Reviews with content warning for Blood - Caraval

Spice Rating: 🫑

Stephanie Garber created one of the most creative and magical worlds I've ever read about in Caraval. I absolutely DEVOURED this book (just ask the friends I "buddy read" it with... I didn't stick to the reading schedule 😂 ).

Scarlett and Donatella (Tella) are sisters who have been stuck on a small island their entire lives. Once their mother abandoned them, their father became abusive, which caused Scarlett to dream of a world beyond the island. She begins to write letters to the famous Legend, who she's heard of through her grandmother's stories, pleading him to let her and her sister attend Caraval--a magical game where the winner receives a wish. After years of no response, Legend finally responds to Scarlett a few days before her wedding to a man her father arranged for her to marry. Scarlett and Tella argue whether or not they should attend, but once a mysterious sailor arrives, Tella decides for Scarlett that they're going to Caraval. Once she arrives, Scarlett finds out that Tella has been kidnapped and that Scarlett needs to win the game to get her back. Scarlett finds an unexpected ally in the sailor, Julian, and quickly learns that Caraval is much more dangerous than she originally thought. The problem is she doesn't know what's real and what is created by Legend.

I went into this book pretty blind and am glad I did because the twists and turns were so exciting. I was fully immersed into the world of Caraval and couldn't read fast enough because I was so invested in Scarlett's quest. The sisterly love was a huge bonus of this novel, but I also really loved how Scarlett was able to find herself and realize that she has agency and choices in life. After years of abuse from her father, she finds it hard to trust anyone--especially in the tricky world of Caraval. I loved seeing her complete transformation throughout the book and look forward to seeing her character grow in the next two books.

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estellec13's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed it but I felt it dragged on too much in the middle. The last 100 pages were so good so I would still recommend it and I will read thé next one

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seren's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging 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

4.75

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neliadiedenise's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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hannahmarkby's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with Caraval, but it’s been on my TBR for quite some time, and I was pleasantly surprised! I’ve been in a reading slump for the past several months, starting many books and finishing none, but Caraval was able to break that.

The first book was a lot of fun to read, especially since I couldn’t predict what was going to happen. Every time I developed a new theory, it was soon disproven, and Garber did an excellent job convincing me of a false story so that I was completely shocked when the true ending was revealed. Caraval itself was fascinating, reminding me of Wonderland and Holly Black’s version of Faerie, with deals that were too good to be true and magic that made it difficult to distinguish what was real. My favorite aspect of this was the way that secrets and time were the preferred currency, especially how time was transferred through blood (and the resulting scene between Scarlett and Julian).

There were definitely a few YA clichés sprinkled throughout, such as the abusive father/dead mother, the adultification of the eldest daughter, and Julian’s personality, but in general I did not mind. Scarlett and Tella’s quest to get away from their father at all costs added an extra level of depth to the story, and I really appreciated Scarlett’s personal growth as she learned to take risks and no longer be ruled by fear and overcautiousness. Also, I’m unashamed to admit just how much I loved Julian.

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val_theburrowofstories's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-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

I’ve been waiting for months to get this trilogy in Libby and I’m so happy I ended up really liking it!

This might be the 10th audiobook that I’ve listened narrated by Rebecca Soler and she never disappoints.

Scarlett and Donatella Dragna are two sisters who live with their abusive father in the Isle of Trisda. The girls have always dreamed of leaving and being free, and the opportunity finally presents itself in the name of Julian Marrero when this boy comes to the island and offers them to take them to Caraval, this magical place where they can play the game and if they win they can ask for anything they want.

I really liked the sisters, but especially Scarlett because I feel I would be more like her in this whole situation. I loved seeing her romance with Julian and how she had to learn to trust him. I did not expect that many plot twist and surprises in the book, especially in the end I was loving that. I was having such a great time with this book.

By the end we got so many emotions and information that just convinced me this is a 4 ⭐

Content Warnings

cutie_pie_queen23's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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aureolyn's review against another edition

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5.0

I may have found myself a new favorite author. How enchanting and bewitching. It truly felt as if we also entered into the game and were players too—never truly knowing what was real and what wasn’t. As if the magic of Caraval was seeping out of the book and enveloping us too.

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