Jessica Townsend

A breathtaking, enchanting new series by debut author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world--but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination 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. Perfect for fans of the Harry Potter series and Neil Gaiman, this fast-paced plot and imaginative world has a fresh new take on magic that will appeal to a new generation of readers.

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

Not only does Morrigan Crow's curse mean she's blamed for all bad luck, she's also destined to die on her
Eleventh birthday. She bravely accepts her doom, but in a 
Very surprising twist of fate, before the clock strikes twelve on
Eventide and the howling shadow wolves arrive, she's whisked away by a
Remarkable man called Jupiter North and taken to the secret city of Nevermoor.
Morrigan cannot believe her luck when she's given a 
Once-in-a-lifetime chance to join the Wundrous Society - a place of mystery, magic and protection.
Only first she must pass four impossible trials using an exceptional talent (which she doesn't have).
Racing against time, can Morrigan claim her place in this wild, wondrous city before the shadows catch up with her?

jana 

Death is boring. Life is much more fun. Things happen in life all the time. Unexpected things. Things you couldn't possibly expect because they're so very... unexpected. 

Awesome! If you miss the feeling of reading Harry Potter for the first time, this is for you. Very cozy and heartwarming.

Marina McLain 

Christine

remarkably and amazingly middle grade but genuinely very enjoyable and i am a huge fan of the “magic system”

edit: oh also my brain is so broken they were going through the trials and all i could think was that it was unreasonably and hysterical similar to college apps. help

An instant New York Times bestseller! "A Harry Potter-esque adventure." --Time Magazine A breathtaking, enchanting new series by debut author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world--but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination. 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. Perfect for fans of the Harry Potter series and Neil Gaiman, this fast-paced plot and imaginative world has a fresh new take on magic that will appeal to a new generation of readers.

Date read: 
 December 6-December 8, 2019 

 Actual Rating: 5.00 

This wonderful book, 
  Nevermoor
, deserved every bit of great reviews it earned! I AM VERY HAPPY TO HAVE COME ACROSS THIS AMAZING BOOK! This is such a masterpiece I'm sure a lot of people would agree with. I really truly loved everything about this. And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING!! From the magical world that was creatively described to the amazing set of characters I've come to loved and the relationships that were built and developed. And even the flow of every events in the story was majestic, I have no complaints AT ALL!!! My only single regret is that, even though Wundersmith is out and about and it will be easy for me to pick it up and continue this amazing series, it would only mean I have to wait a few more months for the next book/s because I'm quite certain I can get through the second book easily and quickly. I don't think I can wait that long though...

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Born on an unlucky day, she is 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 Eventide. 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 there that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organisation: 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. Except for Morrigan, who doesn't seem to have any special talent at all. 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. Winner Book of the Year, Australian Book Industry Awards 2018 Winner Book of the Year for Younger Children, Australian Book Industry Awards 2018 Winner The Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year, Australian Book Industry Awards 2018 Winner Book of the Year, Indie Book Awards 2018 Winner Children's Category, Indie Book Awards 2018 Winner Booksellers' Choice Award, ABA Awards 2018 Winner Best Children's Fiction, Aurealis Awards 2017 Winner Younger Fiction, Waterstones Children's Book Prize (UK) 2018 Shortlisted The Readings Children's Book Prize 2018 A CBCA Notable book Praise for Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow: 'Unexpected, exciting and funny. Like Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and Doctor Who swirled up together.' - Judith Rossell, ABIA Award-winning author of Withering-by-Sea 'Exciting, charming, and wonderfully imagined, it's the sort of delightful, grand adventure destined to be many a reader's favourite book.' - Trenton Lee Stewart, New York Times bestselling author of The Mysterious Benedict Society series and The Secret Keepers 'Exciting, mysterious, marvellous and magical ... quite simply one of the best children's books I've read in years.' - Robin Stevens, author of Murder Most Unladylike

Nevermoor 1

Melissa Palmer

Book #38 Read in 2018
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessican Townsend

This middle grade/young adult fantasy is a must read for Harry Potter fans. Morrigan Crow is taken on by Jupiter North as a prospect to join a magical society. But Morrigan does not know what her magical talent, or knack, is and does not know if she will make it into the society. She makes good friends, meets interesting magical people and will keep readers engaged while she goes through four trials to get into the society. I will read the sequel.

Alexa M

“The point is - if you are not honest, and determined, and brave, then it doesn’t matter how talented you are.”

this was so fun and whimsical! i listened to the audio which i think was super well done. i struggle giving this a full 4 star knowing that if i hadn't listened to the audio, i probably would not have made it through this. this is honestly a top tier middle grade and i'm glad i did finish it because it was a fun time! i'm just not the biggest middle grade person so this book could never reach its full potential with me. this gave like Harry Potter meets Alice In Wonderland vibes like y'all can't tell me Jupiter is not the Mad Hatter helloooo. anyways, i enjoyed my time reading it but i'm not super interested in continuing on with the series. probably more of a 3.75 rounded up for me!

Savindi Jinasena

4-4.5 Stars

Step Boldly

That is my mantra from now on. The Trials of Morrigan Crow is a whimsical read with a fabulous world in Nevermoor. Jessica Townsend has created a book that encompasses everything readers have loved in Harry Potter, Mary Poppins, Tim Burton movies and even Alice in Wonderland. More than the characters the world was what drew me in and of course the cover. How can you not be curious with this cover?! Although I really do like the UK Hardcover version a lot more than the North American one. 

While I really enjoyed this book I have to admit that it is quite similar to Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire  when you look at the trials Morrigan has to grow through. But maybe all trials have a certain commonality in the way they are conducted. That being said, more than Morrigan it was the secondary characters who shined for me. They were all larger than life and exciting; I wanted to know more about them as opposed to wanting to know more about Morrigan. Morrigan felt one dimensional for me and I really didn't care about her in comparison to how much I cared about everyone else. It's always disappointing to feel this way towards a protagonist, but I hope Morrigan will grow on me as the series continues. 

Out of all the characters I think Fenestra the Maginificat was my favourite character. She was a joy to read about. I honestly didn't expect the ending, but all the revelations were unexpected for me which I liked. 

Overall an enjoyable book. You might find yourself comparing it to the Harry Potter series because of all the similarities and it would be hard not to do so. However I would ask readers to give the book a chance.

This was definitely an amazing book. Morrigan’s whole journey from the very start to the very end never failed to pique my curiosity. What is she, actually? Who is she? What is Jupiter’s whole deal with her that he had gone to the extent of protecting her?

And I love the big reveal moment, truly. The scene with Morrigan and Wundersmith was the highlight for me. It was amazing, it was tense, it gave me goosebumps because I could picture the whole scene inside my head. Trapped with a villain who just wanted to mess with her head, giving her a big reveal about her identity that she hadn’t even known before. It must have been very traumatizing for Morrigan herself to receive such information from the villain himself.

Afterall, this was a very, very fun read. I’ve never read Harry Potter (though I have watched all of the movies), but this is not worth comparing to.

nindy

This was definitely an amazing book. Morrigan’s whole journey from the very start to the very end never failed to pique my curiosity. What is she, actually? Who is she? What is Jupiter’s whole deal with her that he had gone to the extent of protecting her?

And I love the big reveal moment, truly. The scene with Morrigan and Wundersmith was the highlight for me. It was amazing, it was tense, it gave me goosebumps because I could picture the whole scene inside my head. Trapped with a villain who just wanted to mess with her head, giving her a big reveal about her identity that she hadn’t even known before. It must have been very traumatizing for Morrigan herself to receive such information from the villain himself.

Afterall, this was a very, very fun read. I’ve never read Harry Potter (though I have watched all of the movies), but this is not worth comparing to.

Katelyn Sykes

Loved this book.. gave me like Harry Potter vibes! I highly recommend the audiobook version of this. It’s very well done and fun to listen to.

Izza

4 stars | I love Morrigan! I hate her family! I'm a sucker for the 'found family' trope so this was right up my alley :)

Colette McDermed

This book was VERY good. If you enjoyed Harry Potter, you will most likely enjoy this. It has the same magical feel without being a ripoff or too similiar.

Ashley Wendt

Nevermoor is soo enchanting and steals your heart before you have a chance to realize its gone! My son received Nevermoor in an OwlCrate Jr box early last year. It piqued my interest when I heard it being compared to Harry Potter. I kept it on my radar, but had other books I wanted to get through. I finally made it a priority this month and I wish I would’ve prioritized it sooner. I flew through this book and left bits of my heart in its pages. As I was reading it, I kept thinking of all the reviews I had read and heard about Harry Potter vibes. I have to be Honest and say, I didn’t get that. However, I do think I understand where those comparisons are coming from and it absolutely has to do with the relationships our protagonist, Morrigan Crow (Mog), has & develops with other characters in the book. Mog’s relationship Jupiter (and Jupiter’s relationship with Mog), might be one of my all time favorite relationships. Ugh! I will be absolutely heartbroken if Jupiter gets the Sirius treatment at some point during the series. I just adored this book so much. I finished it and promptly ordered Wundersmith to read next month!!

An instant New York Times bestseller! "A Harry Potter-esque adventure." --Time Magazine A breathtaking, enchanting new series by debut author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world--but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination 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. Perfect for fans of the Harry Potter series and Neil Gaiman, this fast-paced plot and imaginative world has a fresh new take on magic that will appeal to a new generation of readers.

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Special Edition)

mighty dragon 

calling this book a h*try p*tt*r of this era would be an insult. it's better than that

Aslı

didn't expect to see this much of a resemblence to harry potter but it became more of its own thing in the last 50 pages or so. it also felt like morrigan was a teen more than a 11 years old kid but maybe it was an intentional character trait idk. looking forward to reading the next one

Sonja H

Dieses Buch begegnet einem gerade überall und als ich kürzlich krank auf dem Sofa lag und Ablenkung mit einer leichten Lektüre brauchte, griff ich zu dieser Geschichte.

Die Altersempfehlung für „Nevermoor“ liegt zwischen 9 und 11 Jahren, man darf also keinen allzu komplexen Schreibstil oder komplizierte Handlungsstränge erwarten.
Natürlich gibt es Abenteuer, aber diese sind überschaubar.
Im Vordergrund stehen eindeutig das Land „Nevermoor“, seine Bewohner und Morrigans Eingewöhnung in diese fremde Umgebung.

Die Welt ist sehr liebe- und vor allem phantasievoll beschrieben. Auf jeder Seite gibt es für den Leser etwas Neues, Ungewöhnliches zu entdecken – fast schon etwas zu viel des Guten. Ich hätte gern die ein oder andere Szene etwas mehr auf mich wirken lassen, aber schon ging es weiter zur nächsten Beschreibung.

Die Figuren sind gut ausbalanciert. Im Zentrum steht Morrigan, daneben gibt es weitere Charaktere, mit denen man sich schnell anfreunden kann. Alle weiteren werden nur gezeigt, für sie gibt es aber keine eigenen Hintergrunderzählungen, was sehr hilfreich ist, da es sonst zu überladen wäre.

„Nevermoor“ ist ein tolles Kinderbuch, das auch Erwachsenen Spaß machen kann.
Etwas weniger „Zauber“ hätte mir gutgetan, aber Kinder werden genau dies vermutlich lieben.

Celeste Richardson

Absolutely delightful. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow is chockfull of magic, whimsy and, above all, joy. This is the kind of series I would have adored with every fiber of my being when I was in middle school. And I loved it almost as much as an adult.

Morrigan Crow is a cursed child. Doomed to die on her eleventh birthday, like all of the other cursed children, all because they were born on Eventide. Our story opens on her funeral, but she has actually absconded to Nevermoor, a secret magical city, with Jupiter North, one of the most affable, wildly eccentric characters I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in fiction. Here, Morrigan will battle it out for one of nine places in the Wundrous Society for her year. Against hundreds of other eleven year-olds who actually know the rules. But this little goth girl is plucky to the extreme, and she’ll do everything in her power to stay in Nevermoor now that she’s experienced it.

This series has been compared to Harry Potter. I get it in terms of magic and nostalgia and even plot to an extent, but Nevermoor is radically different from Hogwarts. Here we have an entire city, a magical hotel, and nothing whatsoever resembling a structured school setting. Embracing your individuality and showcasing it is the name of the game here, and the weirdo in me resonated with that so strongly. This is a wildly diverse cast of characters, which I adored. There’s also a giant talking cat, who is incredibly snarky. But my favorite characters were definitely Morrigan and Jupiter and, though this is Morrigan’s story, I think I actually love Jupiter just a bit more. He’s utterly delightful. He pretends to be flighty in order to hold on to secrets until the right time to convey them, but he’s actually very much on top of things at all times. His sense of humor and his kindness won me over immediately. If we’re still going with the Harry Potter comparison, he’s a far cooler and more caring Dumbledore. He also reminded me of David Tennant’s incarnation of the Doctor, who I adore.

The plot was fun and the characters were great, but the setting was my favorite part of this story. Nevermoor is one of the most magical settings I’ve ever experienced. As mentioned above, it is bursting with joyful whimsy. I’ve always thought that Narnia would be my immediate choice if I could visit any fantasy world, but Nevermoor gives it some serious competition. The Hotel Deucalion, which I mentioned earlier, is equal parts quirky and beautiful. Morrigan’s room gets to know and and changes to fit her needs, which I think is perhaps the most brilliant idea for a hotel ever. And that’s not even touching on the common rooms. The battle between Saint Nicholas and the Yule Queen was also memorable, and brought to mind the World Quidditch Cup from Harry Potter, but was far lovelier. There were so many small touches to the world building that I found absolutely brilliant, and I can’t wait to see how Townsend further develops Nevermoor in the rest of the series.

This is the first new-to-me middle grade novel I’ve read in a long time that has gotten me this excited to share it with my niece when she’s old enough to enjoy it. I was delighted and utterly captivated from start to finish, and can think of not a single genuine critique to offer. I highly recommend it for adults and kiddos alike.

Step boldly.

Anna Berg

Fraser Simons

Solid children’s fantasy on all fronts, but it begins to coalesce pretty late in a far too formulaic manner designed to hook people with a cliffhanger. 70% setup 20% B plot payoff 10% hook for the next book. By no means bad, and I’ll read the next book even; It’s just a pacing mechanic that doesn’t work well for me. I expect with the setup behind us the second book will appeal more.

Ana Cob

Vanessa Egger

Morrigan Crow ist verflucht an ihrem 11. Geburtstag zu sterben. Bevor das aber passieren kann, wird sie von Jupiter North gerettet. Jupiter nimmt sie mit nach Nevermoor, eine geheime Stadt in der jeder scheinbar jeder etwas ungewöhnliches kann. Dort lebt Morrigan in Jupiters Hotel, in dem mit Regenschirmen vom Hoteldach springt, die Zimmer ihre Form ändern und riesige, sprechende Katzen leben. Aber um in Nevermoor bleiben zu können, muss Morrigan einige schwierige Prüfungen bestehen. 


Großartige Fantasy, die an Harry Potter erinnert. Mit coolen Charakteren und einer Menge ungewöhnlicher Gestalten ist das Buch lustig und spannend von vorne bis hinten.

I had so much fun rereading Nevermoor! It's just as magical, and whimsical, and full of joy as the last time I read it and I love it even more now. Definitely one of my all time favourite books. 

Sophie 

Kim Tyo-Dickerson

All hail 11 year-old Morrigan Crow! Born cursed and prepared to die by her father and the citizens of Jackalfax, and dreading what it will feel like to be taken by the truly terrifying Hunt of Smoke and Shadow, Morrigan's imminent demise is interrupted just in time by the arrival, Hagrid-style and with the frenetic energy of the Weasley twins, of explorer Jupiter North. North interrupts the family's birthday dinner, meant to be Morrigan's last, and asks the incredulous Morrigan, or Mog as he affectionately nicknames her, if she wants to live. Morrigan never thought about living past her eleventh birthday and her family never entertained the idea that she would live through her eleventh birthday, but with this glimmer and offer of hope after a lifetime of no love and little compassion, she answers Jupiter's question with a forceful, surprised "Of course I want to live." And they are off with the Hunt nipping at their heels.

Grand adventure awaits Morrigan in her new life with Jupiter, with clues to why she was cursed and what her future holds as she is offered a home with North at his luxurious Hotel Deucalion and a highly sought after place in the trials for admission to the Wundrous Society in the magical city of Nevermoor. The Wunsoc is an extremely elite group of gifted citizens that only allows a tiny fraction of child applicants to join their illustrious and powerful school to hone their talents for possible, not guaranteed, admission to the life-long benefits of the Wundrous Society. Mog moves into her new bedroom, that evolves every night into exactly the bedroom she needs based on her emotions, makes friends with the Hotel's inhabitants including an enormous Magnificat named Fenestra who is Jupiter's housekeeper, and enters the competition, defying all odds and without any recognizable magical talent, or knack, at all. She is met with suspicion and resentment everywhere she goes. 

Why was she chosen for this? How can she possibly compete with mesmerists, dragon riders, and oracles? And who exactly is the mysterious Mr. Jones who shows up at the strangest times in the glamorous Hotel Deucalion and who offered Morrigan the keys to the Squall business empire instead of joining the Wunsoc competition? It is a pure pleasure to read and find out all this and more.

Jas Wang

I didn't know how to rate this book.. I loved it but also at the same time I just felt like this was the book that made me realise how much my reading taste has changed.
While starting the book, I was bored sometimes, but also I knew if I read this book when I was 10 I would've freakin adored it.
It was a great book packed with adventure overall but I'm not sure if I would pick up the next book.

Mariana Correia

Adorei este livro! Até prefiro escrever em português esta review! Eu nunca consigo descrever o que me fez gostar dos livros mas posso começar pelo início do livro! A premissa do livro é sensacional! O conceito do livro é super original! Antes de ler este livro, ouvi dizer no booktube que era parecido com Harry Potter, o que discordo totalmente! É mágico e maravilhoso à sua maneira. Sinto que quando somos crianças, quase todos temos uma época da nossa vida que nos sentimos como a Morrigan. O que nos torna diferentes é uma vantagem! E, de facto, enquanto crianças é difícil perceber isso. Daí ser necessário crescermos num ambiente com pessoas que nos nutrem com amor, carinho e que nos incentivam a optar sempre pelo caminho que é melhor para nós. Foi sensacional o livro! Definitivamente irei recomendar este livro aos meus familiares mais jovens quando eles tiverem a idade para ler!

this book is magical, funny and interesting. i loved every bit of it and im exited for the next book.

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

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