Review - Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Carry On

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Pages: 528

Publisher: Macmillan

Release date: 25th February 2016

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley*

 

It's Simon Snow's final year at Watford School of Magicks and it seems like everything is against him - his girlfriend dumps him, his room-mate/enemy is nowhere to be seen (which can't be a good thing) and the headmaster wants Simon to leave the school to protect him from the Insidious Humdrum. Throw in some vampires, ghosts and the fact that Simon can't control his powers, and things are bound to go badly.

Will Simon learn to control his powers?

Will Baz return to Watford?

Who is the Insidious Humdrum?

After reading and liking Fangirl I was excited to read Carry On but I have mixed feelings about it.

I didn't like Simon. I thought he was a bit boring and he didn't really have much personality.

My favourite characters were Penny and Baz.

The story took a while to get going and I didn't think the book needed to be as long as it was, especially seeing as I found myself losing interest and started skim-reading at the end.

The storyline was okay but I did guess a few things that happened, however I was surprised by some things.

It was interesting reading from different characters’ points of view but there were points where there were too many changes in POVs in a short space of time which disrupted the pace for me.

Overall this was an okay but disappointing read.

Review - Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Landline

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Pages: 398

Publisher: Orion

Release date: 30th July 2015

Blurb from Goodreads: 

 

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.

Maybe that was always besides the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley*

3/5 stars

Georgie McCool is supposed to go to Omaha with her husband, Neal, and their children for Christmas but then the chance appears for Georgie and her co-writer/best friend Seth to get a show they've been planning for years on air. Georgie stays intending to work on the show.

Georgie's marriage has been on the fritz for a while and Neal is upset when Georgie tells him she won't be going with them to Omaha.

It's only when Neal and their daughters are in Omaha that Georgie realises just how bad things have gotten between her and Neal.

Then she calls him using her old yellow phone at her room in her mum's house but Georgie finds herself talking to Neal in the past before they married.

Should Georgie convince Neal that they're better off apart so that he can be happy?

Does she really have a magical phone?

Landline was an enjoyable, thought-provoking read.

I liked Georgie and I felt sorry for her but I felt sorrier for Neal because Georgie had taken him for granted for years and he was jealous of Georgie's relationship with Seth.

The plot was good but not much seemed to happen. I liked reading about Georgie's past and how her relationship with Neal started and developed.

The writing style was easy to follow and I wanted to keep reading but I wasn't gripped.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.