Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Carry on
Rainbow Rowell
Carry on
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Novel
by Rainbow Rowell
The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
Here's a secret: Simon Snow is supposed to be the most powerful magician, but a scary magic-eating monster that looks just like him is causing chaos. He’s also dealing with a big break-up and has to find someone very important who disappeared. But that’s only the beginning of his magical adventure!
Themes
Quick Assessment
Simon Snow spends his final year at Watford School of Magicks dealing with a magic-eating monster that wears his face, a breakup, and a missing rival. It blends ghost story, mystery, and romance, with plenty of kissing and talk about relationships alongside frequent monster attacks and fantasy peril. It suits readers who enjoy fantasy action with light romantic content.
Why we rated Carry on LE (Mild)
Carry on is written at a Level 3 reading level across 522 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.
We rate Carry on as LE (Mild, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Carry on explores magic, fantasy world-building, friendship, romance, and students — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about magic, fantasy world-building, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
LE · Mild · EmotionalReading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate
Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781250049551
- Pages
- 522
- Publisher
- Macmillan
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction