McGuire’s Wayward Children books are always concentrated bites of awesome. ACROSS THE GREEN GRASS FIELDS is no different. Like all the novella’s in the series it uses fantasy worlds to explore different aspects of gender and identity.

Regan is struggling to reconcile what everyone thinks a girl needs to be with the choices she actually wants to make. Destiny, pre-determination and deviating from what’s ‘meant to be’ are all looked at alongside what it means to be a hero and to be a ‘person’.

This is book six in the series, and you’d think they’d be starting to lose momentum by now, but ACROSS THE GREEN GRASS FIELDS is (along with the two Jack and Jill stories) has been my favourite.

I read this one in two sittings (and it would have been one if I didn’t need sleep).

This series just gets better and better!

Across the Green Grass Fields - Seanan McGuire

Pros: great characters, excellent world-building

Cons: I’d have liked a longer epilogue

Ten year old Regan Lewis strives to be normal, so when she notices that puberty isn’t hitting her like the other girls she starts asking questions. Walking home from school after a rough day of bad choices, she finds a strange door and stumbles into another world, a world populated by various equine races. Her presence means their world needs saving, but Regan doesn’t believe in destiny, and doesn’t want to be a hero.

This is the 6th book in the Wayward Children series, but is a complete standalone novella. Regan has not been in any of the other books and the story is completely self-contained.

I loved Regan as a character and enjoyed seeing her start to question the world and her place in it. I thought the Hooflands were wonderful, with a well developed culture between the various hooved races (which includes centaurs, kelpies, satyrs and more).

While I’d have liked a longer epilogue showing some of the fallout of Regan’s adventure I understand why McGuire ended this novella where she did. It wraps up this particular story nicely, though I’m hopeful there’s a follow-up novella that continues Regan’s story.

The copy of the book I reviewed was an advance reader copy, so it didn’t have the illustrations by Rovina Cai. I’ve seen a few of them on the Tor.com website and they’re quite nice and I can imagine they help add to the fairytale quality of the story.

If you love horses and character development, this one’s for you.

(4.5 stars) I’m a long-time fan of this series and look forward to a new book every year. This was whimsical as usual while dealing with some tough topics. Regan is intersex and I appreciated the representation and discussion around that. This story takes place in the Hooflands and my unicorn loving heart was here for it! The main themes of this book were of destiny and finding your place but it also touched on how unjust those perceived as ‘other’ are treated. One negative is that I was disappointed that we did not see any characters from previous installments that we have come to know and love. *ARC provided by NetGalley for review.

Not my favorite of the Wayward Children series. While the others had a touch of dark fantasy--just enough to move the story ahead--Green Grass Fields felt much more juvenile.. Enjoyable but a bit too fluffy.

This is the sixth installment in The Wayward Children series and this one just about ripped my heart out. Regan grows up adhering to the very strict yet very arbitrary rules that girls must follow in our world. She doesn’t find her door until a secret told to the wrong person threatens to rip her world apart. This novella has all the hallmarks and beats that I love about Seanan McGuire’s work.

Seanan McGuire continues the Wayward Children series with this sixth entry, Across the Green Grass Fields. This novella is a standalone. Readers don’t have to read the other five novellas in order to enjoy Across the Green Grass Fields—although I definitely recommend them. In this entry, Regan finds a portal to a world of centaurs, kelpies, and other hooved beings on the worst day of her life. She doesn’t return for six years.

Like the other books in the Wayward Children series, Across the Green Grass Fields is about becoming comfortable with one’s identity and finding a place that feels right. Other stories in this series have featured trans characters, characters who have personalities that are incompatible with their very “normal” families, or who just don’t seem to fit where they are. Doors appear for these characters that open into dangerous, adventurous worlds where these characters can come into their own. Regan is intersex, but she only finds out when she asks her parents why she hasn’t hit puberty when all of her peers have. And; she finds her door on the day that she realizes that her “best friend” is no such thing after revealing her biology.

On the other side of the door are the Hooflands. Regan is rescued by a humble unicorn-herding family of centaurs. Humans are supposed to be immediately delivered to the ruling monarch because, historically, they only appear in the Hooflands to save the world. But Regan’s found family keep her under wraps. No one cares about Regan’s biology (apart from the fact that she is human) or gender. The centaurs, kelpies, minotaurs, and other species of the Hooflands have completely different gender roles. With no one scrutinizing Regan’s behavior and body, she is free to just be Regan, to do and wear and say what feels right.

Ultimately, Across the Green Grass Fields is about the lies people tell to keep up appearances and maintain tradition. Regan does eventually meet her Hooflands destiny by traveling to the queen’s palace to do whatever it is she needs to do to save her life, only to uncover a great big lie that’s been perpetuated for centuries. McGuire has similar morals in the other entries in the Wayward Children series. The books are like modern fairy tales in that they all contain important lessons, embedded in plots and dangers that the protagonist has to survive. It’s as though McGuire is creating a new canon of instructive (and highly entertaining and original) folklore for contemporary readers. I love these books.

I’ve been hit and miss on Seanan McGuire’s portal series, finding some lyrical and emotional and others frustratingly slapdash. Here newest, Across the Green Grass Fields, unfortunately falls closer toward that latter part of the spectrum.

As one expects by now, we have a young girl who steps through a doorway into another world. We meet Regan first at seven, part of a best friends trio with Heather Nelson and Laurel Anderson. Quickly, though, she gets drawn into one of those cruel moments of childhood where demarcations are drawn. When queen bee Laurel arbitrarily decides Heather isn’t “girly” enough, she shuns Heather and Regan, learning quickly “this is what it costs to be different,” goes along with it. Years pass and when Regan (now 11) learns the shocking secret her parents have been keeping from her — that she is intersexual with XY instead of XX chromosomes — she foolishly confides in her “best friend”, who promptly (and predictably) responds with horror and condemnation. Fleeing the confrontation, Regan finds her doorway and steps through.

On the other side are “The Hooflands”, a land of centaurs and kelpies and kirins and others such creatures. Though Regan doesn’t meet any until the very end. Instead, she is found by a centaur and adopted into their small herd of isolated unicorn shepherds, becoming best friends with a young centaur named Chicory. Though she misses and mourns her parents, Regan quickly settles in and becomes a cherished member of the herd, constantly putting off her “destiny” —to be taken to the Queen so Regan can perform her heroic duty, which is always the case with humans who have found their way here: they save the Hooflands and disappear. When Regan, now 15, is allowed to join the herd at the Fair, though, events quickly escalate. She and the herd are forced to flee, and when Regan is separated, she meets some of the other inhabitants of the hooflands, with surprising results. Eventually though, destiny or not, Regan finds herself making her way with some unexpected companions to the Queen’s castle for a final confrontation that may or may not save the world and herself.

On the positive side, McGuire remains a smooth wordsmith. The novella moves along briskly and fluidly, with some lovely lines sprinkled throughout as well as some humor, as with McGuire’s subversion of the typical unicorn trope. The potential awfulness/cruelty of childhood, a running theme in McGuire’s work, is as always sharply, vividly conveyed. And the story has a solid message at its core, or several of them.

Unfortunately, for me the above positives were outweighed by the negatives. One is less a flaw than just a personal response. This book felt very YA to me, almost MG, and towards the very end, I even wrote in my notes it was starting to feel like a children’s illustrated book. So it skews very young. Not necessarily a bad thing, but because of that skewing it just doesn’t have the richness or complexity I prefer in my novels at this point in my life.

Somewhat related, though not entirely, it also felt very flat and almost perfunctory, glossing over or handwaving away plot and character points that were ripe for so much more development (and not just ripe for, I’d argue, but requiring much more development). Part of that, of course, is the form. There’s just not a lot of space in a novella. But then again, one can choose a story more fitting for the form (or change the form if the story overflows it).

As noted, the early scene about how cruel childhood can be is vividly presented, but it might be the only such scene. The scene where Regan learns of her intersexuality, for instance, felt more expository than emotive. Implausibly so. Something that seems almost acknowledged by the author when Regan tells her mother the conversation sounded like her mom was “reciting some Wikipedia article you memorized.” And the constant proclamations that Regan was “perfect” felt forced (more in the writerly sense than in the within-the-characters sense). The scene where she reveals her secret also feels forced, given that we’ve spend pages on how Regan has learned the cost of being different, how fiercely Laurel destroys those who don’t fit into neat categories, etc. Again, the scene is lampshaded by Regan’s internal monologue about how “despite Laurel being . . . “etc. she still told her, but it didn’t really make the moment more plausible. Finally, the whole intersex thing disappears soon after. It’s not that this needed to be a “special episode” story where Regan learns to deal with her intersexuality etc., but it’s hard to imagine it just never comes up in her mind again. In the Hooflands, we get a few tossaway lines about her missing her parents, but it never felt real or part of her. And then we get another implausible scene — this one an abduction — that only makes sense if everyone acts stupidly and that was signposted from the very start (I wrote in the margin— “hmm, wonder what will happen”). And again, having someone later say “we should have known better” doesn’t really excuse the scene. I’ll grant this may be less of an issue for an MG reader.

There were several other such instances I won’t go into. And some moments that felt, to use the term from above, slapdash or careless. Regan doesn’t “fully understand” what the reference to “D-cups is” from her mother, but a few pages earlier she’s mentioned how two groups of her acquaintances (at school and at the barn) were talking about their developing breasts and it’s hard to imagine large breasts or cup size was never mentioned. Later, Regan is “shocked” when a creature suggests he’ll eat her when he had literally told her exactly that a few pages earlier. And there are other such moments, including a pretty big plot development that changes everything but makes no sense based on what came before, or is explained away in very weak form.

Finally, the last segment feels completely rushed and perfunctory, with things sliding into place in a fashion that felt, as I mentioned above, more akin to a picture book than a work for older readers. The resolution, meanwhile, was both darkly grim for a kid’s book and also unsubtly expositive/dogmatic in the form that children’s books often take, so it felt more than a little at odds with itself.

I know this is quite the beloved series, and my guess is this newest entry won’t do much to change that for fans. For me, while I can admire McGuire’s smooth style, the book’s flaws made it a far more frustrating than enjoyable read and one I can’t recommend.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy! Having only recently discovered the Wayward Children series I was beyond excited to learn that I would not have to wait long for the next installment. Across the Green Grass Fields takes readers away from Elenor West's Home for Wayward Children and introduces a cast of brand new characters. Telling the story of Regan who is running from a complicated childhood when she suddenly discovers a door that asks her to "Be Sure". Crossing the doorway she discovers herself in a fantastical new world, filled with centaurs and unicorns and humans are often heroes. Across the Green Grass Fields is a good addition to the Wayward Children series, and serves as a great introduction for anyone new to the series. McGuire has once again crafted another fantastic world for characters to inhabit. Not only writing a story that captures how entrapping and confusing gender stereotypes can be for children but also showing how important it is to be true to yourself. While not my favorite entry in the Wayward Children series, Green Grass Fields is an enjoyable read that ends far too quickly.

A new Wayward Children installment is always a delight to read. Across the Green Grass Fields does not disappoint.

The best Wayward Children book in a long time - although maybe I just think so because I'm a grownup Horse Girl! A rare book with positive non-sensationalized intersex representation, a great depiction of crappy manipulative friendship dynamics between young girls, and a rich fantasy world. I'd have actually liked it to be quite a bit longer - the third act seemed to go by very quickly.

I admire Horse Girls, but I have never been one of them. So at first, I didn't think I was going to enjoy this installment of the Wayward Children series. But then, as she usually does, Seanan McGuire left me with tears in my eyes. She writes the children that adults with complicated feelings about their own childhoods need.

And again, as usual, I'm desperate for the next volume so I can see the crew at Eleanor West's again.

I really love this world. Seanan McGuire’s ability around world building really is Brilliant. Honestly I loved this book, and my only complaint is that I feel the ending was rushed- but that said I think it was just such a fun and deep read I wanted it to keep going for a while.

I’m never not surprised at McGuires ability to make it depth and feeling into her books- and beyond them to make the subjects resonate deeply than expected. What a quietly perfect addition to this series.

Ok, for the first time I couldn't figure out the origin story - now I'll have to do some research into where Seanan got her inspiration!

Regan is a normal little girl, with bff's to hang around with, and then one friend does something slightly wrong and gets cast out of the trio. Regan lives in terror of also being an outcast and tries to fit in with all the girls in her grade, yet her confusion over being told she's intersex (with an XY gene but external female features) leads to just such a expulsion from the group. Running away from school to her understanding parents (seriously: their message of Regan being perfect just as she is) she finds one of those doorways that we know--thanks to previous books--leads to another world, one in which she will fit far better than this world.

Her world is filled with horses... well, horse types like unicorns (rather dumb) and centaurs and kelpies. etc.. Humans only appear when they are needed, perform some heroic act and then disappear. What will Regan do for this world? And will she ever go back to her origin world? This is a great entry in the series.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Not my personal favorite in this series. It didn’t speak to me quite as intrinsically as the first one did but for someone this is going to be the Right book. Well written and fast read. Likable heroine who isn’t perfect but learns and grows up into a decent and responsible teen. Even if this wasn’t my personal favorite in the series I still really look forward to the next book!

I have enjoyed this series and recommended it to so many other readers. This addition is a definitely a worthy contribution to the series. Now, if we can just visit Christopher's skeleton world some more. :)

Across the Green Grass Fields has that whimsical writing I've come to expect from McGuire. Paired with lyrical turns of phrase, McGuire attaches pieces of wisdom distilled into words. In Across the Green Grass Fields, what struck me almost instantly, is how McGuire is able to describe gender stereotypes and performance. The way we are so quickly thrown out of the social circle when our actions do not conform. When we are too honest with our thoughts, when our passions do not fit into the box of "girlhood". Those moments when love, and friendship, feels conditional. Plagued by the fear of stepping out of it and letting that fear cage us, exclude those we love - those who it is right to include. McGuire so perfectly encapsulates that feeling of wanting to fit in, to have your interests and hobbies fit with someone whose opinion means the world to you.

And then Regan is introduced to a new fantastical world. One where humans are exceedingly rare. There she is able to find a community who cares for her. Found family is one of my favorite themes throughout this entire Wayward Children. The ways in which we can stumble across worlds where we feel more at home. And what happens when we return.. Across the Green Grass Fields is a story that asks whether we can escape the reckoning of destiny. Are any of us able to escape the confines of the narratives that surround us? That limit the worlds we create?

The sixth book in the incredible ‘Wayward Children’ series, which I recommend to everyone. This book follows Regan, a horse-obsessed pre-teen who tells her greatest secret to her best friend - and when it doesn’t go well, runs away from school and home and everything that is forcing her to be someone she is not.

When she goes through the door marked ‘Be Sure’, she is thrust into the Hooflands, surrounded by centaurs and unicorns. Regan arriving in the Hooflands means that she’s come to save the world, she is told by the centaur herd that finds her, and per law, she must be presented to the benevolent Queen on her arrival. The centaurs take advantage of a loophole in the law - it never says exactly when after their arrival a human must visit the Queen - and so Regan becomes part of the herd, growing and learning her way around this strange land that soon becomes her home.

Of course, nothing is as easy as it seems - especially not in a magical land - and Regan begins to question the ruler of the land, the laws that divide the varied equine creatures into “good” and “bad,” and the ways in which her adopted family live. Sooner than later, she will have to confront the Queen, and see if her destiny of saving the world is all it’s cracked up to be.

Another beautiful story by Seanan McGuire, about found family, acceptance, human nature, law and order, and love ... one that I didn’t want to end, and did so much too quickly.

Intersex main character. Intersex MAIN character. INTERSEX MAIN CHARACTER.

Okay, that was super important and I really wanted to make note of it. because I have never seen the word intersex in a book. Certainly not to describe the main protagonist. And that's why I love this series.

There wasn't a whole lot of action. Indeed, this felt shorter and tamer than the other books in the series, with about half the book taking place outside of our magical world to talk about the effects of bullying and pressures put on young girls to conform. Which was important but also unexpected.

I do like that we don't see Regan as violent. She never has to fight and indeed her otherness is embraced and even celebrated again and again. Though I did really like the ending.

The Wayward Children series is absolutely delightful and Across the Green Grass Fields is no exception. I was never a "horse girl" and I still don't find them particularly appealing, but I still found myself engrossed in the world of Hoofland. I love Regan as a main character and LOVED to see she had supportive parents.

I myself do not identify as intersex but I found the explanations of what it means to be intersex very enlightening and helpful as an adult even though it is explained to a child in the book. I think it will be great for young people (and older!!) to see this representation.

Five years is supposed to have passed in this less than 200 page book yet it felt natural and evenly paced.

Seanan McGuire has done it again.
This is the 6th Installment in the Wayward Children series and It was just as amazing as the first 5. I really loved this one in particular for the setting. Typically I'm not super into horses but I loved all of the creatures in the hooflands and I love how easily I could picture everything in my head. I loved Regan as the main character and how confident she was in herself, even after she discovers she is intersex. Pansy was such a sweet mother figure and I loved her so much. I also loved the commentary in this book about societal expectations and what you are expected to act like as a young girl. Normally in this series, the commentary is quite heavy-handed, which I don't mind, but in this one, it was a little more subtle which I also appreciated. I honestly have no complaints and I just want the 7th book, but this one hasn't even been published yet.

Thank you so much, Tor for the E-ARC!!!