Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Publication Date:  October 6, 2015
Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin
Pages:  522
Series:  Stand Alone
Genre:  Fantasy
Synopsis:  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.

Review:  I never once expected this book to exist.  A novel about characters who were the fictional obsession of another character in a separate book in which the characters are actually parodies of a different book series?  Did that make any sense?  Not in the least.  Was it the height of awesomeness?  Yes--a million times, yes.

Although Carry On may be inspired by Harry Potter it is not, I repeat, not Harry Potter. For one thing, and I can't believe I dare say this, the writing is better.  Rainbow Rowell's wit and action flow flawlessly, combining her typical contemporary style with dragons and cunning wizardry.  It shouldn't work--but it does.

You have to pretend you get an endgame. You have to carry on like you will; otherwise, you can't carry on at all.

The plot drags on for the first few chapters as Simon mopes around and waits for Baz to appear.  But once he does, everything kicks into gear.  Carry On is essentially the grand finale in a series that never existed.  It didn't have to exist. You can gather what shenanigans went down at Watford from various mentions and, to be frank, from what happened in Harry Potter.  There is a chosen one, a magic school, and a villain who launches assaults on the school every year. Simple.

The world of mages intrigued me.  It brings more to the table each and every successive chapter, from magic being eaten away to a chosen one who can't control his powers.  All aspects are thought provoking, despite the occasional lack of originality. What's unique is how Rainbow Rowell presents the ideas.

At Watford, Magic is just the air we breathe. It's not what separates us from each other; it's what keeps us together.

What makes Rainbow Rowell a brilliant author is her characters.  Simon, Baz, Penny, the Mage--each with a distinct personality.  Simon is selfless, a bit on the naive side, and a breath of fresh air in a genre that is usually stuffed to the brim with tough, sexy, arrogant man-warriors.  Baz is the flip side of the coin--reserved, mocking, and pompous.  They are on opposite sides of a brewing war and nothing about them should fit together, but that's what makes it so fun.

I am not one for romance.  I don't gush over cutesy scenes and swoon about first kisses.  But I will be the first to admit that Simon and Baz are downright adorable.

You were the sun, and I was crashing into you.

In Carry On, you experience an array of opinions and beliefs in the multiple point of views.  Penny, Simon's best friend, is the brains of the operation.  Agatha, the girlfriend, exemplifies the mage that wants no part in magic.  The Mage is the height of ambition and a means to and ends objective. All the characters are diverse and given attributes that compliment the depth of the story. 

I am rather uncertain on my feelings about the ending, although it did satisfy me, for the most part.  I only wish for more closure on the topic of Simon's parents, or lack thereof. 

Carry On is the epitome of a book I never once thought would work, much less one I would adore.  The characters+the writing+the plot=a damn near perfect equation for a wonderful whirlwind of a novel.  


4.5 Keys