Review – Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, Book 1) by Jessica Townsend (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 480 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 31, 2017
ISBN-13: 978-0316508889
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Nevermoor series
Source: Owlcrate
Rating: 4/5 stars

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.”

This is the first book in the Nevermoor series. I had heard great things about this book and was very excited to read it. This ended up being very Harry Potterish and was sometimes a bit too silly and over the top for me. However. it was also very magical and I really enjoyed the beginning of the book.

Morrigan is a cursed child, shunned by her family and doomed to die on midnight of the next Eventide (her eleventh birthday). However during bid-day she unexpectedly recieves a number of bids (offers of apprenticeship) from various patrons despite her impending death. Thinking they are jokes she ignores them until Jupiter North from the Wundrous Society shows up and sweeps her away to Nevermoor to become his apprentice. Morrigan must compete with hundreds of other Nevermoor children to get a place in the prestigious Wundrous Society…or return to her death.

A lot of this book reminded me heavily of Harry Potter. The cursed child, Jupiter as her knowledgeable mentor, the evil villain, etc. It is a bit more over the top and at times approaches pure silliness. There were parts that made me roll my eyes at the craziness.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, but didn’t enjoy the story as much after we get to Nevermoor. I never engaged with the characters or the world and thought things were described in a way that was hard to picture and confusing.

However, the above being said….this is a very magical story full of silly magical wonder that kids may relate to better than I did.

Overall this was a good book, very magical and full of action. However, I thought it was over-the-top silly at times and had trouble engaging in the story. I think this is a book kids will enjoy more than adults and don’t plan on continuing the series.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Goodreads Reading Challenge
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge