Caraval…🙄🫪🫠

Sep 27, 2026

I continued listening to this book. I think this is like chapters 7-9? Here’s my commentary in its roughest of drafts:

King Julian and Scarlett Johannson are freezing to death trying to find the entrance to Caraval. They find some clock shop and enter. Coincidentally, clothes are there for both of them from Legend. How convenient! They dress not looking at each other and the sexual tension is starting to ramp up, which, I find a bit contrived. If I were to venture a guess, King Julian is either Legend in disguise or the Count in disguise. ScarJo’s dress is magic and went from frumpy to fabulous and King Julian, okay, he’ll be KJ now lol, noticed. Some random dude named Algae? (That’s what I heard, I don’t know how it’s spelled in book) showed up and offered a shortcut into Caraval for the small price of ScarJo’s voice for an hour. KJ bolted not trusting Mr. Algae man, and ScarJo rejected the offer of the magic clock door shortcut Portal thing. She glimpsed Nutella’s honey blonde hair as it shut. Her sister’s honey blonde hair. Did she mention her sister had honey blonde hair? Because she does. Garber has written it many times.

Scarjo leaves and searches, running into KJ again. They follow the smoke to a gate of sorts where a bike lady shows up all cheery. They present their tickets, which KJ conveniently still had on him despite them being with ScarJo before and somehow survived the capsizing and swim to the island and change of clothes and we’ll, mAgIc! KJ pretends to be ScarJo’s fiancé, which disturbs her, but she plays along. The bike lady explains the game and asks if they’ll be watching or participating. They participate and enter that way or whatever. Scarjo does a TON of pontificating about KJ and why he’s there and how handsome he is and how his clothes fit him nicely and how much of a scoundrel but not scoundrel he is. I legit rolled my eyes a little. To get her to shut up, he gets all up in her space and face and I’m surprised he didn’t kiss her to stop her lips from moving. What I think the author may have wanted to come across as sexually charged and hot came off as cringe-y and contrived, forced.

Honestly? If I were not reading this in a book group, I’d put this one down. I’m not into it. That’s not the fault of anyone, it’s just not my vibe. I’m not going to keep reviewing this book. I’ll probably post my thoughts at the end, but the while-I’m-reading-slash-listening won’t have my commentary.