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careycarpenter's review against another edition
1.0
Yuck. Just yuck. A spoof perhaps on Harry Potter, though I think it’s not supposed to be? I couldn’t get past 50 pages. Looking forward to railing on this book at book club though!
vitiumthevampire's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
This is a review for the whole series.
This series is very well written. The dialogues and character interactions are excellent and the povs are written in such a way that you really feel connected to the characters.
I think the first book in this series was the best, mainly because of the fantastic way that all the plot points and perspectives tie together in the end. In that aspect I think the second and third book are a bit weaker, and in the last book there were some things left unresolved or unexplained that I would have really liked to have seen addressed. For example, I would have enjoyed seeing the whole vampire subplot explored in more detail, it felt a little sidelined at the end.
The first book is perfect in nearly every way to me. I love magical school settings and there was some political intrigue in the background that made it more interesting. Unfortunately the following books were not as intricately crafted as this one.
The second book revolves around a road trip through the US, encountering magical creatures and vampire cults. I really like road trip settings so this was a banger for me.
The third book was the weakest in my opinion. The big bad in the book didn't feel all that threatening and half the subplots were resolved very early while the other half were not addressed properly in my opinion. I would have liked a bit more real conflict. I still enjoyed it but it didn't leave me entirely satisfied.
I wasn't sure how to feel about the way the romance initiated between the main characters, but did enjoy the relationship, even though the way one of them behaved throughout could be rather frustrating at times. The romance is an important part of the story but is still more of a subplot in the first book, while in the third book it dominates a lot more (and becomes more explicit).
This series doesn't shy away from adult themes and terminology, which I find delightful as I hate when young adult books are overly sanitized, though I believe in part this is also because the characters already start off aged 17-18.
This series is very well written. The dialogues and character interactions are excellent and the povs are written in such a way that you really feel connected to the characters.
I think the first book in this series was the best, mainly because of the fantastic way that all the plot points and perspectives tie together in the end. In that aspect I think the second and third book are a bit weaker, and in the last book there were some things left unresolved or unexplained that I would have really liked to have seen addressed. For example, I would have enjoyed seeing the whole vampire subplot explored in more detail, it felt a little sidelined at the end.
The first book is perfect in nearly every way to me. I love magical school settings and there was some political intrigue in the background that made it more interesting. Unfortunately the following books were not as intricately crafted as this one.
The second book revolves around a road trip through the US, encountering magical creatures and vampire cults. I really like road trip settings so this was a banger for me.
The third book was the weakest in my opinion. The big bad in the book didn't feel all that threatening and half the subplots were resolved very early while the other half were not addressed properly in my opinion. I would have liked a bit more real conflict. I still enjoyed it but it didn't leave me entirely satisfied.
I wasn't sure how to feel about the way the romance initiated between the main characters, but did enjoy the relationship, even though the way one of them behaved throughout could be rather frustrating at times. The romance is an important part of the story but is still more of a subplot in the first book, while in the third book it dominates a lot more (and becomes more explicit).
This series doesn't shy away from adult themes and terminology, which I find delightful as I hate when young adult books are overly sanitized, though I believe in part this is also because the characters already start off aged 17-18.
lyvi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
_berly_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
3.75
klpaakk's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
erin_manott_morris's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
2.75
nikkicthebookworm's review against another edition
3.0
Synopsis: Simon Snow is the chosen one. He was prophesied to be the one to save the world of magic. The problem is Simon is a terrible chosen one. More often than not he can't make his wand work, and he has the tendency to blow things up. His roommate Baz is his nemesis, possibly a vampire and didn't even bother showing up for school. And to top it off there is a magic eating monster with Simon's face running around England.
A few years ago I read Fangirl and of course the obsession of the main character was the world of Simon Snow and the fan fiction that she wrote. Even then it struck me as very Harry Potter like and I'm a huge Potterhead so I thought how cool is it to have a storyline where Harry and Draco get together. I've read quite a few reviews about this book and they are pretty split down the middle. And I am going to add to that down the middle thing.
The book wasn't bad but it also wasn't that good either. It seemed like it took a little too much from Harry Potter. I thought that was a bit over the top. Obviously its a world of magic so none of it is really supposed to make sense. But her spells just seemed stupid to me. The story was pretty strong which is why I said I was down the middle. I liked the characters and their story line...well except for Agatha she was just a waste all the way around.
There are ghosts in this story, betrayal and lots of crazy. And of course a love story. Carry on was presented as the final book in the Simon Snow series and he is beginning his 8th and final year of school. The problem with starting the book like this is the author had to play catch up with her readers and explain what had happened in the years prior and sometimes she fell a little short in the explanation department.
Simon and Baz are roommates at the Watford school of magic it would seem that they absolutely hate each other. Simon is an orphan who was found by the Mage and brought to the Watford school when he was 11 after he had "went off" for the first time. He has a clear obsession with Baz because he has apparently tried to kill him several times throughout the years. Simon's best friend Penelope or Penny is extremely smart and one of the top people in their year. Unlike Simon she channels her magic through a ring instead of a wand. Simon's ex girlfriend Agatha is gorgeous but when it comes to magic she is pretty ordinary. Baz doesn't actually appear until book 2 and as soon as we hear from him he talks about how he has been in love with Simon since he first laid eyes on him. He also admits to trying to kill him previously if only to get him out of his hair.
Each chapter is told from a different characters point of view and that is how they are titled. There are side characters that I will not get into too much detail but they serve their purpose in rounding out the story. I am a fan of Rainbow Rowell but I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I'm giving it 3 out of 5 stars because I think that the story is great but it just felt a little to Potterish and it could have been a little better if she tried to be a little more original.
Nikki
A few years ago I read Fangirl and of course the obsession of the main character was the world of Simon Snow and the fan fiction that she wrote. Even then it struck me as very Harry Potter like and I'm a huge Potterhead so I thought how cool is it to have a storyline where Harry and Draco get together. I've read quite a few reviews about this book and they are pretty split down the middle. And I am going to add to that down the middle thing.
The book wasn't bad but it also wasn't that good either. It seemed like it took a little too much from Harry Potter. I thought that was a bit over the top. Obviously its a world of magic so none of it is really supposed to make sense. But her spells just seemed stupid to me. The story was pretty strong which is why I said I was down the middle. I liked the characters and their story line...well except for Agatha she was just a waste all the way around.
There are ghosts in this story, betrayal and lots of crazy. And of course a love story. Carry on was presented as the final book in the Simon Snow series and he is beginning his 8th and final year of school. The problem with starting the book like this is the author had to play catch up with her readers and explain what had happened in the years prior and sometimes she fell a little short in the explanation department.
Simon and Baz are roommates at the Watford school of magic it would seem that they absolutely hate each other. Simon is an orphan who was found by the Mage and brought to the Watford school when he was 11 after he had "went off" for the first time. He has a clear obsession with Baz because he has apparently tried to kill him several times throughout the years. Simon's best friend Penelope or Penny is extremely smart and one of the top people in their year. Unlike Simon she channels her magic through a ring instead of a wand. Simon's ex girlfriend Agatha is gorgeous but when it comes to magic she is pretty ordinary. Baz doesn't actually appear until book 2 and as soon as we hear from him he talks about how he has been in love with Simon since he first laid eyes on him. He also admits to trying to kill him previously if only to get him out of his hair.
Each chapter is told from a different characters point of view and that is how they are titled. There are side characters that I will not get into too much detail but they serve their purpose in rounding out the story. I am a fan of Rainbow Rowell but I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I'm giving it 3 out of 5 stars because I think that the story is great but it just felt a little to Potterish and it could have been a little better if she tried to be a little more original.
Nikki
abstaffor's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
eliinj20's review against another edition
4.0
Kinda slow start with too much info-dumping, but once the plot took off it was a fun and cute read.