MMGM (4/1/2019): Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (not an April Fools' joke!)

First of all, I would like to remind you that the Spring Signed Book Giveaway ends on Tuesday morning! Be sure to enter today (Monday) to ensure that you get in before the giveaway ends. Enter using the form at the bottom of the linked post.

For MMGM, I am recommending Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend. Note that this review is NOT an April Fools' joke—I genuinely adore this book!

(UPDATED NOTE AS OF 1/2/2021: If you have not read the first book in this series, read this review instead, as while I have tried to minimize spoilers, there are still major spoilers of the first book below.)

          A little over a year ago, I wholeheartedly recommended the first book in this series, Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, which has gained widespread acclaim and is even being made into a theatrical movie! In this second book in the series, Morrigan has finally gotten into the Wundrous Society, a prestigious school where children with unique talents learn how to harness and hone their skills. All is not well and good for Morrigan, however, as her talent, which has an unfortunate stigma, unnerves other members of the Wundrous Society, both in her year and in others. She is prohibited from taking nearly every class (except for one about how her talent is evil), and it doesn't help that she and the other members of her year are being blackmailed. To make matters worse, members of the Wundrous Society start disappearing, and all eyes are on Morrigan, who is forced to try and figure out the cause of the disappearances while proving that she was not involved.
          One of the best parts of Wundersmith is that author Jessica Townsend does a great job of putting her characters through the wringer while also giving them plenty of chances to have fun and enjoy themselves. Although Morrigan faces the enormous set of challenges mentioned above, she still has the company of her guardian, Jupiter North, and her best friend, Hawthorne. She is also just discovering the extent of the wonderful things throughout Nevermoor, ranging from fun holidays and yearly festivals to daily pleasures (such as traveling around the city by hanging off what is essentially a zipline). Townsend also gave Wundersmith great pacing: the plot moves quickly, with new challenges and developments constantly popping up during the novel. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, the characters are still awesome and weird (and there are some great new ones as well), and Wundersmith also ends with a one-two punch of twists, both of which will leave you thinking, "Of course! How did I not think of that?" While you should definitely read the excellent Nevermoor first if you are interested in the series, rest assured that Wundersmith is a fabulous sequel that only cements the excellence of this new series!

Update (1/2/2021): My rating is: Stunning!