Reviews

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

evefurness21's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

mmoconnor's review against another edition

5.0

2:49:16

kitcatmackay's review against another edition

4.0

i think when i'd read this book previously, i only really cared about simon and baz. they are what has stuck in my brain in the years since i read it, so the first hundred or so pages this time around, i was bored waiting for baz to finally show up. but the other plotlines took me by surprise. i put a lot more thought to the political implications of the mage’s actions and this war. i was sick to my stomach reading lucy's story. i appreciate it differently now, more wholely. though i do think its many perspectives get confusing, and it does very much feel like the finale to a long series, in that there seems to be so much more that the characters and the author know that i’m not let in on.

amaldae's review against another edition

2.25

After reading (twice. Double dammit): I like the idea of magic being phrases loaded with meaning through repeated use, and that its political implications are considered to some extent. This makes the world feel a little less sketched in even though most of the story has already happened when the book begins. The end, after evil has been defeated and Simon suddenly finds himself without purpose, having to face the revebrations of all he's been through, is by far the strongest part of the novel. Otherwise, this falls somewhat short. The characters are flat, one of the sidekicks a shallow diversity pick and the other a downright misogynistic manifestation of feelings that in the hands of a different author might even be interesting, the big bad is obvious, the fight uninteresting, and the romance is indeed like bad fanfiction of an entirely unfamiliar thing - in other words, sudden and unbelievable. 

psykobilliethekid's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

vineela0705's review against another edition

1.0

I tried, honest to God, I've tried my best to turn the page and not slam my head against some hard surface, preferably the book. Nope, I have not,could not, will not Carry On. Stopped at page 96.

This clearly seems like a parody/fanfiction of Harry Potter. Why bother getting it published? Where's the wonder? Where's the mystique? Where is my English cup of tea and biscuits? I am working myself up for a good old rant.

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
1. Humdrum. Humdrum? HUMDRUM?? You have a powerful villain brewing up nasty sorts of mischief, and you go ahead and NAME.HIM.HUMDRUM? Insidious would have made it teensy tiny bit better.
2. "Scooby Dooby doo, where are you?" That's the finding spell. We have Accio, versus Scooby, folks. Who's your vote going to?
3. Magickal. If I hear that word one time, I'm going to scratch my nails against a chalkboard till my nails till they bleed.
4. Harry's clearly in love with Draco, and pining for his boo bear. Spare me the teenage angst and drama.
5. If you are making a spoof of something, you should either (1) Use the characters as they are and make them do silly/bizzare things or (2) Make them different enough from the original to keep the reader guessing.
The author instead went for dishwater version of the characters instead.
Mage = Dumbledore + Snape
Potbeef = McGonagall
Penny = Hermione
Agatha = Cho Chang
Ebb = Lady Hagrid
Baz = Handsome Cedric + Mean Draco

Am I done with the 10 things? don't know, don't care. Will go read Harry Potter again and exorcise my mind of..whatever this was. Sweet Heavens, I can hear the music (Insert Harry Potter theme), here I come!!

justtryingtoreadbookz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

atos520's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The better version of Harry Potter meets Hunger Games. Always a treat to reread!

zeeanthony's review against another edition

4.0

Like others, I was taken aback by the abrupt placement of the story at the end of Simon's time at Watford (and subsequently, Rowell had to go through all of the world-building and such through flashbacks). I was also slightly disappointed in the way things ended...everything a bit too neatly for my taste. And most saliently, I was left wanting oh so much more from this world of Simon and Baz and magicks.

I want to take a moment just to stress one important aspect of the story between Simon and Baz. Carry On is much more than a romance, but the complete lack of LGBT representation and gay male relationships in fantasy novels truly sets Carry On apart from its peer novels. Personally, I found the relationship between Simon and Baz one of the more compelling parts of the story, even though their relationship lacked development (mostly because of the nature of the story being placed at the end of their schooling years) and everything progressed rather quickly. But at the end of the day, I was happy that Rowell took the steps and efforts to write a well-characterized story between these two young men and their world.

valzhangism's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25