We had such fun hosting middle grade author, Jessica Townsend, at BookBar.

Review by: Widget, BookWorm, age 9

Morrigan Crow is going to die. She will, as every cursed child does, leave this world. But Morrigan doesn’t think that she’ll literally do that. With the help of Jupiter North, she cheats death by jumping time zones. Jupiter takes her to Nevermoor, a magical and whimsical place. She can stay there forever if she wants, but there’s a catch: Morrigan has to join the Wundrous Society, and to do that you need to pass 4 trials.

The first three  trials vary — from the book trial to the fright trial to the chase and many others. But the last one is always the same: some sort of talent competition. Each child chosen for the Wundrous Society possesses some sort of magical talent from riding dragons, making people do what you want, to hair that always keeps growing. But Morrigan doesn’t have a knack, the magic gift, so how can she pass the last text? As the clock starts ticking Morrigan races to have a spot in the Wundrous Society no matter how impossible it seems.

This book had the right amount of make-believe magic and wonder for a reader who enjoys fantasy. It’s not like any book I’ve read. This is sort of like a magical school story with the usual bullies and besties with a dash of mystery. Its unique storyline allows readers to predict what happens yet still be surprised.