Harry Potter vs Carry On
10:00 AM
BEFORE WE START: I don't have any intention to bash this book, Rainbow Rowell or anyone and anything in particular. I just need to get this dissapointment out of my system.
I know, I know. These are 2 different books, and I shouldn't compare them. But I just finished Carry On recently, and I'm just so dissapointed with it. Mainly with the characters, and the underdeveloped world building. It's based from Harry Potter so I was having such high hopes for it. I know I shouldn't compare them, but I just need to get this out from my system.
Immature characters. I'm not sure Simon Snow is 17 (or 18?) because he feels like 12. He doesn't make any plans for the future, like if there's attack, then he'll fight and hope to stay alive. And he tells everything to The Mage instead of trying to solve the problem himself. And he's just so obsessed with Baz and stalked him everywhere just because he said Baz is evil. (You can say it's love or whatever, but it only makes him creepier.) Harry Potter makes his own decision, which makes trouble sometimes comes to him. Like in Chamber of Secrets, the monster doesn't exactly threatened him, but he chose to saved his friends. Or in Prisoner of Azkaban, when he decided to save Buckbeak, even though its just an animal. He chose to do those things, and sometimes without Dumbledore knowledge. I don't know, Harry just seem more mature and capable to make his own decision at the age of 17 compared with Simon.
No monsters. All we got is numpties (basically trolls), vampires, harmless ghosts and a story about how Simon almost eaten by Chimaera. And none of the monsters are scary. They chatted with the numpties and vampires, and sing nursery to the dragon. The summary said "far more monsters" SO WHERE'S MY MONSTER??? In HP series we get at least one monster per book, but it was actually scary (Um dementors???)
Everything is basically hp rip-off? I know this book is based on Harry Potter but I was hoping from something original that Rainbow Rowell created herself. Why Baz has to live in a manor, exactly like Draco? I know he's based on Draco Malfoy, but why don't you twist him more with your own creativity? (Baz being a vampire doesn't count) Why Simon has sword??? Why can't he has other magical weapon? What's up with Ebb lives alone in a hut just like Hagrid? Why can't she lives in teacher quarters like other teachers? And other rip-offs.
No action. Simon always talked with the Humdrum and in what supposed to be final battle, there's no battle. They chatted with the numpties and vampire. They sang nursery rhyme to the dragon. Simon fucking touched the Humdrum and gives his magic and the Humdrum just fucking dissapear. WHY RAINBOW ROWELL WHY
CONCLUSION
The summary promises so many things: fantasy, action, lgbt love, and monsters. I think it's normal why I had such high expectations. I mean, I love Harry Potter, and I actually love the Simon & Baz snippets in Fangirl. So why this book turned up into such a dissapointment??? I kind of giving up with Rainbow Rowell. I love Eleanor & Park, like Midnights (her story in My True Love Gave to Me) and dissapointed in Fangirl and Carry On. My dissapointment outweighs my love for her writing. It's just... I don't know why sometimes her books worked, other times they don't.
This is my personal opinion though, since many readers are also enjoying this book!
Have you read Carry On? What do you think about it? Do you like the world-building and magical aspect?
15 comments
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ReplyDeleteHmm, I haven't read Carry On yet. I was deliberating, but after reading this post, I think I'll have to pass on it. Thanks for letting us know!
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like reading HP rip-off, then I guess you should pass this one. But so many people also enjoyed this book, so it's actually up to you! :)
DeleteI haven't read Carry On yet, but I plan to. I feel like, because this novel is basically 'fan fiction' written by a character in Rainbow Rowell's novel - Fangirl, I will not be expecting anything spectacular from Carry On. I am personally reading it for the story that it is.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you voiced your opinion! Seeing this side f the spectrum is important and I will definitely be keeping all your points in mind when reading Carry On. Who knows? Maybe we will end up with the same opinion.
Thank you! I can't wait to hear your opinion! :)
DeleteOmg I totally get what youre saying!! Im reading Carry On at the moment, but I was so thrown off by Simon's immaturity! Like Simon in this book was like HP in the Philosophers Stone! Idk im glad someone shares the same views as me ;)
ReplyDeleteI know right?! He doesn't seem like a 17 year old!
DeleteI've just finished Carry On. Obviously, it will never compare to Harry Potter, but it does have its good parts. I feel that Simon is a bit immature and there is no chemistry between him and Baz. One second they're mortal enemies, the next they're kissing. Woah what? Slow down!
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I think Carry On would have been a lot stronger if Rainbow Rowell didn't mean to base it off Harry Potter. From what I read it Fangirl, I thought it was just an alternate version of HP. Guess not...
Yes, it does have its redeeming parts, like Penelope! And I get what you mean. Rainbow Rowell took everything too fast. I want the process, like Eleanor & Park. Even Fangirl has its process... I just can't feel the love.
DeleteI really didn't enjoy Fangirl and I basically skipped the Simon and Baz parts because they were just a HP rip off. I knew that was the point, but I didn't get why I would waste my time reading a book characters fan fiction based on a fictitious book series, that is just a HP rip off. It made 0 sense to me. Then going to buy a book that is the fanfiction story about these two characters who are basically HP characters, in a world that is basically a HP rip off. Does not make any sense to me?!?!?! And I am not at all surprised to hear that this book didn't impress you.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy the Simon and Baz parts in Fangirl. It gives me the same nostalgic feels with HP. That's why I want to read this book so badly, and also why I was so dissapointed with it :D But yeah I also get why someone would dislike the Simon and Baz part. It's basically a Drarry fanfic with no difference or whatsoever! :D
DeleteLike Charnell, I also skipped over the Simon and Baz parts in Fangirl because it was too similar to Harry Potter for me. Except this sounds worse. I liked Harry Potter and don't want to read a poor imitation.
ReplyDeleteYou shouldn't then! It will dissapoint you. It's exact carbon copy of HP, and definitely worse :(
DeleteOMG I totally agree! So refreshing to hear someone else who didn't love it. You should check out my review, you might laugh at some of the things I put in spoiler tags :) It didn't work for me at all!
ReplyDeleteI know that feeling of being the lone black sheep haha!
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