I can understand the appeal… but yet again, to the latest that the genre is producing, I have my criticisms 😂 assuming the genres is YA Fantasy. I did appreciate there weren’t any bits of attempted—but largely awkward and eye-roll inducing—eroticism (as seems rampant in the genre these days). The dialogue and interactions leaned so much towards unbelievable that it robbed the rest of the story of its credibility. Even fantasy has to be somewhat credible—especially within relationships. 

I’m not a fan of Reality TV, which taints my take on this, as the setting was very much a fantasy based on a ‘reality tv’ concept: as in, the ‘game’ gave humans permission to treat each other as objects and obstacles, removing any sense of kindness and love that might have been otherwise present—except a ‘selfish’ (slightly Stockholm-y) idea of ridiculous romance. 

It wasn’t poorly written (fewer criticisms there), and even at times it was mildly poetic (though at other times, highly convoluted and over the top), and while the plot was an interesting concept, by the middle of this disastrous fiasco, the contradictory dilemma arises in that Scarlet ever wanted to ‘play Caraval’ as she evidently had zero clues about what it was! From the moment of her arrival, the Caraval concept rails against her every natural personality instinct. It isn’t in her character to want to be involved in something like this… and sure, maybe she thought it was something different than the reality—but not this different…not from what she’d believed. It’s just too unbelievable. 

Then there’s the bait & switch at the end. 

But no. I’m not curious enough to read the sequel. 

As I say, it has its appeal for a certain age group…?