Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
By Jessica Townsend
Published by Hachette
Bahh Boldly and immerse yourself in Nevermoor
with Lachie and Layla.
Nevermoor is a middle-grade book that introduces readers to cursed child Morrigan Crow, who is destined to die at midnight on Eventide. The book is the first in the series and positions the reader to follow Morrigan on her future adventures.
Lachie: Grab your brolly because you’re in for a ride when you reach Nevermoor!
Layla: I was relieved to read no lambs were reported injured during The Chase Trial.
Nevermoor was a ‘big book’ of 2017 and became a bestseller. The publisher threw its marketing power behind it and, wow, did it get devoured by eager readers! The novel was touted as the ‘next Harry Potter’ during the pre-release promotions, so that generated a fair amount of excitement among readers. The novel is aimed at readers aged eight and older; however, while Lachie and Layla are younger than the intended readership they had no difficulty in comprehending the plot or characters. We managed to read this book within a day, so it held their attention and entertained Lachie sufficiently that he didn’t ask to watch TV.
Throughout the novel I kept mentally ticking off parts of the Hero’s Journey and making comparisons to Harry Potter. It was difficult not to draw parallels after all the marketing.
If you read the Australian sample chapters online before purchasing the book please note they are not the start of the book, but the part where Morrigan Crow’s adventure kicks off. You may notice similarities between Morrigan and Captain Jupiter North’s interactions in those chapters, and Harry Potter and Hagrid’s meeting on Harry’s eleventh birthday.
‘Mind what?’ Morrigan asked. ‘That I’m going to be blotted out of existence in a few hours and you’re planning a wardrobe for my replacement? Not in the slightest.’
Humour, often tongue-in-cheek, assists the book’s pace with Jupiter North fulfilling the role of mentor. It feels like the author had a lot of fun crafting Jupiter North so prepare yourselves for a remarkable ‘witness’ with bright ginger hair and a distinguishable fashion sense. Other characters include Fenestra, Jack, Hawthorne, Frank the vampire-dwarf, Dame Chanda Kali, Martha the maid, Mr Kedgeree Burns, Inspector Flintlock, Baz Charlton, Noelle Devereaux, Cadence Vlackburn, Mr Jones, and the Wundersmith.
Umbrellas, or brollies, play a significant role in the story as the citizens of Nevermoor ride on The Brolly Rail. Morrigan receives a black, oilskin brolly as a gift from Jupiter, hence the photos of Lachie with a brolly, which provides an anchor to Nevermoor. Lachie and Layla suspect Morrigan’s brolly will become increasingly important as the series progresses.
Throughout the story readers are left to wonder – What is Morrigan’s knack? Why did Jupiter North, sworn lifelong non-patron, become her patron? Lachie insists we avoid spoilers, so please read the book to find out.
Show us your knack, Lachie!
Lachie: I am talented at vacuuming pellets.
Layla: …you’re not that good at it. You miss some then take mine.
Lachie: I fail to find any magical properties in this brolly, thus refuse to jump from the Hotel Deucalion and bahh ‘Step Boldly!’.
If you enjoy fantasy, magic, wonder, and children getting into mischief, then you will probably enjoy, or your children will enjoy, Nevermoor. It is available in most countries and fancy hardback editions were released recently in some territories. If you are not into reading, the film adaption rights to Nevermoor were acquired by 20th Century Fox so keep an eye out in cinemas in future.
Remember, step boldly, use your brolly wisely, and try not to get caught up in any Chase Trials because they can get messy!
The Verdict:
If you are a mega fan of fantasy, or Harry Potter, or are the intended readership (MG/even YA) then definitely check out Nevermoor. If you are not interested in: a) reading, b) fantasy, or c) books aimed at a younger audience, then probably give Nevermoor a miss.
Lachie: 4 out of 5 wags of a lamb's tail – I need a brolly for winter!
Layla: 3.5 out of 5 wags of a lamb's tail – I don't like brollies. I think they belong to the Wundersmith.
