Caraval

Title: Caraval

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #2

Author: Stephanie Garber

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Published: 29 September, 2016

Followed by: Legendary

 

                                   My Rating 2/5 

 

 

                                               Summary

Scarlett and Donatella have always lived in a small island with their horrible and abusive father. Scarlett’s father has arranged for her to marry a count but an unexpected opportunity presents itself: She has received an invitation to attend Caraval, a once-a-year interactive performance.

With the help of a mysterious sailor, both girls head to Caraval. Once there they become part of the fame and now Scarlett has 5 days to find her sister or lose her forever.

                                             

                                                  My Opinion

I wanted to love it, I really, really, really did. I have seen so many 5 star ratings that even when I was halfway through the story and started feeling like it wasn’t for me, I just told myself: nope, I love it and it’s not bad, it will get better. And halfway through the story I still kind of enjoyed it, or at least didn’t dislike it completely. Until I did.

There is nothing, NOTHING, more painful than being stuck in Scarlett’s head. The whole POV is from her perspective and holly mother is that girl the most insecure character I have ever read about. Since the moment she receives the tickets to Caraval until pretty much the day before the game is over, this girl is all doubts and regrets… “I’m in the game, but it’s scary, but I want to leave and get married, but no I want to stay, and I want to win, but this is hard, I want to go and get married, but I don’t want to be married…” IN A LOOP. Oh but then there is chance at love and we have a new little obsessive thought: I don’t know him but I love him but he’s not a good person but his eyes are kind so I love him but I don’t trust him but maybe he’s a good guy so maybe I love him.

I’m also not a fan of insta love so I was not feeling the romance LIKE AT ALL.

I just found Scarlett really annoying in general. Even the voice I created for her in my mind bugged me. They tell her to not believe everything people say to her and what does she do? Believe absolutely everything they tell her. -_-

I found Donatella just as annoying. While Scarlett is the most insecure person in the world, Tella is exactly the opposite but in a very selfish way. I hate selfish people.

The side characters where not interesting. They are very bland and felt like they added nothing to the story.  Which is a real pity because they are part of a magic game! Which btw, MAGIC, it’s a world built on magic yet it was incredibly underwhelming. I feel like the author used “but it’s magic” as a crutch. I love magic worlds, I like to be able to imagine them completely and I want them to make sense, but in this story when something happened it would simply be explained away as “it’s magic”.

Take the dress for example, it keeps transforming itself and it SO COOL. HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? IS IT BECAUSE OF HER MOOD? WHY IS THE DRESS MAGICAL? IS IT ENCHANTED? Author: IT’S MAGIC. Well, aight.

Gosh the plot. There were so many plot twists and manipulations and lies… no logical pattern to any of them, just so many….it got exhausting.

I do want to add, however, that I enjoyed the prose and lyrical style in which the book is written.