From the Publisher
"[Where the Drowned Girls Go] highlights the horror of a world that requires you to deny what you know to be true because it doesn’t quite fit, and it is a fantastic and tension-filled addition to the Wayward Children series." —Booklist
“Outstanding… Throughout Cora’s harrowing adventures, McGuire’s sense of whimsy never falters… The result will captivate both longtime Wayward Children fans and new readers.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The message of owning one's truth instead of losing one's individuality will resonate. Highly recommended." —Library Journal
Praise for the Wayward Children series
“A mini-masterpiece of portal fantasy that deserves to be shelved with Lewis Carroll's and C. S. Lewis' classics.” —NPR, on Every Heart a Doorway
“Anyone who appreciates off-the-beaten-path adventures will be swept away.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Across the Green Grass Fields
“One of the most extraordinary stories I've ever read.” —V. E. Schwab, on Every Heart a Doorway
“Seanan McGuire has long been one of the smartest writers around, and with this novella we can easily see that her heart is as big as her brain.” —Charlaine Harris, on Every Heart a Doorway
“This is a gorgeous story: sometimes mean, sometimes angry, and always exciting.” —Cory Doctorow for BoingBoing, on Every Heart a Doorway
“So mindblowingly good, it hurts.” —io9, on Every Heart a Doorway
“A gorgeous standalone. The prose is emotional and moving and will speak to the hearts and minds of readers.” —Kirkus Reviews, on Across the Green Grass Fields
“A great read for middle and high schoolers who enjoy themes of friendship and family, and a magical world of unicorns and centaurs.” —School Library Journal, on Across the Green Grass Fields
Kirkus Reviews
2021-10-27
In the seventh Wayward Children tale, students plan to escape from a brutal institution designed to crush the magic out of them.
Cora, a strong swimmer constantly tormented by her peers for her weight, went through an underwater door to the Trenches, a magical undersea world where she was a mermaid and a hero, valued for her bulk and her strength. But a whirlpool spat her out again into our world, leaving her bereft. Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children brought her among other young people who had traveled through a door and returned here, often unwillingly. Cora then passed through another door leading to the creepy world of the Moors, where the sinister Drowned Gods claimed her for their own. Even back at the school, Cora can’t block out their voices or deny their marks on her skin, so she makes the desperate choice to switch to the Whitethorn Institute, which, rather than helping children while they wait for their doors to reappear, encourages them to reject their magical pasts and accept this world as home. Sadly, Cora almost immediately understands that Whitethorn’s philosophy is less about giving its students the strength to move on with their lives and more about breaking their spirits and ruthlessly molding them into a miserable conformity. But dropping out isn’t an option the school offers, and Cora and her friends realize that Whitethorn has more than mundane means at its disposal to keep them there. McGuire’s themes—let people be themselves and don’t treat being fat as some kind of moral failing or physical issue that’s easily addressed—won’t surprise readers of this series and her other works, but her usual arguments remain sound, and she tells a good story. There are also some deeply chilling moments in the experiences of the other students, particularly in the case of a girl cursed by the Rat King to shrink into a nameless rat.
A journey into familiar territory with a skilled guide; but here’s hoping that future trips head into the unknown.
