Carry On (Simon Snow, #1) in The Toast

Jan 12, 2016 Ash rated it did not like it

Shelves: ladies-booklub

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 12, 2014 Jessica rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, magical

It took a while to come together for me-- I kept drawing Harry Potter comparisons, which is expected when it's a book based on a made-up series in a book about a fangirl. It took until about halfway through for me to settle into "this is Simon, not Harry", and then I enjoyed it more.

I'm rounding up from 3.5 because I never read two characters that I wanted to yell NOW KISS at as much as I did Simon and Baz. ...more

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Oct 07, 2015 Meghan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: england, ya, fantasy, boarding-school, ebook, favorites, lgbtq, reread2017

A Book Riot article I ran across recently asked the question: what is it about magical boarding schools? Why are they such appealing settings for books?

This is exactly I wanted to read on a rainy Saturday home sick, and it was also exactly what I want to read all the time.

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Jun 08, 2015 Flora rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, scifi-fantasy-speculative, lgbtqia

Things I liked about this book:

1) The world building. Rowell has created a plausible magical world, just different enough from HP that it doesn't seem like a parody. The politics, the way the world operates and the magic itself seem well thought through.

2) I really liked the verbal magic, the idea that words have power - it appeals to the linguistics nerd part of me (performativity!). It also opens up interesting possibilities - what about deaf wizards? Can you make spells using sign language? Things I liked about this book:

1) The world building. Rowell has created a plausible magical world, just different enough from HP that it doesn't seem like a parody. The politics, the way the world operates and the magic itself seem well thought through.

2) I really liked the verbal magic, the idea that words have power - it appeals to the linguistics nerd part of me (performativity!). It also opens up interesting possibilities - what about deaf wizards? Can you make spells using sign language?

2) I liked the romance and I liked the relationships. Rowell is strong at character and dialogue (part of why I liked Fangirl so much) and these strengths are much in evidence in Carry On. I liked Simon and Baz and Penny. I liked what she did with Agatha - (view spoiler) I didn't get very a good read on her, but maybe that's the point - she's meant to be a bit unreachable.

HP casts a long shadow, of course it does. A magical school, a chosen one, an awkwardly named enemy, a distracting antagonist, a brainy best friend, an ambivalent mentor - it's all there. Carry On is a delightful read because of these connections and because of the ways it diverges from the ur-text. However, I also think that it sits uncomfortably between being a tribute to HP and being fanfiction. I'm not quite sure what it is.

Let's talk about fanfiction, because Carry On is inextricable from the world of fandom and fic. Whether knowingly or not (and I suspect it's the former), it nails a lot of fic tropes. A long standing rivalry must be put to one side in pursuit of a common goal. Plot contrivances mean that said rivals must spend Christmas together. Unrequited love is unexpectedly and suddenly requited for Plot Purposes. There is a coffee shop bit. There is a (view spoiler) bit. There is kissing.

None of this is bad; in fact it's all very charming. But it has been done before. Many times. Simon and Baz as they are written (Simon tunnel-visioned and traumatised; Baz spiky and sarcastic with hidden emotional depths) would not exist without the work done by Maya, Cassandra Claire (I have Thoughts on CC but there is no denying her considerable influence) and others in work such as Underwater Light, Quality of Mercy and the Draco Trilogy, in which these characterisations of Harry and Draco were established as fanon. I half expected Baz to have an overwhelming love of coffee....

So what is this book? Is it ok to just enjoy it on its own terms? Maybe. Probably. I enjoyed it a lot but I have thoughts about it that I can't quite resolve just yet. ...more

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Dec 27, 2015 Tara rated it it was ok

Well that was indulgent enough I worried I was at risk of gout while reading this book. And by reading, I mean turning pages and looking for a plot. So, basically fanfic as advertised. Which if you like, you'll love this, but I really don't have the emotional intelligence to appreciate it. ...more

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Oct 06, 2015 Alicia rated it it was amazing

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Rowell's books are comfort reading for me--satisfying, sweet, and a little bit sad (JUSTICE FOR LUCY!!!!!!!). She's having a lot of fun with this one, and I love how the magic uses language and pop culture (Rowell recently had an interesting twitter conversati ...more

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Feb 08, 2016 Muffin rated it really liked it

Took some time to get into it but I loved by the end.

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Oct 06, 2015 M. rated it it was ok · review of another edition

oof. dragged until simon and baz started making out- everything fell into place and stopped feeling like the story was wasting time. (BIG difference between building up tension and just wasting time.) that wasn't until 60% into the book. a good third act and a good conclusion, but damn, that first 60% DRAGGED. ...more

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