This is going to be one of those reviews where even giving it four stars feels like I may as well be panning it, because I didn’t instantly want to elope forever with Carry On unlike, it seems, freaking everyone else. And because everyone has already expounded at length as to why they love it, I can’t really add anything new to that end. So here we are — a four-star review full of gripes. Mea culpa.
But really, this book was really good! And it was really good despite — admittedly — lowered expectations, because the Simon Snow parts of Fangirl were my least favorite parts of Fangirl. But I knew that Rainbow Rowell would come through, as she always does — and please feel free to look at my prior reviews if you do not believe that I have a deep love for this author — so I swallowed my misgivings and trusted her to craft a memorable, touching story with all of her trademark wit and empathy. In that, she 100% delivered.
And yet, in other ways, despite being about magicians, Carry On somehow didn’t quite contain the magic that I experienced from other Rowell books. As I put it elsewhere before, I simply just didn’t feel ALL THE FEELS. I chalk this up to two main weaknesses that kind of took me out of the completely immersive reading experience: first, the pacing of the book felt totally off, and second, I predicted just about every reveal and turn of the plot. I am not usually someone who does this, or tries to do this; if it’s incredibly obvious I can’t help myself, but generally I don’t look for clues and read too much into foreshadowing. I prefer to let the author take me on the ride. In Carry On, I found certain twists to be so clearly telegraphed that I was frustrated with the characters for not picking up on them ahead of time. I’m not saying I’m some kind of super genius who understood what no one else could, but I am saying that I think Rowell might have unintentionally dumbed down the characters to service the plot. Needless to say, that doesn’t make for an optimal reading experience.
Back to the point about the pacing: I am not the first to say that the story dragged a bit until Baz appeared. This is 100% true, because Baz is the best character in this book and Simon is probably the weakest. I have to admit that I didn’t quite get Simon? He’s the Chosen One, not necessarily that great at controlling his magic and not the most prolific thinker, and is obsessed with Baz — first out of hatred and then out of (SPOILER ALERT!) love. And… that’s kind of it? Baz and Penny and Agatha fairly leap off the page in comparison; they are so well-defined and motivated and relate-able, in as much as vampires and witches and wizards are relate-able. But maybe that’s the point of Simon. He’s a bit of a cipher and his destiny is to save the world for other people, so he is defined by his relationships to other people. Which, come to think of it, is fairly revolutionary for a male main character, so you go, Rainbow Rowell!
In closing, OBVIOUSLY read this book. Every Rowell is a lovely reading experience. I was hoping to fall in love with Carry On, but I’m just in like with it and that’s okay. There are plenty of other people forming a line at the altar for it.
I really need to re-read Attachements. It’s been too long since I read it, and I already comfort-listened to the audio book of Fangirl after finishing Carry On the first time. Then I listened to the audio of Carry On. Yup, it’s time to re-visit Beth and Jen and Lincoln.
I actually “need” to re-read it too, despite only having read it for the first time, what, six months ago? It’s just so wonderful and one of only a handful of books I went out and bought after returning my library copy this year.
I love it so much. It was my first Rainbow Rowell-book and gave me such a book hangover. I may wait a bit with the re-read though, as I’m currently in the process of having a baby scienced into me, and the bits with Jen and her pregnancies may mess me up a bit too much right now. The hormones I’m injecting make me stupidly emotional about pretty much everything, so reading about others trying to get babies may be inadvisable.
Science babies!!!!!!
It’s exciting and scary and rather exhausting all at once. :)
Ooooh, yeah. Best uterine wishes and Attachments will be there when you’re good and ready!
Thank you.
Sending you all the good wishes for your pending Science Baby!
Thank you!
Good luck, Malin!!! Thinking good thoughts for you.
Thank you!
Attachments is still my fave, but I did love this a lot. Probably because fantasy is MY JAM.
I love fantasy too, but I guess I was sad that the fantasy didn’t really add much for me here! The strongest parts of the book were the character relationships, because that’s such a strength for RR in general, that the Simon Snow/Humdrum parts were just like “Okay! Enough of this! Back to the kissing!”
Yeah the fantasy elements were pretty meh. I enjoyed the meta jokes/homage towards Potter but was never swept away in the plot and agree with you, the twists were so heavily telegraphed that there was no propulsion to find out what happened. Such a missed opportunity, I think she spent so many pages cycling about plot that she under invested in the relationship which is the core of the book. It’s like she didn’t really understand what the book was about, and in trying to be all things to all people, missed the mark on both fronts.
(Sorry Rainbow, I still love you!)
I actually saved Carry On to be my 104th book (I’ll start reading it Monday!) I’m heading in with hopefully regular level of Rowell expectations, but I agree that a reread of other things may happen in my holiday sabbatical from the CBR, but I don’t think I’ll do Attachments via audiobook, but maybe some of the others yes.
I’ve been mostly re-reading for the last month and a half, save for this and a few other new things I just couldn’t help but read immediately. I’m sure you’ll love it!
I just want to hug you for expressing the problems I had with this book so perfectly, and for reminding us all of the perfection that is “Attachments”.