Carry On By Rainbow Rowell - A Review By Jen

Synopsis
Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.

 Rainbow Rowell’s new book re-opens up a world that was first imagined in Fangirl.  Carry On is the ‘fanfiction’ Cath was writing and appeared in part within Rowell’s narrative; this new story could only be described as part spinoff, part sequel and part fanfiction.  Cath chose to write accompaniments Gemma T. Leslie’s fictional World of Mages, and wrote Carry On as the fanfiction version of the final eight book, whilst fans await Leslie’s instalment.

Cath is absent from Carry On, and the parts which appeared within Fangirl have also been disgarded; rather than the third person perspective favoured by Cath: Rowell gives the characters a voice and emotions.  This World of Mages appears to be haunted by the world of Harry Potter, created by J.K. Rowling.  Both protagonists are wizards, both have a highly intelligent and sometimes annoying friends, both depict wizarding wars and both have a love triangle.  But the similarities end there.  Can you imagine Ron saying the f**k word? Or Harry setting fire to a wood or Hermione well not being Hermione…..  Rowell’s world is a more grown up one, which introduces her Draco Malfoy counterpart, Baz as a sexy vampire who is more magically powerful than protagonist Simon Snow.  The hero of the story is clumsy and a bit witless, but is equally loveable. Baz is as Byronic as Stephenie Meyer’s Edward Cullen, but is gay and is in love with Simon. 

The real villain of the piece is the (un-scary) Humdrum, but its presence is merely a subplot, to bring Baz and Simon together.  Yes this is a love story.  Yes it is a gay one.  And yes it is beautiful, and not as sickly sweet as Harry and Ginny.  Bring in the flibbertygibbets, the numpties, visitings by ghosts, goats, all set in the Watford School of Magicks and Crowley! you have one amazing book.  A homage as well as a spoof of the world of Harry Potter.