New favorite middle grade series?

This book took me straight back to a middle grader fantasy/magic reading kid again. It was giving me the feels I had when reading Harry Potter or A Series of Unfortunate Events. It was silly and brilliant and hilarious. It was also dark but light, happy but sad, and I can admit that the twisty twist got me. The trials seemed a little rushed, but this is a story for a younger audience so that makes sense. I really enjoyed the variety of challenges the kids had to face.

I got the audiobook version of this and Gemma Whelan is an incredible narrator. She made all the characters come to life. I was pulled right into Nevermoor with them. I want to live in the Hotel Deucalion - I would be so excited to wake up every day and see how my room has changed.

As soon as I finished this, my fingers ran to my library app to see if the audiobook was available for the next book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this amazing audiobook experience!

Having read the book, Nevermoor: The Trials of morrigan Crow, I knew what I was in for. I truly enjoy the series. However I never listened to the audiobook until it was presented to me. I received the audiobook as a digital review from Netgalley and in return am leaving my honest opinion of it. As stated, I am familiar with the great book series as well as the narrator, Gemma Whelan, but only knowing her for her acting skills on screen. I knew just from her acting reputoire that I was in for a treat. I was not wrong.

The audio version of Nevermoor was absolutely spectacular! It brought new life to the fantastical and magical world Jessica Townsend has created for the reader. Gemma Whelan brings bright life to each and every whimsy character she narrates and she leaves nothing to the imagination. She could read the dictionary and it would be entertaining, she is just that good.

I cannot recommend enough for readers (young and young at heart) to add this audiobook to their collection. Whether you are new to the series or want to re-read for a whole new experience, do it! You will not be disappointed, I promise!

I know this book came out several years ago and definitely has Harry Potter vibes - but if you love a Hero’s Journey- this is for you! I loved Morrigan and Jupiter. You just become so invested in the characters.

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend is a book that takes the reader to a new world full of magic and mystery. The story is slightly slow at the beginning, but it doesn't make the book boring. In the story, Morrigan has had her fate predetermined from her birthday due to a curse that states she'll die when the next Eventide arrives. When the day of her death comes, Morrigan finds out that not everything is as it seems and embarks on a wild adventure with her mentor, Jupiter North. The world-building in Nevermoor is very well-crafted; you learn about it slowly as Morrigan herself does. The characters are engaging and make you care about them. Many funny moments bring some lightness to the story. Townsend guides the reader on a rollercoaster of events full of magic and enchanting characters. The narrator makes the story even more engaging. The voices are amazing and fit each character perfectly well. The audiobook production is remarkable. There are no weird, silent moments, the chapter transitions are smooth and clean. There are music transitions in important moments that enhance the listening experience; they have the right tone to complement what is happening in the story. I loved this audiobook, and I'm looking forward to listening to the rest of the series.

The narrator did an AMAZING job with this book. I need to get my hands on the next ones in the series. This book resparked my love for middlegrade books. I am so glad I read it, it was so whimsical and just perfect.

I can’t wait to add this book to my classroom library! My students are going to love it. Morrigan is a quirky young girl who has always believed she was cursed and would not live past her 11th birthday. That is until she meets the even more quirky but mysterious Jupiter North. He takes her on a grand adventure to Nevermoor. To remain there, she must compete in a number of trials set by the Wondrous Society. The world and character building are so well written that you quickly get sucked into the story rooting for Morrigan. I truly think that my class will want to see just how crazy Nevermoor can get. The audiobook narration just pushed it more over the top. I can not recommend this book enough!

This is so cute. Very first book of Harry Potter coded. Whimsical and magical. Highly entertaining. The narration was really good. Could really get into the story

The most interesting thing about Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrison Crow for me was my own general feeling that it had an incredibly beautiful and strong start and an exceedingly strong and beautiful ending.

I could honestly take or leave the middle.

It took me a while to finish this one because I spent so much of my time with it just waiting to feel as interested as I had at the beginning. And I’d look at the book on my reading list, in my books…and just feel thoroughly unmotivated to pick it back up again. And it wasn’t until I was nearing the very end that I truly started to get back into the story, to feel excited about the characters and what they were facing—because my goodness, through all that tediousness, we got some great foreshadowing.

So, I kind of leave this story feeling like it’s one I would love to recommend to families, to students, and to read to my kids. I just mildly dread having to slog through the middle again. Though, hopefully, I will feel less meh about it on a reread.

The message, by the way, and the resolution—my word, just -chef’s kiss- superb.

Oh, and if you find yourself interested in the audiobook, I can say that the musicality involved was a lot of fun. Gemma Wheelan was a pretty phenomenal narrator overall.

I chose this book purely based on the beautiful cover. I am so glad I did because this book was fabulous. The production quality on this audiobook is fantastic, There’s a short piece of music between each chapter that fits so perfectly with what’s going on in the story. The narrator is wonderful to listen to and her voices of other characters is well done.
Morrigan’s story seems so hopeless at the beginning but then her adventure takes off when she joins Jupiter. The characters are varied and interesting. I loved the continuous attempts by Jupiter to shorten Morrigan into a nickname throughout the story. I was so sad when it was over but I can get the other books to continue.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for a copy of this marvellous audio book.

*Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow* is an utterly enchanting romp through a vividly imagined world that feels at once fresh and timeless. Jessica Townsend introduces readers to Morrigan, a delightfully sharp and unlucky heroine whose journey from cursed outcast to potential member of the Wundrous Society is filled with charm, heart, and magic. The story bursts with whimsy and suspense, and Gemma Whelan’s narration brings it all to life with captivating warmth and energy. With its dazzling trials, eccentric mentor Jupiter North, and the mysterious city of Nevermoor, this is a magical coming-of-age tale that will thrill fans of *Harry Potter* and *The Phantom Tollbooth* alike. A must-listen for readers young and old who believe in the wonder of the impossible.

I want to start off with how much I enjoyed the narrator, Gemma Whelan. She added so much to this book. She did a great job with the voices.

Morrigan Crow was a cursed child. She was born on Eventide, the unluckiest day. She was blamed for all unfortunate circumstances. Morrigan has no friends, and everyone is afraid to be around her. Her life takes a turn for the better when she attends bid day. Someone actually wants to mentor her. Unfortunately, she is cursed and will day by her 11th birthday.

In comes the most magical person she has ever met Jupiter North. He wants her to come with him and to contend for a place in the city Nevermoor. The cast of characters you will meet will make you laugh, shake your head and get made at mean girls. I listened to this book with my girls, and they enjoyed it.

This audiobook was so delightful. This is the perfect listen for kids—parents and kids can listen to this during car rides. Highly recommended.

Review of Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend – ★★★★☆

Nevermoor is exactly the kind of story that reminds me why adults should dip into middle grade fiction more often. Jessica Townsend has crafted a richly imagined world full of wonder, whimsy, and just enough darkness to keep the stakes real. Morrigan Crow is a delightful protagonist—clever, sharp, and easy to root for—and the universe she’s thrown into feels both fantastical and grounded in its own logic.

I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook, thanks to NetGalley, and it absolutely elevated the experience. The narration was outstanding—engaging, expressive, and perfectly attuned to the tone of the story. I often found myself lingering in scenes just to savor the performance.

While I’m holding back a star for some pacing issues in the middle, overall this was a joyful, immersive read that made me feel like a kid discovering magic again for the first time. I’m already looking forward to the next in the series.

Nevermoor was a great story reminiscent of a great middle grade adventure. Nevermoor follows a cursed child as she is swept into a whole new world on the eve of when she should find her death. We are then teleported into a trial adventure as she navigates finding her place in a society that is no longer afraid of her but rather encouraging her.

Additionally, the audiobook is PHENOMENAL. If you are an audiobook listener, you MUST consume this story in that format. Gemma Whelan does an amazing job bringing each character to live with unique character voices, and fantastic acting. The audiobook has additional little chimes or sound effects typically around the end of chapters but occasionally in the chapters as well. It helps add whimsical effects to the story itself.

Nevermoor is reminiscent for those who like the story telling and adventures of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. I highly recommend!

This is such a cute middle grade book. It's gloomy and feels gothic, yet it's so hopeful. The themes of found family are done great. The characters don't behave in a way where I want to shake them for being really dumb but believable for their age.
The evil guy is properly evil and kind of obvious but it's middle grade so as someone who reads a lot of fantasy and has always read a lot of it, it's fine to know beforehand.
The narrator also did a great job.

I had heard about this book, but never got around to reading it.
The story was fun and the world was ver interesting.
If you like books about found family and magic, this is the book for you.
And I recommend the audio the narrator does a great job.

This is an excellent story about a young girl who is different, and knows that her difference results in her being considered problematic in the place where she lives.

The fact that every disaster that occurs is wrongfully blamed on Morrigan Crow - whose own politician father couldn't care less about her - really doesn't help. But perhaps there is a way out of the situation, a most unexpected way out...

This is a story worth reading, packed with humour and creativity, and featuring an irresistible protagonist.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was so cute, fun, mysterious, and magical. I really liked it all!

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This was such a great story. Morrigan has to deal with so much at such a young age. I cannot imagine what it would feel like to have your family thinking you are a curse. The trials that she goes through in order to become part of the Wonderous Society is very interesting and shows who Morrigan is. I cannot wait to see what happens with Morrigan after she gets more training and to see if she gets into the Wonderous Society.

I had an amazing time listening to *Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow*! The audiobook was such a treat — the narrator was fantastic and really brought the story to life with her voices. It made the magical world feel even more real. The story itself was whimsical, fast-paced, and full of charm. Morrigan’s journey through the trials to enter the Wunder Society was packed with adventure, magic, and heartwarming friendships. I loved the quirky, eccentric characters — each one felt unique and fun to follow. This is a delightful middle grade fantasy that I’d highly recommend to anyone looking for an imaginative escape.