Carry On (Simon Snow Trilogy, 1)

Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On did for me as a book what Back to the Future did as a movie, and what Star Trek did as a TV show. That is to say, I can’t put exactly into words the effect it had on me--but I can say that it made me want to go out and buy a ton of fan-art, and immediately start pondering which quotes I’m going to get tattooed on what parts of my body. It immediately rose above being a piece of fiction, and instantly became a part of my life. When I first saw this book on the shelves at Target, I have to admit, I wasn’t interested. (Which, perhaps coincidentally, is how I was the first time I watched Back to the Future; I put off watching my dad’s VHS copy of it for months, and I don’t know why. Then, as soon as I watched it, it was instantly my favorite movie.) I had read Fangirl, and loved it, but didn’t see the need to read this entire book. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Carry On is an extension of Fangirl (BUT you do not need to read Fangirl in order to enjoy Carry On. They're completely separate stories). In Fangirl, the main character, Cath, is obsessed with a fictional book-and-movie series about a wizard named Simon Snow. She loves cosplaying as the characters and writing fanfiction about it to share on the internet. Fangirl included excerpts of Cath’s fanfiction, which I wasn’t crazy about at the time, since it didn’t seem to add much to the actual story we were reading, which was Cath’s journey trying to fit in at college, without her sister to rely on. So when I saw that Rainbow Rowell had written an actual entire Simon Snow novel, my first thought was that it was super cool she was making the universe that extensive. My second thought was that this book would just be Cath’s fanfiction, which I didn’t enjoy that much. Thankfully, the good people at Goodreads saved me from that horrible misconception! As it turns out, Carry On is NOT a piece of fanfiction about a fictional story that only exists within a fictional universe. (Trust me, I LOVE fanfiction, but that might just be TOO meta to wrap my head around! That, and I didn’t like Cath’s writing style that much, though I did love Rowell’s third-person narration style in Fangirl.) Carry On is meant to be the stand-alone, official canon story of Simon Snow. After reading a bunch of fabulous reviews, I decided to order it on Amazon and give it a try. That was the best decision I made all year. I’ll admit, the length intimidated me a bit at first. You may be surprised to learn that, though I LOVE reading and writing, and do both all the time, I struggle with super long books. I generally enjoy books in the 200-300 page range. Sometimes I’m cool with books under 200 pages. Now, Fangirl was over 400 pages and I’d loved that, so I already kind of knew that I was willing to make an exception for Rainbow Rowell. Still, I was wondering when I’d have time to read a book over 500 pages long. It didn’t matter when I’d have time, because I somehow finished it in one day. I could. not. stop. reading!!!!!! Guys, I have SO MANY GOOD THINGS to say about this book. So get ready! Beware, though, there might be mild spoilers! I won’t give away any major plot twists though. First, let’s talk about how real all the characters felt. I wanted Penny to be my real-life best friend. I admired her intelligence, her no-nonsense attitude, and her amazing sense of humor. I especially loved how she was never afraid to insert herself into any situation. Nowadays, there is so much focus on the “powerful female protagonist” without much thought as to what that actually means. A girl doesn’t need to beat up a million bad guys to be amazing. And she ESPECIALLY doesn’t need to act like “one of the dudes.” What I love about Penny is that she is constantly so unapologetically HERSELF. She’s a little like me--loud, goofy, and a little invasive--but she never apologizes for being that way. And she never needs to. She knows who the important people in her life are. Penny is everything I wish I could have been at 18, and she’s a fantastic role model for teen girls. I have a picture of Penny now hanging on my office wall, right next to the mirror, so that she can inspire me every morning while I’m doing my before-work writing sprints. I’d also like to talk about Agatha’s character a bit. I actually disagree with a lot of other reviewers’ opinions on Agatha. Many people have said she’s annoying, she’s useless to the plot, or that she’s written as a flat, misogynistic stereotype. I couldn’t disagree more. Agatha is important. Agatha is struggling internally just like the rest of the characters, but she’s struggling differently. While Simon considers his magic to be his sole motivation, Agatha feels trapped in this world she doesn’t want to be in. It was easy to see her relationship with Simon failing from a million miles away. A lot of people will say that’s because she’s not good enough for him or something, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. They’re wrong for each other because they want different things. Agatha doesn’t like the world of magic, and wants to be normal like her friends back home, but is under tremendous pressure from her parents to be an amazing mage like the rest of the family. I really appreciate that [SPOILER ALERT], at the end, Agatha chooses to take her own path. I found her to be empowering in that way--not even something as powerful as magic or family influence could hold her down from being who she wants to. Go Agatha! Now, I really need to talk about one of the most important parts of the book: Simon and Baz’s relationship. It is so brilliant, for a million reasons. To understand why, first we’ll need to go back to Fangirl. In Fangirl, Cath writes slash fiction about Simon and his roommate/nemesis, Baz, falling in love with one another. It’s understood that, in the canon Simon Snow universe (which did not exist in the real world yet at the time that Fangirl came out, but does exist now), Simon and Baz were not in a relationship with each other, or at least weren’t yet. I’m going to be totally honest. I have a lot of feelings on slash fiction. And those feelings are that it doesn’t get the respect it deserves. If you’re not familiar with slash fiction, it’s fanfiction that puts two established characters from someone else’s work in a same-sex relationship with each other. It is written primarily by women and the LGBT community--in other words, people whose voices are incredibly underrepresented in film, TV, literature, and the overall media. Nowadays, we have reboots and retellings taking over TV and Hollywood, like JJ Abrams’ Star Trek remake or the BBC’s modern-day retelling of Sherlock Holmes. However, just like their original counterparts, these new works are created by men, with giant studio budgets, who often like to make fun of the fanfiction that women write and share completely for free. Yet, these remakes themselves are nothing more than fanfiction--a new take on someone else’s work. Often, when fans write slash fiction, it’s because they’re trying to create more positive LGBT representation in the media. But a lot of opinion still seems to be that these writers are “trying to make everyone gay” to push some kind of liberal agenda, and many professional writers, directors, and producers find it anywhere from silly to annoying to threatening. Meanwhile, nearly all culturally significant characters remain stuck in canon heterosexual romances. But that’s what blew me away about Carry On; it totally subverted this norm. Cath’s fanfiction from Fangirl could easily have been reduced to frivolous slash fantasies, that no author would ever dare actually make canon. But Rainbow Rowell does it. She does it. Sorry if this is a spoiler, but if you’ve read any other reviews on this book at all, I’m sure you know this already. Simon and Baz actually end up together. About a third of the way through the book, it’s revealed that Baz has been secretly in love with Simon for years, but has never been able to do anything about it, for a variety of reasons--such as their families being enemies, Simon being in a relationship with Agatha, and Baz’s father not accepting that he’s gay. The build-up of their relationship is beautiful. You see them as enemies, but you can tell right away that there’s something different about them. It’s pretty obvious that they don’t actually hate each other, and are just acting so mean to each other because it’s what their families expect of them. But their relationship is more than just adorable--and trust me, adorable doesn’t even BEGIN to describe them. Their relationship, in the context of the fanfiction of Fangirl, and then the canon work of Carry On, is a statement in favor of female and LGBT writers. But then, it’s even more than that--it IS the positive LGBT representation that fans have been needing for decades. I’ll briefly touch on a couple negative things as well. I usually don’t include negatives of books that I like, but since I just spent over 1,500 words raving like crazy about this book, I think it’s strong enough to take it. I wish we got more of Penny’s relationship with her boyfriend, Micah. I feel like their plot was just totally dropped, and I’d like to know more about them. Penny never seemed to care about Micah much, even though she mentions she wants to propose to him. So I would’ve appreciated a little more development of their relationship, or at least to see them interact in some way. I wish Simon would admit that he is bisexual. He spends a lot of the second half of the book going back and forth in his head, wondering, “Am I gay or not gay?” I wish anyone had been able to tell Simon that he doesn’t have to be attracted to only one gender. (And I feel like that’s the kind of thing Penny would tell him. I wish she had.) Especially because he’s really interested in Agatha at the beginning, but then definitely falls in love with Baz after he and Agatha break up. It would be nice, since bisexual representation in books, movies, TV, etc. is almost nonexistent. (Even in shows like Orange is the New Black, where like over half of the characters are bisexual, they don’t even describe themselves that way.) But I’m hoping that, if a sequel happens--which has been hinted at!!--that Simon will have this realization then. And just a quick warning, if you haven’t read any other reviews yet--if you don’t like the first 150 pages or so, don’t worry. (I did like those pages, but I heard a lot of other people didn’t.) They’re very similar to Harry Potter, and you may start to worry that this book’s going to be a Harry Potter spinoff. But it’s not. Keep going, and you’ll be glad you did--the story goes in an entirely different direction. (But the world is similar to that of Harry Potter, with the kids being at magic school. I don’t have a problem with that. Harry Potter’s been around for 20 years now. Of course other writers are going to set stories in wizard schools.) So I know I went on for a really long time, and spent this entire review talking at length about the characters and their relationships and their cultural impacts. I didn’t even really get a chance to get into the magic, or the adventure the characters go on avenging Baz’s mom’s death, or the quest Simon has to go on as the Chosen One to defeat the Insidious Humdrum. But that’s probably because I’ve always focused more on character development when I’m reading (or writing) a book. So I’ll leave the plot reviews to more plot-based readers! In conclusion, if you couldn’t tell already, I highly recommend this book to everyone. Please read it.

I think I'm going to say that this is the best book I have read this year. Why? Because it gave me butterflies. Actual real butterflies in my stomach. I haven't felt that in forever. But I felt it for Simon and Baz. And their romance. And it was the best feeling in the world. This book was simply perfection. I just cannot deal with how perfect this book was. I couldn't stop reading once I started it today. I mean, I knew I would love it. But I didn't know I would love it this much. Sigh. The writing is stunning. The plot was exciting and interesting. The characters were amazing to read about. I adored them. I don't even know how to write about this precious book. It looks gorgeous. And it is oh so pretty beneath the jacket cover. It is over five hundred pages, but it felt like much less than that, because I never wanted this book to end. Every page was amazing. Even though Baz doesn't show up until sometime after a hundred and fifty pages. Hmph. But reading about Simon was the very best. He's so cute. And so hungry. And skinny. And that just broke my heart. Sniffs. I love how he ate all the time, how much he ate too. I loved reading about his obsession with Baz, his sworn-enemy. There are some flashbacks to the previous seven years spent at the school. And they were all amazing. So much love. So interesting. Carry On is a book about magic. A book about Simon Snow being the Chosen One. About him being the most powerful. Yet not being able to control his magic at all. It began as a fanfiction in the book Fangirl by Rainbow. And it is not the same as Harry Potter at all. Just so you know. It is much better. And I love Harry. But I loved Simon Snow even more. The books are different. And that's that. Now I must try to figure out how to write about this book. Because I loved it the very most. And I wish to share my love. This book is the story of eighteen year old Simon. Whom is at his last year at a magic school. He is trying to stop a villain, who has the most silly name, lol. I adored getting to know Simon. Just, ugh. He was perfect. So cute and awesome. I loved how he wasn't the best at doing magic, but how he still tried his best. Loved how kind he was. Mostly, I just adored reading about Simon. I adored his relationship with his roommate, Baz. How they hated each other at first, lol. It was the cutest. Just so much love. Simon also has a best friend. Penelope. And oh my gosh how much I adored her. She was so much fun and so smart and so kind and always there for Simon. Their friendship meant so much to me. I adored reading about her and getting to know her. This book is mostly told from Simon's point of view, but a few more too. Like Penny and Baz. And I loved it the most. Such amazing friendships. Such gorgeous writing. Such an awesome plot too. Sorry, my brain is a bit all over the place. I just loved it so much. There was one character that I did not love in this book. And that was Agatha. Simon's girlfriend. Well, they never kiss in this book, and it has been sort-of over between them for a long time, though it takes them a few weeks to finally break it off. But point is. I didn't like her. She wasn't that kind to Simon at all. She would have cheated on him, if she could. And that's not okay. She also wasn't a nice person. Not even to Penny. Hmph. I didn't like how the book ended with her. But I wish I could have liked her more. I will have you know that the romance in Carry On is the sweetest thing ever. Sure, it doesn't start right away. Which is a bit depressing, as I loved seeing them together the very most. But when it does start, it is the most perfect this. I cannot deal with it. The romance is with Simon and Baz. And oh my gosh. It is the best thing I have read. I loved their first kiss. And their second. And the next one. And ugh. It seriously gave me butterflies. They are the cutest. Not the most romance, but the very sweetest one. I've still got my hands on his cheeks, and his cheeks aren't so cold anymore, not where I've been touching them. And when I suck on his lips, they go almost pink. For a few seconds, anyway. I wonder how long he's wanted this. I wonder how long I've wanted it. I don't know what to say about the plot in this one. The magic is gorgeous. I loved the spells they did. I adored how smart Penny was, how close she and Simon were, and just friends. I loved how Simon and Baz became friends and then more. Loved how exciting this book was from start to finish. I loved every moment. The story is about trying to end the villain. I loved finding out the awesome twists. I adored the ending. I loved how it ended for Simon. I cannot. Every single part of this book was perfection. My only issue with this book: It ended too soon. I need a sequel. I know this is a standalone fantasy. But I want a second book more than I want anything. I want to read more about Baz and Simon being in love. I want to read about them having adventures. I want to read about how Simon is able to live with what happened to him. I must know. I need a second book so badly. Oh, please. I would love it the most. Ack. So yes. Crossing all my fingers for that. I would buy and read it in a heartbeat. <3 It's my biggest wish. Carry On was the most perfect book. The writing was spectacular. The characters the very best to read about. The romance gave me butterflies. I could not have loved this book any more. So thrilled that I decided to read it today. It was the most I have loved a book in a long time. And I have read a lot of great books. But yes. This was the best one. Simon and Baz will always be in my heart. You must all go buy and read this precious book. You will not regret it, I promise. Because I loved it the very most. <3

The book is set in an alternate reality where wizards walk secretly the earth. The plot revolves around the thrilling adventures of Simon, who is half wizard half human, in this whimsical academy. Much as I loved this book, the first pages felt a bit of a mixed blessing, having a low start, a gentle introduction and a premise rather similar to other celebrated saga—striking a balance between the already stablished stereotypes and a mind-blowing originality. In my humble opinion, what sets this novel apart from others with similar narrative are the well-crafted characters. It was pleasantly surprising that the author does not fail to introduce and normalize Simon as a LGBTQ character, a typology that on recent years have almost created a genre of its own, but without making this feature the be all and end all of the story. The more I dove into it, the more I realize I was about to be struck by a cliff-hanger ending with a shocking twist in the tail. And, trust me, it does surprise. Were I to sum up “Carry on”, it would be that it ticks all the right boxes, leading you be infatuated with all the emotionally complex characters, where not only the ending comes as a shock for the reader but the gripping climax building up throughout all the pages.

Ce livre est parfait. Je suis une fan de Rainbow Rowell et j'attendais beaucoup de ce bouquin et je dois dire que je ne suis pas déçue. j'aime tellement Baz et Simon. L'histoire est tellement drôle et rafraichissante avec des clins d'œil a Harry potter que évidemment j'ai adoré. Je crois bien que c'est le livre que je préfère de Rainbow.Il est en plus de ça très facile a lire en anglais je le recommande a 100%. (+ la version relié est si belle)

Ich sollte darauf hinweisen, dass dieses Buch ein Spin Off von Fangirl ist, in der die Protagonistin diese Fanfiction Geschichte über ein Harry-Potter-ähnliches Universum schreibt. Simon Snow ist der stärkste Magier, der existiert, leider hat er auch praktisch keine Kontrolle über seine Fähigkeiten. Er geht auf die Watford School of Magicks. Laut einer Prophezeiung soll der den 'insidious Humdrum' besiegen, eine massive Bedrohung für die Welt der Magie, da er große Löcher in die magische Atmosphäre reist, und so Stellen erschafft, an denen man keine Magie mehr wirken kann. Aber Simon hat erstmal andere Dinge im Kopf, den sein Erzfeind und Zimmergenosse Baz ist nicht zum Beginn des Schuljahres erschienen und niemand scheint zu wissen wo er ist. Obsessiv hält er nach Baz Ausschau. Außerdem will ihn sein Mentor und Schulleiter der Mage eigentlich lieber in Sicherheit bringen, aber Simon will auf keinen Fall sein letztes Schuljahr verpassen. Am Anfang wirken die Parallelen zu Harry Potter, die das Buch aufweist, etwas irritierend: Waisenkind, Prophezeiung, magischer Nemesis, zwischen den Schuljahren nicht bei bösen Verwandten aber in einer staatlichen Einrichtung, sehr kluge, beste Freundin, Feindschaft mit einem Mitschüler aus reichem Hause, etc. Da gibt es einiges. Die Sache ist, wenn man weiter liest relativiert sich alles. Das Buch ist kein Harry Potter Klon, es nimmt nur eine ähnliche Prämisse und rennt in eine völlig andere Richtung damit. Am Anfang teilt man fast automatisch den Charakteren ihre Rollen aus Harry Potter zu. Ebb ist Hagrid, Penny ist Hermione, Baz ist Draco, aber man merkt sehr schnell das es eben nicht so ist. Das sind alles eigenständige Personen, die auch ganz anders funktionieren als bei Harry Potter. Und ich fand das eigentlich sogar ziemlich cool, dass das Buch einen erst so ein bisschen in eine Falle laufen lässt, ein paar Erwartungshaltungen aufbaut nur um dann zu zeigen, dass es eben doch ganz anders geht. Das baut noch mal seine eigene Art Spannung auf, fand ich. Wie schon bei Fangirl fand ich auch wieder die Charakterentwicklung und die Charakterisierung ganz großartig. Ihre Charaktere sind immer durch die Bank sehr nachvollziehbar und verständlich geschrieben, egal ob Hauptcharakter, Bösewicht oder Nebenpersonen. Auch die Beziehung von Baz und Simon fand ich wirklich gut gemacht und sehr glaubhaft. Erzfeinde die Freunde werden ist immer etwas schwer, aber ich fand es hier weder stereotyp noch zu kitschig. Außerdem fand ich das grundlegende Mysterium des Buches toll und auch toll aufgelöst: Wer ist die Gefahr für die Magierwelt, dieser 'insidious Humdrum' eigentlich und warum sieht er aus sie Simon als Kind? Ich fand es gut wie sich die Hinweise sehr langsam zusammen gefügt haben, und ich fand auch das grundlegende Konzept dahinter gut, wesentlich besser als Harry und Voldemort, ehrlich gesagt. Für mich vereint das Buch das beste guter Fanfiction, nämlich die charakterbezogene Erzählweise und die durchdachte und tiefgreifende Darstellung der Charaktere mit dem besten eines guten Fantasybuches, und das ist eine coole Welt und ein Geheimnis das es zu lösen gilt.

Esse livro é incrivel, cheio de magia e bruxaria, adolescentes rebeldes, e aventuras. Vale muito a leitura, que alem de leve também é por vezes emocionante. Recomendo.

A chosen one book about chosen ones. Definitely an interesting idea and it translates into a book that was hard to out down! I will say that I found the beginning rather slow. It feels as though we are waiting for something and there is this anxious feeling as it just isn't happening. But once it does finally happen things really get moving, even though that anxious feeling doesn't leave but instead keeps propelling the story forward. This story does a good job tackling questions from classic academia chosen one stories. It is very reminiscent of Harry Potter, but it really works for other chosen one stories too. From the difficulty of the popularity mixed with the isolation for the chosen one, but also for their friends, as well as the peculiarities of the adults of become the biggest mentors of these children they expect to save the world. It was really well done and managed to both flip some of those concepts on their heads but also affirm some of the previous ideas. A great book!