Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Carry On
by Rainbow Rowell

Read: October 8 - 9, 2015
Published: October 6, 2015 by St. Martin's Griffin
Source: Purchase
Category: YA, fantasy, HP fanfic/spoof, romance

Find: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters. 

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Goodness, gracious I loved this book so much and I didn't expect to, which is always the best surprised. I wasn't all that interested in the Simon Snow part of Fangirl because of how much Cath's story spoke to me + the romance with Levi. Also, I love reading (obviously) but I've never done the fan-fiction thing. I'm usually a cannon girl. And I don't know why but it took me seeing a copy of Carry On in the store to realize that it's a real and serious book, and a long one. Of course now that I've actually read this, I'm obsessed with Simon & Baz - and Penelope too. 

I adore the way Rainbow Rowell puts words down on paper. Her writing is always a favorite element of her stories, with vivid characters and fantastic dialog. As per usual, romance was definitely my favorite part of Carry On. Whew, I get the Simon and Baz thing now FOR SURE. The tension between them and the way their relationship built work very well for me. The magical world surrounding them was fun, though the way that all turned out didn't completely surprise me, and there were parts of the story - especially in the first 30% - that were slow. Still, I enjoyed this take on Chosen One tales. 

I know many people are confused about what exactly this story is, and I will say you don't have to have to remember the Simon Snow part of Fangirl, or even have read it to enjoy Carry On (I'll admit to skipping some of those Simon sections in Cath's story *hides*). Basically this is Rowell's own interpretation of the Simon Snow character she created, and her own personal ode to books like Harry Potter and Twilight. In some ways, this book does read like a spoof/fanfic of Harry Potter where everything is twisted around differently. But it worked well for me - maybe because it's so clear about that? - though I think what was key is that I was able to see these characters and this story as it's own thing. Once the seeds of the romance started, I was all in. Carry On amused me so much, but in a clever way - not at all cheesy or ridiculous. These characters and the whole story very much hold their own, and I couldn't stop reading, which is always a sign of how much I love something. 

Love Triangle Factor: Mild (highlight for spoiler: Despite what Penelope says about a Simon-Agatha-Baz love triangle, I didn't see one at all. Simon and Baz only have eyes for each other, though Simon can be an idiot sometimes. Simon is still dating Agatha when this begins, but it's clear he's not that into her, and thankfully they break up not too far into the story. There's only one person Simon's obsessed with and you will be as desperate as Simon was for Baz to return to school. Watching them together is a delicious experience. That said, this story did act a bit like a triangle until it was all figured out.)

Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone