Title and Author: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Plot Overview: Trouble seems to be attracted to Simon Snow like a moth to a flame. He can barely control his magic, his rival, Baz, is his roommate and probably a vampire, and a magic-eating entity that shares his face and an army of monsters seem to find him wherever he goes. At Watford, though, he finds some sense of safety and belonging. His best friend, Penny, and his girlfriend, Agatha, are there. The Mage who runs the school claims he is the chosen one and has mentored Simon since he first arrived at Watford. When Simon arrives for his final year, everything seems to start going wrong at Watford. Agatha won’t talk to him, and the Mage seems to be trying to avoid him. Strangest of all, Baz seems to have disappeared without a trace. Now, Simon can’t get his petulant undead tormentor/room-mate out of his head and he has to deal with a tangle of mysteries, the world’s magic disappearing, and a magical society on the brink of war.

Critique: I found this book’s connection to Rowell’s previous book, Fangirl, and to the Harry Potter franchise, its fanfiction, and fanfiction in general compelling. It presents characters, themes, and tropes found in the Harry Potter franchise and in some other “Chosen One” stories and turns them on their head. It also appears to be a play on the “fix-fic”, with the implications throughout the story that the fictional “Simon Snow” book series it is based on had an unsatisfying ending and an official couple that a portion of its fictional fandom did not approve of. The book had a couple of information dumps that felt a bit awkward and out-of-place, but they weren't too distracting.

Star Rating: 4/5