Carry On Is a Transformative Fantasy Adventure and a Love Letter to Fandom
In 2013, Rainbow Rowell released Fangirl, a novel about a fanfiction writer struggling with the transition from home life to college life, and from minor internet celebrity to real-world anonymity. It was a big success, nowhere more so than on Tumblr, where the community embraced the book and spread it far and wide (I heard about it via a reblog featuring the cover and a few quotes). It sounded like me as a teenager: an isolated girl who writes fanfiction that helps her connect with others through stories? I know I wasn’t alone with identifying with Cath, the main character, and I was fascinated that there was a book telling this specific story. So often, the mainstream treats fanfiction like it’s shameful, as if the people (often women) who write it should be embarrassed by indulging in such a strange hobby. Watching Fangirl soar was validating: a book that said our stories mattered, that there was a space for them.
Carry On (Simon Snow Series #1)
Hardcover $19.99
Carry On (Simon Snow Series #1)
Hardcover $19.99
In Fangirl, Cath, writes fanfiction about a fictional fantasy book series featuring Simon Snow, a heroic Chosen One figure attending a school for wizards, and his antagonistic relationship with his vampire roommate Baz. Their story is an unveiled reference to Harry Potter, transformed into a creative pastime and support structure for Cath. Carry On is Rowell’s metafictional, fanfictional take on Simon and Baz, the characters she created for Cath to write about, pulled out of the story and given one of their own. It’s a fully formed fantasy novel as well as a narrative critique collecting and addressing years worth of nitpicks about the Harry Potter series. It’s an exploration of the power of original stories and transformative works alike. It’s a diverse tale of friendship, trust, and romance. It’s a novel only a Harry Potter fangirl could write.
Readers need not a be fully grounded in Potter fandom to enjoy this book, or to appreciate all that Rowell weaves together from character tropes, common fanfic themes (especially those found in Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy romance stories), references, and fan criticism. She handles the intersections with a deft hand. Not only does Carry On manage to be a fascinating transformative work in dialogue with Harry Potter, it’s also its own entertaining fantasy adventure about saving a magical world, complete with friendships in flux, intriguing looks at power dynamics, a diverse world, and a heartwarming romance.
Amid the politics and magic and adventure, the novel explores Simon’s relationships as he navigates his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, which turns out to be anything but the relaxing victory lap he desires. With an increasingly distant girlfriend, his roommate/nemesis missing, ghosts appearing to deliver ominous messages, and his mentor eager to hide him away from the few people he cares for, Simon is left adrift. He doesn’t know why Baz being gone bothers him so much, and he can’t understand his girlfriend’s chilly treatment. As he makes his way through the term, he slowly starts to realize that caring for people is extremely hard, but always surprising and,ultimately, rewarding. Simon is the most powerful wizard ever born, but even he has to learn to communicate and to spend time on his relationships, and the way he eventually comes to terms with his feelings and his status in the magical world is brave, wonderful, and sweet.
In Fangirl, Cath, writes fanfiction about a fictional fantasy book series featuring Simon Snow, a heroic Chosen One figure attending a school for wizards, and his antagonistic relationship with his vampire roommate Baz. Their story is an unveiled reference to Harry Potter, transformed into a creative pastime and support structure for Cath. Carry On is Rowell’s metafictional, fanfictional take on Simon and Baz, the characters she created for Cath to write about, pulled out of the story and given one of their own. It’s a fully formed fantasy novel as well as a narrative critique collecting and addressing years worth of nitpicks about the Harry Potter series. It’s an exploration of the power of original stories and transformative works alike. It’s a diverse tale of friendship, trust, and romance. It’s a novel only a Harry Potter fangirl could write.
Readers need not a be fully grounded in Potter fandom to enjoy this book, or to appreciate all that Rowell weaves together from character tropes, common fanfic themes (especially those found in Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy romance stories), references, and fan criticism. She handles the intersections with a deft hand. Not only does Carry On manage to be a fascinating transformative work in dialogue with Harry Potter, it’s also its own entertaining fantasy adventure about saving a magical world, complete with friendships in flux, intriguing looks at power dynamics, a diverse world, and a heartwarming romance.
Amid the politics and magic and adventure, the novel explores Simon’s relationships as he navigates his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, which turns out to be anything but the relaxing victory lap he desires. With an increasingly distant girlfriend, his roommate/nemesis missing, ghosts appearing to deliver ominous messages, and his mentor eager to hide him away from the few people he cares for, Simon is left adrift. He doesn’t know why Baz being gone bothers him so much, and he can’t understand his girlfriend’s chilly treatment. As he makes his way through the term, he slowly starts to realize that caring for people is extremely hard, but always surprising and,ultimately, rewarding. Simon is the most powerful wizard ever born, but even he has to learn to communicate and to spend time on his relationships, and the way he eventually comes to terms with his feelings and his status in the magical world is brave, wonderful, and sweet.
Fangirl
Hardcover $20.00
Fangirl
Hardcover $20.00
Carry On is not Harry Potter, but Potterheads will know it. Fangirls in particular will hear it speaking directly to us, with elements we recognize from years of reading and writing in fandom. It is Simon Snow’s story, as he struggles with unbelievable power, navigating difficult relationships with peers and adults, and social isolation. It is about his educational setbacks, thanks to his unpredictable, incredibly destructive magical abilities. It’s about him growing up, coming to terms with his power and his feelings about the people he loves, and learning to face the world as an adult forced to make tough choices. This is Simon’s story, but it picks up details Harry Potter gave us, turning them at an angle to change their shape and their impact.
Yet in many ways, Carry On is a story that belongs to thousands of fan writers who have spent decades reading and writing in fandom, building new, subversive, challenging stories out of the parts of others. I love fandom; this book slots directly into the fannish love that I have for all transformative works. I followed Simon’s story to the very end and was delighted with where he found himself. Simon’s story is our story, too. His story is the story of fanfic writers, showing us again that stories are living things, that they never truly end as long as we’re willing to keep telling them. Carry on, fangirls. Carry on.
Carry On is not Harry Potter, but Potterheads will know it. Fangirls in particular will hear it speaking directly to us, with elements we recognize from years of reading and writing in fandom. It is Simon Snow’s story, as he struggles with unbelievable power, navigating difficult relationships with peers and adults, and social isolation. It is about his educational setbacks, thanks to his unpredictable, incredibly destructive magical abilities. It’s about him growing up, coming to terms with his power and his feelings about the people he loves, and learning to face the world as an adult forced to make tough choices. This is Simon’s story, but it picks up details Harry Potter gave us, turning them at an angle to change their shape and their impact.
Yet in many ways, Carry On is a story that belongs to thousands of fan writers who have spent decades reading and writing in fandom, building new, subversive, challenging stories out of the parts of others. I love fandom; this book slots directly into the fannish love that I have for all transformative works. I followed Simon’s story to the very end and was delighted with where he found himself. Simon’s story is our story, too. His story is the story of fanfic writers, showing us again that stories are living things, that they never truly end as long as we’re willing to keep telling them. Carry on, fangirls. Carry on.