GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ Book Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell + giveaway | I Smell Sheep

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Book Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell + giveaway

Carry On
by Rainbow Rowell
October 6, 2015
St. Martin's Griffin
529 pages
#1 New York Times bestselling author!
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 - 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.



Carry On came out in 2015 but never made it on my radar. I mean, look at the cover...nothing to really tell me what the story is about. But, I caught a look at the new paperback cover coming out May 9, 2017 and I did a double take. Did you know there is a magical school sub-genre? I loved Harry Potter but finding YA books I like, are far and few between. Author Elisabeth Staab said this was one of her favorite books...that was enough to push me over the edge and into one hell of a reading experience.

Not sure where to start with this one. It is equal parts character driven and story driven. Rowell said this was her attempt at a "chosen one" book. Simon Snow (the chosen one) is actually a fictional character in her fiction book Fangirl. Yeah, take a moment to sort that out <G>. She couldn't quit thinking about him and another character from the book, Baz (vampire).

Carry On is about a group of friends at Watford, a school for magic. They came to Watford when they were 11, they are now 18. There is a lot of history that has happened up till now and the author does a great job of filling in the backstory with out info dumping.

The story is told in first person present from the POV of many characters. Each character is unique enough that you don't get confused by the POV changes. There is a mystery with many twists and turns. A few things I saw coming, some hit me like 2X4 from behind. Rowell explores many different relationships. I especially liked the friendship between Simon and Penelope, proving that a guy and girl can be best friends without a romance developing. Carry On is a young adult and straddles that line between middle grade and high school appropriate. There is a romance, but it is sweet and there is only some kissing but there is a lot of swearing.

This is one I might read again...looks at TBR pile...eventually.

5 "Humdrum" Sheep 




SharonS



About the Author:
Rainbow Rowell writes books. Sometimes she writes about adults (ATTACHMENTS and LANDLINE). Sometimes she writes about teenagers (ELEANOR & PARK, FANGIRL and CARRY ON). 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.

GIVEAWAY
my print copy of Carry On
US only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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