hello 911 yes I just finished Carry On and Id like to surgically remove my feelingshonestly my heart is such a soft and sensitive mess right now. This book was soft love that feels a lot like when you're standing in the sunlight and you dont really want to leave and it somehow gives you the sensation of lazily melting into whats around you as you take it all in. I honestly need to do more to deserve the love I'm feeling right now because I think I'm seriously about to get done for tax evasion. This review is going to be a spoilery mess so if you haven't read the book, DO NOT SCROLL DOWN. Just know that it's basically Harry Potter but gayer. A LOT GAYER. THE GAYER THE MERRIER. Also, Drarry is canon. Mostly, know that this is the kind of book that will make you so giddy you will have to stop reading for a minute and grin or press your face into a pillow and squeal. But if you ever see someone reading it and appearing calm and emotionless, trust me...in reality they're actually on the brink of fucking deathYou were the sun, and I was crashing into you. Id wake up every morning and think, This will end in flames.(x) I'm basically 95% harry potter and 5% bad decisions and reading this book is such a great representative of that however, the version of myself who kept putting off reading it for so long is not the version I want physically representing me....because this was such a good book why did I make the concious decision to deprive myself of it?? me looking back at my decision to not read this sooner: well that um. really sucks for her anyway, I am so grateful for fictional characters and otps for filling the void in me where love should exist as an actual thing and not just an abstract concept. tbh I don't know where I would have been as a person and in society without the option of listening to music and staring at a window while my mind slips away into an alternate reality and I could make up different scenarios involving my favorite ships yeah lets just move on before I sound any weirder SIMON SNOW I can't walk up the stairs without wheezing but I would very literally fistfight the fucking moon for Simon Snow actually, if I loved him any more, Id be Baz Pitch listen, I have an extreme weakness for characters who are such trashboy dorks their guardian angel probably facepalms himself a lot but I also relate to Simon because I, too, am irresponsible and aggressively bisexual and I will always assume that you hate me unless you explicitly tell me you love me and then periodically remind me here's a little [ (:: ::) ] bandaid for his little heart I hope he's doing his best even though we're all doomed most of all, I hope he knows that he wasn't a fraud magician. That his parents were two of the most powerful mages the world of magic has ever known. That he was loved and that his father's awful misdeeds are a reflection of himself and what he values out of relationships. They were never a reflection of Simon or of his worth as a person!! anyway I love Simon and I hope the people around him match his capacity to love and also get him lots of cherry scones, god knows he earned that even though he drinks butter like it's a fucking smoothie. jesus fucking christBAZ PITCH [gently rests my hand on his cheek] I love you but youre kind of an ass listen, Baz is basically me: 1) emotionally, I too identify as the sunglasses emoji: the only reason I wear my shades is to hide the tears. 2) I, too, expect people to like me for who I am without actually giving them anything to like while also having about a 2% tolerance for all of humanity. 3) I'm kind of an asshole too but Im also very kind-hearted and I like making people happy and if I love you I will love you with all my heart and all my soul but don't be confused, Im also such a fucking asshole. Oh and I also consider salt and vinegar crips a good substitute for actual food. so Baz Pitch is a vampire, both literally and figuratively. Figuratively as in, he likes to suck the joy from any situation and also continues to age and wither on all levels except physically look, if you want me to bring out the official adoption papers, just give me a character who comes off as rude and unapproachable until its revealed that the reason for this is because theyre fumbling dorks who just don't understand how they're socially supposed to act Baz is actually pretty cool. You just have to give him like 10 tries before he gets it right, you feel? I mean he would drag you through the fucking dirt while holding a fucking capri sun in one hand and graham crackers in the other but still my only christmas wish would be his health and safety and that he never gets kidnapped by fucking nupties also, @Fiona, let the child take the front seat hes been through enough SNOWBAZ ok so my question now is how in the FUCK am I supposed to live without this ship?? I know at some point in the future I'm gonna have to get over it but today is not that day. tomorrow wouldn't be either. In fact, come back in sixty years and you would probably still be disappointed listen, shipping the (-) one with the () one is the reason I was put on this earth no trope fucks me up more than having the obnoxiously smug one of my otp be the one who is actually expertly incapacitated by their crush the universe was assembled from nothingness so I could witness the stoic and cool person of my otp (baz) get so flustered when their lover just like, looks in their general direction and just overall be so in love with them that they could cast an incredibly difficult spell that requires true love to work also, let's make it clear that the whole-hearted, good-natured and angst-ridden pining filled with lovesick gazing and chest aching and fluttering touches is my literal endgame if you ever briefly consider that I will grow bored of the unrequited love trope, the answer is no with that being said, can we just fucking appreciate the fact that we didnt get a slow realization on both sides?? instead we literally got Baz Pitch straight up telling us on his first day back at school that he was hopelessly in love with Simon Snow I honest to god read that passage ten times just to make sure my eyes weren't actually betraying me also, remember when Baz couldn't believe that agatha and simon broke up because he literally couldn't fathom how anyone would VOLUNTARILY broke up with simon?? he even went out of his way to explain to simon that there was nothing between him and agatha and never has been, all just because he wanted him to be happy even if it physically hurt him to do so?? I think of that a fucking lot but with all seriousness, what the fuck Basilton?? I mean Baz and Simon were roomates foR EIGHT YEARS. how does that even work?? how do you get the universe to align in your favour like that?? if I were Baz, I wouldn't waste time playing hard to get!! like, I can talk to a girl for five minutes and already picture our domestic life together lets get this love train going!! it's funny because canonically, Baz was the first one to fall hard and fast but never forget that Simon never shuts the hell up about Baz that Penelope literally forbid him from talking about him unless he presents a clear and present danger and should not take more than ten percent of [their] total conversation he spends ninety percent of his productive time thinking about baz, passionately describing Baz's eyes, obsessing over his eating and sleeping habits. like? simon, sweetie, youre doing a terrible job of pretending to not care about him also, can we talk about the fact that Baz was actually about to set himself on fire and didnt mind it at all because at least his path intertwined with simon long enough for him to have something to miss?? but then the love of his life walked into a burning forest and kissed him and he finally had a reason to live the only romantic gesture for real though, I'm just really grateful to Snow for walking into that burning forest and being there for baz since I couldnt do that myself and not to be dramatic but whatever chill I still had by that point left my body when Baz called Simon love was that really necessary I nearly fucking breathed my kidneys. jesus anyway, I hope they're happy and married and living on a mountainside somewhere near the sea and with honeysuckle blossoms blooming almost all year round!! I love themPENNY oh you mean my baby cinnamon apple cloud muffin sugar plum princess peach angel face doll fairy my world my sun my moon my stars?? I love Penny and I strive to be as vibrant, as full of love and good vibes that people absorb like warmth from the sun as her I hope she's always treated very gently and smells like vanilla and wears only matte dusty rose lipstick also her friendship with Simon is the kind of good friendships that are the most healing and light things in the entire world and I love itAGATHA hmm I dont really like Agatha but we share the same unenthusiasm for any physical activity and I too am always really exhausted for someone who only ever does the bare minimum requirements of getting by so I put up with her, I guess I dont even blame her for running like she did. homegirl just wanted to hang out with her Normal friends, she didnt sign up for no crazed magicians and deaths. Come onTHE BLOODY MAGE any ideas how to rewrite this book so that he dies in chapter one?? let it be known that I fucking hate him with a casanovian passion and that I hope he's on a rollercoaster that only goes straight down to hell where he belongs what kind of douche kills an entire nursery of babies??? kills a woman to get her job?? KILLS EBB WHOS A LITERAL BUN OF JOY AND EVERYTHING PURE?? sacrifices his own son?? he's lucky he's only fictional, otherwise he would've gotten a taste of my KNUCKLES sandwitch!! [Eleven's voice] mouth-breather

Yup, I'm totally on board the "I just want to re-read this book forever" train.I can't even explain it. I went in to this book with a healthy amount of skepticism (mostly an attitude like "but why does this book exist?") and I was TOTALLY put in my place. This book is perfect.It's everything fanfic-loving adolescent Kristina ever wanted out of a book. It's everything that never would have happened in Harry Potter. It's delicious LGBT+ representative romance, it's sassy writing, it's delightful unbelievable and it took me RIGHT back to my fanfic days. And for all its impossible ridiculousness, it also somehow manages to be a surprisingly great book.5 stars, 100%, would read again (and again and again and again). Simon + Baz forever. OTP. <3

4/5 Stars You were the sun, and I was crashing into you.This book was MAGIC. Literal magic. I enjoyed it tremendously. The beginning, though, was a chaos for me. It started off too strong, with too much information thrown at me, with no concept. The story started off from Simon's 8th year in Watford. So, there were many things that had happened in the previous years that the author tried to explain briefly. The first 100 pages were very confusing and disorienting for me, I was trying to keep everything in my head, but after a while I succeeded. And I enjoyed the ride extremely much.Simon Snow is the worst chosen one whos ever been chosen.Thats what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but hes probably right.Half the time, Simon cant even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentors avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and theres a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simons face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were hereits their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simons infuriating nemesis didnt even bother to show up.I have to admit, I should have read this book before Fangirl I would have a better understanding of Cath's obsession with this world and I would have grasped the meaning behind her fanfics. I should read the passages now, actually. I have heard that many people never read the passages of Simon Snow between the chapters. I was one of the people who did, knowing I would read this book next. But now I understand that I would have liked Fangirl more if I read Carry On first. The world of Harry Potter was very prominent in this book. The entire time I was reading this book, I was imagining Hogwarts and I was getting the Harry Potter vibes. Which was what the author wanted to do, I suppose. There hasn't been an official statement that this world is based off on Harry Potter, but come on. I relished in the fact that the spells were lyrics from songs or common phrases or funny expressions, they made the book so much more unique. And it was like Rainbow was parodying her own book, which I found hilarious. I don't even know if "parodying" is a word but we'll go with it. Also, oh Rainbow you're such a Drarry shipper. I have never been one myself but how can you not ship Simon and Baz? But we'll talk about them later, cause I have feels to discuss. Plenty of plot parts were similar to Harry Potter, too. The feud between the families, the Chosen One trope, the Humdrum being basically Voldemort plot. But they didn't seem like she copied off of J.K. Rowling work, it was everything its own world. And I truly appreciated that.I was fond of Simon and Penelope's relationship so much. It was irrevocably platonic, which doesn't happen often. Authors always love to make a boy and a girl fall in love or have romantic feelings for each other or something romantic happening. This wasn't the case here. Their friendship was friendship goals. They were always there for each other, supporting each other, accepting each other. It was beautiful. Penelope was HERMIONE. I got the vibe so strongly, sometimes I would picture Hermione in her place!!! And I loved her to bits! Agatha on the other hand... She shouldn't even have existed. What a wasted opportunity of a character. She was literally useless and totally unlikable. Her chapters made me die inside a little. Her relationship with Simon was toxic, she treated him like trash, they were both bad for each other. And when I thought she would get a character redemption arc, she ran away. She left her friends... you know... to fucking die! I totally disliked her and I hope we don't see much of her in the next book.AND NOW... THE ROMAAAAAAANCE. Oh shit dawg. Starting off, I ADORED the fact that Baz appeared after a long while. It made the anticipation so much better. And when he appeared, I was dying to know more about his character. He was pictured in a specific way by Simon and everyone else, and there was so much mystery surrounding him. The anticipation was truly worth it. Let me tell you, the enemies to friends to lovers trope is my favorite. I can't get enough of it, especially when it is done right. And with those two, it was incredible. They were the cutest shits I have ever witnessed! When Baz first admitted that he is in love with Simon, I was surprised to be honest. I was certain the whole situation would start off with Simon. And I wasn't wrong. FUCKING SIMON INITIATED THE KISS. Which I didn't expect either. Good job Rainbow. I'm thrilled that I can add one more ship to my ships collection. It's always frustrating when I read a new book and don't add a new ship to my list. I'm a ships person, shoot me.I have to discuss here some punctuation issues that really bothered me in this book. I watch lots of Booktube and there are many people who talk about punctuation and editing and all these things. I didn't used to notice them, but after them, I do. Thanks, you have ruined my life. In this book, there were so many redundant parentheses, I wanted to shoot myself. Also, dashes. Dashes everywhere. But the dashes weren't as significant as the parentheses. Sometimes, I would count three uses of redundant parentheses, in the same page. After I noticed them, I would read the sentence again and a parenthesis wasn't needed at all. They just existed to piss me off, it might seem. But anyway, I feel like this is lazy writing and it shouldn't exist. Overall, this book was truly something magnificent and magical. I can't wait for the next book, which comes out too late for my liking! Carry On my Wayward Son THERE'LL BE PEACE WHEN YOU ARE DONE. Fucking Supernatural feels, man. The smartest use of titles I have ever seen. I have to say, Rainbow Rowell you have seriously pleased me. I have read three books of yours, and all of them got 4 starts from me. I will read more of your books in the future. And till the next one... K BYE!

OKAY. OKAY OKAY...I don't even know where to start. Obviosuly I loved this book, but I'm not sure if I loved it enough to be a TOP favorite of mine, though I really FEEL something, like... I think it'll become one of those books that I'll love more and more with every day that passes. But for now, let's just say that Rainbow Rowell did it again... I'M IN LOVE WITH EVERYTHING SHE WRITES. The first part of this book was a little slow, but as soon as Baz makes his official appearance, everything gets SO MUCH BETTER! Oh, I love that vampire boy so much. But I also love Simon. And Penny. Those three made me laugh so much. I care deeply about them.One thing that surprised me was the Magickal World Rainbow created! I was amazed by it! The spells were so silly and clever (I burst out laughing when the Mage was chanting Bohemian Rhapsody!) and I loved the simplicity of them! I loved the similarities with Harry Potter that at the same time were SO DIFFERENT! And I also loved that Rainbow could manage all that world building in just one book :). I'd definetly read more about this world.Okay, okay, but now let's talk about Simon and Baz TOGETHER. OMG. I couldn't stop giggling in their scenes!!! The synopsis didn't lie: There is SO. MUCH. KISSING. AND I WANTED MORE!!! Rainbow has talent with these cute romantic scenes and all these cute silly banter! I love how their relationship developed and I SIMPLY LOVE THEIR LOVE. I was fangirling so hard I'm sure tears fell from my eyes, I was squealing and yelping whenever they kissed or showed their love for each other. And the ending, OH, THAT ENDING.I mean, it was a little bittersweet (the ending, I mean), and I didn't expect it, but I'm kinda okay with it. And also! This feels like the less open ending that Rainbow has ever written! BRAVO! (But at the same time, she left so many questions unanswered! I wouldn't mind a sequel, I really wouldn't. And I hope Simon gets another chance, if you've read it, you'll know what I mean).BUT YESSS, I'm so happy I finally read this! It was one of my most anticipated reads of this year and it didn't dissappoint :). I think it may become one of my favorites. -----------------------19/10: CRYING TEARS OF JOY BECAUSE I FINALLY HAVE THE TIME TO READ THIS ONE.-----------------------BEFORE READING IT:A SIMON SNOW BOOK. A SIMON & BAZ STORY. OMG I'M CRYING HERE!!!MY DREAM BOOK IS GOING TO COME TRUE!!!!!"It has just as much kissing and talking as youd expect from a Rainbow Rowell story but far, far more monsters."KISSING. KISSING AND MONSTERS.

Sorry, this book is just too meta for me, man.This book is about a fictional character who was the subject of fascination in another fictional character's life from another book. It's a story about a made-up character from a series that's fictional inspired from another fictional series? Does that even make any sense? I don't even know. It's just too meta, man!Besides the ludicrous premise of a fictional Harry Potter (can you even have a fictional fanfic of a character who is fiction in the first place? I guess that's what you call <.i>Twilight?). It is all sorts of ludicrous to read a book about a character who is a parody of another character. This isn't tongue-in-cheek so much as it is absolute lunacy.I didn't give two shits about Simon and Baz in Fangirl to be honest. I don't remember much of them at all besides the fact that Simon is the fictional Harry Potter in the Fangirl universe. And I started this book not really giving a damn, hoping the book can convince me otherwise. It didn't.There is no plot.Not having cared about Simon's story in Fangirl, I still don't care about Simon's story now in a fleshed-out book.There is no plot.Literally nothing happens in the book.There is no plot.I have never been so bored reading about a world where vampires and unicorns and ghosts exist.Maybe there is? I don't know. I don't care. I was falling asleep by page 10.Furthermore, this book is just a sad parody at slash fandom. Baz's unrequited feelings towards Simon felt empty and pointless. Let's get this straight, it's not that I'm anti-gay in the least. It's that if you are to include homosexual and bisexual characters in a book, they should be there as a person. There should be a point to their character. They're not there for the purpose of OMG HOT MAN ON MAN ACTION. This may be a little controversial, but I am largely against slash fiction because I feel they're disrespectful to gays, to rewrite a character's sexuality just for the purpose of titillation.Bazs mouth is colder than Agathas.Because hes a boy, I think, and then: No, because hes a monster.Hes not a monster. Hes just a villain.Hes not a villain. Hes just a boy.Im kissing a boy.