This book has been getting rave reviews, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I loved the concept and early reviews were positively glowing. And for the most part, I enjoyed this book. I just don't think it quite lived up to all the hype surrounding it.

First of all, that cover is beautiful. I actually wish I had one of the U.K. covers though because damn, those are gorgeous.

(Other) things I liked:

1. The concept - This premise had so much potential. I love the idea of a game that is immersive and magical.

2. The hate-to-love romance - I've read so many insta-love romances recently and it was starting to drive me nuts. I like that this one took awhile to really become romantic.

3. Scarlett and Julian - I liked these characters, although I did feel like Scarlett made some really stupid decisions.


Things I didn't really like:

1. The writing. I want to be very specific here. I didn't think the writing was terrible, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. From other review I'd seen/read, I was expecting a very whimsical tone that, even in its darker moments, still managed to remain whimsical. But this book was mostly centered on Scarlett's feelings, not the world around her. When I read about a magical circus or carnival or game, I want to really feel like I'm there. I want to be able to hear the music, smell the food, and so on. I didn't get that from this book. Instead, the author tried to hang her hat on nonsensical metaphors in an attempt to create that whimsical atmosphere:

"Somehow the battered space still managed to smell. like Tella. Sharp molasses and wild dreams."

"The world tastes like lies and ashes when Scarlett woke."

"It smelled of laughter and boasts."

"He tasted like midnight and wind, and shades of rich brown and light blue."

"It made Scarlett think the air around her should taste like sweetened milk and sugared dreams, but all she could taste was dust and haze."

The author seems to have an obsession with giving tastes and scents to intangible concepts. Above are just a few examples. Scarlett also apparently sees emotion as color. I'm not sure what the deal is there. She seems to think of it as something completely normal. Unfortunately, I don't think these flowery metaphors actually make much sense, and even if they sound kind of cool and poetic, it's not the same as creating a whimsical and fantastical world to enjoy.

2. World Building - I really felt like this was a miss, mostly because it had all the potential in the world to be great. There were so many things I wished were more fleshed out and explored. We spent so much time in Scarlett's hotel and in the tunnels...sorry, but that's boring. I wanted to see more of the actual world.

3. Side characters - I feel like many times in these sorts of books, the side characters end up becoming as beloved as the main protagonist. In this case, most of them fell flat for me. Dante was a peacock. Jovan was forgettable. Aiko was probably the best of the bunch, but she was only in a couple of scenes. The Count, while seemingly conflicted, was weak in the way he wouldn't stand up to Scarlett's father. Speaking of her father, he was incredibly one-dimensional. I don't understand at all the reason he is such a monster. I assume we will learn more about that in book two.

4. Info-dumpy ending - I get why it had to happen, but the scene with Tella explaining everything to Scarlett just got a little info-dumpy and felt rushed. I also didn't care that Tella 'died' or came back to life. Her explanation of why she did what she did didn't make me like or understand her at all. She seems just as vapid and selfish as she did at the beginning of the story.

Overall:

I know that from my many critiques it looks like I hated this book. But I didn't. I actually enjoyed my reading experience quite a bit. Which is why it garners three stars from me. But I also believe that people can be critical in a review, even for books they enjoy and rate highly.

One more thing: I've seen this being compared all over the place to The Night Circus. This needs to stop right now. There is almost no comparison between these two books. Not in premise. Not in tone. Not in theme. Not in character. Comparing this book to The Night Circus isn't fair to either book. I enjoyed both books, so I'm not saying this as someone who loved one and hated the other, but they are fundamentally different and setting readers up with the expectation that Caraval will provide the same experience as The Night Circus may actually be setting Caraval up to fail.