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A review by rplusd
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
5.0
The best thing about this book is the characters. Simon, Baz, and Penny light up these pages and it's all great. I couldn't get enough of them. Even when plot points were guessable and I kinda had everything figured out, I was mainly reading because I just loved them so much. They're alive and colorful and hilarious.
And look, I was iffy at first. I read the cover synopsis and instantly though "Harry Potter rip off with Malfoy/ Potter". WRONG. It's hard for any book about wizarding schools to not be instantly compared, but this one hardly comes close to that universe. This one is unique in it's own quirky ways and the characters are they're own entities. Though I must say, I believe Penny and Hermione would get along splendidly.
Meanwhile, the spells and magic here lack some appeal in my opinion. It took awhile for me to get myself used to them since they sounded so cheesy. However, later it's explained that the spells are based on popular phrases said by "normals". Only after it was explained did something like "hair of the dog" sound more interesting.
The writing is easy to read and captured me pretty quickly. The beginning kinda just jumps readers into the world leaving a lot to be left unsaid or unexplained until later. Which kept up interest, but also tiny-bit annoyed me. The characters would talk about important things like the Humdrum (the main conflict) and I'd feel like a third wheel who came late to the party. Like who? What? When? Excuse me??
But it all comes together towards the middle of the book and that's when you figure things out. In all it reads like a mystery with love, magic, friendship and action woven into it. And that all sounds pretty great doesn't it?
I knew even before I was halfway through that as soon as I finished it that I'd want to read it again. Maybe around the winter holidays which is when this is set. My only disappointment is that this book dates itself. Besides the mentions of years (this is set in 2015 fyi) there's also A LOT of pop culture tossed in. Names of bands and movies and tv shows. And although I think Rowell tried to pick out some of the more timeless references (Mean Girls, Dr. Who, Star Wars, etc) I still worry for how this book will fair with new readers in say 20 years from now who may not know such influences. So the jokes or references won't stick quite the same as with readers today.
The end isn't the happy perfection that leaves you warm and toasty in the heart. But it is real and emotionally fitting. Though I don't know if I'm all about Simon's body enhancements...but ok. And Ebb deserved more. That might be my biggest sadness, after Simon's magic.
And then lastly, for the end of my review, I'll give a special shout out to Agatha, the only character I did not care for. I could not eye roll any harder whenever she spoke. I was happy with her ending though. But the "Maybe I'll run into her at Trader Joe's". Really? Agatha, please. I'm all too ready to break her bubble about that one. (Lucy is dead hun. Us readers knew that for a long time. And please do return the stolen photo.)
And look, I was iffy at first. I read the cover synopsis and instantly though "Harry Potter rip off with Malfoy/ Potter". WRONG. It's hard for any book about wizarding schools to not be instantly compared, but this one hardly comes close to that universe. This one is unique in it's own quirky ways and the characters are they're own entities. Though I must say, I believe Penny and Hermione would get along splendidly.
Meanwhile, the spells and magic here lack some appeal in my opinion. It took awhile for me to get myself used to them since they sounded so cheesy. However, later it's explained that the spells are based on popular phrases said by "normals". Only after it was explained did something like "hair of the dog" sound more interesting.
The writing is easy to read and captured me pretty quickly. The beginning kinda just jumps readers into the world leaving a lot to be left unsaid or unexplained until later. Which kept up interest, but also tiny-bit annoyed me. The characters would talk about important things like the Humdrum (the main conflict) and I'd feel like a third wheel who came late to the party. Like who? What? When? Excuse me??
But it all comes together towards the middle of the book and that's when you figure things out. In all it reads like a mystery with love, magic, friendship and action woven into it. And that all sounds pretty great doesn't it?
I knew even before I was halfway through that as soon as I finished it that I'd want to read it again. Maybe around the winter holidays which is when this is set. My only disappointment is that this book dates itself. Besides the mentions of years (this is set in 2015 fyi) there's also A LOT of pop culture tossed in. Names of bands and movies and tv shows. And although I think Rowell tried to pick out some of the more timeless references (Mean Girls, Dr. Who, Star Wars, etc) I still worry for how this book will fair with new readers in say 20 years from now who may not know such influences. So the jokes or references won't stick quite the same as with readers today.
The end isn't the happy perfection that leaves you warm and toasty in the heart. But it is real and emotionally fitting. Though I don't know if I'm all about Simon's body enhancements...but ok. And Ebb deserved more. That might be my biggest sadness, after Simon's magic.
And then lastly, for the end of my review, I'll give a special shout out to Agatha, the only character I did not care for. I could not eye roll any harder whenever she spoke. I was happy with her ending though. But the "Maybe I'll run into her at Trader Joe's". Really? Agatha, please. I'm all too ready to break her bubble about that one. (Lucy is dead hun. Us readers knew that for a long time. And please do return the stolen photo.)