Hello my lovely readers!
This is, in all honesty, not a review I ever expected to write. In fact, it’s for a book I never expected to read, for no other reason than it is middle grade fiction. And I’m twenty five.
HOWEVER!
I initially saw this book in a Dymocks newsletter (Booklovers newsletter for the win!), and was immediately intrigued. So intrigued, in fact, that I entered the competition to be sent an ARC of the book. I didn’t expect to win, because I very rarely win things.
And I won!!
And seriously, I am so, so happy that I was fortunate enough to be sent a copy of this book because it is seriously awesome! As in, I haven’t truly and innocently delighted in a book in forever. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still on my Tolkien kick and that is going to last a lifetime, but these are totally separate genres of book. But not since I was actually a young child have I enjoyed a book in the innocent, and lighthearted way I enjoyed this one. I absolutely devoured it. I told my work colleagues about it (and recommended it for their kids…). I told my parents about it. And now I’m telling the internet about it.
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow is the first book in a series about a young girl (Morrigan Crow) who was born cursed. All manner of unfortunate things happen around her, for which she is blamed and her family must pay compensation. On the very day she is doomed (fated?) to die, she is rescued by Captain Jupiter North, and spirited away to the land of Nevermoor. There she undertakes a series of Trials, meant to test her suitability to the Wundrous (no, that is not a typo, thank you) Society, the very highest echelon of citizens in Nevermoor who are wonderfully talented. It’s all about having a good knack, you see….and Morrigan? Well, she doesn’t have one. At all.
I won’t say any more, because you should honestly pick this book up to read for yourself, for your kids, for your friends, for the kids of your friends, for your work colleagues and their kids, and for distant cousins twice removed on your mother’s side. Jessica Townsend, the wunderful (heh. Couldn’t resist) author of this delightful tale, spent a decade building the wunderful (never going to stop) world of Nevermoor, and it shows. So much thought has gone into this story, into the setting and the characters, and it really shows. I very much would like to meet Jessica one day, because a treasure is the heart that can produce a story like this and entrust it to the world we currently live in.
Check out the book trailer below, it’s quite mesmerizing. Has a real cadence to it….
I do, however, have one glaring, irredeemable, awful, heinous criticism of this book: considering the fact that this book isn’t released until October 12, I’m going to have to wait until sometime in 2018 to read the sequel! Unforgivable. Hmph.
This is the book that may just kick off an interest in middle grade and YA fiction, something that I don’t usually tend toward anymore. Harry Potter doesn’t count, everyone knows this. Also, the team that designed the covers for this book are clearly winning at life. I have every intention of purchasing the hardcover, especially after Jessica Instagrammed it showing it with and without dust jacket!
What’s more, is that Hollywood apparently saw a great thing coming: Fox has already purchased the film rights, so with any luck at all one day soon we will actually be able to see these characters, and Nevermoor itself, on the silver screen!
Do yourself a favour. Buy the book, enjoy the book, despair over the fact you’ll have to wait for the sequel. We can commiserate together.
Five star read!
Step boldly, friends. I’ll see you there.
Image credits: As is the norm, I took the pictures myself, of my copy of the book (graciously provided by Dymocks).
Categories: 2017 Reading Challenges, book blog, Book Reviews, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Fiction Reviews, Reading Challenges
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