Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

**This review will contain spoilers for the first book in this series, Carry On**

Most of my Then Versus Now Challenge consists of pairs of books - one book that I read years ago, and another book by that same author that I haven't tried yet. In the case of Rainbow Rowell's match up, I had a third book in the mix. Carry On has a sequel, so I figured that now was the best time to read it since I would have the details of the first book fresh in my mind. I really liked Carry On, so I was excited to see how Wayward Son would continue Simon and Baz's story.

The story picks up soon after the close of Carry On. Simon, Baz, and Penelope have all moved to London and are attending university, while Agatha has decided to move overseas and attend a school in California. Everyone is doing pretty well except for Simon. Having to give up his magic to defeat the Insidious Humdrum the previous year has taken a toll on him and he is struggling to figure out his place in the world. He and Baz are still together, but Simon is secretly planning on ending their relationship. He sees himself as an anchor around Baz's neck and is just waiting for the right time to break things off. Sensing Simon's growing depression, Penelope plans a vacation for their upcoming summer holidays - a road trip across America to visit Agatha.

The trio flies into Chicago, rents a car, and begins their adventure together. It doesn't take them long to learn that magic in America is quite different than what they are used to. There is no organized form of government for magicians there. Those that are capable to performing magic keep to themselves and educate their own children; there is no magical community. They also need American words and phrases to cast spells, which gives them no end of trouble as they travel. British words often don't work and the group doesn't know enough American idioms to fill in the gaps. There are also a lot of magical creatures roaming the world, and despite their best efforts to keep a low profile, they continually run into all manner of beings, like vampires, pixies, and even a dragon. Luckily, they meet a young man named Shepard that acts as a guide and helper to them. Shepard is not a magician, but he is a magician enthusiast, and he has near-encyclopedic knowledge of their world.

The group's experience is decidedly mixed. Penelope is having boyfriend issues, so she is unhappy for most of the trip. Baz is not a fan of America as a place, but is happy that Simon is enjoying himself. Their relationship seems to grow stronger and stronger the longer they are there. Simon is having the time of his life, and as their encounters with magical creatures continue, he starts to feel alive again. Before long though, the group receives some unsettling news about Agatha and their fun road trip turns into a serious rescue mission. Wayward Son is an exploration of what happens to heroes after their time in the spotlight is done. What is there left to do after you have fulfilled your destiny? Where do you fit in once you have completed the task you were born to do?

This was a fun novel and a worthy sequel to Carry On. I generally don't enjoy the road trip trope, so I was a little apprehensive when I started reading, but I was pleased to find that I was completely engaged in the story. As in the previous novel, Rowell's writing was a nice blend of funny and emotional and Simon, Baz, and Penelope continued to be lovable and nicely developed characters. This novel brings some interesting changes to their lives - Simon has to deal with the depression and insecurity that comes from losing his powers (not to mention his new wings and tail), Baz struggles to come to terms with his vampirism, and Penelope must confront her tendency towards bossiness and aggression. Each of them ends up learning about themselves and growing on the trip in ways that feel organic and authentic to their characters. The romance between Simon and Baz continues to evolve as well, and plenty of drama ensues as they attempt to sort out their feelings for each other and find a path to happiness and stability.

In my review for the first book in the series, I wrote about how the story suffered from its associations with Harry Potter. I thought that those issues were lessened considerably in this book. By taking the story out of England and away from a magic school setting, Rowell was able to develop her own universe more fully. Placing the characters in an unfamiliar country with new magical elements to explore helped the story to stand on its own. I found that I wasn't constantly comparing Wayward Son to Harry Potter while reading and just enjoyed the novel on its own terms. 

There is a third Simon Snow book in the works and I'm excited read it when it comes out. These are sweet stories with a lot of diversity, humor, and heart. I'm glad that I included these in my reading challenge for the year and I'm very glad that I discovered that there was more to Rowell than Eleanor & Park.

Challenge Tally

Then vs. Now: 15/27

Total Books Read in 2020: 52