Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Caraval

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

20 reviews

jonghyun4life's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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kfrogpath's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? No

3.0

I read this quickly, it kept my attention, but... I don't think it was particularly well written or developed. The clues/solutions were chaotic, the things Scarlett achieved each night were hard to understand the point of and given it was supposed to be about a game I felt like I wanted that to have some kind of progression I could at least follow. The romance was cute tho.

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bree_h_reads's review against another edition

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medium-paced

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

2.25

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mahra's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

1.5

Welcome, welcome to Caraval! The grandest show on land or by sea. Inside you’ll experience more wonders than most people see in a lifetime. You can sip magic from a cup and buy dreams in a bottle. But before you fully enter into our world, you must remember it’s all a game.

I did not like this. The main issue that I have is that this book does not deliver on its promises.

Scarlett and Donatella (Tella) Dragna live with their abusive father, the Governor of the Isle of Trisda. As a child, Scarlett dreamt of participating in the game of Caraval led by a mysterious magical being called Master Legend, and winning the reward: a wish. She sent Legend many letters in the hope of receiving the very coveted tickets, but never received an answered. Years passed, and she gave up on her dream.
This year, however, she finally received a letter and three tickets: for her, Tella, and her fiancé. The Governor has arranged a marriage for Scarlett to a count that she's never met, but with whom she has exchanged letters. An engagement that she now sees as an exit route. Tella, however, wants to participate and win in Caraval in order to escape their father.
Against her will, Scarlett ends up having to participate in the game, and very quickly realizes that Tella was kidnapped by Master Legend and that she is at the center of the game. If she fails to find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, Tella will be gone forever...

There are good elements. The premise of the story is quite interesting (which is why I am so disappointed with the way it unfolds). I really enjoyed this dark carnival setting with some latine influences. I liked that the romance between the main character, Scarlett, and her love interest, Julian, was slowly built. It is believable.

However, I had many issues with the prose. I do not think that the author is a bad writer. I have read a lot worse, but the prose in this one feels overly colorful (*wink*). The superfluous descriptions started to interfere with the pacing. The author also uses color adjectives to describe smells, tastes, and emotions and ends up creating sentences that do not make any sense.

(I know it is because of Scarlett’s ability to see emotions as colors, but it was very distracting)

For example: "Shades of the rich ruby love she'd felt during the game mixed with hues of deep-indigo hurt" or "Something about him made her feel perilous shades of silky black". And since she described Scarlett’s emotions that way, it made it difficult to understand and connect with her. I really did not learn much about her outside of what was written verbatim, so I did not have any reason to care about her. She is also quite unlikable because of how foolish she is. I understand that this is supposed to be a story about much she learns during the game, but she very annoying at times.

I did not find any of the characters likeable or enjoyable. Even, Legend, as a villain felt… strangely boring (?). I also found them quite stereotypical and "one note" (opposite sisters, cold and cunning love interest

who is a double agent

, mysterious villain who is manipulating everyone…), which is not always an issue, but in this case it did not help. The father felt like a moustache-twirling villain, and I find those very difficult to do well… The author also used a trope that I hate:

the very old man who does not age (Julian) who ends up with the very young and naive main character and manipulates her before he falls in love with her.

The story was also somewhat predictable. I consume a lot of fantasy, so it is quite difficult to surprise me. It does not always bother me, but in this case, I guessed most of it pretty quickly (and what I did not guess was not well introduced to the story, it came out of nowhere).

I was expecting a harrowing story full of twists,

but ultimately they are all rendered pointless by that final twist. Donatella, the sister, was behind all of it. Everything was a lie. It is comparable to an "it was all a dream" ending, in my opinion. What was the point of all of this? Escaping their father and Scarlett’s fiancé? Was all of this necessary to achieve that? None of it makes sense. The other books may answer that question, but if that is the case, this one does not lead me to believe that. Scarlett simply accepts everything, and very easily forgives her sister. Which brings me to my next point: the book does not accurately describe how horrible of a sister she truly is. She put Scarlet through all of this — unnecessarily in my opinion — and she was completely unapologetic about it. Again. Why?

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giulianalb99's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

4.75

Español:
⚠️ESTA REVIEW CONTIENE SPOILERS⚠️.

Caraval de Stephanie Garber es un libro de fantasía (y diría que también misterio) que trata sobre Caraval, un lugar donde la magia y la realidad se confunden de maneras inimaginables, una competición que dura cinco días y cuyo gran premio es un deseo. Este juego no es como los demás. Para Scarlett Dragna y Donatella (su hermana pequeña) ese concurso significa la libertad: es la vía de escape perfecta para dejar atrás a su padre y sus abusos. Caraval es magia. Misterio. Aventura. Cuando las hermanas reciben por fin las ansiadas invitaciones para Caraval, parece que sus sueños se han hecho realidad. Pero Tella desaparece momentos después de su llegada, secuestrada por el organizador del espectáculo, Legend.
Scarlett tiene entendido que todo lo que sucede en Caraval es una ilusión. Sin embargo, pronto se ve sumida en un peligroso juego repleto de amor, magia y desconsuelo. Real o no, deberá encontrar a Tella antes de que termine el juego o perderá a su hermana para siempre.

➵Los sueños que se hacen realidad pueden ser excesivamente bellos, pero también se pueden convertir en pesadillas cuando la gente no se quiere despertar.

Creo que me han gustado todos y cada uno de los personajes de esta historia (menos el padre, obviamente).
Una de las cosas que más me ha gustado ha sido el amor de Scarlett por su hermana Tella, dispuesta a darlo todo por recuperarla. La verdad es que esta protagonista me ha gustado, pero ha habido algunas ocasiones en las que me ha puesto un poco nerviosa. Demasiado cabezota y tozuda, al principio del libro tiene unas ideas en la mente y es imposible que nadie se las cambie, pero a medida que iba leyendo podía ver perfectamente su magnífica evolución. De querer llevar a cabo sí o sí su boda (con un prometido que no conoce) a querer dar su vida por encontrar a su hermana y decidir quedarse con Julian. Y no sólo eso, sino que también se da cuenta de muchas cosas que, por primera vez, hacen que tome una decisión pensando en sí misma, poniéndose a ella por delante. A mi parecer, creo que es súper fuerte, decidida y capaz de hacer cualquier cosa por las personas que quiere.
Tella me ha encantado, y ya sé que no sale casi nada en este libro, pero es que su actitud y su manera de vivir me ha parecido súper curiosa, ya que se puede ver perfectamente que ella y su hermana son totalmente opuestas. Obviamente no puedo decir mucho más de ella, pero estoy ansiosa por leer el segundo libro de esta trilogía, porque se centra en su historia y es que no puedo esperar más.
Julian está añadido definitivamente a mi lista de crushes infinita. Aparte de guapísimo, su actitud y forma de ser son geniales. Me encanta al principio cómo vacila a Scar todo el tiempo y lo seductor que es durante todo el libro ha sido lo mejor, además de su humor. Repleto de secretos, este personaje pasa de misterioso a abrirse poco a poco con Scarlett, y gracias a eso se va desarrollando una relación entre ambos que me ha fascinado por completo. Por cierto, quiero un Julian para mí (por si alguien encuentra alguno).
El personaje de Legend me ha parecido una maravilla lo bien que está escrito. Alguien súper oscuro mezquino y misterioso, que se vuelve cada vez más villano con cada juego de Caraval, le encanta jugar con la gente y disfruta con ello. Como he dicho antes, quiero leer YA el segundo libro para saber más sobre él y sobre todos los secretos y misterios que esconde. Me ha parecido un personaje increíble y súper original. Un villano con todas las letras.
Personajes como Dante, Aiko y Jovan que, aunque no aparezcan demasiado, me han parecido súper curiosos y a la vez importantes en la historia, y creo que aparecerán más en los próximos libros (aunque es una suposición mía, no lo sé si será verdad).

➵Toda persona tiene la capacidad de cambiar su destino si tiene la suficiente valentía para luchar por aquello que desea más que cualquier otra cosa.

Ahora toca mi opinión. Sinceramente, me compré este libro por insistencia de una amiga y fui a ciegas, ya que no tenía ni idea de qué iba, y menuda sorpresa. No tengo palabras para describir tremendo libro. La autora escribe increíblemente genial, su pluma es una pasada y me ha encantado cómo describe absolutamente todo, añadiendo metáforas preciosas. Me enganchó desde que la primera página hasta la última, y es que leí trescientas páginas en un día porque no podía soltarlo. Al principio no entendía en absoluto lo que estaba pasando, pero a medida que pasaba la historia se hacía muchísimo más interesante y quería saber constantemente a dónde Scarlett tenía que ir y qué buscar para obtener las pistas del juego. Los plot twists me han parecido bestiales, adiviné uno que otro pero con cada página que pasaba había uno nuevo y es que no paraba de sorprenderme (todavía sigo flipando). La relación de Scarlett y Julian me ha parecido súper bonita y la he amado desde el principio y quiero leer más sobre ellos. Sigo sin palabras, no voy a superar este libro en mucho tiempo. La cantidad de páginas anotadas no es ni medio normal😂, pero todo lo que me ha hecho sentir la autora con este libro… bfffffff, increíble.
¿Algún punto negativo? Quizá que hay dos o tres capítulos en mitad del libro que se me hicieron un poco largos pero después remontó de una manera impresionante, pero poco más.
Lo recomiendo a absolutamente todo el mundo en la faz de la tierra.: ¡Vas a ser incapaz de soltarlo!
Al final he decidido cambiar a 4,75 mi puntuación porque estoy segurísima de que el segundo libro me va a encantar muchísimo más. ES QUE ES DE TELLA Y NO PUEDO ESPERAR A LEERLO😭.

Por último y no menos importante antes de leer el libro, busca información sobre los <i>trigger warnings porque puede haber algunos temas que pueden ser duros para algunas personas.

🎪🎠🎩🥀

English:
⚠️THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS⚠️

Caraval by Stephanie Garber is a fantasy (and also mystery) book about Caraval, a place where magic and reality blend in unimaginable ways, a five-day competition whose grand prize is a wish. This game is not like the others. For Scarlett Dragna and Donatella (her little sister) that contest means freedom: it is the perfect escape route to leave behind their father and his abuse towards them. Caraval is magic. Mystery. Adventure. When the sisters finally receive the long-awaited invitations to Caraval, it seems that their dreams have come true. But Tella disappears moments after her arrival, kidnapped by the show's organizer, Legend.
Scarlett understands that everything that happens in Caraval is an illusion. However, she soon finds herself drawn into a dangerous game filled with love, magic, and grief. Real or not, she must find Tella before she finishes the game or she will lose her sister forever.

➵Dreams that come true can be beautiful, but they can also turn into nightmares when people won't wake up.

I think I liked each and every one of the characters in this story (except the father, obviously).
One of the things I liked the most was Scarlett’s love for her sister Tella, willing to give everything to get her back. The truth is that I liked the fmc, but there were some occasions in which she made me a little nervous. Too stubborn, at the beginning of the book she has some ideas in her mind and it is impossible for anyone to change them, but as I kept on reading I could perfectly see her magnificent evolution. From wanting to carry on with her wedding (with a fiancé she hasn’t met) to wanting to give her life to find her sister and decide to stay with Julian. And not only that, but she also realizes many things that, for the first time, makes her start thinking of herself, putting her first before anyone. In my opinion, I think she is super strong, determined and capable of doing anything for the people she loves.
I loved Tella, and I know she doesn’t appear too much, but her attitude and her way of life were super curious to me. You can perfectly see that she and her sister are totally the opposite. Obviously I can't say much more about her, but I'm looking forward to reading the second book in this trilogy, because it focuses on her story and I just can't wait any longer.
Julian is definitely added to my endless list. Apart from being very handsome, his attitude is amazing. I love how he teases Scar all the time at the beginning and how seductive he is throughout the book it’s the best, plus his humor was on point. Full of secrets, this character goes from mysterious to gradually opening up to Scarlett, and thanks to that a relationship develops between them that has completely fascinated me. By the way, I want a Julian for myself (in case anyone finds one).
The character of Legend is amazing how incredibly written he is. Someone super dark, mean and mysterious, who becomes a worse villian with each Caraval game, he loves to play with people and enjoys it. As I said before, I want to read the second book RIGHT NOW to find out more about him and all the secrets and mysteries he hides. He is such an original character. A villain with all the letters.
Characters like Dante, Aiko and Jovan who, although they don't appear too much, I found them super curious and at the same time important in the story, and I think they will appear more in the next books (although it is my assumption, I don't know if it’ll be true).

➵Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.

Now, my opinion. Honestly, I bought this book because a friend insisted me on reading it and I went totally blind since I had no idea what it was about, and what a surprise. I have no words to describe this tremendous book. The author writes incredibly great, her pen is amazing and I loved how she describes absolutely everything, also adding beautiful metaphors. It had me hooked from the first page to the last, which is why I read three hundred pages in a day because I just couldn't put it down. At first I didn't understand what was going on at all, but as the story progressed it became so much more interesting and I constantly wanted to know where Scarlett needed to go and what to look for to get the clues to the game. The plot twists were incredible, I guessed some of them but with each page that I turned there was a new one and it just kept surprising me (I'm still freaking out). Scarlett and Julian's relationship was super cute and I've loved them from the beginning and I want to read more about them. I'm still speechless, I won't get over this book for a long time. Everything the author made me feel with this book... bfffffff, incredible.
Any negative point? Perhaps there are two or three chapters in the middle of the book that were a bit long to me but then it got back in an impressive way.
I absolutely recommend it to everyone on the face of the earth: You won’t be able to put it down!
After thinking about it, I decided to change my score to 4.75 because I am very sure that I am going to love the second book much more. IT'S ABOUT TELLA AND I CAN'T WAIT TO READ IT😭.

Last but not least before reading the book, look up information about trigger warnings because there may be some topics that can be hard for some people.

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wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No

2.25

This book was very much whimsical nonsense tied up in a mystery that was reminiscent of a studio ghibli movie. You question what is real and what is not, if what has happened actually did happen.

There was enough mystery and world building to keep me interested in reading more, though the characters were a bit one dimensional they managed to hold my attention.

Other books I've read with this vibe did not have strong enough characters to keep me engaged and since this was a debut novel it has a lot of promise for what comes next.

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