Carry On | Rainbow Rowell

Review:

Title: Carry On
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publication: October 6th 2015 by St. Martin’s Griffin
Format: Hardcover
Source: Independent Bookseller
Genre: YA; Fantasy; Mystery; Romance (Subplot)

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.

Thoughts:

 I’ve been waiting for this book (unknowingly) since I read Fangirl, but certainly since the book was announced.  For months I’ve been eagerly awaiting to see how Rowell would tell the story of Simon and Baz, no Cath or Levi included.  I mean, this book is pretty much inception: it’s fan fiction for a fictional (but canon) story that Rowell wrote within another fictional book.

***This review will be conducted assuming that the reader hasn’t read Fangirl and therefore is unfamiliar with the characters in their canon and other re-fictionaliszed (<– not a word) environments.

As our story begins, we are introduced to Simon Snow, our local Chosen One who is constantly fighting the ominous Incideious Humdrum with the help of his mentor the Mage, as well as a slew of friends. For a good chunk of the beginning, I was totally involved in Rowell’s introduction to Simon’s world.  While Simon was off being concerned about recent Humdrum attacks I was sitting in the corner, marveling at the spell stylization in the novel (common phrases become spells when wizards and witchs repeat them with magical intent)! Eventually I was pulled back into the plot by our ever so naive but charming Simon as he struggled to adjust to a school without his nemesis and roommate Baz.

This beginning part of the book not only consists of world building and set up, but also a period in which the reader is introduced to where Simon’s relationships stand with other characters. It is obvious that although Baz is his enemy, the fact that he is not at school concerns Simon.  Politics put a strain on his relationship with his best friend Agatha, and Baz manages to weasel in between Simon and his girlfriend Penelope without even being on campus.

As the viel lifts and spirits come to campus to give warning of unfinished business, Rowell casually switches POV in strategic moments to create parallel plots and mysterious content.  It is around this time that Baz returns to campus and the book swings in a different direction.  Fueled by the evolving relationship between Simon and Baz, as well as their surprisingly similar goals, the second portion of the book is far more fast paced as the reader follows Simon and Baz on their various missions to solve the mysteries of the viel, the Incideious Humdrum, and the political unrest in the Magical world.

As the book hit climax in an awesome battle and then calmed into its conclusion, I can see where some might have been disappointed by the chain of events.  Myself, however, was particularly fond of where things ended up.  The characters evolved into slightly different versions of themselves, and the plot finally reached the point of which I had been anticipating.

Oh, and one last thing.  I thought that perhaps it was about time to note all of the comparisions between Carry On and Harry Potter.  First off, if any of you have read Fangirl it is quite clear that the Simon Snow is SUPPOSED to be a spoof of Harry Potter (even though Harry Potter is mentioned in Fangirl.  Simon Snow is a fantasy series that blew up with movie franchise and a large fanfiction culture, very similar to our favorite bespeckled friend.  Secondly, yes, in the beginning it is very easy to pick out the similaries in character choice between Carry On and Harry Potter, but by the end of the novel the characters are quite different. Harry does not equal Simon, and Draco does not equal Baz.  Carry On moves at a different pace, certainly influenced by the fact that its a standalone and not a seven book series.  It also has a comepeltly different vibe and evokes different emotions than Harry Potter.  Needless to say I was blown away and relieved by the fact that I didn’t think they were similar, much less the same.  NOT A RIP OFF.

Final Thoughts:

Carry On is a well written fanfiction on sterioids.  It takes everything you love about your favorite reimagined world and adds original chracters to tell not only an interesting, but exciting tale.  I was particularly impressed with Rowell’s seamless shift between contemporary to fantasy; her thoughtful descriptions and worldbuiliding display her impressive writing skills.  And yes, while Carry On is not the same as Harry Potter, I do think that fans of the series will enjoy this book. However, the core romance of Carry On not only fits the fantasy setting, but echos Rowell’s other work with familar tones.  I was so beyond excited for Carry On and was so happy that it was better than I expected.  For fans of Harry Potter, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and any books about boarding school; I totally recommend Carry On for everyone really, because Rowell’s language and story is just as magical as our other beloved fantasy novels.

Other Opinions:

Kat | Video Review

Jenna | Carry On Review 

The Quiet People | 19 Thoughts While Reading Carry On 

P.S. Have you all read Carry On or Fangirl? Do you want to?  Do you not want to?  Tell me your thoughts in the comments