Caraval

Guys, what the hell? Caraval, for me, started so strong, and then it just flopped.Our MC (main character) Scarlett grew up in a somewhat fractured household. Her mother, dead or missing, her father, abusive. So Scarlett is forced to dedicate her life to protecting her younger sister. But Scarlett has a curious side and spends her younger years wishing she could visit the magical Caraval - a one-a-year magical performance that’s invite-only (dang!). Mere days away from an arranged marriage that will change her life forever, you can bet, she gets her wish.Caraval promised a whimsical Alice in Wonderland-style mystery with a boatload of romance thrown in. Enemies to lovers, magic, a little bit of darkness - yes please! It did actually start that way. Caraval had a great setup, and the journey throughout Caraval was pretty fun too. It’s an easy read with some fairly predictable romance. But that’s not what disappointed me.Our MC, Scarlett, is okay but boy does she make some stupid decisions. There were many moments throughout the book where I just found her to be such a frustrating character. She says one thing and then does another, she repeats herself constantly and is generally a bit flat. I’d compare her to an older Disney princess. Think Snow White and Cinderella.If we’re going to go along these lines, the plot turns into something Disney-like, and dare I say it, pantomime. The reasons for each character's actions don't make sense. They just do and say things because they're good or evil - with no real backstory to justify it.How magic works in this book is never explained. We're just meant to believe it. Which means, as readers, we don't get the satisfaction of guessing what's real and what isn't, because nothing makes sense and we're just supposed to accept it.The whole story is cruel, toxic, and messed up. The things that happen are something out of a horror story, but the way the characters react doesn't reflect it. I’m fine with darkness, I’m fine with horror, but the characters have to actually react to it.The first three-quarters of the book were great, intrigue, romance, mystery, and a bit of magic. But the last quarter, just no.It's well-written, easy to read, and entertaining. In fact, some of the writing is beautiful and whimsical. But the characters just didn't make sense to me. And let’s not talk about the ending.2.5 starsFor more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel

The plot twists actually got me on this one, I read this book 6 years ago and just re read it and it's safe to say I appreciate this book a lot more now then I did then. I would give this 5 stars, but I'm hoping the next books in the series impress me more. I loved the relationships and world building, I can't wait for the next read.

Muy linda la parte fantastica y el mundo magico, pero el romance de scar y julian pudo haber tenido una mejor resolución, son divinos btw❤

4.5 stars ✨I think this was a very fast paced book which I liked coz there were no dull moments.I really liked the writing and the world it was just so magical.The clues were interesting.Loveddd Scarlett and Julian I love how she understood him at the end and forgave him. Didn't really like TellaOH AND WHEN JULIAN WAS REVEALED TO HAVE BEEN LYING BUT THEN HE STILL CARED FOR HER AND "HE WAS STILL HER JULIAN." LIKE AAAAAAH Almost cried when Julian "died" He's such a cutie patootie

"Whatever you've hear about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world."Before I picked up Caraval I'd heard from several people online that it was like The Night Circus. Which actually made me hesitant to read it because I didn't particularly enjoy reading The Night Circus. But after reading some reviews on GR a lot of people who had actually read the book said it wasn't anything like TNC and I can now agree and say it wasn't.I enjoyed reading this book and liked exploring this world and getting to know Scarlett as a character. However, she wasn't really a character I could relate to. Her mindset really didn't help her as she went through Caraval and that's putting it mildly. Her inability to take risks really hindered her progress in Caraval at the beginning. We saw some small amount of character development nearer the end of the book but that's not totally surprising as people like Scarlett can't change majorly overnight. But the amount of growth was fitting for her personality as a character. With the other characters in this books, I personally didn't really feel much connection with any of them and didn't find the characters that likeable. But that could just be because they're all so damn mysterious and everyone keeps telling everyone else different things and you kinda just end up more confused than when you started? It kinda gave me a headache at some points.Conclusion:Overall, I liked Caraval for the magical atmosphere and how interesting the world is which is why I rated it 4 stars.However, I really didn't connect with the characters so if I didn't find the world so interesting it probably would've been 3 stars.

“Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.”4'5 STARSMenudo viaje al mágico mundo de Caraval la verdad que tenia muchas ganas de leer este libro porque había muchas expectativas porque veía que a todo el mundo le estaba encantando y aunque no es de esos libros que amas de primeras ni a sus personajes creo que te va ganando poco a poco el mundo y los personajes a medida que vas avanzando sobre todo con scarlett creo que la vas entendiendo y poniéndote en su piel tanto que estas como ella a ciegas en ese mundo no sabes que pensar, que creer, que es real y que no y la historia con julian alñkfjlñkasjf ♥ el momento que julian da un dia de su vida para que no se lleven 2 de ella creo que lo dice todo y que ahí eso no se podia fingir ♥♥♥Y bueno todo ese giro final que nos ayuda a entender todo la verdad que no me lo esperaba, tal vez si esperaba que pasara "algo" pero no todo lo del final vamos que ha sido un libro que me ha enganchado un montón y de no haber tenido que trabajar seguro que me lo hubiera leído en un plis es de los típicos que no sueltas y menos mal que tenia a mis niñas

Relectura de Caraval y como agradezco de tener memoria dory porque no me acordaba de casi nada lo he disfrutado muchisimo y me muero por seguir con la saga ♥

Dark romantasy with vibes of the night circus that's gripping from the first page

Reread and the book is still a 5

Stephanie Garder I will sue you for my mental breakdown This book was everything to me in the past few days and It's killing me that this journey had end up I loved every single thing about this book ( even tella I swear)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (6 in my head)