From the Bookshelf of Challenge Corner…

Carry On (Simon Snow, #1)

Rainbow Rowell

Start date: June 1, 2019

Finish date: June 30, 2019

Discussion: Book of the Month

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What Members Thought

Dec 02, 2017 Colleen Scidmore rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: notebook

I have never read Harry Potter, I’ve always wanted to but just haven’t gotten around to it. So I thought I would start small before delving into the big series itself by trying out Carry On first. I imagine Carry On is probably something like Harry Potter but with a side of romance.
And if the two are similar I’m definitely up for HP.

You can’t help but love Simon Snow. That poor kid has had a rough life. He was an orphan only to be found by The Mage at age 11 and told he was The Chosen One to se I have never read Harry Potter, I’ve always wanted to but just haven’t gotten around to it. So I thought I would start small before delving into the big series itself by trying out Carry On first. I imagine Carry On is probably something like Harry Potter but with a side of romance.
And if the two are similar I’m definitely up for HP.

You can’t help but love Simon Snow. That poor kid has had a rough life. He was an orphan only to be found by The Mage at age 11 and told he was The Chosen One to settle all of the magical worlds issues basically, but he can’t control his magic like the other students at Watford (where he goes to school and The Mage is the Head Master), he is lucky enough to have a relationship with the prettiest girl in school only to lose her to Baz his roommate, who he is always on the defense of because he is his enemy and an “evil” vampire who also can’t stand Simon and is plotting Simon’s downfall. Simon feels this huge loyalty to The Mage for bringing him to Watford so he is very intent on fight The Humdrum, who is a magical being that is stealing magic from the world of Mages and leaving huge holes in their universe which become voided areas of nothing. This fight could be the end of him and he knows this but Simon wants to do “the right thing”.

Simon of course was my favorite but I really liked all the MC’s except Agatha. I guess she wasn’t exactly a MC but she was involved enough. And I just couldn’t get into her character, I think it’s because she comes across as very weak to me. I started out not liking Baz but he definitely won me over towards the middle and Penelope was so good to Simon you can’t help but like her nerdy girl character.

I really liked Carry On. It was an interesting story about magic, politics, and romance with several mysteries 1) Who is Simon Snow really and where did he come from and 2) Who is the Insidious Humdrum and how can he be defeated.
I like be that there is a book that is a standalone as it gets tedious reading a whole bunch of series, but I actually think this would have made a really good series. This is my first book by Rainbow Rowell but I don’t think it will be my last! ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Nov 12, 2015 Jenn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal-supernatural, young-adult, books-i-own, 3-star-reads, withcraft-and-wizardry, read-in-2016, read-in-2020

3.5 Stars

While I still really enjoyed this the second time around, I also found myself to be more critical of the story and have brought the rating down from a solid 4 to a 3.5.

Carry On, for those who don't know, is a fanfiction that was talked about in her previous book Fangirl. So it's a fanfiction that was written by a character in a previous book, but it's also a fanfiction that is based on Harry Potter, but now it's released in its own novel form. Confused yet? I can't even imagine someone ...more

11 likes · Like · see review

Feb 22, 2015 Trisha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"Everything is a story. And you are the hero."

First, I have to say, I love everything by Rainbow Rowell. I haven't found a story by her, yet, that I haven't loved. And I loved Fangirl, so an opportunity to read more about Simon and Baz, to read how it all started and how it all played out. And I loved them both. I also loved the extra characters, Penny and Agatha, Lucy and Fiona. I was completely swept away by this story. ...more

11 likes · Like · see review

Nov 05, 2020 Emejota rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Where do I even begin with this review? First of all I'm mad at myself for not reading this book sooner.

I think what I enjoyed most about this book was the narration. I just never got bored, I was hooked from page one. I think it helps the fact that there are several narrators; even though halth the book is from Simon's POV, there are at least other 6-7 characters who let us see the world through their eyes.

I felt a lot of different emotions reading this novel. Is there anything better than a b ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 30, 2015 Kylara Jensen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: magic-school, ya-with-male-protagonist, upside-down-tropes, geek-culture, so-meta-it-hurts, lgbtqaetc-characters

When I read Redshirts, I joked about making a So Meta it Hurts tag, but I never thought I'd actually have another book to put on that shelf. But now I'm really tempted.

This book isn't Rainbow Rowell publishing Cath's fanfiction of a fictional book series from the world of Rowell's fictional book Fangirl.

This is Rainbow Rowell writing fanfiction of Cath's fanfiction of a fictional book series in Rowell's fictional book Fangirl.

Confused yet?

It's not the original Simon Snow series, nor is it Cath' ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 06, 2015 Elizabeth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british, fantasy

I did not read Fangirl prior to reading this book. I had read Landline earlier in the year and really loved it, based on Rainbow Rowell's writing style. I bought Carry On without reading any descriptions or reviews about the book. I had no idea what I was getting into. And really, it's good I didn't read the description at all - because I wouldn't have read the book. I don't seek fantasy books. Magicians, pixies, vampires? Not my thing. I never read Harry Potter for that reason. There is one exc ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 17, 2016 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow, this book...I honestly didn't go into it thinking I would like it at all, I mean to many things looking like Harry Potter or close to it BUT OMWord, I love this book so much and never wanted to stop reading it. I really loved the character so much and the twists were amazing. I guessed a small bit of it but it wasn't much and not until I was nearing the end did a certain thing click in my head. Great book, I recommend it to everyone. ...more

1 like · Like · see review