Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - Caraval

This was a very visual and evocative read but ultimately for me that’s what most of my enjoyment really was. I enjoyed the imagery and the setting, the writing was beautiful but the story was a bit hard to follow and I found some of the characters kinda annoying. I didn’t really feel much emotion in the romance part, and so that part kinda fell flat. I just don’t think this series is for me.

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sblank99's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

2.5

I don’t get it??? Am I reading the same book as everyone else?

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lindsayflor_95's review against another edition

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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? Yes

3.5

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enaraccoon's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

2.5

It was very often poorly written. Although the story was very good and all, and I'm aware that it's YA, I think only a 11-16 year old would enjoy the writing as well. If I was at that age I'd probably give like 4 stars idk. so that and the plot are the reason the rating isn't lower.. idk it was just frustrating cause the story could've been so much more instead of giving half the feeling of magic and wonder it wanted to, being too fast at times, and just frustratingly written at others. I didn't hate it as much as it sounds but yea

also okay spoiler kind of but

HOW DID THIS ALSO END UP BEING AN EXTREMELY OLD GUY FALLING IN LOVE WITB A BARELY ADULT GIRL???? AGAIN. CAN WE FUCKING STOP PUTTING THIS EVERYWHERE???? IT'S GETTING CREEPY

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chityty's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

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

3.0

I don’t read much YA and from the description I expected this to be a sort of Night Circus experience. It had those elements but then the last 50 pages was a wild blur of deceptions and choices and backstabbings that really left me finishing the book going “really?!”

Really tried to pull me into the next book with the Epilogue but I think I’ll be putting this series away and moving on.

Also why are we having a 17 year old fall in love with an unaging man again?! Can we bury that as a plot point as it is skipped over but still like really weird that we are supposed to stand back and be like “yeah that’s cool with us”

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mysterybindsme's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

- Definitely intended for a younger reader (probably about 13-15)
- Main character is incredibly naive and has like two personality traits: protecting her sister, and having trust issues. Oh and the third trait of being incredibly quick to trust things she hears despite trust issues
- Becomes way more interesting about 2/3s in (which at that point is a bit late really)
- Far too many plot twists. Like I'm not kidding, past the half way mark the entire situation changes context about five times
- The ending ruined the entire thing. All the stakes were gone and it made me absolutely hate most of the characters (aside from Aiko who was genuinely helpful but there for like five seconds and Scarlett who was just a normal girl in an awful situation)
- Yes I'm planning on reading the next two books (unless the second one's worse). No I would not recommend
- The prose is beautiful tho

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