I’ve been following Morrigan for a couple of years now, and I was super excited to read this third installment of the series. She knows she is a Wundersmith and is arguing within herself about whether she needs to follow what the school wants her to do, or really hone her powers by talking to the disgraced Wundersmith Ezra Squall. Also, many other groups of people are trying to control Morrigan’s education, as they have many expectations for a Wundersmith.

The worldbuilding in these books is amazing, and this book is no exception. I love reading about Nevermoor and the intricacies of their world. Just the Snow Queen vs. Saint Nick drama is something I adore.

It is crazy to see how much Morrigan has grown, but she is still feeling the remnants of losing the people who were supposed to be her family. Even if they didn’t always treat her well, they were her family.

This series just keeps getting better and better, I'm totally obsessed with it! Morrigan has a lot on the line in this book and it's really the book that is setting up one heck of an explosion for the next couple of books I would say. I can't want to see what happens.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I don't know why I thought this was going to be a trilogy, but Townsend clearly has more in store for Morrigan and her found family (which is something I am totally here for). It's clear everyone at the Deucalion loves Morrigan, and she's embraced them as her family as well. Even the hotel itself seems to have a fondness for the Wundersmith. Jupiter and Fen are the best pseudo-parents a girl could ask for, and I absolutely love seeing the two of them fight for Morrigan. They usually agree on what needs to happen, but their preferred methods can be vastly different (Fen favors claws and teeth, while Jupiter is fond of words). Moreover, it's not just that they're willing to physically and verbally brawl with others on her behalf, but they actually listen when she speaks. They respect her voice and her decisions (even when they don't agree), and it's oh-so-refreshing to read about adults that value a child's thoughts and feelings.

My son and I have been reading this series together, which I both love and hate in equal measure. I absolutely love reading these books with my son, but loathe having to wait until we can read them together. We typically read chapter books before bed at night, and he's usually asleep after a single chapter. Hollowpox has 548 pages, so only reading one chapter at night... Well, we started this book back in December, haha. It took us three months to read this book in its entirety, something I could have easily read on my own in a matter of days. However, my son made me promise I wouldn't read it without him, so here we are. Do you know how much self control it takes to stop reading? Especially when the story really gets going? It's torture! Alas, I do love sharing the experience with my son, so I guess it all evens out in the end.

Townsend has created some really remarkable secondary characters that I love to read about. Everyone in Unit 919 - including Ms. Cheery - are all wonderfully well-written and fleshed out. The people living and working at the Deucalion are also incredible characters that I enjoy seeing on the pages. There is just so much to love about the people in this book, and I've even started liking the "villain" of the story. I have a feeling there's something we don't know about them, so I'm looking forward to getting more of their backstory. Their presence has been somewhat limited in the previous books, but it's always there hovering in the background - a looming thundercloud just waiting to strike. Squall - the aforementioned villain - is a complex character that doesn't waste an opportunity. He's manipulative and cruel, yet there's something about him that I can't quite put my finger on. Like his interest in Morrigan, for example. Why does he want to train her to be the one thing that could potentially get in his way? After seeing him in several Ghostly Hours - watching the enthusiasm of the child he used to be - it's hard to hate him with the same intensity.

Seriously though... we all need people like Jupiter and Fen in our lives!

One of my favorite parts of this book was the Gobleian Library, so I really hope we get to revisit it in future books. Just think of the adventures they could have in there! I was also fascinated by the long-forgotten (and super mysterious) School of Wundrous Arts and its Scholar Mistress. Rook appears seemingly out of nowhere, and her existence isn't common knowledge, which is also true for the school on Sub-nine. There are only a handful of people that know it's there, yet the history it contains... amazing. I hope Morrigan takes the rest of Unit 919 with her to Sub-nine in the next book. I think they're mischievous enough to unlock it's secrets and find all of its hidden nooks and crannies. They may not have the access Morrigan does, but they work well together as a group.

I don't want to say too much and spoil something that happens in previous books, so I'll just say this: you need this series in your life! It's one of my favorites, and my seven-year-old is equally obsessed. Townsend has written something that both children and adults can relate to, and the stories themselves are unique and super creative. I really love diving into these books, and I cannot wait to see what exciting adventures Morrigan will go on next. (★★★★★)

I knew this one would hit hard because *looks at current world* but oh boy you would have thought this was written during 2020. Similarities aside, this is not our world.
Like a lot of long series, there is a point you know when it's just going to get darker and there's going to be more coming at the MC and their world. Well, we've hit that point in the series. There's still whimsy, but that darker undertone is there. Especially because Morrigan is getting older and has been living in Nevermoor for over two years now. She's starting to see more and form her own opinions and thoughts.
I love this series. So much. The characters and world are whimsical and fun and witty and everything I want in a middle-grade fantasy series. Morrigan is a perfect MC. She's multi-dimensional. But what helps her and the world come to life is the wonderful cast of characters. Those at the hotel and her friends from 919. I love everyone.
If you've seen the wonderful Zootopia and were like okay Disney went there. You'll read Hollowpox and think the same thing; Townsend went there. And she did the job well- getting her point across. Morrigan has a lot coming her way after her decisions at the end. I cannot wait to see how that goes for her. Let's hope I don't have to wait another three years. Please.

4.5/5⭐️ to Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada, Little Brown Young Readers, and NetGalley for an egalley copy to review!

Starting off with just a quick note that I won’t be going into very much detail, seeing as this is the third book in a series. Speaking of, this was SUCH a delightful continuation of the Morrigan Crow series, and I loved learning even more about Morrigan, her magical abilities, Nevermoor, and the political system of this world. It also left a very interesting segue for a continuation of this series to book 4 and beyond! This series truly get better, bigger, and more complex with each new book!

In particular, this book was timely as a 2020 release as it deals with a pandemic of sorts which causes a division within the population of Nevermoor. Jessica Townsend introduces some very important commentary about how different groups in one city can become so divided, reflecting the racism prevalent in our world today against BIPOC people and Asian people (specifically related to the Covid-19 pandemic). Nevermoor becomes quite divided as the Hollowpox seems to only affect Wunimals ~ animals who have near human qualities other than animal bodies, not to be confused with unimals (regular old animals). Politicians of Nevermoor, both human and Wunimals, are trying to figure out how to address this scary situation and balance the needs of the general population with that of the affected Wunimals. I’m so appreciative that such pertinent, complex, real issues are included in Middle Grade books such as this!

The other feature of this story that I so loved, and is why I love this series in general, is the continuation of Morrigan’s magical education as a Wundersmith. And in this sequel, we get a couple new elements that I freaking loved and added a LOT of intrigue!

It was a delight to adventure with Morrigan Crow as she continues to grow and learn as a Wundersmith! I preordered my own physical copy, and I will continue to recommend this series!!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Nevermoor for me is the adult equivalent to my adolescent Harry Potter days. It’s a series that I just can’t get enough of, that I eagerly wait for release days just to binge read the book, only so I can torture myself with an even longer wait for the next one now. I can’t help it. So imagine my utter freaking excitement at being able to get my hands on an ARC and to be on a blog tour for this book!

Hollowpox, the third book in the Nevermoor series, returns to the whimsical world of Wunsoc, but exposes the darker underbelly of it. There’s magic and danger and mystery and everything you could ask for—and Morrigan’s adventure has really only just begun!

I confess that the moment I finished this book, I just felt … empty. I read the last 250 pages in one sitting, and I’d cycled through so many emotions that I just didn’t know what to do with myself anymore. And now I need to wait A WHOLE YEAR at least to read the next one? Talk about an existential crisis.

Before I even get into the meat of this review, I just want to say, if you haven’t read this series yet: READ IT. Right now. Uh-uh, go ahead. I’ll wait.

My Thoughts:

- As light and fun as Nevermoor has (mostly) been so far, hold on to your umbrellas, folks, because you’re about to see a side of it you never imagined. I’ve always loved Nevermoor for the way it can balance whimsy and danger, and this book is a superb showcase of that. There’s still the absolute charm of the Deucalion and the wonder (pun intended) of Morrigan’s developing powers, along with those of her squadmates. Yet, there’s something more real and honest about the ugly side of Nevermoor that I find endlessly fascinating. Townsend has built a fully fleshed out, well-rounded world, which means you’ll need to learn to live with its shortcomings as well as the finer things it has to offer. *cough*Jupiter*cough* I absolutely loved the path it took in this book, because kids are trying to kid over here, and then there’s this whole, big world of adults just messing them up with their fighting and problems and darkness. Stupid adults.

- Despite being set in a fictitious world, so much of the commentary in this book rings true that I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the absurdity of it. I settled for both, which really resulted in a strangled noise that was somewhere between choking dolphin and dying hare. You're welcome for not subjecting you to that. The Wunimals have never been treated particularly well in Nevermoor—better than in most, which is saying something, but still. In Hollowpox, the Wunimals are treated even worse. There’s a lot of bigotry in this book, much of which mirrors real life if you look close enough, and Morrigan and her friends really struggle with understanding why anyone would think that way. It often defies rhyme or reason, as it does. Any student of history will also recognize the glaring, neon-red, flashing warning signs along the way that mirror history so nicely and create a foreboding and sense of dread in anyone old enough to know the slippery slope they lead down.

- Morrigan’s arc carries nicely through this, as she struggles to find her place in a society she doesn’t truly fit into, and she’s forced to do a lot of growing up. Morrigan has come such a long way in these three books. Our little itsy Mog is growing uuuuuup. *cries* Growing up is hard, though, especially for a Wundersmith, and there are certainly truths and realities she has to face, of course. One of the big themes of this book seems to be that actions have consequences. Even ones you didn’t intend. This is something I’ve told my daughter repeatedly since she was a toddler, but poor Morrigan is having to learn this the hard way. She’s never really been forced to consider the effect of the things she does, even when she’s intending to help.

- Never fear, though—it’s not all doom and gloom, and the cast of characters you know and love is back and better than ever! Not gonna lie, it’s a little touch and go here and there with Morrigan and her squadmates, but that’s part of growing up, right? They’re still learning how to grow together. Little squabbles are to be expected. Jupiter North plays a slightly larger role in this than in the previous book, but oh my gosh is he ever handsome and charming and altogether FIERCE. I call dibs on marrying him. I called dibs books ago, but I’m just restating my claim here. He’s an absolute freaking treasure. I loved Fenestra in the previous books, and while he doesn’t have a huge role in this, he is around and still as fabulous as you might recall. I can’t say anything about anything, because they mostly happen in the second half, but ugh, Fen is a good Magnicat and deserves all the catnip.

Vibrant, fun and epic. That's how I will describe this trilogy. I had the chance to binge read it through and it was a crazy ride of laughter and tears. Morrigan has grown so much over the course of the trilogy. She amazes me at how much strength she has after all she has endured. Her growth is absolutely outstanding. Nevermoor feels like home. The world-building really pulled me into the world and made me feel like apart of it.

The plot kept me wanting more. The twists & turns took me a wild ride. The conclusion warmed my heart. The cast of characters were all unique. This is definitely a trilogy I can see myself re-reading over and over again. I can also see me sharing this with my son and any younger relatives.

The Nevermoor world has always been on my reading radar, but I've just never have a chance to step into it. My first entry was this book, the third in the series, and I can only liken it to the world of the infamous HP. It IS it's own world with unique characters, creatures, places, and wunders that, in my opinion, the longer you immerse yourself in, the better you are (and your enjoyment of the story) is for it. I loved all the curious "things" that seemed to have minds of their own. I enjoyed learning about wunder and how it is called, harnassed (or not), wielded, and grown. I felt like a member of the 919 crew, espite not have a knack of my own to tote with pride. Jupiter was a hoot! The unnimals were familiar, but the wunnimals were spectacular...even when things go very, VERY wrong! Thing is, it's not just about the magic and the wunder, but the way preconceived notions can blind us to the truth, how prejudice can be dangerous, and how darkness never really dies, it just sort of slumbers.

So, step inside and experience the world of Nevermoor and see how you would fair in a fight with the Big Scaly creatures, or get a front row lesson in Distraction with hopefully humorous versus blood-letting results!

HOLLOWPOX is an engaging middle grade fantasy that takes the reader on a magical journey to the Wundrous Society. Morrigan is Wundersmith, a special kind of magical talent that has been really, really bad in the past. While she is finding her individuality, she is also trying to master the Wretched Arts of the Accomplished Wundersmith. At the same time, she and her fellow students in Unit 919 are being tested while also learning the Wundrous crafts.

A weird illness is spreading through the animals of Nevermoor, called the Hollowpox. Everyone fears this may be the work of a Wundersmith.

This is such an engaging and magical series, on par with other fantastic reads, like HP. The reader is completely transported to this school with unique elements and classes. I love the themes around friendship and morality that arise in this one, and I think they only serve to make this read even stronger. Morrigan is such an intriguing main character and together with her friends in Unit 919, the cast of characters is well-built and attention-grabbing.

Overall, HOLLOWPOX is a thrilling middle grade fantasy must-read. Would recommend for all ages who love immerse books, mysteries, and magical quests. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I can't get enough of Nevermoor and Morrigan and this magical, wonderful world. This third installment was riveting, and I loved every page. As Morrigan begins her studies in the School of Wundrous Arts, a new disease--Hollowpox--is ravaging through the Wunimal population. This world is completely wonderful, and I can't wait to find out what happens in book four. Until then I'll probably have to start over from the beginning.