Simon and Baz use magic in a way that is different from other magical stories. These two, and their friends have to determine who they can trust and who is eliminating magic from the world.
This is book #1 in a trilogy of 3 book series. Rainbow Rowell, a fantastic YA author has created a world of magic and mystery. The characters will need to decide if they are enemies or best friends, or even more. Trust no one.
YA Novel Contemporary Fantasy-Magic
Outline and Tone:
The characters in this novel are the very definition of dynamic characters. They grow and change right before your eyes from chapter to chapter. I never found any lull in the story. And just when I thought I had figured out the conflict, there would be a new twist. Simon, the main protagonist, has a penchant for the sour cherry scones that his school makes. He is not alone with this obsession as eventually it is revealed that another character loves the scones. This piqued my interest in what made the scones so irresistible. Unfortunately there is not a recipe for the scones in the novel. I was not to be deterred, and since it was cherry season when I read the book, I knew I had to come up with my own recipe that was magically delicious. See the recipe below.
Rainbow Rowell is an author that I was already familiar with. Her novel Eleanor and Park is a great YA book about quirky kids figuring out who they are. In a way, Carry On has a similar theme. It just so happens that the kids in this novel are seniors in a British school for magicians, or Mages. So yes, they are trying to figure themselves out, who they are, what is their purpose, where they belong just as Eleanor and Park were in their novel, but Simon, Baz, Penny, and Agatha happen to be mages.
To enjoy this book, the reader has to put aside some of the similarities with Harry Potter. The main characters in the two books are not a reflection of each other. They have magic and a boarding school set in England in common. Everything else is different. Carry On starts at the end of the main character’s high school experience and the other novel starts as students enter the school. Carry On does not have a clear villain from the beginning and the reader is forced to question everyone’s judgment to see who can be trusted.
One of the most delightful things about the magic in Carry On is how it is used. There is magic in regular phrases and even nursery rhymes. If you want to clean someone up a Mage would point a wand and say “Spic and span.” Or if a Mage wanted to fly they might say “Up up and away.” To make these phrases stand out in the book, they are written in bold font. It is a clever way of turning figurative phrases into literal spells.
The author:
“Rainbow Rowell writes all kinds of stuff” says her website. It is absolutely true. From YA to adult and manga to comics. This series with Baz and Simon came from her Fangirl novel. However, the book is not written as if from Fangirl but original canon from Rowell’s perspective and creation. Information about Rowell can be found on her website. Included there are reviews and dates for appearances. She is also active on Instagram. She posts frequently on Twitter @RainbowRowell. You can find her page on Facebook, but those posts do not seem as up to date. Rowell is a highly creative and talented author and artist. She has many works for you to enjoy.
What is not to like?:
I liked the characters, all of them unique and interesting. The only thing that was initially difficult for me was to stop comparing it to Harry Potter. Once I did, it was easy to become invested with Simony, Baz, and Penny.
The verdict:
I know this review mentions several times the comparison with Harry Potter, but it is not a bad thing. If you enjoyed Harry Potter or fantasy books set in the real world, then I am positive you will love this book! Read the book then make the scones; “they are magically delicious.”
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).
Sour Cherry Scones Recipe Inspired by Carry On novel
Assemble the ingredients
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
Sizes are easy to read on the measuring cups.
Use a cheese grater to grate in the butter. This is a fantastic hack as it make mixing the dry ingredients and butter together to get small pebble much easier. Chill the butter in the freezer for at least 30 minutes prior to grating.
Toss until all the butter is coated with flour.
Gently fold the fruit in a tbsp. of flour.
Add the fruit into the flour and butter mixture.
Whisk eggs with a fork and add just enough buttermilk to reach 1 & 1/4 cup of liquid.
Pour in your egg/buttermilk mixture and stir until a nice dough forms.
Easy to read measure marks on inside of cup. Dishwasher safe.
Dump out onto a pastry mat that has been dusted with flour. The dough will be very wet, this will ensure moistness as opposed to dry scones.
Form the dough into a circle shape that is roughly 2-3 inches thick, cut into pie shaped wedges.
Transfer each wedge onto the cookie sheet and space the wedges apart just a half inch. Then sprinkle with sugar.
Bake in a 425°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
Sour Cherry Scones Inspired by Carry On a Novel by Rainbow Rowell
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 2 Tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 stick butter, chilled in the freezer
- 2 eggs
- Plus enough buttermilk to equal 1 ¼ of fluid when added to the 2 eggs
- 2 cups sour cherries pitted, chopped in half
- Granular sugar for sprinkling for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
- Use a cheese grater to grate in the butter.
- Toss until all the butter is coated with flour.
- Gently fold the fruit in a tbsp of flour.
- Add the fruit into the flour and butter mixture.
- Pour in your egg/buttermilk mixture and stir until a nice dough forms
- Dump out onto a pastry mat that has been dusted with flour.
- The dough will be very wet, this will ensure moistness as opposed to dry scones.
- Form the dough into a circle shape that is roughly 2-3 inches thick, cut into pie shaped wedges.
- Transfer each wedge onto the cookie sheet and space the wedges apart hjust a half inch.
- Bake in a 425°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
What would I do differently next time?
These are fantastic and fluffy. If you want a more dense scone, use only one egg and then you will need more buttermilk to get to the 1 & 1/4 of liquids.
Cranberry Scones from Sconed to Death by Lynn Cahoon.
