Rainbow Rowell recently released her much-anticipated follow up to her book Fangirl. For those who have not read Fangirl the main character is obsessed with a Harry Potter-esque series about a boy wizard named Simon Snow. She writes fanfiction about Simon falling in love with his nemesis, Baz. The fanfiction is titled “Carry On, Simon”. Rowell’s Carry On is an exploration of the world that she built to support Fangirl. If this concept intrigues you I do not recommend rushing out and buying a copy of Carry On. You really need to read Fangirl first.
Fangirl is not the only book you ought to have read before delving into Simon Snow’s World of Mages. Really, if you haven’t read Harry Potter this book is not for you. Now perhaps this description makes you think that Carry On is simply Harry Potter fanfiction. It is not. Rowell works within the already standing archetypes of the “chosen one” narrative in a way that is both engaging and completely original. For people who have grown up with Harry Potter, Star Wars, Twilight, and so much more there are moments that are instantly recognizable in Carry On in a way that lends to the story rather than detracts from it.
One way in which Rowell plays with this established story line is she has the hero fall in love with his nemesis. Carry On is many things, but ultimately it is a love story between two well-constructed, complex characters. It is an example of everything that Rainbow Rowell does best. It is sweet and complicated and utterly romantic. But Carry On is one thing Rowell has not explored before. It is also very, very gay. The fact that a well-established romance author is branching out not only in genre but also in what kinds of love stories she is telling is very important. Rowell is doing what all authors should. She is diversifying her characters. In a time when the reading public is calling for more diverse books Rowell is delivering in her best story to date.