Review of Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

*YAL Fantasy Pick*

Erin Perkins

In Rainbow Rowell’s fantasy Carry On, we follow a young boy in England named Simon Snow. He is in his final year at the Watford School for magic. Although, Simon’s magic is the most powerful, nothing seems to be going right for him. He has yet to learn how to channel the power he has, his roommate is his nemesis and potentially a vampire, and his relationship with his girlfriend is fraying. Upon his arrival to school for his final year, he finds his roommate Baz has not returned and is missing for several weeks. During his absence, Simon receives a visit from the spirit of Baz’s mother asking him to tell her son to avenge her death. When Baz finally returns, Simon reluctantly shares what he has learned and they call a truce in order to solve the mystery with the help of Simon’s friend, Penelope, and his ex-girlfriend, Agatha. Together, they trek through their magical world in search of answers. As they uncover the secrets, they uncover an unexpected romance knowledge about who they are.

            Rainbow Rowell composes her story through a series of first person perspectives. She writes primarily as Simon, Penelope, Agatha, and Baz. However, she adds other characters into the mixture as well, from Fiona, Basilton’s aunt to Lucy a mysterious woman who slowly reveals her story and who she is. As the plot of the novel intensifies, Rowell switches perspectives more and more frequently, jumping quickly between them as seen in chapter 71. Rowell (2015) writes, “SIMON: I feel his arm slide, slowly, gently, back around my waist. I slouch into him. “I’m sorry.” BAZ: If Simona Snow is the Humdrum…that makes him a villain. A supervillain. Can I be in love with a supervillain? SIMON: Baz is shaking, and I think he might be crying – which would make sense, after what just happened.” (p. 419). Rowell’s style allows her reader to piece together the mystery on their own and watch as the characters you follow come to the realizations you have been making yourself, pulling you into the story. Carry On was a fun a book. Though I felt at times it was predictable, it was fun to read about and high schoolers looking for a light hearted mystery or love story with a twist would enjoy reading this one.

 

Bibliographic Citation:
Rowell, R. (2015). Carry On. New York : St. Martin's Griffin.

 Interested in reading Carry On ? Check these links.

Rainbow Rowell's Website