Thoughts on : Nevermoor : The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Posted by on February 13, 2019 11:02 pm in 4.5 stars reads | 5 comments

Nevermoor : The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Genre : Middle grade, Fantasy
Series : Nevermoor, book 1

About the Book  :

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she’s blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks–and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It’s then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart – an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests – or she’ll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.

My Thoughts :

I usually don’t really enjoy middle grade books (I’m clearly not the target demographic!), and so I only very cautiously add them to my shelves. But several glowing reviews finally convinced me to give Nevermoor a chance – and I am SO glad I did. I loved every word of it.

If you’ve heard about Nevermoor, chances are you’ve also heard it compared to Harry Potter. And I can definitely see why : an 11 years old kid in a miserable situation gets whisked away by strange man to magical word to hopefully join magical school. Familiar, right?

But Nevermoor is very much its own thing, and its biggest similarity to Harry Potter is that enchanted, heartwarming feeling it leaves in your heart once you close the book. It’s a charming tale set in an imaginative world of colors and spells that feels both comfortably familiar and exquisitely unique.

Here are a few things I loved about this book : Jupiter North, Morrigan’s quirky and mysterious mentor; Fenestra the giant cat with an interesting past (it’s only a few lines in the book but it’s a detail I absolutely adored); the chandelier that can grow and morph into a new shape; the friendships Morrigan makes ; the various Knacks (talents); the Christmas celebrations; and most of all, the possibilities. Nevermoor‘s world is colorful, enchanting, but what we see of it in this first novel is only a glimpse. There’s clearly more to be discovered and explored, and I’m ready for it.

Of course, the story itself will feel, to most adult readers, predictable. All twists are long foreseen, but I don’t hold it against the author as, again, I’m obviously not the target demographic. Plus, there’s definitely a few delightful jokes in there for older readers, too.

So, yes, I completely adored this book. And now to decide : should I read Wundersmith right away and suffer an impossible wait for book 3, or suffer the wait now and read it once book 3 is out?

5 Comments

  1. That book’s probably not for me but I sure do love the cover!

    • I agree, it does have lovely covers too!

  2. I have been seeing this book everywhere. Need to put it on my TBR

  3. Yes, it’s super fun and a quick read. I definitely recommend at least giving it a try!

  4. I haven’t got to reading Nevermoor yet, it’s on my enormous list. I think the cover is gorgeous.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

%d bloggers like this: