SuitabookCarry on
Rainbow Rowell
- Reading
- If magical fights or blood could be unsettling, read together at first and pause to check in. You could also agree whether you want to talk about the romance and language as they arise.
- Themes
- Chosen-one expectations: Simon is a Chosen One whose magic often fails, and the burden of expectation is a theme. The story’s focus on a struggling Chosen One and its critique of the trope frame inherited heroic expectations sceptically.
- Romance and identity: The novel places a romance between Simon and Baz alongside its magical mystery; the guide describes their relationship developing from animosity into affection. The love story is a central strand, and Simon and Baz’s relationship develops into deep affection.
- Worth knowing
- Expect magical combat with physical harm, blood and property damage, as well as frequent swearing and scenes of kissing. There are also references to casual drinking and to blood connected with vampirism.