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Well, well, well... Look who it is. Yes, me, your favorite clown.
Once more, if you haven't read the book and don't want spoilers, please don't read further. There can be minor or major, so, be careful!
I take back something: this book had not been on my shelf for 2 years, bUT FOR 4 YEARS.
My dear friend Dai is reading this review, so, hi Dai!
I gotta admit that this book had its entertaining parts, and some of them that were weird. Said that, let's start.
Plot:
Scarlett and Tella live with their abusive father (holy shit, I hate this guy). Scarlett will get married to a count, someone who she doesn't know, hasn't seen in person and who only communicates with her through letters. Scarlett thinks that this marriage will save her and Tella from their father, but suddenly, Legend, the master from Caraval, responds to one of the many many letters that Scarlett wrote to him throughout the years. Legend is inviting her to Caraval.
The idea is pretty good, but Scarlett knows what will happen to them if they run away. Tella is conviced she will run and so, she plans to scape with Julian, the sailor with whom she was "kissing". But things get complicated and when Scarlett and Julian arrive in the island of Caraval, Tella is missing. Scarlett, as the good sister she is, starts to looking for her little sister.
I don't mind this. The premise and the synopsis was really interesting. But I was waiting to see more magic. I mean, the elements were good and there was some magic, but I felt like me and Scarlett were high as fuck running over random places with some random and suspicious dude. The thing with the clues was very off to me. The fact that Scarlett found all the clues was easy. I mean, no matter where she went, the clue was there. She got them all so easy. And why the other participants didn't get any of them? I know that years' show was especially made for Scarlett, but, really?
Many "plots" were predictable. Like, Julian working for Legend and being his brother. Also, when Julian "died", I was like "yeah, I saw that coming".
I do, however, liked the vibes and the aesthetic, it was magical. I liked some descriptions. Some names too! There were many places' and people's names in Spanish that was so exciting! The map of my copy was in Spanish and I was like "uhm, there's something wrong with this?" but no, Isla de los Sueños, Castillo Maldito, and many more in Spanish were correct and :') I was screaming for it, jsjsjs.
Romance:
Uh, your local clown isn't a big fan of insta love. Yes, it felt like it happened a lot of days, but actually they were like 5 and in one of them, they were dead as fuck. Scarlett says to Tella that she can't fall in love with someone who just met... Uhm, Crimson, hun, same with you. *sips tea in the corner*
Characters:
*sigh*
Scarlett was annoying. She's naive (yes, I know because she's been living all her life in a little island, isolated and under the domain of her father. I was reminded of it enough times) and not always just in the normal way. I wanted to kick her several times. Please, dear Crimson, make one lonely decision for your own, is it too much to ask? However, she was brave enough to attempt to jump from a balcony for her sister. She also loves Tella so much and you can see it, her devotion and love. Scarlett is determined to marry someone (even if she might not be happy) to save Tella. The little thing of Scar seeing emotions as colors was confusing for the descriptions.
Julian... Well, I can't say a lot of him because I don't know him very well. He lied, several times, but was willing to die in order to help Scarlett. *sigh* Oh, teenage love. His story or plot twists were kind of predictable? When he said his family was related, I got it, everything. He's interesting tho and I wanna know more about him.
Tella I actually don't know a lot of her. She's reckless and I like her more than Scarlett, but we just know things as "Tella would make this decision", "Tella would do this", "this is the kind of thing
Tella would like", but we don't get to see her. Yes, I know she was kidnapped and that's why she wasn't there, but like barely in everything
Also, the "party" that Legend threw at the end, it didn't feel like a party at all. Like, Scarlett didn't described much more than Angelique talking with Julian and then he explaining everything and them kissing.
Look, you see me ranting over little things that I didn't like about Caraval. But I did like many other things. The writting wasn't that bad, the names were cool and, once more, the vibes and aesthetic. Despite of rating Caraval 3.5 stars, I will continue the series because the atmosphere is wonderful, and the prologue left me with questions too.
aLSO, I NEED TO MEET THE FAMOUS JACKS AND FALL IN LOVE WITH ANOTHER BLOND ARROGANT AND CHARISMATIC DUDE.
Overall:
It wasn't bad, tbh. I hadn't many high expectations because lately, many good books end up crushing my hopes and the hype for some books is a fucking lie. Even books break my heart in the most awful way *dramatic air*
Anyhow, tHE FUCKING VIBES. I NEED A FUCKING CIRCUS.
I have a new guilty pleasure, jsjsjs. Don't mind the "my embarrasing guilty pleasure" shelf. Just guilty pleasure, lol.