"Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow" by Jessica Townsend

A cursed girl escapes death and finds herself in a magical world - but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination 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.

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Nevermoor is a book I would actually recommend to children rather than young adults because the book is set in a child-like fantastical place with magic and creatures that would be appealing to kids. Nevertheless, I did absolutely love the book and the fairytale plot with each and every character so beautifully portrayed in each chapter!

Honestly, this book took me back to my childhood when I'd be obsessed with fairytales and magic and peculiar creatures that lived in the forest. I remember wishing I could fly and be a beautiful fairy who'd grant everyone wishes and being loved by everyone. This book was different and more well-developed than those puerile stories, however, it still captured that innocence that comes with those stories.

Personally I didn't like the character, Morrigan, that much because she was kind of a ninny and rather pessimistic often. On the other hand, I absolutely loved (well...mostly loved) Jupiter. He was such a sweet and jolly fellow and he rescued Morrigan from that god-awful dreadful place called "home". But he was a bit scatterbrained and was flitting from place to place without giving much of an idea of what was going on to Morrigan. Still, I liked him!

LOL actually the plot kind of reminded me of the book Caraval because of both books' majestic setting and the surreal world they are in. Also in both books they have to solve a riddle sort of thing: Caraval has a game for 5 nights where you have to find a certain prize and Nevermoor has 4 series of tests that you have to pass in order to be part of the Wundrous Society... I don't exactly know what that is but I look forward to knowing in the second book!

I think the book entirely was written very well with descriptive language and imaginative vocabulary that made the story come alive with colour and fun and just... ahhh everything a fantasy story should have.

Overall Rating: 5 stars