Written by contributor Khadijah Alam
This was one of the first books I picked up after reading some Harry Potter fan fiction, and it’s one of the best I’ve ever read. After finishing the first book, I longed for the next to come out so I could practically devour it, too. I have always liked children’s books more than young adult fiction, since they take you on a different, more wild journey than young adult fiction. This book is no exception. You will fall straight in love with it, no questions asked.
This tale of magic and mystery stems in the seemingly boring town of Great Wolfacre. Born on Eventide, Morrigan Crow is one of the ‘cursed children’, born to die on her eleventh birthday, on the brink of when the next Age arrives. But her saviour comes in the form of a stranger with unruly ginger hair, Jupiter North, who whisks her off onto an exciting journey, where she is one of the contenders in the trials to become one of the most important people in Nevermoor.
Safe in the Hotel Deucalion, Morrigan can then prepare for what lies ahead, otherwise she will be removed from the city of Nevermoor and will once more become a target for the Hunt of Smoke and Shadow, which kills the cursed children. But Jupiter will ensure that never happens, together with her best friend Hawthorn Swift.
Nevermoor is the first of a series where Morrigan overcomes her fears to be someone she never expected. She lets herself hope for a family, for it is what she has never had before in her life. Her family shun her, the townspeople blame her for everything that goes wrong. For once, there is a place where she can feel accepted. Where she can be surrounded by people who she can call her own.
Power and love can both be hers, if she tries hard enough, if she can face what she is most afraid of and if she can remain true and honest to herself. It’s a story that is a true whirlwind of emotion that takes you on an incredible journey through Morrigan’s quest to find acceptance.
The reason that this story is so heartwarming is that it tells a tale of courage and wisdom to do what is right. It also tells us of a perseverance to get through life’s trials to come out on top, backed up by love and support.
The story is beautifully depicted by the talented author Jessica Townsend, who clearly knows her characters well, and is able to create close bonds between even the most unlikely people. She puts enough of herself in so the reader can watch the town of Nevermoor spring to life and take root in your imagination.
The twists and turns in this brand new world will keep you on the edge of your seat and wishing you could be there with Morrigan, to comfort and encourage her. This story tells us of hope and a place where dreams can come true, if only you step boldly.
Nevermoor is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Will you be picking up Nevermoor? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
