Review: ‘Carry On’ by Rainbow Rowell

Welcome to my first book review 🙂

This book by Rainbow Rowell is termed as ‘teen fiction’, a genre I personally don’t understand. Surely teen fiction differs on the teen? Although this book was a great, light holiday read– it also tackled some themes that I never expected, and it was the perfect mixture of romance, fantasy, and comedy.

I have to admit, when I started reading ‘Carry On’ I was cynical: a book about a boy who doesn’t have any parents then realises he’s a wizard, goes to a school for wizards, and attempts to solve the problems of the wizarding world with his intelligent female friend, Penelope. Sound familiar? I saw this as just another Harry Potter spin-off.

However, as I got deeper into the book, I found the plot twists and characters were completely original- and I loved the way that Rowell brought in twists of romantic tension to keep the reader hooked.

The book begins from the point of view of Simon, a teenage boy finishing his last year at the magical school, Watford. He is constantly on edge as his roommate and enemy, Baz, has not yet returned to school after the holidays. He worries that Baz is hatching a big plot against him. Added to this there are constant attacks on the school by the Humdrum, a magic eating monster that, bizarrely, is in the form of Simon when he was 12 years old.

I’m going to be honest here and say that I found Simon’s character a bit annoying, but when the narrative switched to the point of view of Baz the book really picked up pace. I loved how the book continued to switch between all the different characters- even those that seemingly didn’t play a key part in the storyline to begin with. This helped to really bring the novel together as it progressed.

This isn’t the sort of book I would normally read- I usually opt for romance or historical fiction, not books about ghosts, vampires, and wizards. But this book made me realise that you shouldn’t just stick to one genre- by trying different genres you can find different interests and maybe even find a new favourite.

I would definitely recommend this book for someone who fancies reading something they will not be able to put down. It’s perfect for any fantasy or Harry Potter fans- or anyone who is willing to try something new!

Have you read ‘Carry On’ by Rainbow Rowell? What’s your favourite young adult read? Do you enjoy trying new books?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂

Happy reading x

Photo credits via GoodReads