Format: Hardback
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Published: 6th October 2015
Pages: 522 Pages
The Blurb
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.
Rating: 4/5
The Review
Carry On is all about Simon Snow and his life within then Watford School of Magicks. For those that have read Rainbow’s other novel Fangirl, will realise that Carry On is based on main character Cath’s interest with Simon Snow fan fiction. Don’t worry if you’ve not read Fangirl before as both Carry On and Fangirl are standalone stories, you won’t miss out on anything.
The main question I asked myself first was whether or not Carry On was a piece of fan fiction written by Cath or that the actual author of Simon Snow novels was writing a new part of her series. On Rainbow’s website she says: “The most common question I’ve been asked is whether I’m writing as Cath or as Gemma T. Leslie … The answer is, I’m writing as me.”
So, in result, it’s neither of my suggestions and merely Rainbow’s imaginatiom of what she thinks Simon Snow is all about.
During the first few chapters, Carry On felt awfully similar to the Harry Potter series – maybe that was Rainbow’s idea, but I couldn’t get over the fact that different elements of the Harry Potter Series came popping into my head. However, this didn’t put me off, I quite enjoyed the feel of magic and the spells floating around this novel, I’m all for fantasy and using your imagination.
Baz and Simon share a room together at school, there once was hatred, but now breeds love. They eventually realise that they can’t be apart from one another, which eventually leads to lots of kissing, yes that’s right, lots and lots of kissing.
It’s refreshing to read a book where a gay relationship is the main focus, rather than the ‘usual’ male and female.
I wouldn’t say it’s the best novel of Rainbow’s I’ve read, but I enjoyed it all the same.
The book in a nutshell… Carry On is an insight into the growing relationship of Baz and Simon, with added magic!
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