Any Way the Wind Blows

Any Way the Wind Blows is the highly anticipated conclusion to Rainbow Rowell's Simon Snow trilogy, a young adult fantasy series that reimagines "Chosen One" tropes with a contemporary sensibility and a prominent LGBTQ+ romance. Geared for ages 12-18, this 592-page novel delves deep into the emotional aftermath of previous adventures. Protagonists Simon and Baz navigate their evolving relationship and personal identities, while Penelope and Agatha confront their own challenges, including family crises and unexpected complications. The book thoughtfully addresses themes of processing trauma, finding closure, and making difficult decisions about one's future, all wrapped in a magical boarding school setting. Parents should be aware of the significant emotional depth and the central queer romance, which is handled with care and authenticity.

New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell's epic fantasy, the Simon Snow trilogy, concludes with Any Way the Wind Blows. In Carry On, Simon Snow and his friends realized that everything they thought they understood about the world might be wrong. And in Wayward Son, they wondered whether everything they understood about themselves might be wrong. In Any Way the Wind Blows, Simon and Baz and Penelope and Agatha have to decide how to move forward. For Simon, that means deciding whether he still wants to be part of the World of Mages — and if he doesn't, what does that mean for his relationship with Baz? Meanwhile Baz is bouncing between two family crises and not finding any time to talk to anyone about his newfound vampire knowledge. Penelope would love to help, but she's smuggled an American Normal into London, and now she isn't sure what to do with him. And Agatha? Well, Agatha Wellbelove has had enough. Any Way the Wind Blows takes the gang back to England, back to Watford, and back to their families for their longest and most emotionally wrenching adventure yet. This book is a finale. It tells secrets and answers questions and lays ghosts to rest. Carry On was conceived as a book about Chosen One stories; Any Way the Wind Blows is an ending about endings. About catharsis and closure, and how we choose to move on from the traumas and triumphs that try to define us.