Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

Macmillan Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781509896899. 356p. bkp.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. What happens to the heroes when they've won the war? They should be on top of the world, right? In Rowell's sequel to Carry On, living happily ever after hasn't quite happened. If Hogwarts was in an alternative, slightly edgy, world it might be the school that Simon, Baz and Penny graduated from but time has moved on and things have changed. The Mage has been destroyed and the friends are living a 'normal' university student life. Simon has no power (but a nifty pair of dragon wings and a tail) and Baz is despairing about their relationship. Penny wants to shake things up with a road trip across the American West with a visit to her boyfriend on the way. However, best-laid plans go awry and then the friends are faced with having to save the world yet again, while coming to terms with who they are and where they're heading.
In this engaging story we might be immersed in a world of magic and vampires but Rowell's characters face the same intensely personal challenges of friendship, love, direction and change that we mere humans deal with. Themes include self-esteem, self-evaluation, gay and straight relationships, diversity, and of course, what life looks like when the major goal has been achieved. A great follow-up for fans of Carry On and Fangirl.
Gaye Howe