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May 07, 2020librarianjessica rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
My HEART. This book was sunshine and angst. I adored it with every fibre of my being. Simon Snow has won. Technically. He vanquished the evil at Watford, defeated the Humdrum, and managed to secure the boy he loves as his own. Kind of. But there's no such thing as endings, and without his magic, Simon is a Normal - with a tail and wings. And Simon is finding out just how hard life is when you're no longer Chosen. When Penelope proposes a road trip across America, Baz wonders if Simon will extricate himself from the couch for long enough to consider it, but soon, the trio are off, with gods-only-know what adventures awaiting them on American soil. It's been so long since I read Carry On. Over 4 years in fact. And that, my friends, is enough time to forget every detail of a novel, but not the feelings it evoked. That was the case here - I needed a recap (majorly) but as soon as I reacquainted myself with the events of book one, I immediately remembered the emotions I had reading it. The love I had for Baz and Penny, how I disliked Agatha, how Simon was just the sweetest little cinnamon roll and I simultaneously wanted to hug him and give him a stern talking to. This time, I just adored everyone. Maybe it's the years in between for me, maybe it's the book itself and the events that take place, but the entire time I was reading, all I could think about was how wonderful these characters are. How relatable they've become. I love that Rainbow has decided to follow them into their twenties and give us a glimpse of what life is like post-Chosen-One-status. This is fantasy, yes, but it's so grounded in reality and so full of heart that it reads like contemporary. Speaking of which, the fantasy world here is so simple, yet so fun and interesting. The spells can be hilarious, and I love the way the characters have to adopt the colloquialisms of the place in order for their magic to work. It's so creative and cool, and it makes the whole thing feel like it could be real. It's still somewhat silly and light, like in book one, but I think the shift of focus to a more character-driven story instead of the more intense mystery in Carry On fits with the world better. It certainly resonated better with me. This was such a fast read, but so emotionally resonant for me. I related to each of the characters in different ways. I love the way the POV's switch from character to character, and the addition of Shepard and the new dynamic amongst the group. I felt like, even with the short page count, I got to know each of these characters infinitely better, and that's why I've come out of it wanting to squish every one of their faces and give them all the biggest group hug ever.