Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Publisher- St. Martin's Griffin

Released- Oct 6th 2015

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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 sets 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, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters.

My Thoughts:

To be honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this book. I adored Fangirl but I was so obsessed with Levi and Cath that I overlooked the Baz and Simon pieces. But I was curious about this world so I picked it up and dame, I'm so glad I did! Carry On, turned out to be one of the most entertaining books I've read all year. It's magical, adventurous and so freaken adorably romantic.

I really loved what Rainbow Rowell did with this book. Sure, I guess it reminds me of HP but at the same time it's completely her own. I love Rowell's writing and I specially love all the little cozy details she gave this world. From the wondrous school building's and grounds, the subjects themselves and even the food they eat, it's those little things that gave this book so much soul. I even loved the quirky-yet-common spells they used, like; "Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you!" and "These aren't the droids you're looking for", are just a couple of my favorites. The flow and pace of the story is perfectly pitched. This book combines the back-story, history and memories of multiple characters but it's done in a way that was always interesting instead of overwhelming. It was effortless to lose myself in this enchanting and charming world.

But really, it was all of these wonderfully put together characters that own this book for me. Simon, Baz, Penny and even Agatha have such personalities that come alive when ever they interact with one another. They have the greatest voices that drip with humour and sarcasm and the endless banter and sexual tension was deliciously applied. 

Simon is the hero of our story. He's the Chosen One, the most powerful Mage who is destined to stop the war and the insidious Humdrum from sucking the Magickal world dry. Never mind that Snow botches most of his spells or he can't use his wand very well or has Penny at his side to help him rather then actual luck or talent. But Simon Snow can kick some serious ass. 

Penny is the kind of sidekick that everyone needs. Smart, insanely loyal and doesn't try to outshine or take over. She's Simon's best friend and I adored her endless support and sharp wit. 

Agatha was the only one I didn't seem to crazy about despite how everyone in this book refers to her as perfection. She's lovely, sure, but she also seems so lost and self absorbed and made for conflict more then anything else. 

And last, but never least, my favorite character was Baz! My gawd, what an amazing character! What is it about brooding vampires that I love so much anyway!? Baz is complicated in the best way possible. It's almost like he's mad at the entire world but he can't seem to part with it or the people who drive him to his madness. He can be driven to be this cruel and calculating person but underneath all his angry and hatred is this warm and vulnerable side that makes him more diverse and real then the other characters.

The romance in this book, the tension in this book, the angst and drama, the love and hate? My. Gawd. This was some of the sexiest, sweet as hell and crazy adorable that I've ever read. Seriously, I could live in those moments forever!

Bottom line, Carry On, was an amazing and entertaining experience. This was imaginative, creative and just solid fun and good times. I had everything I could possibly want in an escape. Daring adventure, action and intrigue, outstanding writing and unforgettable characters that were charming, enchanting, affectionately loveable and absolutely easy to invest in and connect with from minute one. I know this is a standalone, but I'm actually so sad to see this end. Rowell is an amazing contemporary author, but she can do fantasy like no ones business. I'm gonna need more! If your a fan of Fangirl or just want a new spin on fantasy fun, then this book goes out to you! Instant favorite!

Find the author:

Goodreads / Website                                 5 Snowflakes!

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Published: September 10, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

A coming-of-age tale of fanfiction, family, and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan.... But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she's really good at it. She and her twin, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.

Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My Thoughts
“To really be a nerd, she'd decided, you had to prefer fictional worlds to the real one.”

~Raises hand~ Yes, I’m a nerd.

This was it! I’m so glad I gave Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell a try. After plowing through several books that were falling in the 3 and 4 star categories, impatience was setting in as I waited to stumble upon my next 5 star experience. Loved this book!

Cather Avery and her twin sister Wren are off to college to embark on a new journey. However, where Wren is ready to embrace college life and enjoy the freedom, parties and new friends, Cath is scared to death of leaving her comfortable world by her sister’s side behind. Cath struggles with moving passed her Simon Snow fiction obsession. She’s made a name for herself in the fanfic world writing about Simon and Bass, hanging out in fan forums and creating an alternate story about this world she knows so much about. So, when one of her college writing class throws her a curve ball when submits fanfic for one of her assignments, a big fat F for plagiarizing has Cath wondering if college and fictional writing is really for her. Add a zany cast of roommates, her roommate’s ex-boyfriend falling for her, a classmate exploiting her craft, and this book becomes dramatic in the most subtle way. There were so many turns to this story, but the flow was perfect and steady.

Fangirl is a perfect balance of character driven and well paced drama. The cast blends and crashes in the most intriguing ways ever. There was not one wasted moment of interaction between the cast and I enjoyed every minute.

It goes without saying that I loved Cath and Levi together! Levi was full of smiles of heartfelt moments. Levi was such a great guy. It was hard not to fall for him.

“You give away nice like it doesn't cost you anything.” ~Cath

I enjoyed how Levi tested Cath’s emotional limits and was honest with her despite how he knew she’d react. Honesty, smiles, lattes and muffins… I could fall for a guy like this!

“I miss you."
"That's stupid," she said. "I saw you this morning."
"It's not the time," Levi said, and she could hear that he was smiling." It's the distance.”~Levi

I embraced Cath’s insecurities and angry kitten attitude. This character sure went through a lot with the abandonment of her mom, her father’s psychological struggles and her twin sister’s desire to go out on her own. This played into how Cath connected with others, so yes… I sympathized with her.

“I don’t trust anybody. Not anybody. And the more that I care about someone, the more sure I am they’re going to get tired of me and take off.” ~Cath

Overall, Fangirl had it all - a great cast, an original plot and a steady stream of drama that kept me glued to the story. Love!

5 Snowflakes

ARC Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Expected publication: March 5, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

"Bono met his wife in high school," Park says.
"So did Jerry Lee Lewis," Eleanor answers.d
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be," she says, "we’re sixteen."
"What about Romeo and Juliet?"
"Shallow, confused, then dead."
''I love you," Park says.
"Wherefore art thou," Eleanor answers.
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be."
Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

My Thoughts

What a pleasant surprise Eleanor & Park turned out to be! It absolutely caught me off guard around the mid point of the story when the characters suddenly began to wrap themselves around my heart. By the final pages, I was completely vested in Eleanor and Park’s story about unlikely friendships, complicated love and painful life experiences.

In this story, we meet Eleanor and Park during their sophomore year when they encounter each other for the very first time in the most brutal of places… the school bus. They don’t quite hit it off from the get go, as a matter of fact their initial meeting was cringe-worthy and all around brutal. Eleanor made quite the impression with her second-hand boy clothes and who-cares attitude, but as the story progresses, there’s more to her appearance and attitude than meets the eye. When the quiet, yet cool Park begrudgingly offers her a seat next to him on the bus and begins to break down the walls she’s built around herself, they eventually become close friends and develop a messy and complicated romance.

There were so many layers to this book that unfolded as the story progressed. We get to witness concepts play out such as school bullying, family problems, racial biases, and so much more. Every page was purposeful as each chapter added to the compounding depth of this story. By the end, nothing was wrapped up in a pretty bow, but surprisingly everything was appropriately addressed, making the story feel both impactful yet realistic.

My heart broke for Eleanor as I witnessed her struggles and felt her agony over her family situation. When I compared her life to Park’s, it really made me appreciate their friendship and bond so much more as Park tried to share some of his good fortune with her in so many ways. He really came to be Eleanor’s “knight in shining amour” and it just made the experience all the more sincere and heartfelt.

The twist at the end really caught me by surprise, and it just made me dislike one of the characters even more, which I didn’t think was possible. I always struggle with crappy fictional parents and this story really wins a prize in the “Worst Parents Ever” category. To see what Eleanor has to struggle with broke my heart. In contrast, when I compared them to Park’s mom and dad, it added that much needed levity to show that there are some parents that really get it, so I found myself applauding them.

Overall, this story is an unassuming tale of first love and teenage hardships. It took some time for me to fall for the characters, but when I did… it was well worth the journey. I truly enjoyed this book. Well done!

Quotes taken from an uncorrected proof:

The first time he'd held her hand, it felt so good that it crowded out all the bad things. It felt better than anything had ever hurt.

You saved my life, she tried to tell him. Not forever, not for good. Probably just temporarily. But you saved my life, and now I'm yours. The me that's me right now is yours. Always...

4 Snowflakes