Where the Drowned Girls Go
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- Create Date：2021-12-24 08:52:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Seanan McGuire
- ISBN：1250213622
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Summary
Welcome to the Whitethorn Institute。 The first step is always admitting you need help， and you've already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company。
There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again。
It isn't as friendly as Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children。
And it isn't as safe。
When Eleanor West decided to open her school， her sanctuary， her Home for Wayward Children， she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn't save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction， a different fate， a different prophecy， Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school， where things are run very differently by Whitethorn， the Headmaster。
She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming。。。
There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again。
It isn't as friendly as Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children。
And it isn't as safe。
When Eleanor West decided to open her school， her sanctuary， her Home for Wayward Children， she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn't save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction， a different fate， a different prophecy， Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school， where things are run very differently by Whitethorn， the Headmaster。
She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming。。。
Reviews
Library of Dreaming （Bookstagram）
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3。5 stars rounded up。 Thank you so much to Tor and NetGalley for my review copy！ Full review to come。
Danielle
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This was the first book in a while that got me genuinely excited about this series again！ I thought it expanded the worldbuilding in interesting ways by having Cora experience the Whitethorn school and all the potential plot avenues that open from there but I wished the final section of action had started a little sooner so that things didn't feel quite so abrupt at the very end。 This was the first book in a while that got me genuinely excited about this series again！ I thought it expanded the worldbuilding in interesting ways by having Cora experience the Whitethorn school and all the potential plot avenues that open from there but I wished the final section of action had started a little sooner so that things didn't feel quite so abrupt at the very end。 。。。more
Theresa
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I received a free digital ARC from Macmillan/Tor via NetGalley。 In this 7th installment in the Wayward Children’s series， Cora asks to leave Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children for the Whitehorn Institute because they have been touted as able to help her forget all the memories that are keeping her unhappy in this world。 Cora meets some new children struggling in this world and together they must decide what is best for each of them。Each installment in this series is an emotional roller coa I received a free digital ARC from Macmillan/Tor via NetGalley。 In this 7th installment in the Wayward Children’s series， Cora asks to leave Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children for the Whitehorn Institute because they have been touted as able to help her forget all the memories that are keeping her unhappy in this world。 Cora meets some new children struggling in this world and together they must decide what is best for each of them。Each installment in this series is an emotional roller coaster of personal pain and realization that draws the reader in。 I was happy to see some reoccurring characters from previous books make satisfying appearances。 Overall， a good read， but another volume where I’m anxiously awaiting more stories that are only slowly rolling out and developing。 。。。more
Chloe
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Where the Drowned Girls Go is the seventh installment in Senan McGuire’s Wayward Children series of portal fantasy novellas。 In this story we are reacquainted with Cora， a mermaid from a world known as The Trenches introduced in one of the previous stories。 She finds herself at The Whitethorn Institute – a school that is the complete opposite of Elenaore West’s – one where there are strict rules and is run more like a prison than an educational establishment。 I really enjoyed this one！ It was so Where the Drowned Girls Go is the seventh installment in Senan McGuire’s Wayward Children series of portal fantasy novellas。 In this story we are reacquainted with Cora， a mermaid from a world known as The Trenches introduced in one of the previous stories。 She finds herself at The Whitethorn Institute – a school that is the complete opposite of Elenaore West’s – one where there are strict rules and is run more like a prison than an educational establishment。 I really enjoyed this one！ It was so refreshing to be introduced to a new setting， new characters and more world-building。 I’m excited to see where the next installment takes us – especially as this one offered a bit of a cliff-hanger！ Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for letting me read this amazing ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Leanne ♥︎
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3。5 stars
Heather
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Another lovely entry。 This one mostly takes place at the other school for wayward children， the one for children who don’t want to return to their lives beyond the Doors。Oddly enough， this is the first one where I haven’t cried buckets of tears。 But it is sooooooo good。
Halley
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The seventh entry in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children’s series is one I’ve been waiting for with great anticipation。 In fact， one of my favorite things about the new year is knowing these novella sized adventures are on their way soon。 While not a perfect entry into the series （I recommend any of the even numbered titles if you don’t start with Every Heart a Doorway）， I was pleasantly surprised how well this followed the events of Come Tumbling Down。 For those not familiar with the series， the The seventh entry in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children’s series is one I’ve been waiting for with great anticipation。 In fact， one of my favorite things about the new year is knowing these novella sized adventures are on their way soon。 While not a perfect entry into the series （I recommend any of the even numbered titles if you don’t start with Every Heart a Doorway）， I was pleasantly surprised how well this followed the events of Come Tumbling Down。 For those not familiar with the series， the Wayward Children titles are stories about what happens to the children who find doors that lead them to other worlds （think Lucy Pevensie） after they return to ours。 Our favorite mermaid， Cora， is the protagonist this time around， and is suffering from one of the events of book 6。 No longer content waiting for the Trenches， and trying desperately to escape the voices that are haunting her， she makes the choice to transfer to The Whitehorn Institute， a place she believes will finally bring her peace。 What she finds， however， isn’t what she expects。 The Whitehorn Institute is cold， devoid of feeling and hellbent on breaking the spirits of the young travelers who enter its halls。 Here， you are expected to leave your past behind and let go of your adventures… or face consequences。 I loved Cora’s progression through this title， and how she works her way from fear to strength- the arc feels natural and the world building for the “real” world is vastly expanded here。 This is the first of the Wayward Children books to take place entirely in our world， but I don’t feel like it suffers for it。 Not only that， but we’re left on a bit of a cliff-hanger- I’m excited to see how the story will progress from this point forward。 I won’t say much for fear of spoiling it， but there is a great enemy who is introduced who I think will pay a huge role in the coming titles。 4/5 ⭐️’s for this title。 Where the Drowned Girls Go will be available on January 4th， 2022。 Thank you @macmillanusa ， @tordotcompub ， and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Annie
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Where the Drowned Girls Go， by Seanan McGuire， is the latest outstanding volume in the Wayward Children series （a series I can’t praise enough）。 Each entry in the series features one or more teens who found a door where there wasn’t supposed to be one。 These doors whisked them away to a strange world where oceans can be made of strawberry soda or the horses talk or the dead waltz。 Cora’s world transformed her into a mermaid。 Now that’s she back in the “real” world， Cora is having a hard time adj Where the Drowned Girls Go， by Seanan McGuire， is the latest outstanding volume in the Wayward Children series （a series I can’t praise enough）。 Each entry in the series features one or more teens who found a door where there wasn’t supposed to be one。 These doors whisked them away to a strange world where oceans can be made of strawberry soda or the horses talk or the dead waltz。 Cora’s world transformed her into a mermaid。 Now that’s she back in the “real” world， Cora is having a hard time adjusting。 Things get worse after another trip through the doors。。。Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type。 I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley， for review consideration。 。。。more
Michelle
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Another fun story！ We get Cora and Sumi and they meet Regan--but in an awful place。 Enjoyed this like I have all of this series。Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy！
Jennifer Prior
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I will admit， before starting this book， I had no idea it was part of a series。 With that being said， I wish I would have read the other books first to understand everything more， and to have more of a connection to the characters as a whole。I can say that I love the authors writing style。 I loved Cora as the protagonist。 I appreciate that fat phobia was addressed in the book and loved the plot。 I look forward to going back to read the previous books in the series。
Celeste
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I received an advance copy of this novella from the publisher， Tordotcom， in exchange for an honest review。“There are worlds where death itself is malleable， where anything can be rewritten， be undone， if the right approach is taken。 Worlds where the air bleeds words and lightning can rewrite the past。” Reading McGuire’s newest Wayward Children novella has become something of a Christmas tradition for me over the past few years。 While my reading experience has varied book to book， it’s always coz I received an advance copy of this novella from the publisher， Tordotcom， in exchange for an honest review。“There are worlds where death itself is malleable， where anything can be rewritten， be undone， if the right approach is taken。 Worlds where the air bleeds words and lightning can rewrite the past。” Reading McGuire’s newest Wayward Children novella has become something of a Christmas tradition for me over the past few years。 While my reading experience has varied book to book， it’s always cozy and enjoyable and transportive。 I request very few ARCs， but this series is top among them and I’m always elated to receive the next installment。 I was cautiously excited about Where the Drowned Girls Go， as it’s a pretty direct followup to my least favorite novella in the series， Beneath the Sugar Sky。 However， this newest novella was absolutely fantastic; so much so， in fact， that it made me want to go back and reread Beneath the Sugar Sky to see if my opinion of it had changed。 Where the Drowned Girls Go was a thoughtful， different addition to the series， and builds on and links every single one of its predecessors。“I never wanted to be a hero， but that doesn’t mean I’ll let you turn me into a villain。” Cora Miller， a girl who found her true identity as a mermaid of the Trenches， as been claimed by the Drowned Gods of the Moors， a different world than the one to which she yearns to return。 Back at Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children， Cora is so scared of the Drowned Gods that she is determined to escape and forget any and all doors to other realms， even the one that her heart calls home。 And she’ll do it at any cost。 This determination leads her to switch her enrollment to West’s sister school， the Whitethorn Institute， despite Eleanor’s desperate pleading for her to reconsider。 Because Whitethorn isn’t welcoming， friendly， or safe。 It’s a prison， and Cora has just voluntarily incarcerated herself。 Will the Drowned Gods find her anyway？ Will Cora let herself fade， as Whitethorn demands of her？ Or will she finally find the courage to face her fears and search for home？“I am not yours to cling to or to claim。” “I am not your door… But I might be my own。” Besides Cora， we have a fairly extensive cast of returning character at West’s， as well as new characters we meet at Whitethorn。 I found most all of these new characters interesting， and the returning characters who received much time on the page had all developed in lovely ways。 This is especially true of Cora herself。 I didn’t love her in her first story， Beneath the Sugar Sky， for a host of reasons。 But I found many of those reasons not only addressed but rectified in this new chapter of her story。 She grew tremendously as a character， and I’ve come to love her as much as I do Jack and Kade and Christopher。 I’m now incredibly interested in getting more of her story。“You can’t say ‘my hands are clean， that means I’m a good guy’ when you let people stand behind you with knives， ready to slash at everyone you say you want to save。” I mentioned that this book builds on all of the preceding novellas。 Some of the others could be read independently of the rest of the series， but that is definitely not the case here。 The plots and settings and characters of the six books before this one are essential to understanding and appreciating Where the Drowned Girls Go。 I feel like this installment bound the others into one entity， a solid foundation upon which McGuire could take the series in any direction for any duration。 It made me incredibly excited to see what comes next。“Sticks and stones， as the sages say; sticks and stones。 I know what I am and I’m happy this way， and saying something true shouldn’t be an insult， ever， because that’s not how words want to work。” Something I have loved about every single Wayward Children novella is the philosophical depth McGuire so beautifully imbues into the prose of each story。 The writing is exquisite; I always find myself recording pages of quotes that moved me both with what they communicate and the lovely ways in which the do so。 Even though all of these books are under 200 pages long， they always make me think and feel deeply。 McGuire truly has a gift， and it’s always beautifully wielded on the page。 I’m in awe。 If each of these novellas has a philosophical theme， this one is courage and self-acceptance and being willing to stand up for both yourself and others， even when those in authority truly believe the ways in which they hurt you are “for your own good。” The dichotomy between the two school hammered these points home， and gave me an even deeper appreciation for the haven Eleanor West offers。 “You’re a monster in a hall of heroes， and we’re going to defeat you。 That’s what heroes do。 We beat monsters， no matter how much it costs us。” Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series is this wonderful， rare balancing act between comforting and thought-provoking。 Each installment is unique and offers something different in both story and topics to contemplate。 But the central thread， the desire to find a place of our own and the need to Be Sure before we take the risky step out of our comfort zone and into a reality that fits us better， binds all of these stories into something even stronger together than they are individually。 Where the Drowned Girls Go acts to solidify that tie while also telling a very compelling story in its own right。 There’s something truly magical about McGuire’s writing and world building， and I’m already eagerly awaiting the eighth installment in the series。You can find this review and more at Novel Notions。 。。。more
Book Deli
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Full review is also available on my blog！ The Wayward Children series has quickly become one of my most read series， and I’m committed to stick with it until the end （though， secretly， I hope there never is an end）。Where the Drowned Girls Go focuses mainly on Cora who we meet in a couple of the earlier books （please don’t ask me which ones lol） and her journey to re-adapt to our world after her experience with three different doors。I will say this – while the previous book Across the Green Gras Full review is also available on my blog！ The Wayward Children series has quickly become one of my most read series， and I’m committed to stick with it until the end （though， secretly， I hope there never is an end）。Where the Drowned Girls Go focuses mainly on Cora who we meet in a couple of the earlier books （please don’t ask me which ones lol） and her journey to re-adapt to our world after her experience with three different doors。I will say this – while the previous book Across the Green Grass Fields can absolutely be read as a standalone without any previous knowledge of the series， the same can’t be said for this one。 I think if you started with Where the Drowned Girls Go or Across the Green Grass Fields you would be a bit confused by references in this book – especially as this isn’t the first we hear about Cora’s journey。 But it is a series of novellas after all so wouldn’t take long to catch up on all the adventures！I really like Cora as a character and think she’s a fab addition to the series – I just find her very believable as a human being and think it’s easy to empathise with her。 I find she has a really nice grounding presence， particularly amongst some of the more other zany characters we meet。As is the case with novellas， the story moves quite quickly but I did find that it sped up towards the end and found myself wishing that the ‘action’ had started a bit earlier or there had been 20-30 more pages just because towards the end it felt a bit rushed。The premise of Whitethorn Academy and the Headmaster are so interesting， I really hope this isn’t the last we see of them because I was so intrigued I need to know more。 While I appreciate a lot of the revelations and action being left until the end， I do wish we’d gotten a bit more of the creepy atmosphere as I think there was so much more that could have been explored around the other students， and the history of the academy。This instalment has me really looking forward to the future books – especially if we continue to learn about Whitethorn Academy and their approach in comparison with Eleanor West’s School， as it opens up the world so much more。 Also if we don’t revisit it， it will make this instalment seem a little bit like unnecessary filler which will bum me out a bit， as I really like Cora as a character and want to know more about her journey。 Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 -This just makes me more excited for future books - rtc！ 。。。more
Laura （crofteereader）
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3。5 stars。CW: suicidal thoughts / attempted suicide， fatphobia， neglect， emotional abuseThis one was bleak。 It would be easy to say that books 1， 2， and 5 were darker （with murder and mutilation and dastardly happenings afoot）， but this one was heavier。 The negative energy facing main character Cora was deep enough to drown in。 She outlines a lifetime of fatphobia in casual narrative， talks about a suicide attempt and discusses the very real possibility of a future attempt if she proves unable t 3。5 stars。CW: suicidal thoughts / attempted suicide， fatphobia， neglect， emotional abuseThis one was bleak。 It would be easy to say that books 1， 2， and 5 were darker （with murder and mutilation and dastardly happenings afoot）， but this one was heavier。 The negative energy facing main character Cora was deep enough to drown in。 She outlines a lifetime of fatphobia in casual narrative， talks about a suicide attempt and discusses the very real possibility of a future attempt if she proves unable to shake the trauma of the events of books 3 and 5。 This was a heavy dose of grim reality after the tiny bites of joy in other books。We also don't solve the greater problems we're confronted with。 Since we know there are more books coming， I assume we haven't seen the last of Whitethorn Institute， but we did leave things there feeling。。。 Unresolved。 But what we did do was meet new characters that may mix things up with our familiar （albeit dwindling since people are finding their doors） main cast in book 9， when we get there。 。。。more
Rachael
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I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 This review was originally published on my blog: Tea Rex Reads Where the Drowned Girls Go is the seventh installment in Seanan McGuire’s the Wayward Children series of fantasy novellas due to release January 4， 2022。 I was lucky enough to be approved for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book by McMillan/Tor-Forge and Tordotcom via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you Tor-Forge！I first disc I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 This review was originally published on my blog: Tea Rex Reads Where the Drowned Girls Go is the seventh installment in Seanan McGuire’s the Wayward Children series of fantasy novellas due to release January 4， 2022。 I was lucky enough to be approved for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book by McMillan/Tor-Forge and Tordotcom via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you Tor-Forge！I first discovered the Wayward Children series in January of this year。 I was browsing Goodreads， and I saw the first book， Every Heart a Doorway， in my suggestions list。 Both the title and cover of the book intrigued me， so I checked the first one out from my local library。 This quickly led to me binging my way through the entire series over the course of a week。 Needless to say， when I was approved for an ARC of Where the Drowned Girls Go I couldn’t have been more excited！The world of the Wayward Children is largely based on the idea that what if children like Alice in Wonderland were real？ What if they found a doorway into another world， but that world turned out to be the one meant for them; the one that’s absolutely perfect for them？ What happens to these children when they accidentally tumble back into this world and are left forever seeking their one true home again？That’s where Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children comes in。 The school is run by it’s namesake Eleanor West， and she too has been through her own doorway。 She understands what each of these children is going through， and she seeks to help them “Be Sure” as each doorway instructs。 Once the children are sure they want to return to their world， their doorways should reappear。 This doesn’t always happen。It’s with these ideas in mind that each novella in the series dives into the stories of different children attending Eleanor West’s school。 Sometimes they find a doorway that leads to breaking one of the biggest rules of the school: No quests。 These quests don’t always go well for everyone involved。 The worlds may be exactly what each child needs， but that doesn’t mean they are safe。Where the Drowned Girls Go picks up several months after one such quest with a teenaged girl named Cora。 Cora is a mermaid of a world known as The Trenches。 At least， she thinks she is。 Unfortunately， after the quest to a world known as The Moors – a treacherous world filled with endless grasslands， vampires， and a blood-red Moon that looms over it all – Cora isn’t so sure where she belongs anymore。 The Drowned Gods of the Moors tried to claim her while she was there， and her skin still shimmers with their touch。 She still hears their whispers in the dark。Fortunately， Cora remembers there is another school for people like her。 The Whitethorn Institute is the counterpart for Eleanor West’s school。 It teaches the children to forget their doors and move on with their lives in this world。 Cora thinks if she can forget some of the magic that’s attached to her， the Drowned Gods will lose their hold on her。 Then， she can focus on finding The Trenches and becoming the hero she was there once again。However， things are not what they seem at the Whitethorn Institute。 It’s a harsh and unforgiving place， and the rest of the novella explores whether Cora hasn’t made a terrible mistake。 She may not be able to escape it if she has。One of the things that I enjoy most about the Wayward Children series is how real and relatable all of the children are。 It’s so easy for the reader to see bits of themselves in each character， and some characters spoke so completely to me that I was totally invested in their journeys。For example， Cora grew up the fat kid。 It wasn’t through any fault of her own。 It was just her genetics forcing her body to hold onto the weight。 She ate well， exercised， and doctors said she was perfectly healthy， but as we all know， our peers can be extremely unkind to differences in others。 This unkindness led Cora on a self-defeating journey of attempted weight loss that eventually harmed her mental health。 She had no self-confidence until she went to the Trenches and became a hero， in part because of the very things she was made fun of for in this world。I think we’ve all been through situations like that growing up。 So， when Cora finally makes friends it really means something to her。 She went through what some of us would describe as a hell-world， and now she has these Lovecraftian Drowned Gods trying to pull her back。 She obviously suffers some PTSD from the events of the previous novella， and I think any of us would do anything to escape that experience。Cora’s desire to join the Whitethorn Institute was an attempt to forget the bad things that had happened to her。 Unfortunately， that’s not all the leader of the Institute wanted her to forget。 She had to learn to embrace what was different about herself and find her self-confidence and courage again to combat her demons herself。 She didn’t do it alone， but that was all part of the journey。 Even when she eventually gets what she wants， she has learned to accept that it will still be there when she needs it。 When she’s ready。Ultimately， I think the message of this novella was it takes time to learn from the past and to learn to accept ourselves for who we are。 That’s what the doorways mean when they ask the children to “Be Sure。” Be sure this is who you are because only surety in oneself can lead one to the life one is meant to live。All of that being said。 I feel like this novella introduced a new “Big Villain，” and I can’t wait to see where Seanan McGuire goes with it。 Sure there are magical entities from other worlds that can creep through their doorways to snatch you， but what about the evil magic in this world？ With at least three more novellas planned in the series plus the exciting news that the series is in development for a potential franchise at Paramount， I don’t think we’ve seen anywhere near the last of the Wayward Children。I gave Where the Drowned Girls Go four out of five stars。 It is a beautifully crafted story of a girl longing to belong and begging to forget while learning to believe in herself。 Seanan McGuire is able to capture in words things I’ve only ever felt but that are articulated perfectly on the page。 However， some readers may find the mentions of eating disorders， suicide attempts， descriptions of post traumatic stress， and child abuse and neglect difficult to absorb。 The descriptions aren’t graphic， and they are important to plot and character development。 If you can look past the triggers， I definitely recommend this entire series！ 。。。more
Michelle
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Pub date: Jan 2022I loved it！ This might be my favorite in this fairie tale fantasy series！ Was this the first one not set mostly in a fantastical realm， but our world entirely？ In any case， it's always monsters vs heroes， and our hero Cora is amazing！ She has to save herself amid the brutality of bullies and her own desperate moves to evade the Drowned Gods， and eventually comes to a breakthrough revelation。 The new setting of an alternate school for children who went through doors was sufficie Pub date: Jan 2022I loved it！ This might be my favorite in this fairie tale fantasy series！ Was this the first one not set mostly in a fantastical realm， but our world entirely？ In any case， it's always monsters vs heroes， and our hero Cora is amazing！ She has to save herself amid the brutality of bullies and her own desperate moves to evade the Drowned Gods， and eventually comes to a breakthrough revelation。 The new setting of an alternate school for children who went through doors was sufficiently creepy， and the reveal of the monster was really well done。 Ms McGuire's beautiful writing shines and makes it a pleasure to read！ Most people can’t be entirely sure they’d be happier in one place over another， so they don’t find their doors again。 But lots of people go back。 They have the right combination of selfish and lonely and hopeful and stupid and earnest and selfless， and they find their doors， and they go back。 。。。more
Cayla
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Thank you Tordot com for sending me a gifted copy of Where the Drowned Girls Go。 This was a super fast paced read， hence the size of the book but it also was a good read as well with how fast paced it was。 It was nice learning about Cora's character and her past and then learning about the Whitethorn Institute and how that place would treat Cora。 You get a bit of reality in this one with Cora's looks and how real women deal with this everyday。 Thank you Tordot com for sending me a gifted copy of Where the Drowned Girls Go。 This was a super fast paced read， hence the size of the book but it also was a good read as well with how fast paced it was。 It was nice learning about Cora's character and her past and then learning about the Whitethorn Institute and how that place would treat Cora。 You get a bit of reality in this one with Cora's looks and how real women deal with this everyday。 。。。more
Cassie | The_BookSandwich
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I’m SO excited for this next installment！！！ Thank you Tor for the advanced copy！
Kristin Renee
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McGuire has done it again。 Where the Drowned Girls Go is the 7th installment of The Wayward Children series and it holds all the magic of the first six books。 You see， there are magical doors that call children from this world to other lands， other realms， and other worlds。 When they come back to this world， they aren't always believed nor is the magic of their world totally gone from them。 Miss Wests home for these Wayward children is a place they can go to heal， feel welcomed， and know they ar McGuire has done it again。 Where the Drowned Girls Go is the 7th installment of The Wayward Children series and it holds all the magic of the first six books。 You see， there are magical doors that call children from this world to other lands， other realms， and other worlds。 When they come back to this world， they aren't always believed nor is the magic of their world totally gone from them。 Miss Wests home for these Wayward children is a place they can go to heal， feel welcomed， and know they are understood and loved。 Yet sometimes， what seems like the end is only the beginning。。。。。 For Cora， it is different。 She has been through two magical doors in order to help rescue a friend and now that second world doesn't want to let her go。 It haunts her days and her nightmares。 In her distress， Cora leaves Miss Wests home and enrolls in the sister school Whitethorn Institute。 But Whitethorn isn't what it seems and this time Cora may be the one who needs rescued。。。。I love everything about this series。 From the beautiful representation of LGBTQIA+ character（s） to the fantastical adventures portrayed within the pages。 There is a deep haunting humanity to these books that unfolds truths inside us that we only dare to realize are there。 。。。more
Elizabeth
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It's excellent！ Longer review to come。 It's excellent！ Longer review to come。 。。。more
Lydia Norton
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For a full review， visit The Librarian's Lunchbox。Finally， a book that centers on Cora。 Cora is by far my favorite of the Wayward Children。 So I was excited when I realized this book would focus on her。 Unfortunately， we never get to see The Trenches behind Cora’s door。 Instead， we’re taken to Whitehall Institute， which is basically an incredibly strict behavioral treatment center for kids with Doors。I was super disappointed that we didn’t actually get to go through any doors in this installment For a full review， visit The Librarian's Lunchbox。Finally， a book that centers on Cora。 Cora is by far my favorite of the Wayward Children。 So I was excited when I realized this book would focus on her。 Unfortunately， we never get to see The Trenches behind Cora’s door。 Instead， we’re taken to Whitehall Institute， which is basically an incredibly strict behavioral treatment center for kids with Doors。I was super disappointed that we didn’t actually get to go through any doors in this installment。 I loved visiting Sumi’s candy coated world of Confection， Lundy’s logical Goblin Market， and Regan’s green， grass fields of centaurs and other hooved creatures。 Books in this series that take place more firmly in our world are never as immersive and exciting for me as the ones that invent an entirely new one。That being said， I still really， really liked this book。 I had all but forgotten there was another school。 I think it might have been mentioned in the first book at some point。 Even though it was mostly magic free， I really liked the development and introduction to some of the new characters at the school and the reintroduction of characters from past books （shout out to a returning Regan！）。 Maybe one day we’ll get to visit Cora's underwater world。 Until then， I’ll keep my eyes peeled for my own door that says “Be Sure”。 。。。more
Ria Bridges
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I absolutely adore the Wayward Children series。 Right from book 1， I've been captivated。 While the 1st book remains my favourite to this day， there are a lot of strong contenders to that throne， & WHERE THE DROWNED GIRLS GO is one of them。Cora has decided that she doesn't want to do things the way Eleanor West does them。 She wants normalcy。 So， she decides to "transfer schools，" as it were， to a school that will help her achieve that while still acknowledging that she went through a door into an I absolutely adore the Wayward Children series。 Right from book 1， I've been captivated。 While the 1st book remains my favourite to this day， there are a lot of strong contenders to that throne， & WHERE THE DROWNED GIRLS GO is one of them。Cora has decided that she doesn't want to do things the way Eleanor West does them。 She wants normalcy。 So， she decides to "transfer schools，" as it were， to a school that will help her achieve that while still acknowledging that she went through a door into another world。Insert traumas here。I can relate to Cora's situation in many ways。 The trials of being large， for one， because holy crap， that's a social struggle all on its own！ But also the struggle of trying desperately to fit back into the mold that people have made for you。 To squash down everything that makes you special in order to be the person others would be happier with。 It's a brutal sort of pain that I think is only really understood by others who have experienced it。McGuire is a damn genius for doing such things in this series， by the way。 Things I spent most of my life thinking nobody else understood？ Yeah， turns out somebody did。 And then they wrote books that put those feelings into better words than I ever could。Unsurprisingly， this school that encourages abusive repression in the name of normalcy isn't as， er， altruistic as you might think。 There's a dark mystery here that Cora must get to the bottom of。 It's an emotional rollercoaster the whole way through， and I love it， even when it hurts me。Same can be said for all the Wayward Children stories， I think。Yeah， Cora is an amazing character， and the salvation of many， both in book and out。You shouldn't read this without having read the others first， but if you loved them as much as I did， this is one you absolutely cannot miss。 It's painful & triumphant & beautiful。 Bloody brilliant， as usual！（Received in exchange for an honest review。） 。。。more
Boston
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4。5 starsThis was a wonderful addition to the series and honestly one I didn’t know I needed。 It answers the question “Well what happens if someone doesn’t like the world they go to？”。 The addition to the world felt like unlocking an area on a video game map and I loved it despite how dark it was。 Fans of this series will absolutely love this novella and I highly recommend picking it up。 * thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
h o l l i s
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This is easily my favourite in the series in what feels like a long long time。 Since book one， really。 And I couldn’t tell you what specifically about this seventh instalment did what the previous five couldn’t。 I really have no idea。This has been a strange series for me。 One I love in concept but not always in execution; and my relationship with this author， particularly under this penname， has been fraught with this kind of pattern。 But it’s books like this one， it’s remembering she’s also Mir This is easily my favourite in the series in what feels like a long long time。 Since book one， really。 And I couldn’t tell you what specifically about this seventh instalment did what the previous five couldn’t。 I really have no idea。This has been a strange series for me。 One I love in concept but not always in execution; and my relationship with this author， particularly under this penname， has been fraught with this kind of pattern。 But it’s books like this one， it’s remembering she’s also Mira Grant， that keep me coming back and refusing to throw in the towel。 And I’m so glad for that。Full review to come。3。5 stars** I received an ARC from the publisher （thank you！） in exchange for an honest review。 ** 。。。more
Katherine Ehlers
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Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of this book for review。Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan Mcguire follows Cora as she wrestles with the changes wrought by her trip to the Moors。 Convinced that the only way to escape those changes and their consequences is to give up on ever going back to the Trenches and forget her adventures in other worlds， Cora decides that she must transfer to the other school for children who come back from impossible doors: the Whitethorn Institute。 O Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of this book for review。Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan Mcguire follows Cora as she wrestles with the changes wrought by her trip to the Moors。 Convinced that the only way to escape those changes and their consequences is to give up on ever going back to the Trenches and forget her adventures in other worlds， Cora decides that she must transfer to the other school for children who come back from impossible doors: the Whitethorn Institute。 Once there， she finds a school steeped in misery and troubling clues that something sinister is happening beneath the surface。 To uncover the truth and save herself and fellow students， Cora will have to overcome the fears that sent her to the Whitethorn Institute and find the inner hero that first brought her to the Trenches。A single word of caution for readers: if you have not read previous books in the series， this is not a great place to jump in。 While McGuire does a good job of providing the bare minimum context for things that happened to Cora in previous books， you would be missing out on 6 novellas-worth of world-building and context。 And honestly， if you haven’t read the previous books， do yourself a favor and get on that because they’re excellent！ Where the Drowned Girls Go focuses pretty exclusively on Cora。 Although other returning characters make appearances， we don’t get the kind of perspective switches we saw in previous books。 Even better for a book focused on a single character， we’re not going all the way back to the story of her first door （although this gets addressed）。 Instead， we get more development for the character as we know and love her from previous books。 The resolution of this book also opens a whole new dimension of the ongoing plot， introducing a new villain and a new mission for our returning characters。 This had the slight disadvantage of making the story feel too short because I wanted more information on this new aspect of the series， but overall I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait for the fans to start yelling about this book once they get their hands on it。 。。。more
Chad
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**This review is based on a digital， uncorrected proof of the book that we were provided with through NetGalley。 Thank you to Tor-Forge and NetGalley for providing it。 Receiving a free copy did not sway our opinion， or influence our review， though。**If you're a fan of fiction， you may know the name Seanan McGuire， or perhaps one of her aliases like Mira Grant。 A rather prolific modern author， she's responsible for numerous books， including more than one series。 One such franchise is 'The Wayward **This review is based on a digital， uncorrected proof of the book that we were provided with through NetGalley。 Thank you to Tor-Forge and NetGalley for providing it。 Receiving a free copy did not sway our opinion， or influence our review， though。**If you're a fan of fiction， you may know the name Seanan McGuire， or perhaps one of her aliases like Mira Grant。 A rather prolific modern author， she's responsible for numerous books， including more than one series。 One such franchise is 'The Wayward Children' series， which is about to receive its seventh installment， Where the Drowned Girls Go。Releasing in early 2022， Where the Drowned Girls Go is yet another fantastical novella。 However， unlike some of its peers and predecessors， it is not standalone， and builds upon previously established stories。 As such， I recommend reading all of the previous books before starting it。This time around， our main character is Cora， who found a door as a child and ended up in a world full of water and mermaids。 There， she became one herself， complete with aquamarine hair， fins， and rainbows adorning her skin。 The Trenches weren't a perfectly kind， safe or innocent place， but they were home to Cora until she was forced to return to the world that birthed her。Although she hopes to return to the Trenches one day， our heroine is worried that her door won't reappear。 Her anxieties are furthered by nightmares she's been having since venturing to others' worlds in previous books。 The Drowned Gods， who briefly introduced themselves to Cora while she was in their water in the Moors -- a world full of monsters， horrors and a ruling vampire， too -- speak to her while she sleeps， and ask her to return。 They think they own her， and want her back。Seeking to rid herself of the nightmares and the exhaustion that's resulted from months of poor sleep， Cora decides to do something drastic。 This involves asking Elanor -- the head of the school for special children wherein she lives and studies -- for a transfer to an alternative school for similar kids。 One they call the Whitehorn Institute。 While it's not something Elanor wants to do， because she fears for the safety and mental health of her student， she eventually agrees to sign off on the transfer， and off Cora goes to another state and a new home。While Miss Elanor's school promotes individuality， teaches about the different worlds doors can lead to， and is supportive of its students discussing their travels， the Whitehorn Institute is the opposite。 Whereas Miss Elanor West's Home for Wayward Children is full of colour and sunshine， it's drab， monochrome and downright institutional。 The reason for this is its goal to rid teens of their dreams of other worlds。 How？ By reminding them of how great our world is， ridding them of their learned habits， and pretending that it was all just a dream。Needless to say， it’s not a fun place to be， and likes to try to brainwash its residents。 They’re to dress， act and behave a certain way， and are inspected daily。 It’s where Cora has asked to go， though。However， as is usually the case in fiction， things aren’t as they seem。 Something is up at the Whitehorn Institute， and it’s not good。 Is Cora in danger？ Or will its odd and mysterious ways help her forget？Much like the other books in this series， familiar faces also make an appearance within Where the Drowned Girls Go， including someone from a recent book。 I won’t spoil who， though， or why， but I will admit that they play an important role。Where the Drowned Girls Go isn’t like most of its peers， however， because it’s predominantly set in the real world。 There’s no magical world to meet， learn about and explore， which lessens the fantastical edge of the story。 However， as Ms。 McGuire is wont to do within this series， there’s lots of talk about the worlds that the main characters did visit and explore。 There are also other fantastical elements to enjoy。Adding on to things is talk of body image。 While previous installments featured characters dealing with things like gender identity confusion， being intersex and loneliness， this one’s lead deals with a slow metabolism and a larger body size。 That said， Cora isn’t fat because she chose to be， despite other people treating her like she did。 Ms。 McGuire tackles a difficult subject here， and does so well， which will be good for the YA audience that these stories are geared to more than us adults。It’s an interesting read， in comparison to the others， because of its more rooted setting。 The Whitehorn Institute may be an institutional and realistic place， but that doesn’t mean it’s a good one or that its principles can’t be odd。 The author’s decision to introduce a place that is such a polar opposite to Elanor West’s school was interesting and smart， even if this wasn’t the most entertaining book of the bunch。Then again， this has become one of my favourite series since I first noticed Every Heart a Doorway on a local library’s website。 Since then， I’ve borrowed， read and eventually bought every single one of these novellas in hardcover form， and they’ve become a treasured part of my book collection。 Although there have now been seven books， I’ve yet to dislike a single one， and have found almost all of them to be well above average。Where the Drowned Girls Go is different， and it’s not as good， but it’s still above average， and is still worth the read。 This is especially true if you’re a fan of the series， but I doubt I’ll need to tell you that。 These books are always so interesting and memorable， and the world is so immersive and easy to fall in love with， that other fans are liking pining for more。 I know I was。 Hell， I still am， and I just finished this book about an hour ago。 Unfortunately， the wait for the 8th book will apparently take us until 2023， which is when Lost in the Moment and Found is expected to release。Still， Cora’s arc within this narrative is a bit strange， and I wish there was more depth to certain elements of the story， including what’s going on at Whitehorn。 This could’ve easily been a longer book， although — based on my experience reading the Kindle version， which didn’t have actual page numbers — it seemed longer than most， if not all of the others。If you’ve never read one of Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children novellas， please do， but don’t start here。 There are some that you can read out of order， but this is not one。 It’s one of my least favourites， but still above average， and that’s to be expected given how great this series has been since the start。On the other hand， if you’re someone who’s a big fan， whether new or ‘old，’ this is something you must read。 Then again， you’d likely already decided to anyhow。 。。。more
Bethany
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I'm a huge fan of this entire series， but Where the Drowned Girls Go is among the best installments！ It really opens up the world in interesting ways， telling us about another school for wayward children， but not a good one。 This primarily follows Cora and is a book about fatphobia （done beautifully） and about the power of names and knowing your identity。 It ALSO ties back to the last installment in the series， which is cool。 These are short so I don't want to say a lot but I absolutely loved th I'm a huge fan of this entire series， but Where the Drowned Girls Go is among the best installments！ It really opens up the world in interesting ways， telling us about another school for wayward children， but not a good one。 This primarily follows Cora and is a book about fatphobia （done beautifully） and about the power of names and knowing your identity。 It ALSO ties back to the last installment in the series， which is cool。 These are short so I don't want to say a lot but I absolutely loved this novella， certainly one of my favorites in the series。 If you haven't picked these up yet I cannot recommend them enough！ I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
boogleloo
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OK， I have to say that I really love the new direction of the overarching plot for the series。 McGuire’s introduction of a alternate version of the Eleanor West's Home opens the world（s） up to explore even deeper themes then what’s been explored already。 Although this book’s less whimsical than the others in the series， there’s still plenty of adventure and daring-do to be had。 Plus I adored getting more of Cora’s story！ This is book seven of the Wayward Children series and the series should be OK， I have to say that I really love the new direction of the overarching plot for the series。 McGuire’s introduction of a alternate version of the Eleanor West's Home opens the world（s） up to explore even deeper themes then what’s been explored already。 Although this book’s less whimsical than the others in the series， there’s still plenty of adventure and daring-do to be had。 Plus I adored getting more of Cora’s story！ This is book seven of the Wayward Children series and the series should be read in order。。。📌 I received a copy of this book via Netgalley。com in exchange for an honest review。 @netgalley 。。。more
Aleshia
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I'd like to start off this review with the fact that this is number SEVEN in this series。 I've read SEVEN books in this series？ Wow！ Granted， these books are very short， and I read the first book in 2017， so it hasn't quite been seven years， but man， time flies。This installment is similar to the first book in that it is setting up the subsequent books in the series。 After 6 books following Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children， it's time to introduce a counterpart to her home， one that teache I'd like to start off this review with the fact that this is number SEVEN in this series。 I've read SEVEN books in this series？ Wow！ Granted， these books are very short， and I read the first book in 2017， so it hasn't quite been seven years， but man， time flies。This installment is similar to the first book in that it is setting up the subsequent books in the series。 After 6 books following Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children， it's time to introduce a counterpart to her home， one that teaches wayward children to deny their portal worlds and move on。 While it's an interesting direction for the series， I wasn't a huge fan of this book overall。 This is in part due to me thinking， from the title， that we would go to Cora's Mermaid/Siren/Ocean world， The Trenches。 Though Cora had an event happen to her in a previous book that had her questioning her world， I was interested in exploring it， and maybe having Cora interact with it in a negative way。 However， Cora does not go to her world， and instead goes to this other home to get away from her old world's influence。 I just wasn't interested in the overall plot; it was not as whimsical as other books。 It does incorporate some characters from the previous installments， and introduces characters who I'm sure we'll go explore next。 But this book is mainly setting the stage for the direction of the rest of the books。 I do want to give some credit to Cora。 She is probably the strongest and most developed character in the series。 She has to deal with being bullied or judged due to her weight。 Her perspective is one that is body positive。 Cora's a good character to lead the way in showing the negative impacts of portal worlds on children; she'll overcome them。Thank you to the publisher for providing a free eARC via Netgalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Tai
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This is one of my all-time favorite book series。 This is the series that explains how I feel in this existence。 "Where the Drowned Girls Go" is as good as the rest of the series。 The end has me crying。 There's not much more I can say without spoiling stuff。 This is one of my all-time favorite book series。 This is the series that explains how I feel in this existence。 "Where the Drowned Girls Go" is as good as the rest of the series。 The end has me crying。 There's not much more I can say without spoiling stuff。 。。。more
Glennis
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