.” pls my heart is on the floor.

Jacks ive heard people swooning over in once upon a broken heart which I have not read yet, and I can understand why. I feel like theres a lot about him we still haven’t learnt or seen, but I find his character to be intriguing and not necessarily evil. The concept of the prince of hearts with the kiss of death is interesting to me (except for his one true love who is tella?? I hope she doesn’t end up with him though, I am team dante).

Julian and scarlett are so irrelevant to me pls. I completely erased them from my mind and found myself bored when they were in any scenes (particularly scarlett). I don’t know why, but my connection with those two is so little compared to tella and dante, even jacks I care about more. I found their characters to be a little in the way, and almost would have preferred it if they didn’t come to this game.

The plot of this one was fun and for the most part very engaging. I found myself making heaps of guesses (many of which were correct, but I didn’t mind that).

I usually tend to enjoy concepts similar to that of the Fates (I compare them to Greek gods like in Percy Jackson in my mind), particularly with the theme of power. I liked having to deep it, thinking of what is a better outcome if any – legend having all the power, or the fates – would it be better for one ‘better’ man to possess it all, or divide it amongst the fates who were ‘worse’ – would legend remain a ‘better’ option if he had them all? Quite interesting.

i do really like the world that has been created, but personally i dont have that whimsical, deep magical connection to it. i feel like if this was an adult book, i may have connected to the world a bit more, but in saying that, i do feel as though it has improved heaps since caraval. the concept is very enjoyable.

Where I found myself getting quite bored is the whole mother trapped in a card and therefore I must release her plot (which I am aware is essentially why we are here to begin with). Maybe its because we don’t KNOW the mum (paloma aka paradise the lost, somehow an infamous thief and murderer), and again felt as though I was just TOLD everything, but I saw nothing? Idk, even when she came back, I didn’t feel any sense of relief or happiness… or anything lmao. Maybe she will grow on me later on.

Another issue that really threw me off is the writing at the start?? I felt so disconnected, and like I was in dora the explorer. Everything was told in a very odd way, and unlike her usual style. I again still feel like a lot of the story is told to us rather than shown for a lot of it (but my god, when the writing is good boy is it good. It just hits), but at the start it was just blunt, and almost like the author was trying too hard to tell the story in a simple way, but at least for me it felt TOO simple and almost like she had no faith in me as the reader to understand it myself.

Im definitely excited to continue with the series and im hoping finale is at least a 4 star. Give me more of dante and ill be a happy girl.

some noteworthy quotes for me:

“Her heart was still a little heavy, but she'd decided carrying it around would only make her stronger.”

“When she loved, she did it as fiercely as she lived.”

“There were many beautiful young men in the world, but Tella believed that none of them could be trusted with something as fragile, or valuable, as a heart.”

“What makes something real Tella?' Dante hooked a finger into the rope around her waist. 'Does seeing something make it real?' He tugged on the rope and pulled her closer, until all she could see was his face. 'Or does hearing something make it real?' His voice turned a little rough. 'What about feeling something, is that enough to make it real?”

“Not everyone gets a true ending. There are two types of endings because most people give up at the part of the story where things are the worst, where the situation feels hopeless. But that’s when hope is needed most. Only those who persevere can find their true ending.”

“You're the most beautiful liar I've ever seen.”

“She liked the thrill that came with taking risks. She loved the feeling of doing something bold enough to make her future hold its breath while she closed her eyes and reveled in the sensation that she’d made a choice with the power to alter the course of her life.”

“Death visited Tella while she slept. The tips of his claws stroked the back of her neck, while his shadow followed her into pristine dreams, poisoning all the colors until everything tasted of dust and withered to ash.”

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

SPOILERS BELOW

i had a really good time with this story, especially since i havent read a fantasy in a whileeee. but it definitely has its flaws that i found i could not ignore.

ill focus on the positives to begin with:

- the writing i really liked. it made it so easy to visualise caraval and the characters, and i especially enjoyed her describing emotions with colours (think inside out but fantasy). i feel like ive got a very vivid picture of what this world looks like, even though its definitely a bizarre one.

- the wizard of oz x alice in wonderland x hunger games?? vibes throughout this were so much fun. the magic of it was very reminiscent of the first two, while the games operated in a fantastical version of the hunger games (except somehow no one dies... more on that later).

- the concept of the story is a lot of fun. going into a magical world where reality is unclear? sign me up.

- I loved how trippy the atmosphere was the whole time. I couldn't even trust my own opinions with whether or not I trusted what I was seeing, despite my predictions. I hope the future books only go into this more. also weirdly legend reminds me of oz mixed with the mad hatter? love that

- I liked julians character during the games even though I don't feel connected to him at this stage. I do see potential though.. surely it gets better. (idk how I feel ab julian being a performer though, scarlett im w you on this one. he aint even call us crimson anymore)

- "not quite sure how far she'd already fallen, she imagined loving him would feel like falling in love with darkness, frightening and consuming yet utterly beautiful when the stars came out"

LATER ON BECOMING

"she remembered thinking falling for him would be like falling in love with darkness, but now she imagined he was more like a starry night: the constellations were always there, constant, magnificent guides against the ever-present black".

my whole heart squeezed.

now onto the negatives...

- scarlett is so frustrating for a few reasons.

1. I understand you care about your sister (as you keep TELLING me), and that you are doing everything for her but... give me a break. this is shoved down my throat every chapter, multiple times. I wanted to focus more on the actual caraval games and that plot, but hearing about tella every second started dragging out and I stopped caring.

2. you are so slow. with everything. julian is telling you to hurry up and get in the boat so you can actually get inside and qualify to play the games otherwise you lose your chance, and what do you do? just stand there and whine and complain and waste everyones time, until he almost didn't make it. pissing me off.

3. i know julian is supportive of you and has helped you out from the moment you met him essentially, but why are we in love with him already? in 5 days? girl gimme some slow burn. i hate when theres inexperienced characters and they suddenly fall in love. i would have preferred it if she was discovering these feelings slowly, in gentle ways, through his actions towards her. it had so much potential (and the quotes are great too), but it just happened to quickly. this is book 1, it could've been delved into more in a delicate way. give us soft love.

4. why are you so utterly obsessed with this wedding of yours? bbygirl, you don't even KNOW your fiancé. you have never met him, don't know his name, don't know his age, characteristics, NOTHING. he wrote you love letters, big whoop. this is only special when its from someone you love. im sorry i just could not understand why she kept referring back to the fact that she is meant to get engaged so she cannot possibly do anything with dante or julian. you are single my guy, you don't even want to marry this count, he doesn't want to marry you, and daddy is out of the picture here. shut up and live a little.

okay back to my general negatives:

- we did not get character depth with anyone else and im kinda disappointed. im hoping its first book syndrome, and heaps more will be delved into in the following books. but tell me more about tella, julian, and dante as people. i feel like i don't really know anything about these characters other than the fact that scarlett loves her sister and julian so very much. julian has heaps of potential with his cheeky charmingness and hes doin all the right bookish things, but to such a tiny extent. let me KNOW them.

- the plot is lots of fun and a great concept but i do feel like some things were not entirely thought out - at the end tella literally says that no one really knows how things work coz no one talks about it but its "sorta" like this... wdym girl? felt a bit lazy to me. also a lot of things were just very convenient that i started to just assume everything would be fine anyway coz that keeps happening. we somehow have everything we need at all times. idk the stakes didn't feel high at all. also julian and dante all being performers and dying but not really dying? i understand it for the plot, but cant help but feel like this was a bit of a cop out. i didn't shed a tear when julian 'died', which aint a good sign for me.

- i also wish we saw more about the actual game with other competitors trying to get the wish as well. it felt like everyone else was just vibing in this little village, but i thought we were all here to win? i didn't feel the competition aspect of it, and i wish i did.

- as much as I like the writing, theres a bit too much telling rather than showing in some cases. some things don't need to be explained so many times or so spelt out. have some faith in me to figure it out on my own.

overall, I wouldn't recommend this for everyone, but if you do read it I don't doubt that youll have a semi-decent time. despite all my negatives I actually had a really good time while reading this and ate it all up. but having it settle in me for a bit, I realise I was just caught up in the heat of the moment, and that I don't have a strong connection to the story at this stage. I will be continuing the series and hope it gets better from here.

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

i have quite mixed feelings with this one.

on one hand, i had a fun time, on the other i found myself bored. part of the issue is that this book was just too long for what it is. i would have enjoyed it a lot more had it ended 150 pages earlier than it did.

i went into this knowing its a cute little fluffy rom com, so my expectations were not high. i was not expecting something groundbreaking or for big emotions to be induced. i knew what i was getting myself into.

except, it didnt really deliver what it was meant to. i didnt really care for the characters, including side characters. they were all just there, likeable enough for me to tolerate them, but i did not feel connected. anything could have happened to them and i wouldve just accepted it.

i liked Bee being a bigger girl, and i actually do not see much representation of curvy girls like her in many books so it was refreshing. however, i do not think the author did the exploration of the struggles curvy girls go through justice. if anything, she pointed it out as an issue frequently. any time bee would mention something about herself, she would link it to her being "fat". shes still a normal girl. i would have preferred for us to know bee is a curvy girl and to show us the issues she has faced throughout her life, relationships, and career without it being shoved in our face constantly. an example where this was done well was with nolan urging bee to stop sucking her stomach in during their intimate moments. that was cute. more of that would have been preferred compared to her repeatedly telling us that she has faced issues coz she is "fat".

i also want to note that nolans mum struggling with her mental health could have been written with slightly more depth. i know this book isnt intending to delve into things in a serious way too much since it is a rom com, but if you bring a topic as heavy as this i think you need to do it justice and address it appropriately. it almost felt like it was just used as a plot device. nolan needs to cause tension on set? phone call from his sister about his mum. nolan needs to get onto this movie? its for his mums meds. nolan needs to host an interview? its to protect his mums privacy and mental health. idk, it didnt really sit right with me, particularly since we dont actually see much of his mum as an actual character, only a few phone calls really. its nice that this topic was added into the story, but i do think it could have been explored a little more sensitively.

in terms of the setting, i always love anything film/theatre related so having that as the backdrop was really enjoyable. i would have liked to see more of that, maybe more of the behind the scenes and rehearsals and on set funny moments. but alas, what we got was not bad, just not much. still enjoyable.

one thing i will appreciate is the communication in this book. the characters, particularly bee, were great at voicing their concerns and addressing problems head on. their conflict was not something that could have been solved with one conversation, which made it more believable for me. also, bee is so understanding which i was happy with. i was worried she would cause heaps of issues because of the things nolan had to say post-reveal, but in reality she genuinely understood despite her hurt feelings. respect.

i dont really have much to say about the side characters with this one. there wasnt anyone i really loved in general, and i feel as though the side characters will be forgotten shortly. it wasnt a very memorable experience for me.

thats about where my thoughts and feelings end with this one. it was a cute experience, not really memorable, but good for the time. i will say though, there are definitely books that are shorter that will give you the fluffy giggly feelings a rom com should give you. but if you wanna read it and give it a go, then go for it, you might enjoy it.

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yas_sezer's reviews 202 reviews

yas_sezer's reviews
202 reviews