

I love the Wayward Children series so much, and this latest book didn‘t disappoint. I ached over Nadya‘s our-world story and loved her underwater portal world (and ached again over the ending). I‘m constantly impressed by how deftly McGuire weaves into her fantasy worlds huge topics like adoption and ableism, in ways that illuminate and universalize the experiences of diverse characters.
This was my 2025 pick for #192025.
I've suspected that I was falling out of love with these books for a while, I think this one sealed the deal. There's something about going into a series knowing you'll read about the mistreatment of a child, that that child won't be able to articulate why they are being made to feel bad, but they'll feel it, that they won't have the agency to advocate for themselves, 19h
⚠️ableism 19h