Caraval

Yooooo! It’s been a while again! Life has happened, and I’ve had a lot going on, but everything is going smooth-ish again regardless of how busy I still feel. I joined an online book club, and we’re reading Caraval by Stephanie Garber.

I’m listening to it on audiobook, and I also have a physical copy. Let’s look at the cover!

Shall weeeeeeeee?

I like the cover a lot! I think it’s pretty and interesting! It’s not crowded or complicated, and I enjoy the mystique of it with the colors and patterns! Sometimes, simple is best!

At the same time, it is a bit reminiscent of books in the genre. I honestly couldn’t tell you which ones because I can’t remember, but I swear I have some on my shelf that look verrrry similar!

Anyways, since I’m using an audiobook, I’m getting through the book much faster than normal. I’m about halfway through chapter 7, so that’s kind of exciting!

I’ve had this debate of whether to listen to books rather than read them. I like looking at them on my bookshelves, and I think it’s a great way to support your author!

Buuuuuut…

I do better when I listen. With my ADHD squirrel brain, I get distracted while reading, so having an audiobook and being able to do something with my hands or some other task while I listen has been groundbreaking.

I’ll gather my thoughts for the first 6 chapters and place it all at once in this post. I’ll do the same for the next few chapters and lump them together, yeah?

So, the letters were cute. I enjoyed them!

Scarlett is our lead character, and she has written Legend, the master of Caraval, to visit since she was a child, and she finally got the letter from him answering her plea to come visit and see the performers.

The walking in on her sister mid-shmexy time in the next chapter was like, oh…okay. Mind you, I’m going into this reading completely ignorant of what this story is about. It’s a fantasy, and I figure there’s romance involved, but I’m still unsure if it’s going to be spicy, ya know?

Scarlett is the older sis of two girls. Her sister is Donatella, and the trope of a cautious older sibling and free-spirited younger sibling is obvious here. Scarlett is betrothed, and Donatella is getting hanky panky with a sailor named, Julian.

Their cruel father catches them and punches Scarlett in the face. Yikes!!!

The abusive, controlling father trope is smacking us in the face, pun probably intended.

Because their father is a douche canoe,

there’s no way they’d be able to leave their tiny fishing island to go to Legend’s magical island.

With the help of Sailor Sam (Julian), SS for short now Lol, they escape onto a boat!

SS and Tella (Donatella but we’ll call her Nutella now because you know me and food), Scarlett gets a face full of knock-out potion,

and she wakes up on the boat.

I started falling asleep after that? So, my brain didn’t quite register the boat capsizing and Nutella not there anymore because SS dropped her off on Legend’s Island already and Scarlett and SS had to swim to the island, and Scarlett’s dress was too heavy, so SS did a Captain Jack Sparrow in the first Pirates movie and ripped off her dress, cut off her corset, and undressed her down to her skivvies while she floated all helplessly like an idiot.

I’m not liking Scarlett’s I must be saved by a man (oh yeah I forgot she’s engaged to The Count whom she knows nothing about only that he will save her from her father)

and I’m still deciding if this is going to be another ACOTAR rolling my eyes female lead or not. They make it to shore, but there’s snow everywhere.

That’s where I left off before I rolled over and fell asleep properly.

Let’s rate this!

•La Croix

•Pepper

•Cozy Blanket

•Snooze Button

•Crickets

•Fine

•McDonald’s because the Caraval, totally not carnival vibes I’m assuming will be happening very soon

•Mac & Cheese Powder

•Cut

•Apple Pie

•White Chocolate trying to be Milk Chocolate

•Tilapia Fillet

I will keep reading/listening to the other books I started. Don’t worry!

SnS 🌹💀📜🥤