Wayward Children
| |
| Author | Seanan McGuire |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Rovina Cai |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Tor.com |
| Published | 2016-Present |
| No. of books | 9 |
| Website | seananmcguire |
Wayward Children is a series of fantasy novellas by American author Seanan McGuire. It takes place at a boarding school for children who have journeyed to magical lands and been forcibly returned to the real world. The volumes alternate between being set at the school versus showing the lives of the children while they were in their alternate worlds.
In 2022, the series won the Hugo Award for Best Series.
Characters
[edit] |
- Antoinette "Antsy": the protagonist of Lost in the Moment and Found and appears in Mislaid in Parts Half-Known. After her father's death, she escapes her step-father's abuse and finds herself in the Shop Where the Lost Things Go.
- Cora Miller: the protagonist of Where the Drowned Girls Go and a main character in Beneath the Sugar Sky, Come Tumbling Down, and Mislaid in Parts Half-Known. She lived in the Trenches, after which she developed blue hair and sparkling skin. She is short, round, and athletic, and experienced a lot of bullying due to her appearance.
- Eleanor West: the proprietor of Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, a boarding school for children who have journeyed to magical lands and been forcibly returned to the real world.
- Kade Bronson/West: related to Eleanor West, Kade helps care for the Home for Wayward Children and is a main character in Every Heart a Doorway, Beneath the Sugar Sky, and Mislaid in Parts Half-Known. He lived in Prism, a world with goblins and fairies, before the world learned he broke the rules, given that it only allows girls to be heroes. Kade is transgender.
- Katherine Lundy: the protagonist of In an Absent Dream and character in Every Heart a Doorway. She lived in the Goblin Market, where everything was traded for Fair Value. After returning to Earth, she ages in reverse.
- Nadya: the protagonist of Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear and a main character in Beneath the Sugar Sky. She lived in Belyyreka. Nadya was born in Russia and adopted by American parents. She was born missing the lower part of her right arm.
- Nancy: the protagonist of Every Heart a Doorway and a main character in Beneath the Sugar Sky. She lived in and returned to the Halls of the Dead, where she stands as still as a statue.
- Onishi Sumi: the protagonist of Beneath the Sugar Sky and main character in Every Heart a Doorway, and Mislaid in the Parts Half-Known. She lived in Confection, a candy world, in which she was made of gingerbread following her death. Sumi is described as being of Japanese descent and has a daughter, Rini, in the future.
- Jacqueline "Jack" and Jillian "Jill" Wolcott: twin sisters who appear in Every Heart a Doorway, Down Among the Sticks and Bones, and Come Tumbling Down. On the other side of their door is the Moors, a world of vampires and mad scientists; there, Jack trains under Dr. Bleak, and Jill is daughter to the Master. Jack has obsessive–compulsive disorder.
- Regan: the protagonist of Across the Green Grass Fields. She discovers a magical portal to a land filled with centaurs, unicorns, and other equine creatures. Regan is intersex.
Books
[edit]Every Heart a Doorway (2016)
[edit]| Every Heart a Doorway | |
|---|---|
 Cover of first edition | |
| Pages | 173 |
| Awards |
|
| ISBN | 978-0-7653-8550-5 |
| Publication date | April 5, 2016 |
Every Heart a Doorway, published April 5, 2016, introduces readers to Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children, as well as several main characters throughout the series, including Kade, Jack and Jill, and Sumi.
Plot
[edit]Rarely, children may find doorways that transport them to other worlds. As a child, Nancy found a doorway that led her to the land of the dead, based on the story of Persephone and Hades. When she is returned to the real world, her parents do not believe her story. Nancy is sent to a boarding school for children who have had similar experiences.
The students include Kade, who spent time in a fantasy world with goblins and fairies; Jacqueline "Jack" and Jillian "Jill," who spent time in a world of vampires and mad scientists; and Sumi, who spent time in a nonsense world full of candy and rainbows. The students were all altered by their time in different worlds where they were able to be their true selves, and most long to return to them.
As Nancy is getting settled at the school, Sumi is found dead, as are others at the school. Nancy and her friends learn that Jill is killing students in order to make a key which will reopen her own doorway. Jack kills Jill, then returns to her gothic world. Nancy finds her doorway again and returns to the land of the dead.
Reception
[edit]Every Heart a Doorway was well-received by critics, including starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus Reviews.[1][2] Booklist's Erin Downey Howerton wrote, "This amazing fantasy pierces the shimmering veil of childhood imagination by reminding adult readers that their own doorways still exist deep in the chambers of their all-too-human hearts."[1] Kirkus Reviews highlighted that "McGuire understands and has true compassion (never pity) for outcasts and outliers while also making it clear that being a misfit doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily get along with all the other misfits, who don’t fit for different reasons."[2]
Publishers Weekly similarly wrote, "This gothic charmer is a love letter to anyone who’s ever felt out of place". They noted that the "characters are strange and charming" and highlighted how "McGuire [...] puts her own inimitable spin on portal fantasy, adding horror elements to the mix".[3]
Likewise, School Library Journal's Gretchen Crowley noted that "the characters are well drawn, and their feelings about their impossible situation are believable. The alienation they experience and their struggles to find a way back will appeal to teens."[4]
Locus included Every Heart a Doorway on their list of the top 13 recommended novellas of 2016,[5] and the American Library Association selected it for their 2017 Rainbow Book List.[6] Among other honors, it won the 2016 Nebula Award for Best Novella,[7] as well as the 2017 Alex Award,[8] Hugo Award for Best Novella,[9] and Locus Award for Best Novella.[10]
Adaptation
[edit]In 2019, Syfy and Legendary Entertainment optioned to adapt the Wayward Children series into a television show adapted by Joe Tracz.[11]
In July 2021, Paramount Pictures acquired the film rights to the Wayward Children series. Pouya Shahbazian will produce the film.[12]
Down Among the Sticks and Bones (2017)
[edit]| Down Among the Sticks and Bones | |
|---|---|
 Cover of first edition | |
| Awards |
|
| ISBN | 978-0-765-39204-6 |
| Publication date | June 13, 2017 |
Down Among the Sticks and Bones, published June 13, 2017, explores Jack and Jill's history before attending the School for Wayward Children.
Plot
[edit]Down Among the Sticks and Bones follows identical twin sisters Jacqueline and Jillian Wolcott, whose parents were not suited to being parents. Their mother raised Jacqueline to be the perfect, feminine daughter, always dressing her in fine clothes and ensuring she never dirtied herself or acted impolite. Conversely, their father raised Jillian as though she were the little boy he had dreamed she had been, including keeping her hair short and encouraging her to be athletic and adventurous. Their parents did not pay attention the girls and their wants, seeing them only has objects of prestige to discuss with their colleagues. Each of the girls envies the other to some degree, wishing she had the opportunities of the other.
At age 12, Jacqueline and Jillian found a door where previously no door had been and stumbled into the world of the Moors, which houses mad scientists, vampires, werewolves, and other monsters. Upon arrival, they meet the Master, who is initially kind to them, though his servants hint at a darker side. The girls learn that one shall become the Master's daughter and the other an apprentice to Dr. Bleak. Although the Master favors Jacqueline's femininity over Jillian's tomboyish nature, Jacqueline opts to work with Dr. Bleak and sheds her dresses to become Jack.
Over the years, Jack trains with the mad scientist Dr. Bleak, who brings new life to the deceased, at times piecing together disparate bodies, while Jill is pampered as the Master's daughter, with aims to become an eternal vampire daughter upon her 18th birthday. The Master is jealous of any who takes too much of Jill's attention though, eventually killing any friend she makes, leaving Jill lonely and missing her sister. When Jill finds that Jack has fallen in love, Jill sees a way to potential get her sister's attention using any means necessary.
Reception
[edit]Down Among the Sticks and Bones was well received by critics, including starred reviews from Booklist,[13] Kirkus Reviews,[14] and Publishers Weekly.[15]
Booklist's Erin Downey Howerton called the novella "exquisitely well crafted" and noted that it "is the rare companion novel that can stand alone". Downey Howerton also discussed how the novel portrayed the human "yearn[ing] for love, recognition, and belonging" as the girls "chaf[e] against rules both external and internal as they long to break free of the expectations of others".[13]
Publishers Weekly similarly called it "exquisitely written".[15]
Reviewers also discussed the novella's genre conventions, with Downey Howerton highlighting how McGuire "taps into the horror and romance of classic fairy tales".[13] Kirkus Reviews noted that "the trappings of gothic fantasy act as an eloquent backdrop to this vivid portrayal of a painfully dysfunctional family".[14]
AudioFile reviewed the audiobook, noting that "McGuire's interpretation of the characters is less than fully successful. The petulance of the adolescent characters occasionally bleeds into the rest of the narration, and her voice for the Frankenstein-like mad scientist Dr. Bleek is such a soft whisper that his dialogue is barely intelligible. Her narration is best when she captures the storytelling cadence of her witty prose".[16]
In 2017, Booklist included Down Among the Sticks and Bones on their list of the year's top ten science fiction and fantasy books,[17] and Locus included it on their list of the year's best novellas.[18] The following year, it won the American Library Association's Alex Award,[19] as well as the RUSA Award for Fantasy.[20]
Beneath the Sugar Sky (2018)
[edit]Beneath the Sugar Sky, published January 2018, introduces Rini Onishi, the child of Sumi, who was murdered in the series's first book.
| Beneath the Sugar Sky | |
|---|---|
 Cover of first edition | |
| ISBN | 978-0-7653-9358-6 |
| Publication date | January 9, 2018 |
Plot
[edit]Beneath the Sugar Sky begins at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children as the school's day-to-day activities are interrupted with the arrival of Rini Onishi, who claims to be Sumi's child, despite the fact that Sumi was previously murdered and did not have a child at the time of her death. Rini explains that Sumi grew older and had a family in the world of Confection. However, because of Sumi's death on Earth, Rini and other family members are disintegrating as they are dependent on Sumi's now non-existent future. As such, classmates Christopher, Kade, Cora, and Nadya venture out to revive Sumi and in the process, save her future family in the world of Confection.
Reception
[edit]Beneath the Sugar Sky received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus Reviews.[21][22]
In a starred review, Booklist's Erin Downey Howerton called Beneath the Sugar Sky "phenomenal" and highlighted the character of Cora as the story's "true standout", given "her keen sense of observation and quiet bravery". Downey Howerton also discussed how "McGuire suggests entire universes in a few spare sentences," as well as how "the delightfully diverse cast of characters is similarly conjured".[23]
Publishers Weekly referred to the novel as "a lush, darkly whimsical adventure full of wonders" and indicated that "readers will be thrilled to see old friends and meet new ones in this scrumptious tale that emphasizes acceptance, kindness, and the enduring value of friendship."[24]
AudioFile reviewed the audiobook, writing, "Michelle Dockrey's smooth narration invites listeners to jump into this third installment of the Wayward Children series". They highlighted how "Dockrey ably portrays the confusion and wonder of new student Cora, whose perspective anchors the story, while also deepening the characterizations of Cora's companions--most notably Rini, who is all high-pitched, petulant insistence".[25]
In an Absent Dream (2019)
[edit]In an Absent Dream, publishing January 8, 2019, follows Lundy, the in-house therapist at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children.
| In an Absent Dream | |
|---|---|
 Cover of first edition | |
| ISBN | 978-0-7653-9929-8 |
| Publication date | January 8, 2019 |
Plot
[edit]In an Absent Dream introduces Katherine Lundy, a quiet, polite young girl growing up in the 1960s. Katherine is the daughter of her school's principal, and between that and her bookishness, she hasn't many friends. On the last day of school, when she is eight years old, she fails to rejoice with the other children when the school bell rings. Instead, she remains in the classroom reading. After the teacher forces her to leave, Katherine walks home, her feet carrying her as she keeps her nose in her book--that is, until she comes upon a tree where a tree shouldn't be, which provides a door to an unusual world: the Goblin Market.
In the Goblin Market, everything is bartered based on what may be considered "fair value", recognizing that what may be fair to one person is not fair to another, as the Archivist informs Katherine. Upon arrival, the Archivist informs Katherine of the rules, including that "names have power", which prompts Katherine to then go by "Lundy".
Unlike other worlds where people from our world can only come and go once, children may leave the Goblin Market and return multiple times until they turn 18. By the time they turn 18, they will not be permitted to stay in the Market unless they have completed the citizenship ceremony, at which point they will not be able to return to the world in which they were born.
From the age of 8 until her teenage years, Lundy travels back and forth from the Goblin Market to the place of her birth, always thinking of the Market as home with its strict sense of logic and her best friend, Moon. However, as she approaches her 18th birthday, she faces a choice that results in the Lundy readers meet in the series's first book, Every Heart a Doorway.
Reception
[edit]In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews indicated that "Lundy’s adventures will feel sadly inevitable to readers of the previous books in the series, [...] but readers will assuredly not regret going on this journey". They further highlighted how McGuire "beautifully portrays the overwhelming experience of being on the threshold of maturity, convinced (sometimes correctly, unfortunately) that the choices one makes now will affect one’s entire adult life, struggling to balance obligations to oneself and to others, and feeling paralyzed on that brink."[26]
Booklist's Regina Schroeder called In an Absent Dream "a lovely installment of the series, with pitch-perfect fairy-tale logic". Schroeder also noted that the whole series, including this installment, "has wonderful, internally consistent world building and characters, no matter how far in the background, with complexity and depth".[27]
AudioFile reviewed the audiobook, writing, "Cynthia Hopkins narrates this fantasy in a detached tone that fits the serious and logical perspective of Katherine Lundy".[28]
Come Tumbling Down (2020)
[edit]| Come Tumbling Down | |
|---|---|
 Cover of first edition | |
| ISBN | 978-0-7653-9931-1 |
| Publication date | January 7, 2020 |
Come Tumbling Down, published January 7, 2020, focuses on the Wolcott twins, Jack and Jill. This time, the children from the School for Wayward Children must venture into the Moors to save Jack Wolcott and the Moors themselves.
Plot
[edit]Come Tumbling Down begins at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children as sparks of lightning strike in the basement, bringing to life a door through which a teenaged girl steps, another girl in her arms. Soon, the children learn that the injured girl is Jack Wolcott, a former schoolmate, and the girl carrying her is her beloved Alexis from the Moors, a world filled with vampires, werewolves, mad scientists, and other monsters. The children soon learn that Jill sought out revenge after Jack killed previously killed her to end a Jill's murderous rampage in Every Heart a Doorway. Though Jack, who apprenticed with a mad scientist in the Moors, was able to bring Jill back to life, Jill would no longer be eligible to become a vampire as she had dreamed. However, because Jack's body had never died, her body could still become vampiric. As such, Jill concocted and carried out a plan to switch her body with Jack's. This distresses Jack not only because she doesn't want her body defiled by vampirism but also because her obsessive–compulsive disorder is in overdrive living in her sister's body.
In hopes of returning to the girls to their rightful bodies and saving the Moors, the children venture into the Moors.
Major themes
[edit]Come Tumbling Down explores various themes. Both Booklist and Library Journal discussed the novel's exploration regarding the themes of "dysphoria and gender",[29] in large part because two of the book's characters spend much of the book living in the other's body, causing distress.
Further, Kirkus Reviews highlighted an ongoing theme in the Wayward Children series regarding how "one’s real or perceived flaws can prove to be a source of strength despite, or even because of, the pain they cause to oneself and others."[30]
According to Publishers Weekly, the novels also explores the themes of "sacrifice, love, and hope".[31]
Reception
[edit]Come Tumbling Down received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal.[29] Publishers Weekly referred to the novel as a "grim yet achingly tender tale".[31]
Multiple reviewers discussed McGuire's skill as a writer. Library Journal's Kristi Chadwick generally spotlighted "McGuire’s rich prose",[29] while Booklist's Regina Schroeder highlighted the novel's "magnificent worlds" and "wonderful variety of characters".[32] Kirkus Reviews praised McGuire's ability to "lending equal richness to her worldbuilding and her characterizations", comparing the Moors to the worlds and fantasies concocted by Bram Stoker (Dracula), Mary Shelley (Frankenstein), and H. P. Lovecraft. They also noted that the characters feel like "real people dumped into fantastical situations" with a "thin line separating heroes from monsters".[30]
AudioFile reviewed the audiobook, referring to the author's reading as "serviceable". They highlighted McGuire's strength narrating the "dialogue, as she allows the characters' tenderness and tenacity to come through". However, they noted that "she reads at such an accelerated pace that listeners may not be able to truly savor the lush beauty of her prose".[33]
Locus included Come Tumbling Down on their list of the best science fiction novellas of 2020.[34]
Across the Green Grass Fields (2021)
[edit]| Across the Green Grass Fields | |
|---|---|
| ISBN | 978-1-250-21359-4 |
| Publication date | January 12, 2021 |
Across the Green Grass Fields, published January 12, 2021, follows Regan as she learns about her true nature then travels to a world of centaurs and unicorns, where she finds family.
Plot
[edit]Across the Green Grass Fields follows young Regan as she begins learning various truths about the world, including what it means to be a girl. Early in the novella, Regan is best friends with Heather and Laura; however, when Heather brings a snake to school, Laura declares that girls do not like snakes, and thus, she--and Regan--cannot be friends with Heather any longer. Regan holds this memory close as she grows up, remaining close friends with Laura and her new posse of girl friends. However, she finds herself more and more disconnected as the other girls begin to develop and mature while her body remains the same. After asking her parents what's wrong with her, Regan learns a secret about herself that she's sure her best friend would understand and respect. With the weight of this news, she tells Laura her secret. To Regan's dismay, Laura immediately declares that Regan is not a true girl.
After her fight with Laura, Regan runs away from school down a path in the woods where she stumbles upon a door that she assumes must be part of an older student's art project. When she opens the door, however, she finds herself in Hoofland, a world filled with unicorns, centaurs, and other horse-like creatures.
Regan first meets a centaur family, who care for her as though she were another member of the family for many years, growing alongside the only foal, Chicory, who quickly becomes her best friend. Regan lives with the herd, though she knows about the fate bestowed upon her: whenever a human enters Hoofland, it represents a great, heroic change. Regan defies fate for as long as she can until it catches up to her.
Reception
[edit]Across the Green Grass Fields was well received by critics, including starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly.[35][36]
Kirkus indicated that the novella provides "probably the most literal iteration of McGuire’s ongoing argument that biology is not destiny,"[35] a point Kristi Chadwick raised in her review for School Library Journal, as well, noting that "McGuire’s inclusive characters are always presented fully formed and without cliché, and her critical takes on femininity in society are balanced with the beauty of the love of biological and found family."[37]
Multiple reviewers highlighted the novella's writing. Despite an overall mixed review, Grimdark's Elizabeth Tabler praised the book's "beautiful writing" with "a great explanation of centaurs’ matriarchal society, and touching descriptions of the real friendships Regan makes".[38] On behalf of Library Journal, Kristi Chadwick similarly pointed to the "emotional and moving" prose, which she believes "will speak to the hearts and minds of readers".[37]
A few reviewers commented on the novella's plot. Alex Brown, writing for Reactor, stated that Across the Green Grass Fields "is the lightest of the Wayward Children series in terms of action and plot", though noted that "while McGuire doesn’t devote as much intensity to the plot, the messaging and subtext are thrumming with energy".[39] Tabler similarly noted that she "came out of the story almost ambivalent to the plot [...] Beyond the lush details, the actual plot and final crescendo of the story fell flat [... ] It felt anti-climatic in the face of such excellent writing".[38]
Booklist's Regina Schroeder indicated that "McGuire’s depiction of the [school] girls’ dynamic is painfully accurate. But McGuire can be trusted to give her stories depth that both the characters and readers—even newcomers who start the series here—can handle."[40]
Across the Green Grass Fields was nominated for the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Novella.[41][42][43]
Where the Drowned Girls Go (2022)
[edit]| Where the Drowned Girls Go | |
|---|---|
 Cover of first edition | |
| Awards | Hugo Award for Best Novella (2023) |
| ISBN | 978-1-250-21362-4 |
| Publication date | January 4, 2022 |
Where the Drowned Girls Go, published January 4, 2022, follows the character Cora.
Plot
[edit]Where the Drowned Girls Go follows Cora Miller. At the beginning of the novel, readers learn more about Cora's history: in an attempt to commit suicide following relentless bullying from peers regarding her weight, she found a door into the Trenches, "a magical undersea world where she was a mermaid and a hero, valued for her bulk and her strength".[44] After being pushed out of the Trenches, Cora returned to school, where she faced further scrutiny, this time because of her rainbow skin and turquoise hair. Eleanor West, matron of the School for Wayward Children and a former adventurer herself, found Cora and invited her to the school, where she could live with other adventurers.
In Come Tumbling Down, Cora had travelled to the Moors and been lured into the seas by the Drowned Gods. After returning to the School for Wayward Children, Cora suffers nightly from the call of the Drowned Gods, and ultimately asks the school's matron, Eleanor West, to transfer to the Whitethorn Institute, where children who have gone on magical adventures aim to forget their journeys to return to the 'real world'. After transferring schools, Cora is subjected to strict rules enforced on her as a result of living in a so-called 'nonsense world'. As Cora is adjusting to the school, and experiencing bullying from other students, her former classmate Sumi, a girl who lived in the nonsense world of Confection and is made of candy, joins the school with aims to rescue Cora.
Mystery unfolds as Sumi, Cora, and their classmates learn Whitethorn's dark secrets and plot to escape.
Major themes
[edit]Where the Drowned Girls Go explores the themes of "identity, body image, and trauma",[45] while returning to the theme of heroes versus monsters, which McGuire explores throughout the Wayward Children series.[46]
Much of the focus on body image centers on Cora's weight, as she is bullied relentlessly by other students both in her early years at the Whitethorn Institute. Through the narrative, McGuire explores myths surrounding weight loss, namely that losing weight is equally easy for everyone, regardless of genes.[44]
The theme of heroes and monsters is explored "in many forms here, most notably unpacking the ways that the people in charge always think (or at least claim) that they are doing the right thing, even when it is clearly harmful".[46]
Reception
[edit]Where the Drowned Girls Go was well received by critics, included a starred review from Publishers Weekly, who called the novel "outstanding". They highlighted how "McGuire’s sense of whimsy never falters. She delivers a plot dense enough for a full-length novel in her signature lyrical prose, exploring the effect of cruel, oppressive systems on children’s psyches, while keeping the series’ fairy tale tone intact".[45] Kirkus Reviews indicated that "McGuire’s themes [...] won’t surprise readers of this series and her other works, but her usual arguments remain sound, and she tells a good story".[44]
Book Reporter's Rebecca Munro called the novel "delightful" and "empowering". Munro highlighted how the glimpse of the Whitethorn Institute provided an greater reflection of the importance of the School for Wayward Children, given that "Whitethorn's rigidity functions as a sort of conversion-therapy-themed boarding school, a dark, controlling place where kids are forced to subdue or give up the qualities that make them unique, magical and heroic".[46]
Booklist observed that it "highlights the horror of a world that requires you to deny what you know to be true because it doesn't quite fit", and praised it as "a fantastic and tension-filled addition to the Wayward Children series".[47]
Where the Drowned Girls Go won the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Novella.[48][49]
Lost in the Moment and Found (2023)
[edit]Lost in the Moment and Found, published January 10, 2023, follows Antoinette (Antsy) as she escapes her step-father's abuse and finds the Shop Where the Lost Things Go.
Mislaid in Parts Half-Known (2024)
[edit]Mislaid in Parts Half-Known, published January 9, 2024, follows Antsy and other children from the School for Wayward Children as they travel to multiple worlds.
At the beginning of Mislaid in Parts Half-Known, Antsy begins schooling at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, though she feels disconnected from the other students, given that she's only 9 years old but looks 16 due to the events in Lost in the Moment and Found. She learns that since leaving the Shop Where the Lost Things Go, she can easily find anything that's missing, which catches the attention of Seraphina, a spellbindingly-beautiful classmate who wants to exploit her powers to return home. In hopes of escaping, Antsy and friends rush through a door leading to the world of goblins and fairies, from which Kade had been expelled. Antsy, Kade, Sumi, Emily, and Cora rush out of the world, finding themselves in the Shop Where the Lost Things Go, only to realize that the problems that arose in Lost in the Moment and Found have gotten worse: Hudson has been locked away in another world, and the new shopkeeper, five-year-old Yulia. from the Moors, has not been taught the cost of the doors. The schoolmates get through another door, where they find Stephanie, a classmate from Whitethorn Academy, who has made a family among dinosaurs. The crew work their way back home, righting wrongs along the way.
According to Booklist's Regina Schroeder, Mislaid in Parts Half-Known is a "satisfying installment for the Wayward Children series fans".[50]
Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear (2025)
[edit]Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear, scheduled to be published January 7, 2025, will follow Nadya.
Short stories
[edit]- "Juice Like Wounds" Tor.com (July 13, 2020)
- "In Mercy, Rain" Tor.com (July 18, 2022)
- "Skeleton Song" Tor.com (October 26, 2022)
Awards and recognition
[edit]Locus has regularly included the Wayward Children books in their year-end list of the best novellas of the year, including Every Heart a Doorway (2016),[5] Down Among the Sticks and Bones (2017),[18] Come Tumbling Down (2020),[34] and Lost in the Moment and Found (2023).[51] The American Library Association selected Every Heart a Doorway for their 2017 Rainbow Book List.[6]
In 2017, Booklist included Down Among the Sticks and Bones on their list of the year's top ten science fiction and fantasy books.[17]
| Year | Work | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Every Heart a Doorway | Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy | Nominated | [52] |
| Nebula Award for Best Novella | Won | [7][53][54] | ||
| Tiptree Award | Honor | [55] | ||
| 2017 | Alex Awards | Won | [56][57][8] | |
| British Fantasy Award for Best Novella | Nominated | [58] | ||
| Hugo Award for Best Novella | Won | [59][60][61][9] | ||
| Locus Award for Best Novella | Won | [62] | ||
| World Fantasy Award for Novella | Nominated | [63] | ||
| 2018 | Beneath the Sugar Sky | Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy | Nominated | [64] |
| Down Among the Sticks and Bones | Alex Awards | Won | [65][19] | |
| Hugo Award for Best Novella | Nominated | [66][67] | ||
| Locus Award for Best Novella | Nominated | [68] | ||
| RUSA Award for Fantasy | Won | [69] | ||
| Every Heart a Doorway | Geffen Award for Best Translated Fantasy Book | Nominated | [70] | |
| 2019 | Beneath the Sugar Sky | BooktubeSFF Award for Short Work | Nominated | [71] |
| Hugo Award for Best Novella | Nominated | [23][72] | ||
| World Fantasy Award for Novella | Nominated | [73][74] | ||
| 2020 | In an Absent Dream | Hugo Award for Best Novella | Nominated | [75][76] |
| World Fantasy Award for Novella | Nominated | [77] | ||
| 2021 | Come Tumbling Down | Hugo Award for Best Novella | Nominated | [78][79] |
| Locus Award for Best Novella | Nominated | [80] | ||
| 2022 | Across the Green Grass Fields | Hugo Award for Best Novella | Nominated | [41][42][43] |
| Wayward Children | Hugo Award for Best Series | Won | [41][42] | |
| 2023 | “In Mercy, Rain" | Locus Award for Best Novelette | Nominated | [81] |
| Where the Drowned Girls Go | Hugo Award for Best Novella | Won | [82][83] |
Film adaptation
[edit]In July 2021, Paramount Pictures acquired the film rights to the Wayward Children series.[84]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Howerton, Erin Downey (2017-03-17). "Every Heart a Doorway". Booklist. Archived from the original on March 25, 2017. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- ^ a b "Every Heart a Doorway". Kirkus Reviews. 2019-11-18. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- ^ "Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire". Publishers Weekly. 2015-11-02. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- ^ Crowley, Gretchen (2016-07-01). "Every Heart a Doorway". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- ^ a b "2016 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. 2017-01-31. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- ^ a b "Every Heart a Doorway | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
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