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imme_van_gorp's Reviews (778)
What an utterly charming and fun little book!
This kind of reminded me of a fairytale, but it also had that little bit of extra oomph that made it more intense and dramatic than a classic fairytale would be.
The plot was one you easily get lost in as it pretty much hooks you from the very first page.
It was not too elaborate or intricate, but also not simple or shallow. It was just right for making you thoroughly invested, while also not making it so complicated that it almost feels like a chore to read it.
No, instead this was a total breeze to get through. There was never really a dull moment as the setting, premise, and storyline were all very entertaing and engaging. The drama and the progression of the story all had me completely sucked in.
Some things were predictable, but certainly not all of it. And even those things you did anticipate were still revealed or played out in a way that felt somehow surprising.
Another important thing is that the main character was also very easy to root for. Evangeline was honestly adorable with a true heart of gold. Still, she wasn’t a total stereotype as she also had her own wishes and desires, ones she did not always ignore so others would feel better. Sometimes she did choose herself, but… never when it would truly harm another person. She always knew right from wrong and was never afraid to fight for what was right, even when it would cost her. In other words, she was a total sweetheart, but not a doormat.
And, most importantly, she actually grows in this book. She starts out naive and too trusting, but she learns to become a little smarter and a little more thoughtful, without ever losing her loving spirit or sunshiny attitude.
Because Evangeline was such an easy to like character, it made the juxtaposition between her and Jacks all the more fun and interesting. Evangeline was never afraid to embrace her feelings, her hope, her love, and her faith, whereas Jacks did nothing but run from them. They were a total ‘black cat x golden retriever’ duo, and I loved to see it.
It’s why I cannot wait to find out how their relationship develops and how or why Jacks will eventually start to truly care for Evangeline. I have a feeling that seeing this man in love would be a true sight to behold.
This kind of reminded me of a fairytale, but it also had that little bit of extra oomph that made it more intense and dramatic than a classic fairytale would be.
The plot was one you easily get lost in as it pretty much hooks you from the very first page.
It was not too elaborate or intricate, but also not simple or shallow. It was just right for making you thoroughly invested, while also not making it so complicated that it almost feels like a chore to read it.
No, instead this was a total breeze to get through. There was never really a dull moment as the setting, premise, and storyline were all very entertaing and engaging. The drama and the progression of the story all had me completely sucked in.
Some things were predictable, but certainly not all of it. And even those things you did anticipate were still revealed or played out in a way that felt somehow surprising.
Another important thing is that the main character was also very easy to root for. Evangeline was honestly adorable with a true heart of gold. Still, she wasn’t a total stereotype as she also had her own wishes and desires, ones she did not always ignore so others would feel better. Sometimes she did choose herself, but… never when it would truly harm another person. She always knew right from wrong and was never afraid to fight for what was right, even when it would cost her. In other words, she was a total sweetheart, but not a doormat.
And, most importantly, she actually grows in this book. She starts out naive and too trusting, but she learns to become a little smarter and a little more thoughtful, without ever losing her loving spirit or sunshiny attitude.
Because Evangeline was such an easy to like character, it made the juxtaposition between her and Jacks all the more fun and interesting. Evangeline was never afraid to embrace her feelings, her hope, her love, and her faith, whereas Jacks did nothing but run from them. They were a total ‘black cat x golden retriever’ duo, and I loved to see it.
It’s why I cannot wait to find out how their relationship develops and how or why Jacks will eventually start to truly care for Evangeline. I have a feeling that seeing this man in love would be a true sight to behold.
This genuinely bored me to tears. It seems that any semblance of a plot had just vanished in this book, and it didn’t leave much in its wake. Without the presence of Caraval, all the magic and intrigue of this series just drained away…
Instead of a climax, this finale mostly just felt like it dragged the story out into something it never should have been. It transformed the story into something unoriginal, uneventful and uninteresting.
There were still a few twists and turns, but they all felt so anticlimactic and unimportant somehow; it just didn’t hit.
Other than the fact that there was little to no plot left here, the characters and romances gave me nothing of note either.
Everyone and everything felt bland. The romances were so simple, meaningless, forced, and instant.
It’s like… the book tries to convince me there is some sort of conflict going on between the couples, but both Scarlett and Tella do nothing but pine for their lovers who never really give them what they want. The girls don’t know how to stand on business and it makes them both seem really pathetic when they continue to pine for men who don’t know how to behave like true gentlemen who love them; Julian and Legend constantly abandon them or lie straight in their faces, but all is forgiven when the girls look at their handsome faces, leading them to once again turn into a giant puddle of love. Riiiight…
It sucks too because Jacks was actually a lot more interesting, but Tella never gave him the time of day because she was obsessed with Legend for whatever reason, and Scarlett literally strung that poor count, Nicholas, along and destroyed his whole life, and for what?? She knew she wanted Julian. Why mess with the poor guy’s feelings like that? It’s just cruel.
Finally, the sister bond was also just as weak as ever. Tella and Scarlett have no chemistry or genuine love between them; they each seem like they view the other more like a nuisance they cannot get rid of than a true piece of their heart they love more than anything in the world. Meanwhile, the series continues to try to gaslight me into thinking these two care deeply for each other, but they just truly do not. Sorry not sorry…
Instead of a climax, this finale mostly just felt like it dragged the story out into something it never should have been. It transformed the story into something unoriginal, uneventful and uninteresting.
There were still a few twists and turns, but they all felt so anticlimactic and unimportant somehow; it just didn’t hit.
Other than the fact that there was little to no plot left here, the characters and romances gave me nothing of note either.
Everyone and everything felt bland. The romances were so simple, meaningless, forced, and instant.
It’s like… the book tries to convince me there is some sort of conflict going on between the couples, but both Scarlett and Tella do nothing but pine for their lovers who never really give them what they want. The girls don’t know how to stand on business and it makes them both seem really pathetic when they continue to pine for men who don’t know how to behave like true gentlemen who love them; Julian and Legend constantly abandon them or lie straight in their faces, but all is forgiven when the girls look at their handsome faces, leading them to once again turn into a giant puddle of love. Riiiight…
It sucks too because Jacks was actually a lot more interesting, but Tella never gave him the time of day because she was obsessed with Legend for whatever reason, and Scarlett literally strung that poor count, Nicholas, along and destroyed his whole life, and for what?? She knew she wanted Julian. Why mess with the poor guy’s feelings like that? It’s just cruel.
Finally, the sister bond was also just as weak as ever. Tella and Scarlett have no chemistry or genuine love between them; they each seem like they view the other more like a nuisance they cannot get rid of than a true piece of their heart they love more than anything in the world. Meanwhile, the series continues to try to gaslight me into thinking these two care deeply for each other, but they just truly do not. Sorry not sorry…
Finally, we got a main character with an actual personality! I can’t quite say I loved Tella with all my heart, but she was at least interesting (unlike Scarlett); she was fiery, passionate, fearless, determined, confident and able to actually use her brain from time to time.
The romance was okay, but I somehow expected a little more. I do like it when a man who has never felt love before finally meets his match, making his heart thaw and beat again, but… when that happens, I find it important that we get to see why that man suddenly starts to have feelings again; what makes the girl so special? what happened between them that meant so much to him? how did those feelings start to grow?
In this case, however, I didn’t really get to see that. It seems he just decided he cared about her for no real reason and that was that. I don’t like that. I want more depth.
The plotline of this book still held a lot of intrigue and mystery, but it didn’t quite hold my attention as much as the first book did. I think it’s because it didn’t feel as unique due to it not focusing as much on “the game”; it didn’t have as many twists and neither did it seemed to contain as much magic. It felt more like a story I had read before.
Still, I remained invested enough in the story to want to find out what was going to happen in the future, what had happened in the past, and what was happening in the present.
All in all, I think the plot, setting and mystery were definitely less strong than they were in the first book, but I did not feel a lot less invested since I did feel a much stronger connection to Tella than I did to Scarlett.
The romance was okay, but I somehow expected a little more. I do like it when a man who has never felt love before finally meets his match, making his heart thaw and beat again, but… when that happens, I find it important that we get to see why that man suddenly starts to have feelings again; what makes the girl so special? what happened between them that meant so much to him? how did those feelings start to grow?
In this case, however, I didn’t really get to see that. It seems he just decided he cared about her for no real reason and that was that. I don’t like that. I want more depth.
The plotline of this book still held a lot of intrigue and mystery, but it didn’t quite hold my attention as much as the first book did. I think it’s because it didn’t feel as unique due to it not focusing as much on “the game”; it didn’t have as many twists and neither did it seemed to contain as much magic. It felt more like a story I had read before.
Still, I remained invested enough in the story to want to find out what was going to happen in the future, what had happened in the past, and what was happening in the present.
All in all, I think the plot, setting and mystery were definitely less strong than they were in the first book, but I did not feel a lot less invested since I did feel a much stronger connection to Tella than I did to Scarlett.
This is one of those books where I can see why some people love it and why some people don’t. My feelings are lingering somewhere in the middle; I was not wowed or blown away by anything this book had to offer, but I did have a good time and was enjoying myself during most of the book.
I think what was dragging the book down for me, though, is the lack of character development and depth we got. It’s what stopped me from ever veering into love territory when it comes to this book.
Scarlett is a semi-likeable character, but that’s about it. She doesn’t really shine in any particular way and she stayed the very same from beginning to end. I would describe her as a rather… flat character.
I think I can best describe her character like this: It constantly felt like the story was happening to Scarlett rather than her truly living the story and actually acting like an important player within it. She was just kind of… useless.
In a way, Scarlett’s only real personality trait was that she thinks her sister is a moron who is in constant need of her help (even though we learn Tella is anything but stupid and has actually been twenty steps ahead this whole time, which makes her seem a whole lot more interesting in my eyes, but that’s beside the point).
I mean, I do adore sibling love, but their relationship felt more like an obligation to Scarlett than it did actual love. Most of her inner monologue mentioned Tella in a very negative light and she did not seem to actually like her sister all that much; she just loves her because she thinks she has to… Which is not great. Especially not when her enire story in this book was based on that supposed love for her sister. It took away the emotion and weight out of that part of the story quite a bit.
That said, her relationship with Julian was better. Still not amazing, but definitely better. I wish I could have seen why and how they fell in love a little bit clearer, because it did feel pretty random now, but I do believe they each cared for each other, and they also had semi-decent chemistry. When we saw hints of Julian’s protectiveness, that was when he shined the most.
Now, as has probably become quite clear, neither the characters nor the relationships did all that much for me here, and I think the best part about the book was something entirely different: the mystery.
We knew that everything the main character saw and heard in this book could be a lie and so it definitely kept you guessing what was real, what everything meant, what you could trust, and what would eventually happen.
Thus, it was mostly my drive to see the mystery uncover that was driving me forward to keep reading with relish. It was what kept me on my toes and intrigued to find out what came next. In other words, it is what made me feel invested in this book despite my lack of character investment.
All in all, the book had its pros and its cons, and although it failed to give me the character and relationship depth I would prefer in a book, it did capture me with its mystery and twists-and-turns. The story was definitely unique in its own way.
I think what was dragging the book down for me, though, is the lack of character development and depth we got. It’s what stopped me from ever veering into love territory when it comes to this book.
Scarlett is a semi-likeable character, but that’s about it. She doesn’t really shine in any particular way and she stayed the very same from beginning to end. I would describe her as a rather… flat character.
I think I can best describe her character like this: It constantly felt like the story was happening to Scarlett rather than her truly living the story and actually acting like an important player within it. She was just kind of… useless.
In a way, Scarlett’s only real personality trait was that she thinks her sister is a moron who is in constant need of her help (even though we learn Tella is anything but stupid and has actually been twenty steps ahead this whole time, which makes her seem a whole lot more interesting in my eyes, but that’s beside the point).
I mean, I do adore sibling love, but their relationship felt more like an obligation to Scarlett than it did actual love. Most of her inner monologue mentioned Tella in a very negative light and she did not seem to actually like her sister all that much; she just loves her because she thinks she has to… Which is not great. Especially not when her enire story in this book was based on that supposed love for her sister. It took away the emotion and weight out of that part of the story quite a bit.
That said, her relationship with Julian was better. Still not amazing, but definitely better. I wish I could have seen why and how they fell in love a little bit clearer, because it did feel pretty random now, but I do believe they each cared for each other, and they also had semi-decent chemistry. When we saw hints of Julian’s protectiveness, that was when he shined the most.
Now, as has probably become quite clear, neither the characters nor the relationships did all that much for me here, and I think the best part about the book was something entirely different: the mystery.
We knew that everything the main character saw and heard in this book could be a lie and so it definitely kept you guessing what was real, what everything meant, what you could trust, and what would eventually happen.
Thus, it was mostly my drive to see the mystery uncover that was driving me forward to keep reading with relish. It was what kept me on my toes and intrigued to find out what came next. In other words, it is what made me feel invested in this book despite my lack of character investment.
All in all, the book had its pros and its cons, and although it failed to give me the character and relationship depth I would prefer in a book, it did capture me with its mystery and twists-and-turns. The story was definitely unique in its own way.
Ohh, god, not another “please teach me how to touch a man, because I don’t know how to, and I feel like I can trust you to help my inexperienced, fragile little self, so now we will basically be in a relationship for the entirety of the book, but I will still be in denial, ignore every single sign that points toward the truth, and basically treat you like my own personal sex toy until the very end when I finally realise that maybe the sex actually did mean something and I want to have that sex with you for the rest of my life” as if it is the most romantic thing ever.
I truly hated these characters and their romance, but this book was somehow still fun to read. Everything annoyed me, but I honestly got sucked into the drama anyway. It’s one of those books where you love to hate it, if that makes sense.
Maxon, especially, will never stop making my blood boil. He was such a slut, and yet everyone still acted like he was some sort of prize. I truly feel like marrying him would be more of a punishment than anything.
Imagine having a dude constantly tell you he wants you, having him basically beg you to give him a chance, only when you finally decide to choose him, he’s like; nah, you know what, I’m actually not too sure about you. I’m going to date, kiss and woo a couple of other girls as well to make sure you’re really the one I want. Like??? Um. I would have been gone so fast, you couldn’t even count to three.
Even more so, the constant ultimatums and demands he placed on her to prove his love while he gave her nothing in return was just insane. He basically wanted her to throw all of her principles out the door for his sorry arse. And, of course, she should just do what she’s told if she wants to stay and be with him, because there’s no way our boy prince will ever stand up to dear old daddy for her. He just stands by while she’s humiliated like he couldn’t care less, every single time.
The disrespect, the lack of love; it was all baffling. Having this dude as your husband is truly what I imagine my worst nightmare to be like.
P.S. Aspen deserves better than all these people, and I stand by that until the end.
Maxon, especially, will never stop making my blood boil. He was such a slut, and yet everyone still acted like he was some sort of prize. I truly feel like marrying him would be more of a punishment than anything.
Imagine having a dude constantly tell you he wants you, having him basically beg you to give him a chance, only when you finally decide to choose him, he’s like; nah, you know what, I’m actually not too sure about you. I’m going to date, kiss and woo a couple of other girls as well to make sure you’re really the one I want. Like??? Um. I would have been gone so fast, you couldn’t even count to three.
Even more so, the constant ultimatums and demands he placed on her to prove his love while he gave her nothing in return was just insane. He basically wanted her to throw all of her principles out the door for his sorry arse. And, of course, she should just do what she’s told if she wants to stay and be with him, because there’s no way our boy prince will ever stand up to dear old daddy for her. He just stands by while she’s humiliated like he couldn’t care less, every single time.
The disrespect, the lack of love; it was all baffling. Having this dude as your husband is truly what I imagine my worst nightmare to be like.
P.S. Aspen deserves better than all these people, and I stand by that until the end.
Maxon and America are truly villains, and people like Aspen or Marlee deserved so much better than to be used and abused by people like them.
It’s actually insane how obvious it was that Aspen loved America a thousand times more than Maxon ever did. Aspen never doubts his affection or devotion to her, and he never wanted her to be someone she wasn’t. He was there for her from beginning to end, while Maxon was never more than the pompous arse who only cared about himself and his own needs.
Then again, America doesn’t deserve someone like Aspen anyway, so it’s good that he doesn’t end up with her.
It’s actually insane how obvious it was that Aspen loved America a thousand times more than Maxon ever did. Aspen never doubts his affection or devotion to her, and he never wanted her to be someone she wasn’t. He was there for her from beginning to end, while Maxon was never more than the pompous arse who only cared about himself and his own needs.
Then again, America doesn’t deserve someone like Aspen anyway, so it’s good that he doesn’t end up with her.
In a way, I did think this was cute, but I also found it to be deeply underwhelming. It just kind of gave me… nothing.
I mean, I truly wanted to love it because the premise and basis of the story were right up my alley, but I just wasn’t feeling it; no emotion, no connection, and no true love.
I also had trouble connecting to, or even liking, any of the characters. I mostly struggled to even understand any of them; it seemed to me like everyone was being incredibly difficult when there was no reason to.
For example, when it was clear to Peter that Amelia returned his affections, why did he not ask for her hand? If he had been paying even the slightest bit of attention, he’d know that’s what she’d need, and yet he just didn’t.
He was supposedly pining for her the entire time as well, but a lot of his actions suggested otherwise, in my opinion. I think the book wants me to think Peter was obsessed with her in the sense of him being totally whipped and smitten, but if that were the case, he truly acted quite stupidly on multiple occasions. A lot of his actions very much did not help any kind of endeavour to make him appear more admirable in her eyes. And so, I just did not feel like he truly tried his best at all times, and he never actually seemed desperate for her approval or her affection in a way I would have expected.
I don’t know, I just found the behaviour in this dynamic hard to read. From both of them, to be honest, because she was incredibly wishy-washy with all her back-and-forth as well.
Any remotely sensible person would have understood he was interested, yet she kept on questioning that fact (which, of course, could have also been easily fixed by him simply making himself ultra clear by asking for her hand, but I digress to my earlier point with that).
Honestly, her inability to just take what she wanted confused as well as grated on me. She was playing the constant martyr to the point where it truly became annoying.
Additionally, even the side characters’ story was impossible to understand as well; why on earth did Ronald wait so long to make his intentions toward Clara clear? If he truly loved her so much, why was he still stringing Georgina along as well? Him postponing to make a choice was just weird, in my opinion, and so I felt unable to care about their romance at all, or even do something as simple as root for them.
All in all, this book could have really been something, but it just wasn’t.
I mean, I truly wanted to love it because the premise and basis of the story were right up my alley, but I just wasn’t feeling it; no emotion, no connection, and no true love.
I also had trouble connecting to, or even liking, any of the characters. I mostly struggled to even understand any of them; it seemed to me like everyone was being incredibly difficult when there was no reason to.
For example, when it was clear to Peter that Amelia returned his affections, why did he not ask for her hand? If he had been paying even the slightest bit of attention, he’d know that’s what she’d need, and yet he just didn’t.
He was supposedly pining for her the entire time as well, but a lot of his actions suggested otherwise, in my opinion. I think the book wants me to think Peter was obsessed with her in the sense of him being totally whipped and smitten, but if that were the case, he truly acted quite stupidly on multiple occasions. A lot of his actions very much did not help any kind of endeavour to make him appear more admirable in her eyes. And so, I just did not feel like he truly tried his best at all times, and he never actually seemed desperate for her approval or her affection in a way I would have expected.
I don’t know, I just found the behaviour in this dynamic hard to read. From both of them, to be honest, because she was incredibly wishy-washy with all her back-and-forth as well.
Any remotely sensible person would have understood he was interested, yet she kept on questioning that fact (which, of course, could have also been easily fixed by him simply making himself ultra clear by asking for her hand, but I digress to my earlier point with that).
Honestly, her inability to just take what she wanted confused as well as grated on me. She was playing the constant martyr to the point where it truly became annoying.
Additionally, even the side characters’ story was impossible to understand as well; why on earth did Ronald wait so long to make his intentions toward Clara clear? If he truly loved her so much, why was he still stringing Georgina along as well? Him postponing to make a choice was just weird, in my opinion, and so I felt unable to care about their romance at all, or even do something as simple as root for them.
All in all, this book could have really been something, but it just wasn’t.
Drama, drama, drama, but damn if I didn’t eat it up the whole time.
It was honestly impossible not to get sucked into all this angst, clinginess, and pining, especially since the protectiveness and obsession was top tier as well.
It was honestly impossible not to get sucked into all this angst, clinginess, and pining, especially since the protectiveness and obsession was top tier as well.
This entire book felt like one giant love letter to the magical power of imagination.
I honestly think the true purpose of this story is to show the beauty and strength of creativity by bringing things to life on the page that can normally only vaguely exist in someone’s own head, things that most people are unable to ever give a true shape or express in words.
While reading this book, you are made to feel things not so much because of characters, plot, or relationships, but more so because of the penetrating depth that is used to imagine and describe the most elaborate ideas, images, and, as a consequence, their accompanying emotions.
We get to experience this magical “circus” as if we were a guest and walking amongst the enchanting tents ourselves, which leads to us being thoroughly captivated and awed by its pervasive elegance, beauty, and charm.
I honestly think the true purpose of this story is to show the beauty and strength of creativity by bringing things to life on the page that can normally only vaguely exist in someone’s own head, things that most people are unable to ever give a true shape or express in words.
While reading this book, you are made to feel things not so much because of characters, plot, or relationships, but more so because of the penetrating depth that is used to imagine and describe the most elaborate ideas, images, and, as a consequence, their accompanying emotions.
We get to experience this magical “circus” as if we were a guest and walking amongst the enchanting tents ourselves, which leads to us being thoroughly captivated and awed by its pervasive elegance, beauty, and charm.
I find I think of myself not as a writer so much as someone who provides a gateway, a tangential route for readers to reach the circus. To visit the circus again, if only in their minds, when they are unable to attend it physically. I relay it through printed words on crumpled newsprint, words that they can read again and again, returning to the circus whenever they wish, regardless of time of day or physical location. Transporting them at will.
When put that way, it sounds rather like magic, doesn’t it?
Moreover, the manner in which the book is written almost feels like it is part of the magical experience itself due to the delicately flowing, uniquely structured, intricately interwoven, greatly detailed, and deeply striking writing style that makes everything appear so much more impactful, meaningful, and penetrating than it would have otherwise.
And so, despite the slower pacing, lack of much plot, and absence of real romantic or interpersonal development, it was still incredibly (and perhaps surprisingly) easy to fall in love with this book based on its atmosphere and beautiful writing alone.
In other words, the book itself feels like it is part of the very same magic it is portaying on the pages.