A review by ieryka_magic
Caraval by Stephanie Garber

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

So, as someone who reads a lot of YA, you would expect that this book, which's considered a classic on Booktok would be just my cup of tea. But honestly?

 The writing style might not be the worst, but it's slow, extremely boring at times, and there are random descriptions that aren't even entertaining. 

The characters, how do I even begin with them? Scarlett was just... Kinda boring? Like, I enjoyed her quest to keep her sister safe, but it was flimsy at times and kinda obsessive at others. Julian.... Julian was just toxic on so many levels. He swears constantly that he will stop lying to her, but he keeps doing it. Not to mention, Tella, to me, just seemed annoying. Just a spoiled brat. I mean, I got that Scarlett was the older sister who took on the role if a mentor, but Tella seemed a spoiled brat. Overall, I really didn't have a great connection to the characters, which is a HUGE minus.

The plot was...ok, at best. It could've been a lot better, a magic show where the real is just as confusing as the fake? But the book didn't play enough on that factor.

Overall, the book might just be considered...Boring?

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