So here we are! We left off on the Fangirl Book Review, where I talk about how much I want to read Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. And I did, technically I was reading it even before I finished writing my Fangirl Book Review, because I was so excited and I just couldn’t wait. So, without further adieu, here is my Carry On Book Review.
Some, background first: Carry On is the first book in the Simon Snow Series which is a sort of spinoff from Fangirl. In Fangirl, the main protagonist Cath, writes Fanfiction about her favourite characters Simon and Baz from a book series within her universe. Rowell eventually decided that she wasn’t done with Simon and Baz and decided to write her own story for them. And then when that wasn’t enough she decided to write a whole series (at least 3 books, though some are speculating that there are more). Well, more for us to enjoy.
So, here’s my official Carry On Book Review:
Now that I did read Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On, you want to know what I thought about it. I absolutely loved it! Thanks Rainbow Rowell for blowing my socks off. I was actually sad when the book ended, so much so, and I immediately went back and re-read some of the key scenes. I just couldn’t get enough of it. I loved everything about it. I loved the plot line, I loved the characters and I loved the narrative.
The best thing about Carry On is the characters. Many a times, characters in YA novels tend to be less developed or clichéd in order to fulfil a particular role in the narrative. Rowell’s characters start off that way, I mean we have the all powerful protagonist, the smart best friend, the older mentor/father figure, the roommate/nemesis, the insidious villain, etc. However, they don’t remain that way. Rowell is great at twists. All the characters which seem to check traditional YA Fantasy and Adventure Character Tropes, change and adapt until they are no longer just those. It results in a genuinely interesting tale, which is quite hard to put down.
As stated I love all the characters, but as much as I love Simon and Baz, I have to admit, my favourite character is Penny! I just absolutely adore her. She is a smart magician, not to mention of Indian descent (yay for inclusion!), and is a total badass. She follows Simon into various battles and helps him beat his foe and has even saved his life on at least one occasion. There are some books who write off the best friend as the bumbling idiot or literally just a two – dimensional secondary character to make the protagonist look good, which is definitely not the case for Penny. Sure, she is modelled on Hermoine, but she does become her own badass character. I also really love the dynamic between Simon and Penny too.
Carry On FanArt by Yasminwithane
One thing that didn’t seem that plausible to me was (SPOILER ALERT) how quickly Simon was okay about kissing Baz, his nemesis of 7 years. It just felt like they jumped from nemesis to boyfriend way too quickly. I would have loved to see a slower and more organic development there. It just felt like the enemies to lover tropes; though I get that Rowell was trying to encompass 7 years of back-story and history in one novel, something that is easier said than done.
That being said, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t just absolutely effing loved it. In fact, my one criticism about this book is NOT ENOUGH SIMON AND BAZ SCENES!!! I know, I know, it makes sense in the storyline, and that Rowell probably didn’t want to clutter the narrative with Simon and Baz romance scenes and risk making Carry On read like a Teenage Rom-Com, but still, I need some SnowBaz fluff!
I love the twist with the Insidious Humdrum too. Don’t want to give away spoilers, so not going to say anything, but I totally didn’t see it coming, and I usually do, so it was a pleasant surprise. I would have loved for Simon to find out about his parents, but that what sequels are for.
So, there you have it, my Carry On Book Review. Next up Wayward Son (the next book in the series)! I have literally put off reading Wayward Son, because I didn’t want my thoughts and feelings of that book clouding my Carry On Book Review, but now that I have written this, I can finally get on to reading it. It has been a long and unbearable week because I just can’t wait to get back to Simon, Baz, and Penny. So bye for now, I have an appointment to keep with Ms. Rowell!