Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell - Book Review

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
Publication date: September 24, 2019
My rating: 3.5 stars

I'll never have someone like Baz again. There is no one like Baz; it's like dating someone out of a legend. He's a heroic vampire, a gifted magician. He's dead handsome. 

By the angel! Wait no, wrong book-phrase... by crowly, the snakes, Morgana, and magic itself, WHAT THE HELL. 

I can't people. I cannot even.

I have so many... thoughts? Feelings? Frustrations? Questions?

I don't even know what to say.

I've made the mistake once, 4 years ago, thinking Carry On was the last book in this... series? Who knows if it's a trilogy, a series, or whatnot... but I'm getting ahead of myself. *ahem*. So we all thought Carry On was a standalone, right? But then, a couple of years later we got AWESOME news that we'll have a sequel! And I was like "omg, a sequel! All about Simon and Baz honeymoon phase to solve all the lingering problems and questions from Carry On and wrap this up nicely with Simon and Baz together at last."

HAHAHA... no. Nope.

Crowly, we're bad at this. I can't even tell what Simon wants. Does that tag mean "I like you" Or is it "take care"? Or "Give me back my hand"? 

Because you see, Wayward Son made all of my post book craziness from Carry On SO MUCH more intense. And by the love of magic itself, I hope we don't have to wait 4 more years for the next book because that ending... that ending...

It literally solved nothing AT ALL. And I'm not even talking about the ending, I'm talking about the whole book.

I loved the book! But I'm also frustrated with it! I don't even know how to feel. Because I'm obviously a fan of these books but am also being a harsh critique here? 

I think I need some tea right about now. A calm cup of tea.

"A vampire, two mages, and a bleeder." Lamb sights and stands up. Every one of us flinches. "I'm going to need a cup of tea." "Oh, thank magic," Penelope says at the same time Simon says, "Tea?" and Baz says "Crowly below, please let us have some." 

So where was I?

Oh yes.

The book could have been so much better if Simon and Baz were actually talking to each other. I mean, they were talking, but not talking-talking. 

Maybe it was my mistake to think of this book as the “happily ever after” sequel. Especially considering this is by no means the last book (!). At least it better not be. It kind of felt like all the progress we made to get Simon and Baz together in Carry On went to waste here with them literally having to tiptoe around each other the entire book.

Sure, they’re officially together but they also aren’t? Crowley, I don’t even understand what I’m saying.

Like they don’t talk about how they feel, they don’t express themselves, they’re constantly scared of accidentally saying or doing something to make the other one run off. So they have no real talks. At all. And even the real talk they were *starting* to have at the very end was cut off. *crying into the abyss*. 

"Look here, son. We don't want any of your trouble. They might put up with you deviants wherever you come from, but this is Nebraska." (He could mean literally anything by "deviants". Magicians, vampires, bird boys, queers...) 

And yeah, I could understand this for a bit, but it's literally the situation THE ENTIRE BOOK. I’m serious, the entire book. 

We’ve done this, we’ve been there before with Carry On. I didn’t want another Carry On on my hands, I wanted the Baz and Simon ACTUALLY together having adventures being lovey-dovey, not “is he still my boyfriend” “can I kiss him?”.

I guess this could all be made more tolerable if I actually knew there was going to be a third book? But even if I knew, who would want two characters who are together to act like they don't even know if they're together for an entire book? With not even one single conversation between them I could count as deep.

I'm probably being too harsh here, I'm just filled with so many emotions right now.  

So let's get on to the good stuff, shall we?
I mean I did love this book! It's actually because I love this book and these characters that I get so deeply frustrated about these things. 

"I think it was light brown," Baz says. "This light brown," I say, pointing at a house, "or that light-light brown?" I point to another. "That's not light brown, that's a warm grey." "They're all sort of warm grey," I say, "even that green one." "I don't see a green one." "That one over there." "Surely, that's a tan." 

I’m in love with Rainbow’s writing style. It’s just so addictive! And funny! and quotable! I think I wouldn’t have minded quoting the whole book! I quoted the hell out of it anyway.

And the characters! Well we already know Penny and Simon and Baz (Baz is still my favorite although he’s done some stupid things towards the end there), but the newest character, Shepard, was awesomely fun! I nominate the guy as the official peace-maker of magic kind.

Everyone was telling him to shut up and he always wanted to learn more about magic, but he seriously seemed to be the only one who knows more than anyone in the room. I really liked the guy. He’s a bit crazy to go into danger like that, being Normal, but he’s also totally awesome for it. 

“Right,” I say. “We’ll need a candle.”“There’s one in the bathroom.”“And I’ll need your help.”“Me? I’m not even a lay-witch.”“As long as you have a soul, we’re fine.” He looks a bit worried. “Shepard, it’s fine—this isn’t dangerous.”
He smiles. “My soul is at your disposal.”

*spoilers from now on* 

I was actually really shipping him and Penny together but unfortunately, he wasn’t introduced all that early in the story and it didn’t seem like they had the time to develop a relationship in all those crazy magical adventures and almost dying multiple times. You know how it is. However! I definitely saw some sparks there towards the end, and I'm thinking that we're definitely hinted to a pairing of them in the third book. There is a third book, right? RIGHT? 

Agatha, yes—you brilliant girl. You’ve saved the day in the end.

As for Agatha, I didn’t like her at first. Well, I wasn’t liking her since Carry On, and I really just didn’t want to read her chapters in the very beginning. But then when she was in trouble I suddenly felt that overwhelming need for everyone to save her.

Because at the end of the day, Agatha is still part of their family. She might not be the most likable one, but she’s family nonetheless. And you can always count on family.

I think there might even be a chance of me actually liking the girl in the third book if she keeps this up. Maybe. We'll see.

Agatha is also a surprisingly talented magician? Probably even more so than Baz and Penelope, if she even bothered to learn, since she can actually cast spells without her wand. And with her lips sealed! Like seriously, Agatha, this is totally kickass! She really made us understand the whole “magic is inside of you, it’s part of who you are”. 

"You were amazing," he says, taking a breath. "You didn't even need a wand." I hold on to his shoulders. "I'm a little disturbed that you find slaying vampires this exciting." 

*end of spoilers* 

For the love of magic, I hope we get news of the third book soon.

I think I'll go calm myself down now.

Every time I finish a book about Simon and Baz I feel like I've been through a tornado. Which is actually not a bad feeling at all. I mean hey, every book that makes your heart go pounding is a book that got you to care about it, deeply. 

Back in Black - AC DC 

“I’m not a magician anymore, Penelope.” “You’re still a magician, Simon. Aeroplanes don’t stop being aeroplanes when they’re on the ground.”