Carry On - Rainbow Rowell (Review & Summary)

Date of Reading: 30/11/2019

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: October 6, 2015

Rating: 5/5

About the book:

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 - The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow 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.

Review:

      Since 'Wayward Son', the second book in the series has come out, I thought I will start with the first book. I was informed that there are no cliffhangers at the end. True, but it leaves something worse than that; a sense of doom. As expected the second book evolves on this issue and sadly it is not yet resolved (I had a peek at the end of 'Wayward Son' to be sure).

       But we are not here to talk about 'Wayward Son'. Let's just blot out its existence and think of the happily ever after on which 'Carry On' ends. If you haven't heard about this book, then let me enlighten you. This is the gay version of Harry Potter (with a mix of Twilight). The story is almost the same but shorter and with a gay love story. It is cute, magical and romantic. As you must have guessed by now, I didn't swoon at the end being highly suspicious of the 'ever after' part.

         Baz and Simon are one of the best gay couples I have encountered. Their predicament is heart throbbing and I closed the book with a heavy heart. Will love be enough for Simon? Well, let's hope the next books will answer to that. Considering the amount of time Rowell took to write the second book, I guess we are in a rather long wait.

Summary:

       Simon Snow is returning for his last year to Watford School, an institution for mages. He is an orphan and his magical abilities came to be known when he turned 11. The Mage, the headmaster of Watford and the leader of the coven traced him and brought him to the school. The Mage has been a father figure for him until then. But despite his schooling, he is not able to handle his immense power well. When he tends to use spells, it seems to do more than he intends or explodes.

        He is considered to be the Chosen One by the magical community; the one who can defeat the insidious Humdrum. Humdrum is an evil being who seems to have the power to make holes in the magical atmosphere, and the places where these magical spots appear can no longer be inhabited by their kind. It is just like the holes in the Ozone layer. Simon and his best friend Penelope is kidnapped by Humdrum the previous year and to their astonishment, they found that he looked like eleven-year-old Simon. This happened at the end of the academic year, and now he cannot imagine what the new year will bring.

      Only Penelope has arrived back at Watford. She was in America during the vacation with her boyfriend. Agatha was Simon's girlfriend but he is no longer sure about their relationship. He has seen her with Baz, his roommate and enemy, before he is kidnapped by Humdrum. He confronts Agatha, and though she doesn't confirm his suspicions, they both decide to break up.

Source: https://gramho.com/media/2118878336410416585

        Simon has hated Basilton Grimm Pitch (Baz) from the first year. He is from the prestigious family of Pitches and obviously heavily loaded. Simon believes Baz to be a vampire but he hasn't got any solid evidence to support this. He always finds some ways to bully Simon, but this year he hasn't made an appearance. Every twenty years, the veil between the living and the dead are lifted and ghosts can visit someone to convey messages. Natasha Pitch, the former Headmistress of Watford and the mother of Baz comes to their room. When she cannot find Baz, she leaves her message with Simon. Baz is to avenge her death (she was killed in a vampire attack on Watford) and to do that he needs to find Nicodemus.

       Simon is now anxious to find Baz but there is no news of him. Finally, after two months, he comes back lean and haggard. From his perspective, we come to know that he is hopelessly in love with Simon. Now with the encounter with his mother's ghost, Simon agrees for a truce and together they decide to trace Nicodemus. Penelope too joins the team but the trio fails to find any lead.

    During Christmas break, Simon stays in Watford and while talking with Ebb, the goatherd, he learns about her twin brother Nico. He became a vampire to gain immortality and thus is stricken from the book of mages. She is no longer allowed to meet him. Simon understands that this is the Nicodemus they are searching for and goes to inform Baz at his home. With the help of his aunt Fiona, they meet Nicodemus but he refuses to give them an answer. He had been approached by someone to attack Watford; he refused due to his sister's presence there and eventually someone else agreed to the deal.

Source: https://weheartit.com/entry/272447677

   Disappointed, Baz tries to kill himself with fire since he believes that his mother would never have allowed him to live as a vampire. A frantic Simon kisses him and finally both acknowledge their feelings for each other. Spending Christmas with Baz, Simon wakes up with a feeling of dryness, a sign of Humdrum. He finds Baz outside drained of his magic with Humdrum near, again in Simon's shape. He says that he is what is left when he (Simon) is done. Simon saves Baz by injecting him with his magic and Humdrum disappears. Baz asks him to run.

        In between, we get to hear the voice of Lucy,  a girl who is now a ghost. She was in love with a boy named Davy and gradually we get to know that he is The Mage. He believed in the coming of The Great Mage and wanted his son to be him. He carried out a ritual during the birth and Lucy names him Simon Snow. Davy leaves him with the Normal people until his powers are formed. But now he realises that the boy he created is a broken vessel.

       Simon runs to Penelope's home for help and Baz finds him there. He solves the riddle of Humdrum. Simon is responsible for the vacant spots as each spot appeared on the same day he used magic to go off. He absorbs too much magic and Humdrum is the echo he leaves behind. It looks like the eleven-year-old Simon because he is born on the day Simon showed his powers. Both Simon and Penelope believes that they need to inform The Mage but Baz is against it.

     Baz goes after the numpties who kidnapped him at the beginning of the school year to find the one behind it. He fails to get a direct answer from them but Nicodemus comes to help by then. The Mage is behind the vampire attack that Turned Baz and killed his mother. Now he has arrested Ebb for his devious schemes. She is one of the most powerful wizards among them though she never uses that power.

        Meanwhile, Agatha who was with Penelope decides to meet The Mage and she finds him doing a ritual with Ebb. When Ebb escapes he catches hold of Agatha and to save the girl Ebb sacrifices her life. Simon finds him this way but fails to comprehend the murder. The Mage demands Simon to transfer his power to him as he can wield it better. Then Humdrum appears and Simon decides to give up his power to fill the void named Humdrum. It disappears taking Simon's power. The Mage is angry, but by then Simon is joined by Baz and Penelope. In the ensuing fight, The Mage is killed accidentally.

      The Epilogue informs us that Agatha ran away to America leaving magic behind. Simon can no longer study in Watford and Penelope also drops out in solidarity with him. Mitali Bunce, Penelope's mother is the new headmistress. Baz completes his studies as the topper in the class and he is officially dating Simon. 

Meet the author:

Rainbow Rowell writes books. Sometimes she writes about adults (ATTACHMENTS and LANDLINE). Sometimes she writes about teenagers (ELEANOR & PARK and FANGIRL). But she always writes about people who talk a lot. And people who feel like they're screwing up. And people who fall in love.

When she's not writing, Rainbow is reading comic books, planning Disney World trips and arguing about things that don't really matter in the big scheme of things.

She lives in Nebraska with her husband and two sons.