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A review by durrareadsstuff
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
3.75
Aside from giving me severe trust issues, this book was a really good ya fantasy. The writing was so magical and atmospheric it's like you can imagine yourself in caraval. I like how Scarlett pictures feelings in colours, that was interesting.
Usually first books in a trilogy are the ones I struggle through because the beginning would be slower-paced than the rest, but this one had a really nice pacing. It definitely could be read in one day, although I didn't because my attention span is blegh. It also helped that the chapters were short.
One thing I have to complain about, though, there's this one scene that I don't know, it feels so weird. Am I the only one who feels this way because so far I've seen people rate this no less than 5 stars. But that scene—I wish I could erase that from my mind.
The characters were okay I guess, I kind of wish Scarlett had a friend for some reason. Maybe because Tella was annoying the heck out of me in the beginning. But I really liked the way the author made us see more of Tella, aside from her "wild" ways. I kind of like her more than Scarlett now. Julian was a decent love interest. The foreshadowing, the subtle things that warn the readers that he's definitely hiding something—that was incredibly executed in my opinion. And I like how his feelings are also mentioned. Like sometimes, books make it seem like these guys are heartless snobs which just takes all the charm away from them.
Overall - ⭐⭐⭐💫/5
Plot - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing - ⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters - ⭐⭐⭐/5
Themes (abuse, abandonment) - ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫/5
Usually first books in a trilogy are the ones I struggle through because the beginning would be slower-paced than the rest, but this one had a really nice pacing. It definitely could be read in one day, although I didn't because my attention span is blegh. It also helped that the chapters were short.
One thing I have to complain about, though, there's this one scene that I don't know, it feels so weird. Am I the only one who feels this way because so far I've seen people rate this no less than 5 stars. But that scene—I wish I could erase that from my mind.
The characters were okay I guess, I kind of wish Scarlett had a friend for some reason. Maybe because Tella was annoying the heck out of me in the beginning. But I really liked the way the author made us see more of Tella, aside from her "wild" ways. I kind of like her more than Scarlett now. Julian was a decent love interest. The foreshadowing, the subtle things that warn the readers that he's definitely hiding something—that was incredibly executed in my opinion. And I like how his feelings are also mentioned. Like sometimes, books make it seem like these guys are heartless snobs which just takes all the charm away from them.
Overall - ⭐⭐⭐💫/5
Plot - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing - ⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters - ⭐⭐⭐/5
Themes (abuse, abandonment) - ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault