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sarahp85's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like everyone has told me to read this for years and I now finally have!
My mum gave me a nevermoor boxset for my birthday this month and thought: okay now I will start!
And I am so happy I did. Such a lovely, magical story. Love the world that is created, the trials and I really like Morrigan.
Curious to see how it will continue and if it, like the HP series which it is often compared to, gets better and darker with each book or if they stay good middle grade reads
My mum gave me a nevermoor boxset for my birthday this month and thought: okay now I will start!
And I am so happy I did. Such a lovely, magical story. Love the world that is created, the trials and I really like Morrigan.
Curious to see how it will continue and if it, like the HP series which it is often compared to, gets better and darker with each book or if they stay good middle grade reads
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
5.0
I adored this book. It has everything I love: a captivating fantasy setting, a female protagonist who is chock-full of spirit not just brawn, strong pacing, a plot that twists as well as turns. Most importantly, it’s plain fun. Seriously, this book was so good it actually somewhat ruined a similar book for me - Amari and the Night Brothers - because I couldn’t help comparing it to this one.
Morrigan Crow is treated like garbage by everyone around her due to the (possibly) erroneous belief she is cursed. This ‘supposed’ curse is the reason for everything that goes wrong in her community; from a dog getting loose to it raining when it wasn’t in the forecast to a fire in a factory a hundred miles from her. If Morrigan so much as breathes, a townsperson is quick to blame a misfortune on it.
As you can imagine this has not left Morrigan with a high sense of self worth. When the diverting though enigmatic Jupiter North offers her a chance at redefining herself on her terms, Morrigan vows to do all that she can to stay in the first place to ever make her feel welcome.
I am a sucker for good worldbuilding. It won’t make a bad book good or anything extreme like that, but it definitely affects my personal enjoyment a considerable amount. I love the blending of the paranormal with the more basic fantastical elements. There are vampires and zombies on top of fairies and the entire world also runs on magic. It works on two levels here. It provides a good contrast between Morrigan’s original world versus the new one and it creates unlimited potential for the storytelling. Not having limits can be a bad thing as it can make author machinations more noticeable because there are no constraints to ensure the internal logic remains consistent. In this case it works well since there is a clearly delineated logical framework for the story to operate under even though the universe is so open.
Morrigan is a wonderful character to follow. I don’t mind a flawed protagonist, but it was nice that her flaws were more about her insecurities rather than obnoxious behaviors she needed to learn to curtail or overcome. Don’t get me wrong, inward and outward flaws both have their place depending on the intention of the story. However, I prefer not being annoyed while the character works through their arc whenever possible so I was more than content with the choice Townsend made in this regard.
Morrigan has been dealt an awful hand in life. While this has obviously impacted her, I liked that she managed to keep her chin up. People don’t often appreciate how difficult it is to stay kind and/or positive when in abusive situations. This isn’t a judgment on how different peoples’ trauma manifests merely an observation that there is a misconception that kindness equals weakness. Morrigan coming into her own because of her compassion rather than in spite of it is a more worthwhile lesson to impart, in my opinion, than romanticizing emotional unavailability. In my experience it's much harder to express vulnerability which is why people recoil from it. It's uncomfortable to face head on when you're not used to it and most people are not given the proper tools to handle an outpouring of emotion. Stories for kids where there is an emphasis on being emotionally intelligent plus smart or funny or whatever are a great way of combating the stigma.
Regardless of my love, I did still have a few grievances.
The supporting characters outside of Morrigan and Jupiter are middling at best. The most I can say in their favor is that they serve a purpose in the narrative. For example, Jupiter has a nephew named Jack that hates Morrigan on sight. Not only does Jack not appear until 50% of the way in the majority of their disputes happen off page. It made the few times they did butt heads feel like outliers rather than common occurrences. He didn't have many appearances to particularly ratchet up the tension either. Plus, he becomes friendlier by the end. Once again, he doesn't even show up until the latter half of the novel. There's simply not enough time for a full character arc of this magnitude.
Morrigan's new best friend is just that. You could swap in any generic bsf, there would be no change. She needs a body to follow in her stead but there is nothing essential about him specifically. If you’ve seen Coraline, think Other!Wybie - who is a movie-only addition for this exact reason actually. Technically, she could have gone through this story entirely alone and there'd be little change.
The rest of the cast are minor characters. They add to the atmosphere so I’m not saying get rid of them. But, it does leave very little for me to root for when it comes to Morrigan saving this world since most of the inhabitants are underdeveloped or one note.
Related to that, while I did mention the pacing being strong before it was only strong in the sense that the big events were well dispersed. The smaller character interactions or moments for universe exploration were undercut by the way time would rapidly pass on a dime. A trial happens, suddenly it's been six weeks, summer is now over, wait it’s halloween now, etc.
I hate loose timelines like this because it undermines the pressure of the deadline. It's massively important that Morrigan be accepted into this society. I want to feel that tension amping up as the deadline looms ever closer. Letting time flow in this manner creates a premature release in pressure as the intervening period is so placid comparatively. Arguably, my real issue is how far apart the trials are in the timeline. I wouldn't change where they are in the novel overall so it's more about how long it takes for it to unfold in the canon. A month at the most would have been better.
My last gripe is a personal one. Unfortunately I seem to have outgrown the fanciful mentor archetype. I suspected as much after I read The Luck Uglies late last year as that features a very similar character to Jupiter who annoyed me immensely. I found Jupiter infuriating more than charming. I actually was going to detract a whole star due to his shenanigans. Surprisingly, in the end Townsend tied it all together in a way that managed to justify his actions. It did nothing for his likeability because I still take issue with his personality. Still I can't fault the book for my own preferences.
Long story short Nevermoor is a delightful middle grade fantasy. One of my favorites, if not my absolute favorite one this year. I'm happy to report it rightfully deserves all the acclaim. Seriously, read it. You will not be disappointed (assuming you have good taste, of course)
Morrigan Crow is treated like garbage by everyone around her due to the (possibly) erroneous belief she is cursed. This ‘supposed’ curse is the reason for everything that goes wrong in her community; from a dog getting loose to it raining when it wasn’t in the forecast to a fire in a factory a hundred miles from her. If Morrigan so much as breathes, a townsperson is quick to blame a misfortune on it.
As you can imagine this has not left Morrigan with a high sense of self worth. When the diverting though enigmatic Jupiter North offers her a chance at redefining herself on her terms, Morrigan vows to do all that she can to stay in the first place to ever make her feel welcome.
I am a sucker for good worldbuilding. It won’t make a bad book good or anything extreme like that, but it definitely affects my personal enjoyment a considerable amount. I love the blending of the paranormal with the more basic fantastical elements. There are vampires and zombies on top of fairies and the entire world also runs on magic. It works on two levels here. It provides a good contrast between Morrigan’s original world versus the new one and it creates unlimited potential for the storytelling. Not having limits can be a bad thing as it can make author machinations more noticeable because there are no constraints to ensure the internal logic remains consistent. In this case it works well since there is a clearly delineated logical framework for the story to operate under even though the universe is so open.
Morrigan is a wonderful character to follow. I don’t mind a flawed protagonist, but it was nice that her flaws were more about her insecurities rather than obnoxious behaviors she needed to learn to curtail or overcome. Don’t get me wrong, inward and outward flaws both have their place depending on the intention of the story. However, I prefer not being annoyed while the character works through their arc whenever possible so I was more than content with the choice Townsend made in this regard.
Morrigan has been dealt an awful hand in life. While this has obviously impacted her, I liked that she managed to keep her chin up. People don’t often appreciate how difficult it is to stay kind and/or positive when in abusive situations. This isn’t a judgment on how different peoples’ trauma manifests merely an observation that there is a misconception that kindness equals weakness. Morrigan coming into her own because of her compassion rather than in spite of it is a more worthwhile lesson to impart, in my opinion, than romanticizing emotional unavailability. In my experience it's much harder to express vulnerability which is why people recoil from it. It's uncomfortable to face head on when you're not used to it and most people are not given the proper tools to handle an outpouring of emotion. Stories for kids where there is an emphasis on being emotionally intelligent plus smart or funny or whatever are a great way of combating the stigma.
Regardless of my love, I did still have a few grievances.
The supporting characters outside of Morrigan and Jupiter are middling at best. The most I can say in their favor is that they serve a purpose in the narrative. For example, Jupiter has a nephew named Jack that hates Morrigan on sight. Not only does Jack not appear until 50% of the way in the majority of their disputes happen off page. It made the few times they did butt heads feel like outliers rather than common occurrences. He didn't have many appearances to particularly ratchet up the tension either. Plus, he becomes friendlier by the end. Once again, he doesn't even show up until the latter half of the novel. There's simply not enough time for a full character arc of this magnitude.
Morrigan's new best friend is just that. You could swap in any generic bsf, there would be no change. She needs a body to follow in her stead but there is nothing essential about him specifically. If you’ve seen Coraline, think Other!Wybie - who is a movie-only addition for this exact reason actually. Technically, she could have gone through this story entirely alone and there'd be little change.
The rest of the cast are minor characters. They add to the atmosphere so I’m not saying get rid of them. But, it does leave very little for me to root for when it comes to Morrigan saving this world since most of the inhabitants are underdeveloped or one note.
Related to that, while I did mention the pacing being strong before it was only strong in the sense that the big events were well dispersed. The smaller character interactions or moments for universe exploration were undercut by the way time would rapidly pass on a dime. A trial happens, suddenly it's been six weeks, summer is now over, wait it’s halloween now, etc.
I hate loose timelines like this because it undermines the pressure of the deadline. It's massively important that Morrigan be accepted into this society. I want to feel that tension amping up as the deadline looms ever closer. Letting time flow in this manner creates a premature release in pressure as the intervening period is so placid comparatively. Arguably, my real issue is how far apart the trials are in the timeline. I wouldn't change where they are in the novel overall so it's more about how long it takes for it to unfold in the canon. A month at the most would have been better.
My last gripe is a personal one. Unfortunately I seem to have outgrown the fanciful mentor archetype. I suspected as much after I read The Luck Uglies late last year as that features a very similar character to Jupiter who annoyed me immensely. I found Jupiter infuriating more than charming. I actually was going to detract a whole star due to his shenanigans. Surprisingly, in the end Townsend tied it all together in a way that managed to justify his actions. It did nothing for his likeability because I still take issue with his personality. Still I can't fault the book for my own preferences.
Long story short Nevermoor is a delightful middle grade fantasy. One of my favorites, if not my absolute favorite one this year. I'm happy to report it rightfully deserves all the acclaim. Seriously, read it. You will not be disappointed (assuming you have good taste, of course)
angelastaples's review against another edition
5.0
From the opening pages of Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, it would be tricky for any reader not to hope things will get better for Morrigan Crow. Everything is stacked up against her. Morrigan has been branded a cursed child. She is destined to die at the age of 11, and like other cursed children living in the gloomy and rigid territory of Jackalfax, is treated as a scapegoat for all the troubles that befall her community.
Read my full review here.
Read my full review here.
cait_readsxox's review against another edition
5.0
A truly magical and adventurous story! I loved it! A new favourite!
raiju01's review against another edition
4.0
I found the first half of the book to be slow, but the latter half makes up for it.
Really want to continue this series, looks to be a wonderful world
Really want to continue this series, looks to be a wonderful world
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
"Something woke Morrigan in the night. A sound - like the fluttering of wings or the riffling of pages. She lay awake, waiting for it to return, but the room was silent. Perhaps she'd been dreaming, of birds and books."
I fell in love when I first spotted this book during my visit in London. I wanted to bring it with me, but darn it, I couldn't. So I ordered it as soon as I got home. I had to have this book. Now that I finally read this book I can tell you that I fell in love with the whole book, cover, blurb, inside, characters, everything. This book is a magical trip with fantastic characters, a deep story, a wonderfully described world.
I will be trying to write a coherent review, I am still pretty dazzled by this book. By what it showed me, and how it just grabbed me and didn't let me go. So be warned for chaos. :P
Meet Morrigan Crow, a girl born on Eventide which means she is a Cursed Child and will also not live a very long life. She is not the only Cursed Child, we hear of others. We see that she doesn't have the easiest of lives. She gets blamed for everything. The kitchen cat dies? Her fault. Someone doesn't win a price? Her fault. No matter what she does, even if she just smiles, it is always her fault. Her father resents her as he gets to clean up the mess. Plus it doesn't help his image as chancellor to have a Cursed Child. And then there is the fact that she has only a short while before she dies. Yup. Knowing you die at a very young age, boy, that must be terrible to know. :(
I just adored Morrigan from the start. I loved seeing her get happier and healthier when she got to Nevermoor. I was happy that she finally had a place she could belong to. Plus she was brave, strong, and really smart. But I was also worried about her. We see her doubt and question a lot of things in the book and not always does she get the answers she so seeks. We see her be afraid, she has anxiety, she is worried. I just wish I could tell her everything would be fine. She has a new family, new friends who all love her and care for her. They would do their everything to help her.
Sure, I wished she had talked to Jupiter a bit sooner about a certain person/thing, instead of cropping it up and it being all too late.
The world was an instant hit to me. We have the Republic and the Free State. The author did a fabulous job on describing both places. Showing the Republic, where things are bit more serious (and not always too fun) to the Free State which is filled with wonder and magic. With strange parades, holidays, festivals. I just wanted to visit Nevermoor, explore this Free State. See all the wonders, visit Jupiter's hotel, go to all the sights that everyone is raving about.
I have to say Jupiter was a very nice character and I have to say I am charmed (just like so many people are charmed by him), but I feel that he could have been better. He kept secrets from Morrigan (with good reasons in the end), but I still wish he had been a bit more honest and less evasive. It certainly made Morrigan feel like she was doing things wrong, as if she was going to be brought back home at any moment, it made her feel worried, plus it definitely made her interested in another offer she had gotten back during Bid Day. Of course then the book would have been different, and I am not sure if that is something I would want. Yep, I should make up my mind, but I just can't.
But as I said, he is a nice character, and I did love what he did and tried to do for Morrigan. How he tried to make her feel at home, how he tried to help her out, supported her. Plus how can I resist a charming adventurer who just sparkles off the pages. I definitely wouldn't mind getting a prequel with some Jupiter adventures. See how he made it to the Wundrous Society (the whole story and not just hints here and there), see some of his adventures. Everyone is talking about them, or at least mentioning them, and here I am demanding the whole story.
The Wundrous Society? The Trials? Ohhhh boooooyyyy, I just wanted to participate, to join, to be there, to get a chance. The Wundrous Society just seems so wonderful, plus as Jupiter also said you will have a family if you get in. You will find a place to belong. And who doesn't want a family who cares about them, who stays with them forever, who has adventures with you. And who doesn't want a place to belong. We all want that. Some more than others.
The trials were even more fun. The first one had me wondering if it would be a fun trial, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how the trial/exam was done. A paper that tests your honesty (and otherwise goes up in flames *evil laughs*), the oral exam which wants you to show how well you can make stories. Not just the bare facts, no, make a story. Weave the facts with imagination!
The other trials were ones I knew I would just love. A race? With magical creatures? Sign me up! A trial that will be getting out your deepest fears? Mm, not too sure, but I would definitely be willing to try it out and see if I can conquer my fears! The last trial, the showdown. Oh boy, showing your talent to everyone (and everyone had such wonderful talents, we aren't shown all of them, but I have my favourites. Like the girl who can go invisible, the violin guy (and his true talent), dragonriding, oh my!).
Then there are a ton of other characters. I didn't like Jack that much, though I have to say he grew on me and was more or less a likeable character at the end. Hawthorne was just the best friend, he was sweet, caring. I was happy that he and Morrigan became such great friends. We also have a magical (at times grumpy) cat, Fenestra. A vampire dwarf (or is it dwarf vampire?), an evil villain, a girl who has a knack to just disappear (Cadence), a mean girl (why do we always have to have a mean girl, especially one that is rich, eh oh well, she made a good rival in the end), and then there are tons of other side characters as well.
Oh, and the guy popping up so often in Morrigan's life? I had my suspicions, but I definitely hadn't expected him to be THAT GUY. Nope. No sirree. And then there is the twist about a certain thing that also had me gasping. Yep, I was OMG-ing for quite a bit. :P The author definitely did a wonderful job on writing this revelation and making it exciting. Not to mention that ending. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. Go Go Morrigan!
The pacing in the book is fabulous. While we do quickly go through the seasons in a way, it never felt rushed or hurried. There was plenty of story before the trials started, and plenty of story during the trials. I am quite happy though that it was mentioned the seasons changed, because I would otherwise have been a bit confused.
Well, I think I have mentioned all I wanted to mention, and I think I should just finish this review before it gets way and way too long.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone! A fabulous world (and worldbuilding), fantastic characters, revelations and more! You won't be bored one moment. This book will grab you and take you out for a fun dance through magical events.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I fell in love when I first spotted this book during my visit in London. I wanted to bring it with me, but darn it, I couldn't. So I ordered it as soon as I got home. I had to have this book. Now that I finally read this book I can tell you that I fell in love with the whole book, cover, blurb, inside, characters, everything. This book is a magical trip with fantastic characters, a deep story, a wonderfully described world.
I will be trying to write a coherent review, I am still pretty dazzled by this book. By what it showed me, and how it just grabbed me and didn't let me go. So be warned for chaos. :P
Meet Morrigan Crow, a girl born on Eventide which means she is a Cursed Child and will also not live a very long life. She is not the only Cursed Child, we hear of others. We see that she doesn't have the easiest of lives. She gets blamed for everything. The kitchen cat dies? Her fault. Someone doesn't win a price? Her fault. No matter what she does, even if she just smiles, it is always her fault. Her father resents her as he gets to clean up the mess. Plus it doesn't help his image as chancellor to have a Cursed Child. And then there is the fact that she has only a short while before she dies. Yup. Knowing you die at a very young age, boy, that must be terrible to know. :(
I just adored Morrigan from the start. I loved seeing her get happier and healthier when she got to Nevermoor. I was happy that she finally had a place she could belong to. Plus she was brave, strong, and really smart. But I was also worried about her. We see her doubt and question a lot of things in the book and not always does she get the answers she so seeks. We see her be afraid, she has anxiety, she is worried. I just wish I could tell her everything would be fine. She has a new family, new friends who all love her and care for her. They would do their everything to help her.
Sure, I wished she had talked to Jupiter a bit sooner about a certain person/thing, instead of cropping it up and it being all too late.
The world was an instant hit to me. We have the Republic and the Free State. The author did a fabulous job on describing both places. Showing the Republic, where things are bit more serious (and not always too fun) to the Free State which is filled with wonder and magic. With strange parades, holidays, festivals. I just wanted to visit Nevermoor, explore this Free State. See all the wonders, visit Jupiter's hotel, go to all the sights that everyone is raving about.
I have to say Jupiter was a very nice character and I have to say I am charmed (just like so many people are charmed by him), but I feel that he could have been better. He kept secrets from Morrigan (with good reasons in the end), but I still wish he had been a bit more honest and less evasive. It certainly made Morrigan feel like she was doing things wrong, as if she was going to be brought back home at any moment, it made her feel worried, plus it definitely made her interested in another offer she had gotten back during Bid Day. Of course then the book would have been different, and I am not sure if that is something I would want. Yep, I should make up my mind, but I just can't.
But as I said, he is a nice character, and I did love what he did and tried to do for Morrigan. How he tried to make her feel at home, how he tried to help her out, supported her. Plus how can I resist a charming adventurer who just sparkles off the pages. I definitely wouldn't mind getting a prequel with some Jupiter adventures. See how he made it to the Wundrous Society (the whole story and not just hints here and there), see some of his adventures. Everyone is talking about them, or at least mentioning them, and here I am demanding the whole story.
The Wundrous Society? The Trials? Ohhhh boooooyyyy, I just wanted to participate, to join, to be there, to get a chance. The Wundrous Society just seems so wonderful, plus as Jupiter also said you will have a family if you get in. You will find a place to belong. And who doesn't want a family who cares about them, who stays with them forever, who has adventures with you. And who doesn't want a place to belong. We all want that. Some more than others.
The trials were even more fun. The first one had me wondering if it would be a fun trial, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how the trial/exam was done. A paper that tests your honesty (and otherwise goes up in flames *evil laughs*), the oral exam which wants you to show how well you can make stories. Not just the bare facts, no, make a story. Weave the facts with imagination!
The other trials were ones I knew I would just love. A race? With magical creatures? Sign me up! A trial that will be getting out your deepest fears? Mm, not too sure, but I would definitely be willing to try it out and see if I can conquer my fears! The last trial, the showdown. Oh boy, showing your talent to everyone (and everyone had such wonderful talents, we aren't shown all of them, but I have my favourites. Like the girl who can go invisible, the violin guy (and his true talent), dragonriding, oh my!).
Then there are a ton of other characters. I didn't like Jack that much, though I have to say he grew on me and was more or less a likeable character at the end. Hawthorne was just the best friend, he was sweet, caring. I was happy that he and Morrigan became such great friends. We also have a magical (at times grumpy) cat, Fenestra. A vampire dwarf (or is it dwarf vampire?), an evil villain, a girl who has a knack to just disappear (Cadence), a mean girl (why do we always have to have a mean girl, especially one that is rich, eh oh well, she made a good rival in the end), and then there are tons of other side characters as well.
Oh, and the guy popping up so often in Morrigan's life? I had my suspicions, but I definitely hadn't expected him to be THAT GUY. Nope. No sirree. And then there is the twist about a certain thing that also had me gasping. Yep, I was OMG-ing for quite a bit. :P The author definitely did a wonderful job on writing this revelation and making it exciting. Not to mention that ending. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. Go Go Morrigan!
The pacing in the book is fabulous. While we do quickly go through the seasons in a way, it never felt rushed or hurried. There was plenty of story before the trials started, and plenty of story during the trials. I am quite happy though that it was mentioned the seasons changed, because I would otherwise have been a bit confused.
Well, I think I have mentioned all I wanted to mention, and I think I should just finish this review before it gets way and way too long.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone! A fabulous world (and worldbuilding), fantastic characters, revelations and more! You won't be bored one moment. This book will grab you and take you out for a fun dance through magical events.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
priya_amrev's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely amazing. Just what I was looking for at this point. Fun, quirky, with a bit of magic. None of that falling in love and sex stuff - although I do love those books too when I’m in the mood and if they’re good.
But right now I was in the mood for something more childish (in an absolutely amazing way, kind of like The Amulet of Samarkand) and whimsical.
I generally like books like this more
Some examples
Lockwood and co
Jackaby
Rose Gallagher
Books by Tamora Pierce
But right now I was in the mood for something more childish (in an absolutely amazing way, kind of like The Amulet of Samarkand) and whimsical.
I generally like books like this more
Some examples
Lockwood and co
Jackaby
Rose Gallagher
Books by Tamora Pierce
ashgross01's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
thebriary's review against another edition
5.0
Delightful. I felt it started a little slow despite the curse but picked up fast when the trials began. Excellent cast of supporting characters— I’m particularly interested in learning more about Jack and Cadence. And a little darkness in Morrigan is perfect, too.