Skip to main content

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell


 To start this review I have an announcement, Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl is one of my go-to comfort reads. When I feel massively overwhelmed by things I love running to hang out with Cath as she travails her first year of University. 

Describing 'Carry On' in this context is a bit of a twisty tale: in 'Fangirl' Cather is a fan of a series of books about Simon Snow, particularly championing the shipping of Simon with his nemesis, Baz. The Snow series is set in an English boarding school of magic and there are vampires and a mysterious threat that is leaching the world of magic. The idea of the book obviously has some basis on a certain other magic boarding school series but Watford School of Magicks isn't Hogwarts. The twisty bit is that 'Carry On' isn't a Gemma T. Leslie (Rowell's fiction author of the Snow Series) novel, it isn't Cath's fanfic. It's Rainbow Rowell's fanfic of a world she created which makes it quite the fascinating meta-construct!

The book is a fun read even without the context of 'Fangirl'. Simon, a inept saviour and Baz, Mr Dark-and Mysterious, are arch-enemies and have been so for six years. Simon and his best friend, the awesome Penelope, have fought evil each school year but the lurking villain has always been the mysterious 'Insidious Humdrum'. Its power is growing but Simon seems mostly preoccupied by the fact that Baz is missing the start of school. 


There are many things I love about this book but I was initially sceptical about something that sounded so close to The Series of magic in an English boarding *cough Mr Potter*. It may have been the jumping off point for Rowell but it went in a very different way. While Hogwarts was something like the Enid Blyton version of boarding school, Watford was more had more of a Byker Grove feel! 

Penelope was my favourite character; she was bossy, sassy, bold and rather reckless. I also liked the portrayal of Agatha not for the character herself but that the function of her. In 'Fangirl' of Cath's has some impatience for how Agatha written by Gemma T Leslie. She is portrayed the most, beautiful and kind girl and that both boys are in love with her and it made sense that a fanfic writer who has no affection for her would reject the official character and instead indulge the dislike that they feel. The adventure was really fun to read, the relationship between Simon and Baz was funny, sweet and everything I'd hoped.

I would recommend reading Fangirl first, or you know....in general, but the book stands very alone very well. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Signal To Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Shifting between 1988 and 2009 'Signal to Noise' follows Meche and her friendships with Sebastian and Daniela. As teenagers living in Mexico City, they are friends bonded in their unpopularity but by 2009 they are estranged. Meche is called home after the death of her father and finds herself dealing with the consequences of the trio's falling out all the years ago. Back when they had music, longing and magic. Meche is an interesting, prickly character, both as a teenager and an adult. She is the one who can't connect with others easily and finds her strength and magic through music. Sebastian is dealing with his own issues within his family, particularly his domineering brother. Daniela seeks diversion through her dreams of romance, much to Meche's disdain. The relationships in the book feel wonderfully messy, rough at the seams and real in an aching way. Meche has issues with her parents, school isn't what she wants to be doing and although certain

Book A Day Challenge Day #10 - Latest purchase

10. Latest purchase......Make Your Own Diet Rules by Tara Stiles I went for a wander round the new Foyles bookshop on Saturday and, unsurprisingly, I wanted to buy a number of books. I went for this one because it seems to set out an approach that I am eager to explore. I haven't really been a big trier of diets but there always seems to be a new miracle weight loss solution kicking about. I have been at extremes of eating but want to achieve the golden dream of sustainable weight loss/maintenance. Tara Stiles, from what I have read so far, seem to advocate listening to your body, enjoy live and take the time to take care of yourself through eating and action.

Room Empty by Sarah Mussi

This was a hard read but a worthwhile one. It should be noted as a trigger warning that the book contains anorexia, drug abuse, child abuse and suicide.  Room Empty is about Dani, a foster kid living at a rehab centre and being treated for anorexia. She meets Fletcher and, at his urging, they become recovery buddies. Dani isn't sure she wants to be rescued but Fletcher is determined to help her. They form a relationship outside of the bonds of 'buddies' and it has an intensity that both helps and hinders them.  It'd be wrong to say that I liked this book, it was too brutal for that I think. What it did do was make me care deeply about both of these characters. Dani was rather unlikable but this is largely because she judges everyone, including herself, very harshly. She finds comfort in the manifestation of her illness, her alien, her thinness, who loves her only when she follows the rules. Fletcher challenges her constantly, to open up, to solve her illnes