Thank you, MacMillan-TOR/Forge publishers, and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I love the writing; it really sucked me into the novel.
But I know you're staring at my rating. It's rather difficult to read. I started this one without reading the others in the series and while I don't think that hindered my enjoyment, I wasn't expecting the heaviness of this novel. I also should note, I probably shouldn't have started this while on a Target run (IYKYK) but while the writing gripped me at the same time the topics that this character dealt with, I don't feel it's a novel I could've thoroughly enjoyed or attempt to reread at a later date. There's a lot of unhappy, possibly triggering for some readers (check the warnings), that I couldn't rate it higher.

I will look into other novels by this author because I do believe I'd like his writing style but this one was not a favorite of 2023.

You can never go wrong with Seanen McQuire - Truly any addition to her series is always one to watch out for. Lost in the Moment and Found incluided!

I love the Wayward Children series that Seanan McGuire writes. And this one is a great addition to the series. Born Antoinette and called Antsy, our main character loses her father and after about a year her mother finds someone else. Someone she doesn’t like, but at her young age she can’t find the words to say why. After he visits her room one night, she knows she needs to leave and packs a bag. She sneaks out the backdoor and runs to the local strip mall. She finds a door to a shop (Be Sure) and slips in. And, so her adventure begins. Visiting other worlds, meeting new people, and finding that the shop is bigger on the inside and changing. But she is also changing. The novella length of these books is wonderful, a perfect length for a weekend read. I look forward to them every year. Even if they are only slightly connected to Eleanor West’s school.

Thanks to Tor for the copy.

4.5 / 5
I LOVE this series so much. Lost in the Moment and Found is a really interesting instalment in the Wayward Children series since I feel it really cracks open so many possibilities for future characters and worlds. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next novella.

Eight books into the series I have to acknowledge I find the Wayward Children series to be incredibly inconsistent, or at least my enjoyment of it. This latest installment falls somewhere towards the back of the pack. It’s very much not one of the “journey” books that characterize some of the other additions to the series - particularly the ones in the Moors. And that doesn’t make for a disengaging plotline; my favorite book in the series is still In an Absent Dream, which is anything but a journey book.

But Lost in the Moment seems to lack a sense of purpose, or at least a clarity of the plotline if you can call it one. We spend a solid quarter of the book in the real world, as a very intentional way to depict the abuse in Antsy’s background she wants to run away from. The theming around this is the strongest part of the novel, but it doesn’t carry any of the rest of the story once Antsy finds her door. We circle back to it, eventually, but the rest of the book spent in the shop Antsy finds herself unintentionally employed feels a little disconnected.

I generally seem to buy into any story that centers around time slippage or mismatched timelines. I love anything that creates a fundamental disruption between “here” and “not here.” But I’ve just seen this plotpoint used more effectively, dramatically, emotionally that I didn’t really love it here. Ultimately this book’s strength lay in its exploration of real-world childhood trauma and the actual magical realism of the storyline outside of this was not the most striking piece.

Thank you to the publisher Tordotcom for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

I really liked the writing style of this book. It kept me engrossed in it. I look forward to reading Seanan McGuire's next books! Highly recommend it

I liked but didn't love this one. I did like the discussions on family in here and the darker tone, but I wish we'd had a more developed world. That's one of my favorite parts of these novellas, but there just wasn't really much of it in this one sadly.

I love this series and look forward to each new installment. This one was on of my favourites, albeit it was the hardest for me to read, personally. The topic of child gaslighting is an important subject, but still it was heartbreaking to read.

. I liked the first part of the story with our heroine, Ansty. It deals with heavy topics, starting from the death of her father to the gaslighting and grooming done by her stepfather. But it was very well-written. You definitely can argue that Ansty is a bit too introspective for a six year-old, but it's written for an adult audience who is rooting for the character to overcome the abuse thrown at her. The introspection gives the heavier topics a more hopeful tone in that maybe Ansty will be smart enough to get out.

The later half of the book deals with Ansty in her portal world. While she escapes the life she was facing in the mortal world, this portal world is also dark in another way. There's a price to pay to stay here. I wasn't quite as engaged with this second half. I appreciated how this world was connecting the portal worlds of the previous books together in an interesting way, and there was a talking bird character, which I'll always be a sucker for. But this half was a bit lost in building the tension of the danger of this world like the first part of the book did for the mortal realm. Fans of the series will still enjoy this installment, but it's not a favorite for me. And while all of these books are billed as a standalone, I definitely do not recommend starting here.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a free eARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I’ve never read a series that just kept getting better, but this one does. My Januarys are so much brighter because I know the new Wayward Children arrives.

Of all of author Seanan McGuire’s different series, I think I am enjoying this one the most. The underlying tone that traverses the books is really intoxicating.

This book, like most in this series, can be read as an individual book (there’s a beginning, middle, and an end … no cliffhangers to goad you into buying more books [no, the writing will do that]). Those familiar with the series will have some additional background that will prove helpful.

This book is particularly dark and a lot of reviewers are using the word ‘triggering’. McGuire does give us an author’s note at the start, warning readers about what’s ahead and that to bear with the story as it will work out. In other words, fully aware of the potential triggering effect. When you have a story about children which includes grooming, abuse, and exploitation, even though it’s not a book for children, some readers are bound to have strong, visceral reactions.

Antoinette (“Antsy”) witnesses her father’s death and then becomes prey for adults looking to take advantage of her. She manages to run away before anything too terrible actually happens, but the threats and plans for what was to happen to her seem explicit and troubling.

Antsy escapes through a Door (readers of the series will understand the difference between a door and a Door) and finds herself in a shop for Lost Things. Appropriate, of course, being a lost thing herself.

Lost and confused, she stays there, interacting with customers in the shop and learning more about the Doors before making a decision for herself – taking control in a way that child normally wouldn’t have the strength or determination to do.

Along the way, we also learn a little more about the Doors and Antsy will make her decision to leave the shop – not an easy decision to make – knowing that this will be for good.

Looking for a good book? If you like fantasy or dark fantasy, you really should read Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire. If you haven’t read the series, do yourself a favor and go go back and start at the beginning.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Part of the Wayward Children series. This was my first look at this series and found it a bit dark. It makes you feel very emotional about lost childhood, death and looking for a way back. Doors take you to many fantasy worlds but there is a catch and you may not be able to return.
I feel you really do need to read the series from the start as you may feel the book is not quite working for you.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The situation Antsy runs from hit a little too close to home for me, so this was probably the most difficult time I've had reading any of the Wayward Children books -- which isn't to say I didn't like it or that it was bad, but just that it was difficult (and I appreciate the warning at the start, although I'll admit I didn't realize fully what it meant until mid-book).

I absolutely loved this, & it's probably one of my new favorites in the series. The magic of the little shop she finds & lives in is so cool, I wish I could visit & see all the different trinkets & travel through all those doors!! The end was a little abrupt and I'm always sad when the characters don't get what they want by the end, but still, loved this.

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. I have to admit- reading the dedication broke my heart, so it took me a long time to sit down and read this book. The author's note on the next page helped, but I was feeling anxious for the first 1/3 of the book. Despite that, this was a wonderful book. The plot felt like an old school fairy tale, and the characters felt very real. I wanted Antsy to be ok so bad, and I was happy with where she ended up, but I did want a little more violence wrought upon Tyler. I enjoyed the little glimpses of other wayward children, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I loved this book so much. Five stars. It was emotional and powerful. Might be my favorite of the series now

Absolutely gorgeous and spellbinding! Such a unique entry in a stellar series which continues to surprise and delight.

When I chose this book, I didn't realize it was #8 in a series, but it read easily as a standalone. It takes a sharp turn from sad family story to sad fairytale, and does so in a surprising way.

The first part of the story is difficult because it involves a stepfather trying to manipulate and groom a young girl, Antsy (short for Antoinette). When she runs away, Antsy finds a special shop where all the lost things go. She begins to have adventures in other worlds, but everything is not as it seems.

Antsy is a wonderful character who has already experienced great loss, even at the age of 9. Her pain, the manipulation she experiences, and the things she learns are all so well portrayed here. The shift into magical worlds and a shop with many secrets is surprising, and Antsy's adventures and realization of the truth make a sad but wonderful story. Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

In Lost in the Moment and Found, Wayward Children 8, Seanan McGuire has achieved new heights, creating a story that is haunting and complex in the exploration of innocence lost and the prices we pay as we grow up. 

The novel is immediately gripping, reaching in and breaking your heart from the very beginning as you fall in love with Antsy and the sea changes in her life. I particularly empathized with Ansty having lost a father figure at a young age myself. The shape of that type of trauma is difficult enough but adding in other hurts, the loss of innocence and the manipulation of adults, can be particularly painful. Yet, what Seanan McGuire does well is add in hope and an escape, exploring the strength and a sense of belonging. And what makes Antsy so compelling is how powerful her voice remains despite the pain and loss of innocence she has encountered. 

There is a richness to all of the novels Seanan McGuire writes so I will always recommend her books but I found Lost in the Moment and Found particularly poignant as it explores the loss of time and innocence, things a child can never recover. But it is the inner strength that Antsy displays that makes this novel so impactful and worth reading. It is haunting and complex but it is full of hope as well.

As always this was fantastic.
I was a little confused as to which character I was reading about but I really enjoyed the story and connected to the main character's journey.

I really didn't enjoy the previous installment of this series, and worried that we were starting to get diminishing returns. Luckily Seanan McGuire really turned it out with this one! My favorite from this series in a little while! There's a narrative cohesiveness that is present this one that is sometimes missing in the series' weaker installments, and there's a laser-focus on the theme that was much appreciated. I really appreciated the reassuring trigger warning that starts the book, and this one feels heavier than most of these books. That was very appreciated. I hope this series never ends, because when they hit, they hit!