Reviews

I literally could not put this book down. I finished it mid-work-week in three days. I lost sleep to read it.

From the beginning, Simon's general haplessness, coupled with the POVs of the characters who love him and want to keep him safe from the world, were my personal kryptonite. That kind of stuff pushes all of my this-boy-must-be-protected buttons (buttons that are mostly labeled Bucky Barnes).

Once I got to know Baz just a little, I was so far gone on both of them it almost hurt. Penelope is also extremely lovable, and it was so refreshing to read about this strong young woman outside the framework of who she is when she's around her significant other.

I loved Harry Potter, but I've had a hard time continuing to love it through the author's more recent behavior, and through learning to recognize some of the prejudices and lack of diversity on display in that series. This book scratched an itch I didn't know I still had - an itch for what I wish Harry Potter could have been. I can't wait to read the rest of this trilogy, and I already know I'm going to be devastated and wishing it was a longer series when I get there.

Favorite quotes:

Which is my rough luck, pretty much always. As soon as you start carrying a sword, all your enemies turn out mist and gossamer.

But I still didn't let myself dwell on any of the good things, you know? It's the good things that'll drive you mad with missing them.

She told me later that her parents had told her to steer clear of me at school. "My mum said that nobody really knew where you came from. And that you might be dangerous."
"Why didn't you listen to her?" I asked.
"Because nobody knew where you came from, Simon! And you might be dangerous!"

I have so much I want to tell you.
But time is short.
And my voice doesn't carry.

Honestly. I'm not sure why goatherds take such crap for being perverts. Cowboys seem to get off scot-free.

Fiona is vindictive. She's impatient. And sometimes she just wants to rage against the machine - even if she's not exactly sure where the machine is or how to properly rage at it.

Just when you think you're having a scene without Simon, he drops in to remind you that everyone else is a supporting character in his catastrophe.

I stay. And I drift. I slip through floors that won't hold me. I blow through walls that don't stop me. The whole world is grey, and full of shadows.
I tell them my story.

I'd cross every line for him.
I'm in love with him.
And he likes this better than fighting.

He cocks an eyebrow and stares at me, like figuring out what's wrong with me is something he'll never have enough time for.

It's a three-hour drive back to London. Penelope casts, "Time flies!" - but neither of us are having any fun, so it doesn't work.

I was happy.
I loved him.
And he was always more good than bad.
He's still more good than bad, I think. It just goes to show how much of both a person can hold.

“What you are is a fucking tragedy, Simon Snow. You literally couldn't be a bigger mess."
He tries to kiss me, but I pull back- "And you like that?"
"I love it." He says
"Why?"
"Because we match.”

I don't suppose I ever had the choices I thought I did.

elainem97's review against another edition

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4.0

Carry On Review

* Pros
- I loved the characters especially Baz and Penny
- The romance was cute and gave me all the feels
- It made me laugh a lot and the dialogue was great
- Some great plot twists and surprises

* Cons
- The book is slow paced: I was excited to start this book but I had previous knowledge that things wouldn’t pick up until part 2 of the book (it is divided into 4 parts). In reality, I believe things actually picked up in part 3.
- The chapters alternate between various points of views which can be annoying at times if a characters is not one of your favorites
- A lot of info dumps

*Observations
- There’s usually vital info in each chapter which is great
- This is a fantasy book but it reads more like a contemporary novel with magic.
- The book is mainly character driven with huge emphases on internal struggles.
- It’s in 1st person, present tense which usually bothers me but it surprisingly didn’t in this book. It matched with the character voices.

Conclusion: It was a good book once the main goal was established around the end of part 2 and the beginning of part 3.

gcullman's review against another edition

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4.0

Very fun. Loved Simon and Baz and Penny. Only part I didn't love was the Mage. We didn't really get why he would inspire love or devotion. He just seemed like a lunatic fanatic.

maren_e's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

devoney's review against another edition

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4.0

All the things I wish Harry Potter was.

melinac's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Carry on es fanfiction dentro de un mundo ficticio. De entrada, con eso ya me compró. La historia de Simon Snow nace en Fangirl, otro libro de Rowell donde la protagonista escribe fanfiction de una serie popular sobre magos, y esta es esa historia. Se lee como fanfic, poco world building porque se asume que uno ya conoce el mundo a través de la historia canónica, mucho foco en las interacciones entre personajes que quizás de otra manera no tendrían una historia juntos, entrar en la trama con mil eventos ya ocurridos y tener que "ponernos al día". Nada de eso me molestó, porque es parte de la premisa. Que sea obviamente inspirado en Harry Potter tampoco. Pero que

Spoiler

la UNICA persona en este mundo que se preocupe por minorías, por criaturas con poco o nada de poder pero igual algo de potencial, que tiene una vista anti elitista del mundo y que quiere activamente corregir los abusos de la oligarquía SEA EL MALO, y no solo malo a lo "quiero poder para mí", malo a lo "el mundo necesita una revolución y nadie más que yo está dispuesto a hacerlo, así que voy a hacer rituales en mi mujer embarazada para hacer nacer al Elegido, abandonar a dicho Elegido sin una familia para que nadie sospeche, generar la muerte de al menos una persona para mi propio beneficio, traer de nuevo a mi hijo a este mundo mágico cuando a mí me convenga, usarlo y aprovecharme de su confianza incondicional, y cuando eso no sea suficiente intentar matar al menos a 3 personas más porque mis prioridades son una mierda"

eso fue como DEMASIADO y le bajó todas las estrellas que venía acumulando. Las que quedaron son porque es entretenido, fácil de leer, y Baz y Penny como personajes son hermosos.

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