The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Morrigan Crow begins her first year at the Wundrous Society but her dreams of being welcomed with open arms never materialize.  Her nine classmates avoid her and the scholar masters only allow her to attend classes with a professor who hates and fears her.  Only the unfailing loyalty of her best friend, Hawthorn, and one kind teacher keep her from going crazy.  Then someone starts blackmailing her classmates and people start disappearing.  Will the threats tear Morrigan's new "family" apart, or bring them together at last?

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, and I enjoyed this  one just as much and maybe more.  The world building is so much fun, and the characters are delightfully quirky. Even the villain is deliciously villainous.  It is hard not to compare this with Harry Potter.  Of course, this is not going to be the world phenomenon that Harry Potter was, but I do think most kids who liked Harry Potter, both boys and girls, will like this one.  (525 p.)