★ 10/19/2015
Rowell's many fans know that the characters in this novel derive from her 2013 book, Fangirl, where they appeared in two forms: the "official" version of a Harry Potterlike series and the funnier, funkier, and gayer fanfic written by Cath, Fangirl's heroine. Now Simon Snow, the greatest magician the world has ever seen; possible vampire Basilton "Baz" Pitch, Simon's roommate and nemesis; and Simon's intrepid and loyal best friend Penelope have their own book. Along with Simon's semi-ex girlfriend Agatha, the three are negotiating their last year at the Watford School of Magicks amid a crisis in the magical world, much of which seems to involve Simon. Although in no way fan fiction (apart from its connections to Fangirl), this book can be read as a tribute to Harry Potter and Lev Grossman's Magicians series, and it's a sterling example of how to use genre conventions to create something new. Seen in that light, it hardly matters that some of the plot twists feel more like confirmations than surprises. Everything else—the funny, wised-up dialogue, the tumultuous, sweet, and sexy love story— is grade-A Rowell, and if you've ever wondered what makes a spell a spell, this book explains all. The doubled suspense—Will Simon and Baz finally admit that seven years of mutual obsession might be more than antagonism? Will Simon, Baz, and Penny figure out what's threatening their world in time to save it?—makes for a book that readers will find almost impossible to put down. Ages 13–up. Agent: Christopher Schelling, Selectric Artists. (Oct.)
Praise for the Simon Snow trilogy:
"At last! A sequel to Carry On...every fine as fine as the first. ...overall excellence of a book in which every vista pleases and every character delights. Carefully plotted, the book is a classic page-turner right to the open ending which, o frabjous day, promises a sequel to the sequel! One can hardly wait." - Booklist (Starred Review) on Wayward Son
"Rowell imbues her magic with awe and spectacle. It's a powerful, politically minded allegory about sexual, ethnic and class identity - with a heady shot of teenage lust." —New York Times Book Review on Carry On
"It’s a brilliantly addictive, genuinely romantic story about teenagers who can’t be neatly sorted into houses, coping with stress and loss and the confusion of just trying to be who they are. It’s as if Rowell turned the Harry Potter books inside out, and is showing us the marvelous, subversive stuffing inside." —Time Magazine on Carry On
"Full of heart and humor, this fantastical tale is a worthy addition to the wizarding-school genre." —People Magazine on Carry On
"Carry On is the fantasy book I didn’t know I’d been waiting for for years...Rowell’s mystery, magic, and political intrigue is the sexiest love story I’ve read in a long time." —Julie Beck, for The Atlantic
"The funny, wised-up dialogue, the tumultuous, sweet, and sexy love story— is grade-A Rowell...almost impossible to put down." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Carry On
"Stock up on copies—this one begs to be reread." —Booklist (starred review) on Carry On
"With rock-solid worldbuilding, a sweet and believable romance subplot, and satisfying ending, Carry On is a monumentally enjoyable reading experience. Hand this to fans of Rowell, Harry Potter, love stories, and magic." —School Library Journal (starred review)
"Carry On is a triumph. Thrilling and sexy, funny and shocking, deeply moving and very, very magical. Trust me, you have never, ever seen a wizard school like this." —Lev Grossman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians trilogy
★ 11/01/2015
Gr 8 Up—Readers of Rowell's Fangirl (St. Martin's Griffin, 2013) have already had a glimpse at the world of Simon Snow, but now Rowell turns the full force of her imagination on the Watford School of Magic and those connected to it. Magic is disappearing all over England, leaving pockets of dead air that disable any magician in the vicinity. Somehow, everyone knows that the Insidious Humdrum is responsible, but who—or what?—is the Humdrum, and why does he look exactly like 11-year-old Simon? That's not the only mystery at hand, however. Simon's roommate and nemesis, the vampire Baz, disappears for weeks, and while he's gone, the Veil opens and Baz's late mother shows up at their room with a message for her son: her killer, Nicodemus, is still out there. When Baz returns, he's barely more than skin and bones. What has he been doing? And why can't Simon stop thinking about him? Simon and Baz reluctantly declare a truce and join forces, along with the intrepid Penelope Bunce, to find the mysterious Nicodemus. With rock-solid worldbuilding, a sweet and believable romance subplot, and satisfying ending, Rowell's latest is a monumentally enjoyable reading experience. VERDICT Hand this to fans of Rowell, Harry Potter, love stories, and magic.—Stephanie Klose, Library Journal
2015-11-01
Meta-slash fiction for jaded optimists.Rowell pulls on a central thread of Fangirl (2013)—Cath's fanfic epic of Simon Snow, the Chosen One and Mage's heir—and uses it to weave a tapestry of realigned affections and alliances. Deftly self-contained so that readers need not have read Fangirl to enjoy this tale, it will nonetheless appeal to Harry Potter fans sophisticated enough to recognize the fundamental tropes at work. Simon, an orphaned magician whose power is so immense that he is mostly inept at wielding it, returns to Watford School of Magicks for his final year of education in the magical arts. He has a talented, stalwart friend, a fascinatingly ambiguous foe, and a complicated, emotionally unavailable mentor. There is a great battle between good and evil. But there are also mobile phones, contemporary slang and pop-culture references, and gay romance. Rowell's creation is less preoccupied with the trappings of wizard life than it is focused on the relationships of the characters. The narrative perspective, shifting among Simon and his supporters and opponents, gives voice to their deeper motivations and angst; the dialogue, both internal and external, is contemporary and occasionally profane, with an authentic level of teenage snark.The novel playfully twists genre conventions—there are plenty of wink-wink, nudge-nudge moments to satisfy faithful fantasy readers—but it also stands alone as a modern bildungsroman. Carry on, Simon Snow. (author's note) (Fantasy. 14 & up)
