Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell, is a fantasy novel and the first in the Simon Snow trilogy. It's Simon Snow's last year at Watford School of Magicks and time is running out for him to defeat the Insidious Humdrum, whose goal is to destroy all magic in the United Kingdom. When Simon searches for his evil roommate, Baz Pitch, who fails to show up at school at the beginning of term, Simon discovers secrets that he was not meant to find out and that may threaten everything he knows about the World of Mages.
Carry On is a fascinating and captivating read. The characters are strong but seem to imitate other successful characters. The book switches between characters' perspectives and I was disappointed that not all the characters were interesting enough for me to want to read their point of view. The story is hurried at times and doesn't always show the progression from one event to the next but the writing style is attractive to readers who enjoy fast-paced books. The most compelling aspect of Carry On is that it takes the familiar concept of a world of magic that is hidden away from 'Normals' and turns it inside out. I especially appreciated that Carry On avoids most stereotypes that are associated with the genre and provides new ideas and concepts.