While some may roll their eyes at the prospect of reading another Harry Potter look-alike, I can assure you these novels do not cover the same material as those of J. I have read Fangirl, and while I discovered that the original novel left much to be desired, I was not disappointed in the Simon Snow series that became the fruit of that venture. Photo Credit: Artem Maltsev (via Unsplash) Rainbow Rowell’s Simon Snow trilogy often parodies J. After the success of this novel, Rainbow Rowell decided to make these ‘fanfiction’ novels real by writing them herself. Her fanfics focus on bringing together Simon and his “evil” adversary Baz in a relationship that the original books didn’t fulfil.

In Fangirl, a college-aged girl writes alternative fanfics for a series of seven books based on a male hero, Simon Snow. This book series stemmed from another novel written by Rainbow Rowell called Fangirl. Chosen ones, prophecies, ‘magick’ wands, a co-ed school for the magickally inclined in England… The similarities aren’t lost on the reader, and they are not a coincidence. While being LGBTQ-friendly reads, these books tell a story that is suspiciously similar to some of J. In this case, I feel comfortable instructing readers to judge the book by its cover, as nothing is lacking in the artwork that doesn’t convey the playful, feel-good sentiment that this novel imparts on the reader. Each cover features colourful depictions of the main characters, Simon Snow and Basilton (Baz) Grimm-Pitch. You may have seen the latter on the front display at Coles in the Avalon Mall. The series contains three books, Carry On, Wayward Son, and Any Way The Wind Blows. For any readers looking for a break from heavy and convoluted material, Rainbow Rowell’s Simon Snow series provides a lighthearted, diverse twist on a saturated genre.

Simon carry on