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notyourhana's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Abandonment
alomie's review
dark
mysterious
fast-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
2.0
This book was so cringy, I skimmed the last third of it, but it reminded me why I don't really read a lot of young adult books.
I imagine if I was new to the genre this would have been a cute fun book to read with a bit of a mystery mixed in, but it was predictable and the foreshadowing was like a brick to the face.
I found the romance portions tedious and cringe.
I found the inner monologue of Scarlett frustrating, slow and honestly she was slightly unbareable.
I imagine if I was new to the genre this would have been a cute fun book to read with a bit of a mystery mixed in, but it was predictable and the foreshadowing was like a brick to the face.
I found the romance portions tedious and cringe.
I found the inner monologue of Scarlett frustrating, slow and honestly she was slightly unbareable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Domestic abuse
rosieyxl's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.25
A whimsical fantasy filled with magic, adventure, romance, and loyalty! This is a reread; honestly, I liked it even knowing what would happen. It was nice seeing Scarlett's character growth throughout the story and her relationship development with Julian. I would've liked to see Tella a bit more but I know the sequel will be about her, so that's understandable.
The book is definitely very intricate, so you have to be careful when reading as to not miss anything. I was definitely as confused as Scarlett at times, struggling to separate reality from whatever Caraval is. All in all, would recommend it!
The book is definitely very intricate, so you have to be careful when reading as to not miss anything. I was definitely as confused as Scarlett at times, struggling to separate reality from whatever Caraval is. All in all, would recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Domestic abuse
rhm04's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Grief and Abandonment
claudia_moreira's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
hazydazywaffles's review against another edition
Gosh, this book is really DARK!!! A friend recommended it to me and so I picked it up. I am not impressed. It started off ok but got dark kinda fast. The dad abuses his two daughters, punishing them to the point where they bleed. He's cold and just terrible. Then the book talks about how he drowned a person... thats just sickening. The only reason I got so far is that I was holding hopes there would be some kind of redeeming aspect but it just got worse from there. Then there's Julian. He is a flirt with all the women and the book doesn't outright say it but indicates that he's basically a slut with all the women. Not great. Honestly wish I had dropped the book earlier. However, I will say this. The author is a good writer. She has talent that is undeniable. Her description of everything in some cases is beautiful and really adds to the image in the mind of the reader. But then you can also see the terrible things that happen in this tragic tale and it is just sickening. I just am really disappointed. Would not recommend and will be avoiding this author in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Domestic abuse
a_alves00's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Abandonment
abigail_rebt's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
To be honest, I was disappointed by this book. I think it had a more significant scope, and there were many times when they could have taken the story in a different and better direction. Even though I marked the book as medium-paced the romance and especially the relationship between the main two characters was way too quick.
I mean if you are going to write a trilogy you don't want them to get together in the 1st book itself. She loves and trusts him but she's only known him for 5 days. Like girl what? And it was also kind of hard to keep up with. I mean it's one secret after another.First, she thinks Julian is a legend, then learns that he's here to get revenge on Legend, then learns that there are more secrets, then learns that he is a Caraval performer and finally learns he's Legend's brother Now I am all for rollercoasters but there's the limit. My second point for this opinion is that the ending was utter s*** tbh. She was deceived by her sister, and I understand that her father is horrible but she had to go through all of that shit. And of course, she should feel weird for going back to Julian because after everything she went through with him to learn she was lied to. It was a dumb decision to make her forgive him so easily, not every book needs a happy ending. She should have left him then and continued this story later on.
Secondly, I think the author could have done so much with Legend's character. I don't like books that are afraid to kill off main characters,But I loved the whole idea where Legend was this heartless maniac that killed Julian because it made him feel more like a larger than human character but they ruined that again in the ending. Maybe they will continue that storyline or whatever in the following books.
In conclusion, the book needs work and was a kind of a disappointment. Especially the ending needs work and they could have gone in a better direction after the climax (the first appearance of Legend).
I mean if you are going to write a trilogy you don't want them to get together in the 1st book itself. She loves and trusts him but she's only known him for 5 days. Like girl what? And it was also kind of hard to keep up with. I mean it's one secret after another.
Secondly, I think the author could have done so much with Legend's character. I don't like books that are afraid to kill off main characters,
In conclusion, the book needs work and was a kind of a disappointment. Especially the ending needs work and they could have gone in a better direction after the climax (the first appearance of Legend).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Minor: Blood and Murder
bookgirllife's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Stephanie Garber’s Caraval is a fantastical and fascinating read, complete with interesting characters, intriguing world-building, and immersive storytelling. I enjoyed playing the game alongside Scarlett.
Family, love, self-doubt and acting from a place of fear are all themes that are featured predominantly in this book. We are literally told as much within the text (which I didn’t really like but o can overlook it). Garber’s writing is appropriate for the YA genre. I liked the way she described the events and locations of Caraval, which aided in the world-building of Caraval. While it’s not a novel concept, her use of colours to describe emotions was cool.
The sisterhood that Scarlett and Tella share is a powerful bond. They are willing to go to great lengths to protect one another, even while actively (and unknowingly) acting in opposition to the other’s attempts. Scarlett is a timid protagonist who is scarred by the physical and psychological abuse she has endured at the hands of her father. Her fearful nature is challenged by Caraval. My favourite aspect of Scarlett’s character arc is that it was believable. She didn’t miraculously become a changed person over the course of a week, but Caraval still significantly impacted her development.
I loved the dynamic she and Julian had. His storyline was probably the most interesting to me. Caraval was a lot more romantic than I expected, but not overtly so. Romance is very much a subplot, but it’s consistent and I found myself really rooting for these characters. They had excellent, natural but reluctant chemistry that I loved reading.
My favourite part of the whole novel has to be the very interesting world-building of Caraval. I enjoyed that I had to figure it out as Scarlett did. It made the book feel a lot more interactive. The way magic and death work in Caraval made me question the reality of what was happening, adding a maddening quality to the game. This further enhanced the dual warnings given at the start. It was a little twisted and dark, but that’s why I enjoyed it so much.
The ending was satisfying and I liked that it could stand on its own if it wanted to, but it also nicely sets up the premise for the sequel. I would be inclined to read the next one, but I’m not jumping straight into it right away. If a mysterious, slightly twisted, fantasy with a light sprinkling of romance is your thing, I recommend this.
———
Aside: I can’t help but compare it to The Night Circus, but aside from the general setting, the two books are vastly different. The Night Circus felt even more immersive, with a completely unique narration technique and a lot more character development. Caraval has a stronger fantasy element with distinct world-building.
Family, love, self-doubt and acting from a place of fear are all themes that are featured predominantly in this book. We are literally told as much within the text (which I didn’t really like but o can overlook it). Garber’s writing is appropriate for the YA genre. I liked the way she described the events and locations of Caraval, which aided in the world-building of Caraval. While it’s not a novel concept, her use of colours to describe emotions was cool.
The sisterhood that Scarlett and Tella share is a powerful bond. They are willing to go to great lengths to protect one another, even while actively (and unknowingly) acting in opposition to the other’s attempts. Scarlett is a timid protagonist who is scarred by the physical and psychological abuse she has endured at the hands of her father. Her fearful nature is challenged by Caraval. My favourite aspect of Scarlett’s character arc is that it was believable. She didn’t miraculously become a changed person over the course of a week, but Caraval still significantly impacted her development.
I loved the dynamic she and Julian had. His storyline was probably the most interesting to me. Caraval was a lot more romantic than I expected, but not overtly so. Romance is very much a subplot, but it’s consistent and I found myself really rooting for these characters. They had excellent, natural but reluctant chemistry that I loved reading.
My favourite part of the whole novel has to be the very interesting world-building of Caraval. I enjoyed that I had to figure it out as Scarlett did. It made the book feel a lot more interactive. The way magic and death work in Caraval made me question the reality of what was happening, adding a maddening quality to the game. This further enhanced the dual warnings given at the start. It was a little twisted and dark, but that’s why I enjoyed it so much.
The ending was satisfying and I liked that it could stand on its own if it wanted to, but it also nicely sets up the premise for the sequel. I would be inclined to read the next one, but I’m not jumping straight into it right away. If a mysterious, slightly twisted, fantasy with a light sprinkling of romance is your thing, I recommend this.
———
Aside: I can’t help but compare it to The Night Circus, but aside from the general setting, the two books are vastly different. The Night Circus felt even more immersive, with a completely unique narration technique and a lot more character development. Caraval has a stronger fantasy element with distinct world-building.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Suicide
emma_zaruhi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Murder