#1 New York Times best seller
Booklist Editors' Choice 2015 - Youth
Named a "Best Book of 2015" by Time Magazine, School Library Journal, Barnes & Noble, NPR, PopSugar, The Millions, and The News & Observer

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen.

That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.

Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here--it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you'd expect from a Rainbow Rowell story - but far, far more monsters.

Item Information Item Information

Format: TradePaperback
Author: Rowell, Rainbow
ISBN: 9781250135025
Condition: Used
Dimensions: 8.20 x 1.50
Number Of Pages: 528
Publication Year: 2017

Customer Reviews

Rating Snapshot

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7 Ratings

0 Recommendations

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Two young wizards find out that not everything is at it seems.

Christina Q. - 1 year 9 months ago

In the years waiting between Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix, the Harry Potter fandom exploded and flourished, and a good chunk of the fanfiction that exists, to this day, was written in that time. While not pulling a Cassandra Clare, Rowell manages to capture a lot of the magic that existed in the fandom at that time with Carry On. I love it so much for that, for giving me back so many feelings and memories from those years. The Dumbledore analogue, in particular, is a very pointed criticism. On its own, it's a humorous and enjoyable read, with twists and turns that are unexpected. The characters are loveable and feel like actual British kids. (The mention of Tesco at the beginning made me smile quite a bit.) It's also a very light, fun read for LGBT youth, as it manages to avoid the one trope that's often criticized in LGBT fiction in general. Definitely, worth the read, check it out.
HPB Staff Review
Rowell makes you want to know these characters more.

Eleanor L. - 2 years 4 months ago

Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite authors, so of course, I had to read her novel, Carry On. Simon Snow is very similar to Harry Potter; this story was definitely inspired by Rowling's boy wizard. But it has very interesting differences. Carry On is featured in another of Rowell's novels, Fangirl. It is the fanfiction that the main character is writing throughout the story. Seeing the whole piece, that a fictional character was writing, published as its own thing, is very cool. Simon's story is pretty familiar, orphaned boy has magical powers, goes to school for witches and wizards, had adventures, faces off against an evil power hungry wizard, destiny, etc. But what Carry On does differently is it brings you further into the relationships, and even has one between Simon and his arch-nemesis/roommate Baz. The way that Rowell writes, makes you want to know these characters more and keeps you wanting more. It's a great novel and a must read for me
HPB Staff Review
Harry Potter fan fiction gone wild!

Jason W. - 2 years 9 months ago

What began as a fan-fic based on Harry Potter being written by a character in one of her previous novels, Rainbow Rowell asks what would have happened had Harry (Simon) been roommates with Draco (Baz) the entire time and what if they had other feelings for each other behind the animosity? Simon Snow is nobody's idea of a good Chosen One. He's crap at magic. His spell casting is spotty and wild at best. His worst enemy, Baz, has been his roommate since year one and while he makes Simon's life miserable, his mysterious absence in their final year at Watford School of Magicks is making him almost as mental. Is it weird that he misses the guy who might be a vampire and is for sure a pain? Why does he miss him? Does Baz miss Simon, too? Monsters and madness ensue as he tries to solve all of the mysteries AND live up to being the Chosen One, including a monster who wears his face and removes magic from the world, leaving behind magic free spots where magic won't work in its wake. A dark and gorgeous story, filled with adventures, danger, and a few good laughs.
HPB Staff Review
Fiction Inspired by Fictional Fan-Fiction

Bobby W. - 4 years ago

Rainbow Rowell is an author who is most known for the YA novel Eleanor and Park. Rowell's latest novel is a YA fantasy novel titled Carry On. The creation of Carry on was unique due to the fact that it was inspired by fictional fan-fiction. Rowell wrote an earlier novel called Fangirl which depicts the protagonist Cath entering her first year of college while remaining involved in her beloved series Simon Snow and the World of Mages. Throughout Fangirl, you travel with Cath as she works on her fanfiction based on the Simon Snow series. After writing Fangirl, Rowell decided that she wasn't quite ready to let go of Simon Snow and the World of Mages that she briefly wrote about within Fangirl. So she decided to write Carry On and how she perceived the fictional verse. Now that all the backstory is explained let's go into the true review of Carry On itself. Carry On follows the protagonist Simon Snow and his adventures in the world of Mages. He is one of the only individuals who were born outside of the Magical World to obtain magical powers. This gives Simon a rather larger than life lifestyle that gives him much more attention than he wants. One of the individuals that give Simon the most trouble is his roommate and rival Baz. The novel starts with Simon starting a new year at Magician school all the while Baz is missing. Simon is convinced Baz is missing because he is up to something no good that will ultimately lead to Simon's demise. That's all I will say without giving away too much of the actual story. I enjoyed this novel quite a lot. I was somewhat hesitant going into the book because I wasn't quite sure how a book inspired by fictional fanfiction would turn out. However, Rowell exceeded my expectations with the story. I am a huge Harry Potter fan. Harry Potter has been a big part of my life for various reasons. That being said this story made me feel quite nostalgic for Harry Potter all the while being completely different. Carry on was funny, entertaining, and heart-wrenching all at the same time. What was nice about this story as well was the fact that it wasn't an in your face fantasy novel. So if you aren't quite into fantasy novels, but you enjoy elements of fantasy then I believe you will truly enjoy reading this book. It honestly is a story that I think anyone will be able to relate to in one way or another. It breaks down a lot of boundaries that haven't been touched upon in Young Adult literature or even Fantasy literature. So if you are looking for a refreshing story to peak your interest that will take you on a journey I would recommend picking up a copy of Carry On on your next book haul.
HPB Staff Review
This apple falls far from the boy wizard tree.

Lindsey D. - 4 years 5 months ago

Simon Snow attends a magical school, yes, but the magic taught is original, ingenious and satisfying. There are no types standing in for characters here; perspective shifts from chapter to chapter, giving even secondary characters a rich presence and wholeness. And the central romance is as sweet and baffling and painful and pure as real life, even with monsters and magic on all sides. It's lovely.
HPB Staff Review

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Two young wizards find out that not everything is at it seems.

Rowell makes you want to know these characters more.

Harry Potter fan fiction gone wild!

Fiction Inspired by Fictional Fan-Fiction

This apple falls far from the boy wizard tree.