Carry On by Rainbow Rowell: Worth it?

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell: Worth it?

By Haylee Crapo

#1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell (yes, that is her actual name) is known for books like Landline, Eleanor & Park, and Fangirl. However, she has gained most of her loving reader followers by her Simon Snow book series: Carry On, Wayward Son, and Anyway the Wind Blows (with honorable mentions to the short stories Snow for Christmas and Rosebud Boy). Carry On is a spectacular introduction to this universe she has created, and will leave you desperate for more and more of her lovable characters and fantastical world.

Carry On begins in a world filled with magic and magicians at war–there is an evil being known as the Insidious Humdrum sucking magic out of the UK, and Simon Snow is thought to be the chosen one to put an end to the Humdrum’s tormenting ways. However, on top of this pressure to defeat the Humdrum, Simon must also get over a few more perils: his girlfriend, Agatha, dumping him, his only parental figure, the Mage, ignoring him, and the fact that he’s not a good magician. With all these prophecies coming out that he’s supposed to be the greatest wizard of all and how he should be the most powerful, Simon must figure out how to actually fit in in this world of magic–even if his magical skills aren't that great. He much prefers his sword to his wand.

To make it all worse, he is trying to complete his last year at Watford, a school for wizards in the UK, while living with his vampire roommate Tyrannus Basilton 'Baz' Grimm-Pitch. Baz is supposed to be evil, supposed to be the bane of Simon’s existence, and they are destined to kill each other some day. But…is he really evil? Or is there more lurking underneath the surface? And when Baz and Simon are forced to work together alongside Simon’s best friend and ex-girlfriend to unlock the mystery surrounding the Humdrum and Baz's heritage, will he learn that his roommate isn’t all that he seems?

Carry On is described as “...a ghost story, a love story, and a mystery” on the back of the book, and it speaks true to the content inside. There are so many questions to keep the reader entertained (like, who is the Humdrum? Why is Simon such a bad wizard if he’s the chosen one? How does Baz really feel about Simon?) if the witty banter and character development isn’t enough to keep each page turning. I’ve read it a total of two or three times, and I fall in love with it a little more each day. Rowell is one of my favorite authors, and Carry On is one of the reasons why: it’s wonderfully written and each character stands out through each of their points of views. It’s, dare I say, magical.

Picking up Carry On (and then Wayward Son, Anyway the Wind Blows, Fangirl, etc) will be totally worth it. It will worm its way into your heart, and not let go until you’ve blown through the entire series, and then will leave you still wanting more of the expansive universe that Simon and his friends live in.

6.5/6 stars!!