From the Bookshelf of Addicted to YA…

Carry On (Simon Snow, #1)

Rainbow Rowell,

Jim Tierney (Illustrator)

Start date: November 1, 2015

Finish date: November 30, 2015

Discussion: Stand Alone

Why we're reading this: Won the poll for the stand alone BOTM
[close] Won the poll for the stand alone BOTM

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 155 topics — 4,044 comments total

Stand Alone

* Stand Alone- Maybe Meant to Be
By Bailey · 3 posts · 29 views

last updated Aug 18, 2025 12:04PM

* Stand Alone- The Summer of Broken Rules
By Bailey · 4 posts · 48 views

last updated Jul 08, 2025 08:57AM

showing 2 of 2 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Dec 02, 2015 alana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, vamps, fantasy, addicted-to-ya-2015

Another Rainbow Rowell read that I wasn't so sure I loved until halfway through and then everything zipped along delightfully and left me wanting more Baz&Simon <3 Seriously, these boys. I want to go back and read Fangirl again and see what Cath added to their story (or how this version is different from the series referenced in Fangirl). Rowell tells this eighth year at a magical academy with extensive references to what happened in previous years (like how book two of Harry Potter summarized * ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 08, 2015 Windie rated it really liked it

Rainbow Rowell is back with her third young adult book and this time she tried her hands in fantasy genre.

If you’re hoping for an intricate plot twist or complex political drama, you’re out of luck. This is, after all, a Rainbow Rowell book. And I do not mean that in a bad way. Rainbow’s power is her strength with words. Her writing is simple yet very addictive. In Carry On, she weaved words so beautifully, and use parentheses and italic to blow your mind and toy with your feelings.
I try to find ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 07, 2017 Rachel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I haven't read Fangirl yet, but I get that this is the book that everyone is fangirling over in that book. It's a take on Harry Potter, and later, Ms. Rowell decided to actually write the Simon Snow book... So it's super meta, and still, Harry Potter fan fic.

I didn't know the backstory going into it. The description, though enticing, doesn't make that clear. So as I was reading, (listening), I kept thinking...

Harry Potter. Harry Potter. Harry Potter. Harry Potter.

It's so similar, it's impossible I haven't read Fangirl yet, but I get that this is the book that everyone is fangirling over in that book. It's a take on Harry Potter, and later, Ms. Rowell decided to actually write the Simon Snow book... So it's super meta, and still, Harry Potter fan fic.

I didn't know the backstory going into it. The description, though enticing, doesn't make that clear. So as I was reading, (listening), I kept thinking...

Harry Potter. Harry Potter. Harry Potter. Harry Potter.

It's so similar, it's impossible to NOT draw connections between them, which sucks, because it made it hard to see this as its own book when the entire world was copied from one of the most popular book series of all time.

For me, it fell into this gray area of, is this satire? Then it needs to be more satirical. Is this a different book? Then for magic's sake, some more things need to change.

What makes it a good book is Rainbow Rowell's unbeatable writing style that truly captures the inner turmoil of teenagers trying to make their way through life, fall in love, do well at school, keep their parents happy, and find themselves all at the same time with the added travesty of being the chosen one. Or the best friend of the chosen one. Or hopelessly in love with the chosen one. This took a much deeper look at the emotions and problems with being prophesied as the one to save the world in a really entertaining and clever way.

So in the middle, once it started to veer from Harry Potter, I was hooked. And like Harry Potter, there is some magical mystery that needs to be solved. And that's where I kind of lost interest again.

You know how J.K is fantastic at leaving little breadcrumbs and clues and everything ties together so neatly? This...not so much. The ending was kind of rushed and switched narrators so quickly, I'm not clear on a lot of things like...

(view spoiler)

Still, this was really clever. I love the characters. I loved them in Harry Potter, and I liked some of the more "teenage" aspects being explored. Definitely worth reading and now I'm going to check out Fangirl.

...more

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 28, 2019 joi. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, lgbtq

Hello everyone, and welcome to my review of a book about my queer wizard sons, Grampire and Moles.

Before I begin this review, I want to say that I know some people may find the content in this book objectionable. Yes, there are straight people in this book! GET OVER IT! If it’s really that offensive to you, just know that the straight people in this book don’t even kiss or hold hands. Personally, I can’t wait to live in a world where straight characters are allowed to have the kind of nuanced, Hello everyone, and welcome to my review of a book about my queer wizard sons, Grampire and Moles.

Before I begin this review, I want to say that I know some people may find the content in this book objectionable. Yes, there are straight people in this book! GET OVER IT! If it’s really that offensive to you, just know that the straight people in this book don’t even kiss or hold hands. Personally, I can’t wait to live in a world where straight characters are allowed to have the kind of nuanced, emotionally intelligent, honestly portrayed relationships queer characters have, but maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

Many people think this book was based off of Harry Potter, which I completely understand because, exactly like Harry Potter, this book has one (1) gay wizard in it. Also like Harry Potter, this book takes place in England, making these two books the only two books in the entire world set in that geographic location.

Where does it diverge from Harry Potter? During one scene early on that is based on Twilight. Other than that, these books are word-for-word copies of each other.

Why did I rate this book 5 stars? I did it because my magical idiot children SadBoy and SoftBoy demanded I give them the best review possible on this site, and as their mother, I could not deny them this small gift. The truth is, I would die for either or both of them, and in fact, I have. Several times. I am literally writing this during the small window of time every 20 years when ONLY MOTHERS can come back and shout at their children or their children’s terrible boyfriends.

I also think it’s important to mention that the romance elements in this book were so good, so pure, so precious, I divorced my husband just to marry him again and achieve half the romantic high this book provided me. The divorce court judge happens to be a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell’s Runaways, so she granted the divorce on the grounds of “loves eternal bliss”. Then she banged her gavel several times and screamed “WIZARD PROMS FOR EVERYONE!” It was extremely romantic, though the second wedding has put us in debt to the tune of $40k.

Also, you may see people discussing a particular chapter in this book, and you may be tempted to skip right ahead and just read it. That is fine! It’s totally normal! The chapter in question is 37, in which a beautiful, rich, magical, sad girl talks about her best friend Minty. It is riveting and it will make you cry, so if you do skip ahead, be ready for an emotional roller coaster.

Thanks so much for checking out this review. If you have a moment, please pause and say a prayer for Dev and Niall’s childhoods, which turned out to just be a gay fever dream. ...more

Like · see review

Mar 26, 2022 Kareena rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Very neat twist on the Harry Potter world and “The Chosen One” myths. More mature, realistic even though its pure fantasy. Just kind of a fun interesting read. There was one passage I loved about how words are magic and thats how it does feel sometimes. The right words and feeling behind them. Song lyrics, nursery rhymes and the British language just made it very colorful in a good way. Really neat! Carry on done, Wayward Son to go.

Like · see review