Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Carry On (Simon Snow, #1)

by Rainbow Rowell

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.

Reviewed by Amber (The Literary Phoenix) on

2 of 5 stars

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Eh.

I know CARRY ON is a generally beloved novel, but I couldn't get past the way everything we know about the characters and about the world itself is just telling, telling, telling. The magic system is cheesy at best and infuriating at worst. Simon Snow is flat as a pancake and I could not, could not, COULD NOT get into this.

I listened to this WHOLE BOOK trying to understand what everyone loves so much about it, and I've come to the conclusion people really enjoy Baz/Simon. Which, I get. What a fun relationship. They don't make any sense as a couple whatsoever, but if you can put all that aside and you can put aside how ridiculous this book is as a whole, then YES. The romance is fun. And Baz is okay, though I wish, AGAIN, there were more depth and less telling.

Thing is, if I want to read Harry/Draco fanfic, I will go find it? I've read some decent ones in the past and enjoy them very much... and one of the reasons for that is that we get to slowly know Harry and Draco and they are more nuanced and complicated as characters... and they are that way ORGANICALLY, not just because it was said in a line of dialogue.

The writing really frustrated me here. *sigh* Y'all can enjoy your boys, but I'm all set. Really. Enjoy, and I'm out.

For a less ranty, more specific review and other bookish content, visit The Literary Phoenix.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 29 July, 2020: Finished reading
  • 29 July, 2020: Reviewed