Reviews

got so tired of hearing scarlett's little "Nooo!"
a little bit of a passive main character, a little bit frustrating to read about, but i can forgive that because the setting was so so fun and listening to it really helped like, set the scene i guess? also fun fact about me is that whenever i am presented with a character named julian i will form some sort of emotional attachment to them....could not tell you why but you're never gonna believe what happened to me while reading this book........

robbyreads01's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

mlampe's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

all_too_well's review against another edition

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4.0

if i told you i understood anything that happened in this book that would be a lie. i think i’m going insane like what the fuck actually happened in this book

i love the setting and the kind of imagery where nothing is actually real and you feel like you’re crazy for the whole book, very odd but fun experience tbh

sidkneelions'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? Yes

4.5

lexijas's review against another edition

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3.0

The beginning got me hooked and I couldn't put it down. Magical island. Romance. Adventure. Mysterious man, Legend. I was very excited to start reading. But later on in the book, I felt rather disappointed in the world-building of the "magical place" Caraval and also the concept of magic in Caraval still confuses me even after finishing the book. For example, the "magic" on/in Scarlett's dress how it changes depending on her emotions because of "magic", just "magic"! No origin, no actual source, or background to further explain. Maybe I'm being too harsh on it as it is the first book of the trilogy (maybe the author will fill out the questions I have on what the magic really is in Caraval, in the next book) I just wished the author expanded more on the "magic" that was making the whole island a place you never want to leave.

The book itself is an easy read, the world-building was understandable unlike in other books (which make many fantasy books hard to get into in the first 100 pages) but for Caraval, it was interesting from the beginning to end. But I felt no connection with the characters... Maybe for Scarlett, mostly pity though but for the rest, I wouldn't see them having an impact on my life.

The romance was okay, the love between Julian and Scarlett is pretty tainted (for me it is) at the end of the book because of all the things they've gone through (especially Scarlett). There was no spice and the ending had no conclusion of the future (to me).

But with everything that disappointed me (the characters, the romance, the confusing connections to the clues they needed to solve). The plot twists though got me a little shaken and the suspenseful moments that involved Governor Dragna.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Do I see myself reading the next 2 books to finish the trilogy? Yes, but I don't see myself reading them right away.

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