Carry On: A Novel (Simon Snow Trilogy #1) (Hardcover)
Staff Reviews
Fans of Eleanor & Park and Fangirl - I know I don't need to convince you to read Rainbow Rowell's newest, Carry On. But in case you're on the fence about her first dip into fantasy, my advice to you is this: don't be. The characters are enchanting, the prose sparkling, the plot full of wild twists and turns that'll keep you guessing until the very end. Fans of Harry Potter - if you find yourself missing the halls of Hogwarts, you MUST make this your next read. It has just as much magic and friendship and danger, but a brilliant new twist on the Chosen One trope. And for everyone else - you don't want to miss this brilliantly written, lovely love story. Rainbow Rowell can write a kissing scene like nobody in the business. -Lauren's November Staff Pick, 2015
Fans of Eleanor & Park and Fangirl - I know I don't need to convince you to read Rainbow Rowell's newest, Carry On. But in case you're on the fence about her first dip into fantasy, my advice to you is this: don't be. The characters are enchanting, the prose sparkling, the plot full of wild twists and turns that'll keep you guessing until the very end. Fans of Harry Potter - if you find yourself missing the halls of Hogwarts, you MUST make this your next read. It has just as much magic and friendship and danger, but a brilliant new twist on the Chosen One trope. And for everyone else - you don't want to miss this brilliantly written, lovely love story. Rainbow Rowell can write a kissing scene like nobody in the business. -Lauren's November Staff Pick, 2015
— From Lauren's Reading List
Magical folks learning to control their powers at a wizarding boarding school and dealing with the fact they might be The Chosen One? You might think we've been there before, but Rainbow Rowell puts her own stamp on things...and if you've read her work before, you'll know that stamp is swoonworthy without being cringey. This is a sophisticated take on light and dark magic for the reader who wishes their wizards could be a little more adult.
— From About JK Rowling
#1 New York Times best seller!
Booklist Editors’ Choice 2015 - Youth!
Named a "Best Book of 2015" by Time Magazine, School Library Journal, Barnes & Noble, NPR, PopSugar, The Millions, and The News & Observer!
Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen.
That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.
Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here--it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.
Carry On is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you'd expect from a Rainbow Rowell story--but far, far more monsters.
"Rowell imbues her magic with awe and spectacle. It's a powerful, politically minded allegory about sexual, ethnic and class identity - with a heady shot of teenage lust." —New York Times Book Review
"It’s a brilliantly addictive, genuinely romantic story about teenagers who can’t be neatly sorted into houses, coping with stress and loss and the confusion of just trying to be who they are. It’s as if Rowell turned the Harry Potter books inside out, and is showing us the marvelous, subversive stuffing inside." —Time Magazine
"Full of heart and humor, this fantastical tale is a worthy addition to the wizarding-school genre." —People Magazine
"Carry On is the fantasy book I didn’t know I’d been waiting for for years...Rowell’s mystery, magic, and political intrigue is the sexiest love story I’ve read in a long time." —Julie Beck, for The Atlantic
"The funny, wised-up dialogue, the tumultuous, sweet, and sexy love story— is grade-A Rowell...almost impossible to put down." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Stock up on copies—this one begs to be reread." —Booklist (starred review)
"With rock-solid worldbuilding, a sweet and believable romance subplot, and satisfying ending, Carry On is a monumentally enjoyable reading experience. Hand this to fans of Rowell, Harry Potter, love stories, and magic." —School Library Journal (starred review)
"Carry On is a triumph. Thrilling and sexy, funny and shocking, deeply moving and very, very magical. Trust me, you have never, ever seen a wizard school like this." —Lev Grossman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians trilogy
“Absolutely captivating.” —Kirkus (starred review) on Fangirl
“Rowell manages to capture both the wildly popular universe of fanfic and the inside of an 18-year-old's head. Consider me a fangirl of this charming coming-of-age tale.” —Entertainment Weekly on Fangirl
“A deliciously warm-hearted nerd power ballad destined for greatness.” —New York Journal of Books on Fangirl
“A funny and tender coming-of-age story that's also the story of a writer finding her voice . . . touching and utterly real.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Fangirl
“The magic here is cast not with wands but with Rowell's incredible ability to build complex, vivid, troubling and triumphant relationships.” —Booklist, starred review on Fangirl
“(A) charming coming-of-age novel . . . filled with complex subjects (such as divorce, abandonment, and mental illness) handled in a realistic manner, and the writing effortlessly and seamlessly weaves these threads together.” —School Library Journal, starred review; Best Fiction Books of 2013, on Fangirl
“As funny as it is embarrassing, and as charming as it is true-to-geek-life . . . Fangirl is a cute and poignant read for fangirls and fanboys of all ages.” —Tor.com on Fangirl