JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Wunder is gathering in Nevermoor …

Morrigan Crow may have defeated her deadly curse, passed the dangerous trials and joined the mystical Wundrous Society, but her journey into Nevermoor and all its secrets has only just begun. And she is fast learning that not all magic is used for good.

Return to the magical world of Nevermoor! Morrigan Crow’s perilous adventures continue in the most anticipated sequel of the year, a treat for all fans of magic and Wunder.

Morrigan Crow has escaped her deadly fate and found a new home in the fantastical city of Nevermoor. She has also discovered that she has a strange and magical ability. But will her unique talent be a blessing or another curse?

Now that Morrigan and her best friend Hawthorne are proud scholars in the elite Wundrous Society, she is sure that she’s found a place to belong at last, but life is far from perfect. Can Morrigan prove that she deserves to be in the Society – or will an unexpected new enemy ruin her new life?

Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend is the second instalment in the Nevermoor series, following Morrigan Crow as she joins fellow scholars in Unit 919 of Wundrous Society.

The trials are over and Morrigan and her fellow students have made it through to the prestigious magical society. Each of the students possess a certain talent — called a ‘knack’ — that aids them in their adventures. Knacks are quite unique and not your stereotypical power.

Once again, Jessica enchants readers with this wonderful, magical world. Fun, magical powers reveal themselves and the introduction of Tricksy Lanes is an entertaining addition to the world.

There’s plenty of mystery in this book as people start to go missing. Jupiter spends most of the book travelling in and out of Nevermoor, desperate to find out who is responsible for the kidnappings and how to retrieve the missing people.

Meanwhile, Unit 919 are being sent threatening letters and they’re forced to undergo risky challenges, otherwise Morrigan’s secret will be outed to the entire society and the entire Unit 919 cohort will be kicked out of the society.

“It looked just as if somebody had taken an old Wunderground train carriage, gutted it, and turned it into a long cosy sitting room. Big lumpy cushions and squashy armchairs, an assortment of coffee tables and lamps and an old, worn-out sofa were configured neatly around the space.”

Morrigan’s year isn’t as exciting as she thought it’d be. Her main task is to learn about how horrible past Wundersmiths have been, whilst also trying to control and compress her own Wundersmith abilities. Morrigan feels let down and confused, and out of frustration and anger she unintentionally learns what Wunder can really achieve. It’s a dangerous and powerful ability.

As with Nevermoor, Wundersmith is filled with humour, both situational and in the dialogue. Children will enjoy the banter and the hilarity present in this sequel.

“Nobody knew anything about another disappearance. Not Kedgeree or Fenestra or Dame Chandra — Morrigan had spent all of Sunday pestering them in turn. Not Miss Cheery, who’d seemed genuinely surprised (and a little worried) in Hometrain on Monday to heart the Stealth had been to Morrigan’s home.”

The pacing quickened a little too much in the final 100 pages, meaning the conclusion felt a little forced and rushed. I am also a little sceptical about the direction of this series and where this is all headed. I don’t find Ezra Squall — Morrigan’s enemy — to be an overly threatening villain, not like Voldemort was in the Harry Potter series. Truthfully, I don’t know if Ezra alone can carry the series.

Despite this, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next instalment.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow
Jessica Townsend
November 2018
Hachette Book Publishers

Inheritance by Carole Wilkinson

Nic is left in the care of her grandfather at the remote family property that was once her mother’s childhood home; a place with thirty rooms, three dogs and no mobile reception.

Left to her own devices, she searches for clues about her mother – who died the day Nic was born. But when Nic learns how to slip through time, she discovers more than she could have imagined. The past holds a dark and shocking secret that haunts the land and the people who live there.

Historical fiction for middle grade readers at its compelling, shocking, fascinating best.

Inheritance by Carole Wilkinson is a historical fiction novel perfect for Australian readers aged approximately 10-12.

This book is not at all what I thought it was going to be, judging by the blurb above. Yes, it’s a novel about time travel. But it’s so much more than that. It’s about massacre and racism and understanding the mistakes of the past.

Inheritance sheds light on the shameful events in Australian history. This book would make a good classroom discussion for primary school children, using it to launch conversations around the history of Australia and the treatment of aboriginals by white people.

“My eyes were still adjusting to the sudden change from absolute darkness to brilliant daylight. In the distance, among all the yellow, I could see dark out-of-focus shapes. I blinked. One of the shapes changed. I heard a sound. It took me a while to realise it was a voice. The other shapes changed, becoming taller and thinner. They were people. Women.”

Teenager Nic Gervase lives in the present-day timeline and lives in regional Victoria. Her fathers on a cruise ship and has left her to live with her maternal grandfather. She stumbles upon a way to travel back in time, and discovers the shocking truth about what life was like back then.

Inheritance confronts the massacre of the local Gulidjan people in 1839. At times, the content in the book is a little shocking but it’s based on true events and it’s important for young readers to know the history of Australia.

“The men stared at me with curiosity, not fear. One of them spoke. The sounds made no sense to me. I couldn’t even recognise them as words. He seemed to be talking to the women. Then the men turned and ran off, their spears held high.”

At times, the vocabulary, sentence structure and prose felt a little too young for the audience but the concept of time travel is so interesting that I think it will entice and engage young readers’ minds.

I recommend this to young readers intrigued by historical fiction and Australian history.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Inheritance
Carole Wilkinson
September 2018
Walker Books Australia

The Outcast by Taran Matharu

Enter an immersive world where the chosen few have the ability to summon demons …

Arcturus is just an orphaned stable boy when he discovers he has the ability to summon demons from another world. He is sent to Vocans Academy where the lost arts of summoning, spell craft and demonology are taught to the noble children of the Empire.

As the first commoner gifted with this ability, his discovery challenges the nobility and the powers that be and Arcturus soon makes enemies. With no one but his demon Sacharissa by his side, Arcturus must prove himself as a worthy Summoner …

The Outcast by Taran Matharu is the prequel novel to the bestselling children’s fantasy series, Summoner. It’s about young kids who have the rare gift of being able to summon demons from another world.

This novel is most enjoyable, taking the reader on a fun, adventurous journey full of orcs, dwarves, demons and magic. Whilst the characterisation is pretty weak — the characters are not really relatable and their motivations seem very stereotypical — the pacing is great. Each chapter ends on a note that wants you to keep reading, and the book definitely drew comparisons to the Harry Potter series.

‘Prince Harold, why do you think your father has sent me away?’
‘Lord Forsyth, the reasons are threefold. The first is that in the last dwarven rebellion, the noble families suffered several deaths, and this could happen again if the ongoing altercations with the orcs become any worse. With commoners to swell our ranks, we will be able to take fewer risks, giving the more dangerous missions to them.”

At its core, the novel explores racism and prejudice. Everyone is so surprised that a commoner has the ability to summon a demon, but they treat Arcturus terribly and two students even try to kill him. However, over the course of the novel, Arcturus learns to trust other students and he forms strong friendships with a few other kids in the academy.

The novel is subject to quite a few significant flaws. It’s unrealistic how Arcturus is privy to so much sensitive information, even from the the beginning of the book. This is noticeable in most scenes where Obadiah is present — a powerful man like that wouldn’t tell him as much as he does, and he wouldn’t have his students discussing and understanding all of the political knowledge of the land and school. It feels a lot like an info dump to the reader.

“Now he could see the animals, like the deer of the north but with twisting horns and a ribbon of black separating their white-furred bellies and the sandy coat above. They were strange creatures to be sure, and he had no idea what they were.”

Arcturus actually spends very little time at the academy learning how to control demons and magic. He’s there for a very short time before he’s out in battle trying to stay alive. Realistically, he should be terrible. He’s a novice. But somehow he seems really experienced? This is very unrealistic.

The ending of the novel is also unrealistic. It ends too abruptly. This prequel storyline is too complex to be captured in a four-hundred page novel. The pacing may be good, but Taran has squished too much information and history and plot into this novel.

“Arcturus fell to his knees, the pain of Sacharissa’s injury flaring like lightning across his brain. He could barely see through the agony, only feel the tremors of the Phantaur’s approaching steps.”

Younger children will love this, but adult readers aren’t the target audience. This is not a crossover fantasy series, so I’d recommend this to young eyes, and to parents/family looking to buy a gift for a younger reader. The Outcast is a prequel, so no prior knowledge of the series is required. I haven’t read any of this series and I followed along just fine.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Outcast
Taran Matharu
May 2018
Hachette Book Publishers Australia

When the Mountains Roared by Jess Butterworth

When Ruby’s dad uproots her from Australia to set up a hotel in the mountains of India, Ruby is devastated. Not only are they living in a run-down building in the middle of the wilderness surrounded by scorpions, bears and leopards, but Ruby is sure that India will never truly feel like home – not without her mum there.

Ever since her mum died, Ruby has been afraid. Of cars. Of the dark. Of going to sleep and never waking up.

But then the last remaining leopards of the mountain are threatened and everything changes. Ruby vows to do all she can to protect them – if she can only overcome her fears…

When the Mountains Roared is Jess Butterworth’s second middle-grade novel, following on from Running on the Roof of the World. It’s a vivid, warm and atmospheric adventure set in the mountains of India.

Jess Butterworth is really skilled at capturing setting — I could feel the warmth of that blazing sun and the silence of the mountains. I could sense the seclusion and the danger that lurked. The language is descriptive and engaging, simple enough for young children to understand but detailed enough so that readers of all ages will be lured into this story.

“The mountain is covered in pieces of shiny grey slate. The same slate the roofs in the village are made of. I climb down and with a chalky stone I write a message to Praveen on some slate, before propping it against a branch in the tree.”

Ruby is a determined, courageous young girl, not afraid to face danger to save the defenceless. She does have more spine and more confidence than her father, who actually felt like a really weak, naive character.

He felt a little underdeveloped — a cardboard cut out of a character. He disregarded his daughter and while he cared for her, he didn’t come across as a very smart man. I think the reader is supposed to sympathise for him, but really I just pitied him and disregarded his character altogether.

“I see that his face is now drawn and worried. And I realise that’s the problem. I don’t trust him. No matter how hard I try, after everything that happened in Australia with the moneylenders, there’s still a part of me that doesn’t. A big part.”

When the Mountains Roared explores hope, courage and family. It also illustrates the importance of identity and the discovery of one’s place in the world.

Jess has blended so many different emotions into Ruby’s characterisation — grief, loss and wonder. Ruby is forced to navigate this new life, whilst also learning how to let go of her old life. She has to understand that she can enjoy life without her mother being in it, and even though life will never be the same again, that doesn’t mean it won’t be enjoyable and full of wondrous experiences.

Any children who have experienced loss will really relate to Ruby.

“My stomach twinges as I recognise the buildings and criss-crossing roads outside.
Perth.
It was where we had Mum’s funeral.
She died on a Friday, the same day the roses bloomed. She’d been watching and waiting for them to open every day.”

Jess Butterworth has crafted a fast-paced, entertaining story for children, set within the beautiful Himalayan mountains.

When the Mountains Roared teaches young readers about Tibetan and Indian culture. It also educates readers on animal protection and poaching, but that education feels like osmosis. Jess isn’t beating readers over the head with information, but rather, allowing children to learn the culture and the importance of animal protection slowly as the plot develops. This is fantastic for a children’s novel, because the last thing kids want is to feel like they’re *learning* when reading a fictional novel.

This is a really great book for middle-grade readers, and I actually think it’s a lot stronger than her debut. The characters are more evocative and three-dimensional, and the story is much richer and much more pacy. Young readers will love this story. Animal lovers will devour it.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

When the Mountains Roared
Jesse Butterworth
April 2018
Hachette Book Publishers

Missing by Sue Whiting

Mackenzie da Luca’s mother is missing – she’s vanished without a trace in the jungles of Panama. Now, 116 days later Mackenzie and her dad are in those same jungles. Her dad is desperate to find out what’s happened to his wife. And Mackenzie is desperate to make sure he doesn’t …

Missing by Sue Whiting is a debut children’s novel about a young girl’s search for her missing mother. It explores family, friendship and love. The book also shows readers what it’s like when a family is searching for answers — when people are struggling to cope with the unknown and they feel forced to take matters into their own hands.

“My face is burning up. Memories are too hard. I try to shove it out of my head — it’s safe that way — but it won’t budge and I’m already back at the gallery and thinking about how we strolled around and my scientific mother tried her best to look intrigued.”

This is an incredibly emotional debut. It’s told from the perspective of Mackenzie after her mother has been missing for a number of weeks. Her and her father venture to Panama after local authorities fail to locate Mackenzie’s mother.

This is a confronting read. Over the course of the novel, we are thrust back into the past so we can come to understand how strong Mackenzie’s connection was with her mother, and just how special she was in their lives. The disappearance of Mackenzie’s mother has a monumental effect on her life, and it’s pretty heartbreaking to read this.

Missing is warm and touching, but it’s also heartbreaking. You follow Mackenzie and her father as they try to find this missing piece of them, and a sense of dread forms in the pit of your stomach. Deep down, you know what’s going to happen at the end of the novel.

Mackenzie’s father is broken, and I liked how Sue portrayed his mental health. He’s depressed and has been struggling ever since his wife went missing, and he doesn’t shy away from that around Mackenzie. Yes, at some points he tries to hide how he’s really feeling, but he is a really emotional character and Mackenzie can see how much he’s hurting. Their relationship is quite complicated and fraught at times, but given the situation they’re in, I think Sue illustrated this really effectively.

“Dad’s the same, because as the day wears on and the breeze gets stronger and the clouds hang lower and lower, threatening to pour, he becomes edgier and edgier. Why is he torturing himself like this? It’s hard to watch.”

The storyline is quite confronting for children to read, but the writing is strong and rich with emotion. The dialogue is believable and the characters relatable. I loved the connection that Mackenzie shared with her grandmother — she relies on her grandmother a lot since her mother went missing and it is sweet to see the bond they share.

I think you have to stretch your imagination with the storyline though. Mackenzie’s father pulls her out of school to go to Panama so they can both search for her mother? And they leave Mackenzie’s grandmother at home worried? It would’ve been more realistic if her father left her behind with the grandmother while he went searching for the mother, but then that would mean there wouldn’t be a story to tell. Still, I found the plot to be a bit unbelievable.

I recommend this to young teens, and children who are in the upper end of primary school. It’s middle grade novel, so primarily it’s aimed at children 10-14. I think adult readers might be intrigued by the mystery of Mackenzie’s mother, but I don’t think that Missing will necessarily appeal to adult readers. The protagonist reads quite young, and this book is cemented in the children’s literature space.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Missing
Sue Whiting
March 2018
Walker Books Australia

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