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coramae's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
whatnolareads's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so adorable me and my son both sat down and read it together he loved it so much that I bought it for him and the other two. This is how we spent my downtime during chemotherapy weeks last year reading books. So for him to enjoy this book so much it made my heart skip a beat. So thank you so much, Brandon Mull, Netgalley, and Edelweiss Plus for this wonderful Earc read.
michellehenriereads's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Shadow Mountain in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Middle Grade
Violence: Low (similar to the rest of the story)
I love how we have some of our favorite character from earlier in the season. There's also Zac, a newcomer, and social media influences which makes the entire series feel brand new. It's also wonderful how the kids are thrust into the problems and must solve the problems.
And there's a real problem! Kids are disappearing! This is great with puzzlers for kids and adults. I love it when books have an element of mystery.
A carnival is a perfect place for this novel to take place. Aren't carnivals, clowns, and game hucksters all inherently creepy?
This author earned my trust years ago, and I know I'm in safe hands for a fun experience. The Candy Shop Wars has remained one of my favorites for this age group.
So, don't accept any candy from strangers. And go read this book instead.
Happy reading!
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Middle Grade
Violence: Low (similar to the rest of the story)
I love how we have some of our favorite character from earlier in the season. There's also Zac, a newcomer, and social media influences which makes the entire series feel brand new. It's also wonderful how the kids are thrust into the problems and must solve the problems.
And there's a real problem! Kids are disappearing! This is great with puzzlers for kids and adults. I love it when books have an element of mystery.
A carnival is a perfect place for this novel to take place. Aren't carnivals, clowns, and game hucksters all inherently creepy?
This author earned my trust years ago, and I know I'm in safe hands for a fun experience. The Candy Shop Wars has remained one of my favorites for this age group.
So, don't accept any candy from strangers. And go read this book instead.
Happy reading!
briannacrawford's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
riellareads's review against another edition
4.0
The final book in The Candy Shop War series, Carnival Quest is an exciting adventure for young readers! I read the first book when it first came out and so was really excited to have the chance to read this book. Carnival Quest picks up after Arcade Catastrophe, but I think that it could be read with enjoyment as a standalone, though definitely it is more clear with context. The Blue Falcons is a secret club of kids that fights against a family of villainous magicians. With magical candy, they have defeated Belinda White with her candy shop and Jonas White and his arcade. Now the mysterious Dreams and Screams International Carnival has come to their town and it seems the last sibling Camilla is the one who brought it. The rumors of the carnival’s compelling powers and bewitching attractions grow and the Blue Falcons are ready to fight. However, the carnival blocks any outside magic and as weird dreams begin to plague those who have attended the carnival it seems the worlds of magic and reality have combined.
It was fun to see the gang again! Nate, Trevor, Summer and Pidgeon are all back! Though this book is in 3rd-person, we follow more of one character or another through most of the book. They are all interesting narrators and fun characters. The adventure and story moves along quickly. The mix of mystery, action, magic, and adventure is super engaging. I was so intrigued and invested in discovering the secrets of the carnival. It moved along pretty quickly as expected with an fantasy-adventure story. I enjoyed the imaginative world. It was creative and fantastical.
This book features some more frightening elements, but is suitable for MG readers. It focuses on friendship, belief, and the power of our choices and intentions. It is a fun fantasy-adventure that I think young readers will love!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
It was fun to see the gang again! Nate, Trevor, Summer and Pidgeon are all back! Though this book is in 3rd-person, we follow more of one character or another through most of the book. They are all interesting narrators and fun characters. The adventure and story moves along quickly. The mix of mystery, action, magic, and adventure is super engaging. I was so intrigued and invested in discovering the secrets of the carnival. It moved along pretty quickly as expected with an fantasy-adventure story. I enjoyed the imaginative world. It was creative and fantastical.
This book features some more frightening elements, but is suitable for MG readers. It focuses on friendship, belief, and the power of our choices and intentions. It is a fun fantasy-adventure that I think young readers will love!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
melissasbookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
New magical candy, creepy clowns, another mysterious White sibling, and a whole lot of thrills and chills cap off this fantastic conclusion to The Candy Shop War series. Brandon Mull has long been a favorite author in our household, not only for the kids, but the parents too. The imaginative, exciting stories where everyday life and magic secretly coexist make kids want to read and bring out the kid in adults as well. We bought the first Candy Shop War book when our oldest daughter was just seven years old, the second book when she was eleven, and now she’s 21 and highly anticipating this final installment. I’m happy to tell her it does not disappoint!
The Dreams and Screams Carnival is aptly named. Here kids and adults can realize their fondest dreams and scariest nightmares. It’s a fantastical place with hidden locations, spell binding rides, special coins and tickets, secrets, and magic. But some enter the carnival and never come out. The carnival’s next destination is Colson, California of all places where the Blue Falcons consisting of Nate, Pigeon (Paul), Trevor, and Summer, who previously defeated the two White sibling magicians, are gearing up to attend a new middle school.
The Blue Falcons meet a new friend Zac who happens to be a huge social media influencer. He offers to get them special access into the carnival, but local magician Mr. Stott senses the carnival isn’t all that it seems and warns the kids to beware. When their magical candies won’t work and they find out the carnival is owned by none other than Camilla White, yet another White sibling, the kids work together to solve the mystery of where all the disappearing people are hidden. John Dart and a new magician work to help the kids uncover the secrets and battle new foes as well as distinguish between dreams and reality. It’s a fast-paced, imaginative ride middle grade kids and up will definitely enjoy.
Getting to know these amazing kids in this series has been a joy. They’ve all grown not only in confidence, but in their leadership abilities, Nate especially. I love how they all work together and support each other. What kids faced with being granted their hearts desires, would recognize the lie and be able to withstand the temptation? I enjoyed the subtle messages in the book of nothing worthwhile is ever easy and it’s better to live in a flawed reality than a fake dreamworld.
I’m honestly sad to see the series end. I’m hoping there might just be one more White relative to wreak havoc on Colson so we can see these great kids again. While this is the third book in the series, it could be read as a standalone, however, I highly recommend reading the previous books first. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. Content: Clean with mild violence.
The Dreams and Screams Carnival is aptly named. Here kids and adults can realize their fondest dreams and scariest nightmares. It’s a fantastical place with hidden locations, spell binding rides, special coins and tickets, secrets, and magic. But some enter the carnival and never come out. The carnival’s next destination is Colson, California of all places where the Blue Falcons consisting of Nate, Pigeon (Paul), Trevor, and Summer, who previously defeated the two White sibling magicians, are gearing up to attend a new middle school.
The Blue Falcons meet a new friend Zac who happens to be a huge social media influencer. He offers to get them special access into the carnival, but local magician Mr. Stott senses the carnival isn’t all that it seems and warns the kids to beware. When their magical candies won’t work and they find out the carnival is owned by none other than Camilla White, yet another White sibling, the kids work together to solve the mystery of where all the disappearing people are hidden. John Dart and a new magician work to help the kids uncover the secrets and battle new foes as well as distinguish between dreams and reality. It’s a fast-paced, imaginative ride middle grade kids and up will definitely enjoy.
Getting to know these amazing kids in this series has been a joy. They’ve all grown not only in confidence, but in their leadership abilities, Nate especially. I love how they all work together and support each other. What kids faced with being granted their hearts desires, would recognize the lie and be able to withstand the temptation? I enjoyed the subtle messages in the book of nothing worthwhile is ever easy and it’s better to live in a flawed reality than a fake dreamworld.
I’m honestly sad to see the series end. I’m hoping there might just be one more White relative to wreak havoc on Colson so we can see these great kids again. While this is the third book in the series, it could be read as a standalone, however, I highly recommend reading the previous books first. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. Content: Clean with mild violence.
sheepishreader's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was pretty lackluster compared to the other books in the series.
The characters were pretty flat. While they weren’t the most complex in the other books, they had personalities and motives that made them well-rounded characters. There was none of that in this book. And it felt like Pigeon was barely there, which sucks because he’s my favorite character. Or his dog. :(
I also don’t feel great about Lindy’s ending. Besides the fact that she and Mr. Scott we’re barely in the book at all, I felt like her ending completely erased all of the development she had in Book 2, which is really disappointing.
It also felt like nothing happened in the book, despite the conflict being a ‘world-ending’ one, as said by the characters. I was waiting for the exposition to be over, and I realized I was like 65% of the way in. Even the climax felt like exposition rather than a climax to both the book and the series.
The book also didn’t really expand much on the magic system. It kind of made the magic boring, in fact.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend the first two books. The series definitely deserved a better finale, though. I’m not mad I read it, but I doubt I’ll reread it.
I will miss this series though, especially Pigeon and his dog.
This was pretty lackluster compared to the other books in the series.
The characters were pretty flat. While they weren’t the most complex in the other books, they had personalities and motives that made them well-rounded characters. There was none of that in this book. And it felt like Pigeon was barely there, which sucks because he’s my favorite character. Or his dog. :(
I also don’t feel great about Lindy’s ending. Besides the fact that she and Mr. Scott we’re barely in the book at all, I felt like her ending completely erased all of the development she had in Book 2, which is really disappointing.
It also felt like nothing happened in the book, despite the conflict being a ‘world-ending’ one, as said by the characters. I was waiting for the exposition to be over, and I realized I was like 65% of the way in. Even the climax felt like exposition rather than a climax to both the book and the series.
The book also didn’t really expand much on the magic system. It kind of made the magic boring, in fact.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend the first two books. The series definitely deserved a better finale, though. I’m not mad I read it, but I doubt I’ll reread it.
I will miss this series though, especially Pigeon and his dog.
dandelionsteph's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
smorrison4's review against another edition
4.0
This was another magical series from Brandon Mull, I assume this is the last book in the Candy Shop Wars series as each book focused on one of the White siblings and Camilla was the last sibling but I could be wrong as there were a lot of year between Arcade Catastrophe and Carnival Quest. I love how the Blue Falcons were able to turn the contest around on the Swindler. I also loved Camilla's reveal, I anticipated Zach's reveal but I have a feeling that it will be more of a shock to younger readers. Now I need to start reading the Dragonwatch series to see what is happening in the Fablehaven universe.