THE TRIALS OF MORRIGAN CROW - Jessica Townsend

5 stars

Filled with whimsy, adult-worthy dialogue, and the magic at the heart of the best types of middle grade. Fantastic book.

Writing: ★★★★
Concepts/World building: ★★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★

The Trials of Morrigan Crow is one of those extremely rare middle grade novels: it's just as fun for us adults, too.

I think it's the MOST fun for those of us who grew up with Harry Potter, because this has something similar going for it. It's new, it's exciting, and the plot is too good to put down. I loved every aspect of this book, except for the fact that it ended. (Good thing it's a series.)

Morrigan Crow was born cursed. Because she's "cursed," everything that ever happens in her small town is blamed on her—from someone's pimple to a death to a surprise hail storm—and she's been told that she's going to die on her 11th birthday. Yep. Her life is...not the best.

But at the stroke of midnight on her 11th birthday, a strange man appears and says that Morrigan has a choice: run with him now, fast, and escape her fate. He says there's more out there, and Morrigan believes him because...well, anything is better than dying, right?

Just a hop, skip, and jump into another dimension and whole new world... Nevermoor.

My thoughts:
So from my 5 stars, you should be able to tell that I loved this. I don't have negative thoughts, or "meh" thoughts. Just good ones. It's rare for me to read something and not have at least one thing to critique, or wish was more "my" taste, but this one did it. I loved it all.

If you like any of the following, pick this up immediately: portal fantasy, girl protagonists, magical hotels, endless rooms of whimsy, shadows, umbrellas, competitions, boarding schools, magical schools, colorful settings, cats, friendship plots, morbid humor, adventure, chosen one trope.