While I enjoyed Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, I just wasn’t enthralled with it and wasn’t particularly interested in picking up any of her other books. However, when Carry On was chosen to be Hype or Like Friday September’s BOTM, I decided to try her out one last time.
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 Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.
Carry On is a love letter to love stories and the power of words – to every ‘chosen one’ who ever had more on their mind than saving the world…
The Good
- The Satire – I see this book getting catching lots of flack because of its similarities to Harry Potter. People, that’s the whole point! It knows that it’s ripping off Harry Potter and is doing it on purpose. This book is making fun of itself, and I can always appreciate that in a story. I think if you go into this book realizing that its basically spoofing the whole “Chosen One” trope, you’ll find it a lot more enjoyable and be able to laugh along with it.
- Writing – While Rowell’s writing is nothing fancy, I find that it works that way in this book. It flowed nicely, and was able to match the setting really well.
- Characters – I loved the relationships between all of the characters. I also liked how Rowell was able to show how the relationship between Simon and Baz had been developing over the years, instead of just tossing them together all of a sudden. And the banter between Penelope and Baz was really great.
The Bad
- Agatha – Seriously, Agatha was nothing but a whiner. Hey girl, if you’re unhappy then just say so! No one is forcing you to do anything! I just really hated her.
- Pacing – I think this book started off a little slow. The first 1/3 of the book didn’t have much action going on and was more of an introduction to the characters and setting. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself having to push through that.
- Plot Twist – The “big reveal” wasn’t that big to me. I knew from the beginning of the book who was the problem, so it felt a little anticlimactic.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. It was a quick and entertaining read, and was a nice break from all of the series that I’ve been reading lately. It was nothing amazing or groundbreaking, but just a fun story. And really, sometimes that’s all you need!
Final Verdict: 4/5 Stars
Have you read Carry On? What are your thoughts on the book? How does it compare to other Rowell books that you’ve read?
Wonderfilled Reads 