Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Narrated by Gemma Whelan

I would like to thank Jessica Townsend, the Little, Brown Young Readers Group and Hachette Audio for giving me access to a copy of the audiobook via NetGalley! Thankfully I already owned a physical copy of this book which made for an even more enjoyable reading experience as I was able to follow along and fully immerse myself in the plot. Major escapism.

A few comments on the book itself:
Our protagonist, Morrigan Crow, has been cursed since her birth on Eventide, doomed to die when the clock strikes midnight on her eleventh birthday. As a result, she is blamed for basically everything despite no actual wrongdoing. I particularly enjoyed the letter writing scene, where we truly see her personality shine through. Jupiter North, a strange character that I definitely think would be a fan-favourite, takes her to the safety of Nevermoor as his chosen contender for a place in the Wundrous Society. Watching her, well, reading her compete for a place in the Wundrous society despite her insistence that she doesn't have any extraordinary talents was so relatable! I mean, who has never experienced a bit of imposter syndrome?! This aspect was reminiscent of The Hunger Games, where failure means she’d have to leave Nevermoor and Jupiter North behind. I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of a new magic system, friendships and witty sarcasm threaded throughout.
A striking middle grade adventure that I’m sure, as a series, would rival the likes of Percy Jackson, Harry Potter and Narnia.

This audiobook was one of the best that I’ve ever listened to! Throughout, Whelan’s narration was engaging and entertaining. Her distinct, unique voices for each character truly bring the fantasy to life, highlighting all the mischief and magic! For this reason alone, I highly recommend the audiobook. For that extra little detail, there are sound effects or a short theme song to signal the end of a chapter- only adding to the whimsy and wonderment. As a twenty-something, I would emphatically recommend listening, and/or reading along like I did, and sharing with any little ones in your life. I have no doubts that this series would foster a love of reading!

Finally, I would also like to just draw attention to the Chapter illustrations by Jim Madsen, which only further enchant the reader.
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A great first installment to the Nevermoor series! I will be looking forward to getting to the next books; Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow, Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow, and Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow.

Overall, 4⭐

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor series book #1)
Written by Jessica Townsend
Originally published in 2017
Audiobook narrated by Gemma Whelan

This is a young adult fantasy book centered around Morrigan, a 10-year old cursed child born on "Morning Tide." She is blamed for all mishaps in town and destined to die on her 11th birthday. Then, she was whisked away by mysterious Jupiter North to be "tried" to become a part of Wundrous Society. Thus the adventure begins...

This is every bit a beginning of a fun fantasy series with funny dialogues, mysterious characters, magical animals, and heartwarming moments.
If you are a fan of Harry Potter series, you might love this and a book #4 coming out in 2025. To me, it doesn't feel as dark as Harry Potter and I preferred this one - however, the idea itself seems a bit dated because there are many other similar stories. Still, I enjoyed enough to continue reading this series. I have to catch up with books #2 and 3 to wait for the fourth book.

A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided for review purposes. My opinions here in is my own.

The story itself is very fascinating. Starting with feeling cursed and unwanted. Experiencing the wonders of this new given opportunity. The trials that allow you to feel like you are there alongside Morrigan and her thought process. That ending and finding out what her gift is and how not all is what it was first assumed to be. Great story for children with an interest in fantasy.
in terms of the audiobook, I loved it. The reason this book got 5 stars. The music between each chapter, the expressive tones and voices of the narrator was chefs kiss AMAZING.

I read the first three books of this series a few years ago and wanted to reread the series before I will read the newest book. This time I wanted to try the audiobooks and was delighted when I saw the first one on Netgalley.

It was as good as I remembered it. The story is gripping and I never read a story like this before. Morrigan is cursed and supposed to die on her eleventh birthday. The mysterious Jupiter North safes her from her faith and takes her to a completely new world.

I only remembered some parts of the story and was excited to freshen up my memory. The writing is lovely and gripping. Some moments are a bit dark and creepy. I can imagine that it's a bit too dark for some children. Besides that it's a lovely story about friendship, found family and finding yourself.

Gemma Whelan did an amazing job in narrating it. She added the right atmosphere to the story and made it difficult for me to take breaks. The narration and the story itself made me want to listen to it in one go.

The story often gets compared to Harry Potter but I have to say that I enjoy reading this way more. It's more charming and whimsical to me.

Thank you to Netaglley and Hachette Audio for this Audio-Arc and giving me the chance to go back into the lovely world of Nevermoor.

I dont usually request middle grade books but I've really not heard a bad thing about this and since I'm trying to find something to comeback about the fantasy school that shall not be named, I'm fully on board for this

3.5
We follow Morrigan Crow, a cursed child as her life changes completely when a mysterious man takes her to Nevermoor. There she is no longer blamed for any misfortunes and is actually treated well (mostly). However, in order for her to stay she has to enter the trials to join the Wundrous Society. Unlike the other contestants she does not seem to have any extraordinary ability, so she has to find a way to succeed or risk death back in her hometown.

I had high expectations going in since I heard positive things about this book but it wasn't as good as I thought it would be. Nontheless, it's a very charming world the author has created and I was entertained by the story. I especially liked the ending, it was suspenseful and made me want to continue the sequel. I'd recommend listening to the audiobook version since the production was great. The narrator made the story feel more alive by acting for each character. If you want a whimsical story that can be a bit dark at times then I think you would like Nevermoor.

This was such much fun! It was such a cute read that gives all the magical whimsy vibes. I loved the audiobook and the narration!

I had to sit with this a bit because it left me deep in thought.
This is the kind of book I devoured when I was a child because it had an outcast young girl as its protagonist that questioned how she fit into her world. A child, that felt unloved and cursed because everyone around her made her feel that way for much too long.
But Morrigan Crow still keeps on fighting. She never truly believes in herself, thinks herself to be special but she still holds on to that one little drop of hope that maybe, just maybe, the world had something better for her in stock. But it's hard when you are about to have your life ended.
Right before she is about to die, she is found by a strange man who tells her that she can break free from her destiny and become something else, join something wonderous. Hope.
Jupiter brings her into his world, his hotel and places her into the trials to become a member of the wonderous society and this is where this story truly only begins.
I've been blown away by the depth of character and the world building at that point already but it got better.
To become a part of the wonderous society, Morrigan has to prove herself and also exhibit a special trait, a knack. As a girl, that doesn't believe in herself this sounds impossible. But she's got friends, unlikely companions and secrets not even she knows she has.

This is the first book in the series and it does a great job as such. Even if you don't want to fully commit to all books, the ending is fulfilling enough to just give it a try (which is something that's often a bit harder to do with a series of several books).

I’m not sure why the audiobook of Nevermoor was suddenly available on @netgalley
Maybe because the fourth book in the series has just dropped and @hachetteaus wanted to addict more people. Well mission accomplished because I ADORED this. I had previously purchased the boxset to put away for my kids and I’m so glad I have to second book in my possession already! Morrigan Crow is a delight, the world is whimsical and amazing. This book had me laughing out loud at points. Didn’t see myself giving a middle-grade five stars this year but here we are. Bravo @digressica bravo! Also the audiobook narrator, Gemma Whelan did an incredible job!

This has been on my list for sooo long and it didn't disappoint. This was such a cute, whimsical, and entirely hooking middle grade read. I can't wait to dive into the rest of this series because it was so fast paced for me, I adored the magic system and the characters. The audiobook was excellent, I loved the narrator and felt so immersed in the story through it.

One of the few books I consider to be worthy of the Harry Potter series but being altogether its own thing. Indeed, a good alternative for families uncomfortable sharing the HP series with their children. With unique worlds, powers, dynamics between characters, and a FEMALE PROTAGONIST IF YOU PLEEEEEASE, I would easily recommend this book to anyone. ANYONE. NOT just readers of Middle Grade. Gemma Whalen is perfect for the audiobook. I was familiar with her work on GoT but didn't realize she worked as a narrator as well. Her voice and narration style were a good fit for this story.

Thank you to NetGalley; Hachette Audio; Little, Brown Young Readers; Jessica Townsend; and Gemma Whelan for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A cursed girl escapes death and is taken to Nevermoor, where she must pass trials to stay.

The first half was whimsical and engaging, with vivid world building and fun characters. But as the story progressed, it started to drag. While the story has charm and creativity, it would’ve been much stronger if it were about 100 pages shorter.

Thank you to Jessica Townsend, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't felt this much magic and whimsey from a story since I was a child reading Harry Potter. Having never heard of this series before I am so glad I stumbled upon it here on Netgalley, it is a true hidden gem. To my happy surprise the 4th book in the series came out yesterday so I will be devouring the rest of this series imminently! I love the elaborate and detailed world this author created. Each character is full of life and the narrator does such an extraordinary job of immersing the audience into the world of Nevermoor. I truly haven't experienced a story of this caliber in a long long time. Morrigan Crow is a delightful main character who takes us on an incredible and action-packed journey in just the first book.

This is a good middle grade fantasy story. I enjoyed the premise and the unique characters. We all feel a bit different sometimes, but how terrible would it be for your own family to treat you as a pariah? But what a joy to be rescued from that and introduced to a whole new world where you fit right in!

The audiobook narration is pretty good.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hatchett Audio for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

I listened to 'Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow' as an audiobook after enjoying reading the book a few years ago. I loved the story even more the second time! The audiobook version is phenomenal, with Gemma Whelan transforming into distinct characters during dialogue. I felt instantly transported to Morrigan's world.

Even though this is a middle grade story, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a magical and whimsical adventure. There are magical trials and a talking cat, as well as some interesting social commentary. With multifaceted characterisation and fantastic world building, there is a lot to love.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TL;DR: What an absolute delight. This has all the fun and whimsy of a solid middle grade humor with the suspense and mystery of an adult fantasy.

Is this a bit predictable? Absolutely - I saw a few of the twists coming a mile away. But it also had me wanting to teach it, because it did such a lovely job with foreshadowing and suspense.

Are the characters lovable? So so lovable. In fact, there was one major twist with a character I didn't see coming at ALL and I'm so excited to read the next book!

Is the story interesting? So much so. If you're longing to go back to that first time you read Harry Potter, this is great way to do so. It's well written, well paced, and the humor had me snickering a few times out loud.

The audiobook is great for this, too. The narrator is well spoken and does a great job with different voices, making the story even better.

I loved the story and the chatacters.The narration was beautifully done.
I knew the story but I felt like I was visiting for the first time.

Charming and whimsical, this was an entertaining read from start to finish.

The politics and social commentary was so interesting to see in a middle grade novel and the trials gave me some major hunger games X goblet of fire vibes which I really enjoyed. The world building was vivid and exciting and the characters were intriguing and really fun to follow.

I'm definitely looking forward to continuing with this series and jumping back into it whenever I need some light, fun, magical relief.

I loved the narrator. The story was easy to follow and very cute. It gave Harry Potter vibes. After finishing I immediately bought the kindle for my daughter to read.