Review of ‘Carry On’ by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Carry On

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: Macmillan

Date: 8 October, 2015

Pages: 528

Blurb via Amazon:

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savour his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his room-mate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savour anything.

Based on the characters Simon and Baz who featured in Rainbow Rowell’s bestselling novel Fangirl,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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WARNING SPOILERS!

I’m going to go straight into this and say that this is my favourite books of all time. And trust me, I do not say that lightly at all.

I enjoyed the little excerpts we got of Baz and Simon in Rainbow Rowell’s other novel ‘Fangirl‘, but did not automatically feel the need for more of them. So, when I heard we were getting a whole book of them, I was not excited. At first glance, it is just a rehash of Harry Potter and I genuinely did not think that Rainbow could make a whole novel out of it. Boy was I wrong…

If you say that ‘Carry On‘ is just Harry Potter, it is not. I used to be naive like you, but I have seen the light. So, for those who do not know, here is a comparison between the two:

Similarities:

• The main character is a boy who goes to a school for wizards.
• A clever female main.

Differences:

• Simon was the problem, Harry was the solution.
• Open homosexuality.
• Hero/nemesis relationship.
• More than one point of view.
• Flashbacks.
• Dumbledore figure = Simon’s father.
• Voldemort was an actual person, the Humdrum was not.
• Harry Potter does not have wings and a tail.
• Harry Potter could actually do magic properly.
• The magic systems were completely different.
• The list goes on…

Okay, now that is the way and you are all educated let’s move on. My favourite character has to be Baz. I know that is the general view, but you can’t resist his charming aura and witty one liners! Resistance is futile! I love Baz and Simon together. They are my new book OTP. At first I was kind of ticked off that it took half the book for them to happen. I was like “maybe the next page…” Again, I was being naive to the fact that Rainbow was focusing on character development. And it was worth it. When I reached the scene in the forest with the burning trees and they get so close. It all feels really romantic and I’m rocking back and forth with excitement for what is to come and then Baz is just like “mouth breather.” I loved that. Classic Baz. But after that came the kissing and the hotness and oh my Jesus. I loved it.

The magic system in this book was magical in itself. I found it really beautiful that the magic focused on the power of words. And when Simon was using his sword, but wishing he could use magic, I was like “the pen is literally mightier than the sword.” You never really think about how often you use certain words and phrases, but I started to when reading this book. Rainbow Rowell you are a clever lady.

So, everyone who has not read this book, go do it now. DO IT!

5/5 stars for ‘Carry On‘ by Rainbow Rowell.

DW ❤