Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Wayward Son

Unpopular opinion: I think this is better than Carry On.
I think I love this so much because it feels like a much more grounded story. Not everything is happy and nice, but not everything should be. Every single character is traumatized from the first book, and that makes so much sense. They went through an insane amount of trauma.
I am, as always, frustrated by miscommunication (even though I understand exactly why it happens in this). All I want is for Simon and Baz to sit down and talk about their feelings and what's hurting them so that they can be happy together again.
Anyways, this book also succeeds in introducing a new character whom I absolutely adore. Shoutout to Shepard, I love him so much. He's so stupid and so smart -- he's a perfect contradiction. I love his curiosity and enthusiasm and how much he loves magic. He feels so real in a story full of incredibly real, incredibly painful characters and feelings.
I do think that this is paced slower than the first book, but also that the pacing is more consistent. There's not a 150 page stretch in the beginning that drags on as you wait for a character to show up.
This isn't a perfect book, by any means, but it is an excellent, surprisingly grounded sequel. It does a great job of doing exactly what it is meant to do -- tell the story of a Chosen One after his story "ended".

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manarnia's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed revisiting these characters again and meeting some fun, new ones as well.

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starlessnights's review

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2.25

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cameronmh's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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athousandlives's review

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adventurous emotional funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

I have to say, I was a bit anxious about picking this book up. I read all the comments on Goodreads saying that they just wanted SnowBaz to be fine again, that it was horrible to watch them go through so much, etc, and since I love those two with all my heart, it was hard to begin to read knowing what I would witness.

But now that I've read it, I can say: it's okay! Not that horrible! (I was honestly waiting for the break-up, for the yells, the tears, the... betrayal, whatever. Better to expect the worst.) Of course Simon and Baz aren't happy. And yes, it broke my heart to watch them miscommunicate so much, and not handling the cuddling well at all, and live in the fear of being left out... But it was also so touching to see how they both cared so much for each other. How when they look at each other, they fall in love all over again. There is hope. And it feels good to read about a relationship that feels real. That is unperfect, but has all it takes to become ever more fulfilled in the next book.

That being said, it was such a fun read! I loved this adventure to bits. The trope of the long-dreamed road-trip booked on a whim and not planned at all because it's funnier that way, that goes completely wrong, felt so real to me. I myself have been daydreaming about such trips so many times with my best friend. It resonated a lot.

All the new creatures and magic rules were very fun to read about, and brought complexity to the world Rowell created. I found it very interesting to discover that the overall organization of the magical world was so different between America and England. Made me want to know more about the other countries!

Plus, Rowell doesn't treat us only with a fun story packed with dashing characters. She also instils reflections about ethics and class privilege that makes the book more complex. For example, the way Speakers/magicians behave towards all the other creatures is very problematic, there's strong racism going on there, and we see it from Baz's and Lamb's point of view, and it makes us question all we thought we knew from the first book. It was especially disturbing to read from Penny's POV, since it is a strong part of her personality not to question her knowledge, and she is full of judgement and strong beliefs that the reader comes to question along the book.

Another thing I found interesting was the reflection around how Baz feeds himself as a vampire. I was shocked by how many animals he killed (the kitties and the doggos noooooo), and I understood why he preferred killing them to, well, killing humans, but now that he knows that

vampires can drink human’s blood without killing them and even without traumatizing them

, I’m waiting to see what his ethics drives him to do. Also, it is so painful to see him hate himself so much for being vampire. I hope his new acquaintances are the beginning of a more peaceful way for him to embrace his condition.

Bonus point, Shepard is so cool. I love him. I identify with him 100%. Would totally able to do stupid things if it meant having a glimpse at the magical world. My guess for next book is that

Penny and him are going to end up together. All this bickering can’t be for nothing. Plus she’s not with Micah anymore soooo

In a nutshell, it was a very good sequel, that treats the « what happens after the Chosen One saves the World » trope with cleverness. It was an easy read, the plot flowed seamlessly along lots of funny adventures, and now I can’t wait for book three!

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