Carry On

Fantasy · Comedy

First published: 2015
Print length: 522 pagesSt. Martin's Griffin, 2015

Description

Simon Snow returns to Watford School of Magicks for his final year as the prophesied Chosen One, expected to defeat the Insidious Humdrum, an evil force associated with magical dead spots across England. Simon is also frustrated by the prolonged absence of Baz Grimm-Pitch, his vampire roommate and enemy. A supernatural message then asks Simon to investigate the murder of Baz’s mother and find someone named Nicodemus. After Baz returns from captivity, he, Simon, and Penelope investigate together. Multiple viewpoints, including those of Simon, Baz, Penelope, and Agatha, follow the magical danger, the unfolding mystery, and the characters drawn into it.

Reading profile

About this profile

Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).

Writing: How much attention the sentences and language require.
Ideas: How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
Structure: How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
Background knowledge: Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
Emotional intensity: Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.

Writing style

Conversational · Dialogue-driven · Witty

Pace

Brisk

Tone

Humorous · Playful · Romantic · Tense

Structure

Linear

Focus

Character · Plot · Relationships

Emotional intensity

4 / 5

Reading complexity

1–5 · higher means more demanding

Writing: 2 / 5
Ideas: 3 / 5
Structure: 3 / 5
Background knowledge: 1 / 5

Themes

BelongingComing of ageFriendshipIdentityLovePower

About Rainbow Rowell

Rainbow Rowell is an American author of young adult and adult novels whose work also extends to fantasy and comics. She often writes about people who feel out of place, using direct, witty prose and dialogue to trace how trust, attraction, and belonging develop through ordinary exchanges. Eleanor & Park and Fangirl show this approach in realistic settings, where first love, family strain, social anxiety, and creative ambition shape young people’s efforts to connect with others. In Carry On, Rowell brings the same attention to identity and intimacy to a magical-school story, revisiting the Chosen One tradition through multiple viewpoints and an evolving relationship between rivals. Attachments places her interest in mediated intimacy within a workplace comedy built around private emails and uneasy surveillance. Her comics work includes Marvel’s Runaways and She-Hulk.

Series

Simon Snow Series · Book 1

Books by Rainbow Rowell

Book details

For the print edition listed above.

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Language: English
ISBN: 9781250049551

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