Have we ever gotten two books, in a row, that follow the same protagonist? Lost in the Moment and Found, and Mislaid in Parts Half-Known really read like 2 halves of one story and I love it.

We are once again following Antsy as she learns how to survive at Eleanor Wests school, trying to make friends while being all too aware that she is a 9 year old in a teenagers body (thank you magical doors and your secret Cost).

But what happens when the kids at school find out that Antsy is able to find missing things.... and those things include their missing Doors?

We end up on a race through a few different Doors, all the while learning more about the Doors themselves while we follow Antsy on her quest back to the Store.

We get to visit 2 new worlds, and we have a lot of amazing quotes, which for me was I surprised how many came from Sumi (until Antsy points out that Sumi is a lot smarter than she pretends to be so i suppose I fell for the rouse too).

And yes, this book shows a glimpse into the world of Dinosaurs. I of course was beyond hyped for this - i am a Dinosaur girllll. While the Dinosaur World was not .... exactly what i would have wanted from a portal world (particularly based on the cover) I do think Seanan included in the right amount and right way. The way of these Worlds you can really only go 2 ways with Dinos-- make them sentient talking creatures which risks being Cheesy or them being the natural predators that they are and therefore unsafe for (most) humans to be living there - and thus we can't necessarily spend the whole book in there. She made the right decision and I think it works with this story incredibly well.

I really like the lore that was fleshed out further here, and the things that are slowly being set-up for what is probably an ending in the next few books (I don't want it to ever end but I can see the dominos falling in a way that makes sense)

(Review scheduled to post on my blog on 12/24/23)

This is the one with dinosaurs! It's excellent, and if you've been enjoying the series so far you'll love this too. Antsy is trying to make it so no other kids get tricked out of their childhoods by unknowingly paying for too many doors, but this time she has some help from Kade, Sumi, and the others.

For a school where “No Quests” adorns the door, the students at the school for Wayward Children sure do get up to a lot of quests. A core group with a slowly shifting cast has been established as traveling to try and fix things on a semi-regular basis. In MISLAID IN PARTS HALF-KNOWN, some of the kids figure out that Antsy’s gift for finding lost things might let her find their doors... whereupon trouble ensues. Kade, Sumi, Cora, Emily, and Christopher travel with Antsy to try and set things right which were left broken when she fled the Store at the end of LOST IN THE MOMENT AND FOUND. The worldbuilding has been getting more complicated as they learn more about what's happening. Eleanor's assumptions about the students have started having more to do with her desire for Nonsense than their actual experiences, and it's getting to a point where it's affecting the room assignments. This continues several storylines which were begun earlier, creating what feels like an entirely new storyline through recombination of older threads, even though as each piece was something introduced earlier. This far into the series, that’s an excellent feeling, making the adventure feel both fresh and familiar even on a first read-through. A particular problem in the Store is both introduced and resolved, and several more tangles either arise or are addressed. As a story about nexuses and connections, it’s especially nice to reach a point where everything feels so connected to everything else that it’s a complicated tangle to explain the setup, which for me is one of the joys of a long-running series.

MISLAID IN PARTS HALF-KNOWN could partly make sense to someone who starts here, but if such a person wanted to jump in midway without starting at the beginning of the series, LOST IN THE MOMENT AND FOUND (the previous book) would be a much better entry point. That reader would find themselves knowing as much as Antsy does about what’s happening, which is a comprehensible perspective even if it misses earlier portions of the ongoing story. I particularly enjoyed some moments with Kade and Sumi (both separately and together). This felt like an ensemble cast in a way that earlier books didn't, and it's wonderful to be at the point in the series where the focus can smoothly shift between characters as needed.

This entry is great, don't miss it! This series is consistently excellent and I'm eager to read what happens next.

I absolutely loved this book. I wasn't sure being 9th in the series if it was going to be as good as the beginning of the series but it really was.

In this story we focus on Antsy as she joins Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children but she finds herself going back to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go with her new friends. She's determined to make sure her 'replacement' is being told everything they need to know.

We hear from each of the children their views on if they would return to their doors and see how far they have come. There's even dinosaurs!

Would definitely recommend.

Another great addition to the Wayward Children series. While not my favorite book in the series, it follows Antsy (who we met in the last book) and a cast of characters we know and love. I think this entry to the series is fun and whimsical while still providing some fantastic world building and a few satisfying conclusions. Can't wait for the next entry to the Wayward Children already!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for giving me an arc of this in exchange for an honest review 💗

Unlike most of the other Wayward Children books, this one is a continuation of the one before. I’m glad Antsy’s story got an ending. I love how whimsical this series is and the magical worlds we get to explore with our quirky cast of characters. I appreciate the hard hitting topics that are sprinkled throughout these stories too.

This wasn’t my favorite in the series but I still really enjoyed it. It felt like a fun adventure and i love getting lost in these stories. I was excited that we got to experience a few different worlds with our main characters all together. I usually prefer the ‘standalone’ ones that follow one character as they find their door, but this one was still really fun and i did get that warm fuzzy feeling i often get with these books!

I really loved the way this book ended and I’ll forever be excited for new books in this series!

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I don’t stick through with many super long series. Inevitably I find they meander, and with no clear ending in sight I tend to give up. I had that issue with Seanan’s Incryptid series and I think I’ve reached that point with the Wayward Children. This is a direct sequel the previous book, following Antsy when she’s finally at the School, then as she returns to the Store/Nexus to resolve the issues she left hanging.

My biggest gripe with the series as it stands is that we haven’t had any resolution for our initial, what I would call, our main cast since Jack & Jill. Kade, Christopher, and Sumi are following along on quests that revolve around side characters that seem to appear for a purpose and simply disappear (return to their world). This story was exactly that. I am left wondering, what is the point of these last two books? The previous one felt heavy handed with the emotional manipulation and this one felt almost boring.

As I mentioned, we return to Antsy’s world for the bulk of any plot events. The cover depicts Stephanie’s world (who we met in a previous book), and it’s part of the tale very briefly. Sadly that means we see very little of a new world, or setting. We get very little when it comes to greater world or metaplot movement and it felt… dull.

Ultimately I am left wondering, could this have been two chapters in another book? There was little of impact, and what impact we had in the previous book (as the two have to be taken together) was in the end not needed. I’m also beginning to wonder, if going through doors is so common how is it none of these parents or guardians give a damn? Surely someone somewhere besides Eleanor understands. It makes me seriously question the continuity of this world. As a parent even if I didn't quite understand, I would never simply abandon my child in the way *nearly every child in this story is abandoned*. It boggles my mind.

2 Doors out of 5… meh

This is the only installment where I wish I would've re-read the previous book. It took me a bit to find my footing with the characters and story, but once I did, I enjoyed it. I liked seeing more of Antsy's story and getting a more in-depth look at how the Doors work. You see the toll they take and the sacrifice that comes from using them. Antsy's connection with them is so interesting, and I liked getting glimpses into the new worlds that she and the rest of the gang traveled through. Based on the cover, I thought the dinosaur world would play more of a role, but it was still cool to see. The whole plot felt like filler, but it was a quick read, and I think fans of the series will enjoy it.

What a wonderful book. I loved this series with my whole heart. Following Antsy further was exactly what I’d have hoped for in this latest edition. These characters are everything.

Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for my e-arc!

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known is yet another gripping novella in the celebrated Wayward Children series, and it stands as a testament to McGuire's prowess in crafting a world that's as enchanting as it is poignant. This latest journey is not just another adventure; it's a deep dive into the heart of what makes us yearn for places that feel like they’ve been tailor-made for our souls.

Antsy, our protagonist, instantly won me over with her unique talent for finding—no, for unearthing—both the wondrous and the perilous. Seeing the world through her eyes is like walking through a door yourself, one that leads to realms of boundless curiosity and bittersweet discovery. And in this installment, her abilities take us on a quest that's rich with significance and heart.

This novella felt like a balance perfected, interweaving the familiar tapestry of the core group from Eleanor West's School with the refreshing focus of a singular narrative, giving us a potent, character-driven story. Learning more about the mechanics of the doors added layers to the already complex mythology, feeding my fascination and leaving me with a hunger for more.

But it was the exploration of the cycle of abuse that struck a chord with me. McGuire handles this theme with a delicate yet deliberate touch, portraying Vineta's manipulation of her charges and her own past victimhood with an empathetic nuance. Antsy's resilience and her resolve to break free from this cycle is a journey that's both harrowing and healing to witness.

This isn't just a novella; it's a mirror reflecting the often painful process of growth and the beauty of breaking free from chains we sometimes don't even realize are there. This story not only provided a satisfying narrative but also a space for cathartic reflection. Antsy's journey is one that lingers, like the echo of a door softly closing behind you, leaving you changed on the other side.

I’m sobbing, I love this series, and I love these characters so so much! Every time I get to the next book, I think I know what to expect… But then I’m STILL surprised as I keep reading. I’m almost sad these are novellas, because I could read 400 page novels in all these worlds. At the school, even! But honestly, these bite size books are perfect, and they still contain SO MUCH amazing world building and character development.

I see there is a tenth installment coming at some point soon! I will wait as patiently as possible to return to this series. In the meantime, I will say this was probably one of my most favorite of the installments!!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this review copy. I loved it--I really like this series, and this was a good installment--tied up some loose ends from previous books, especially the last one. Probably made some more to tie up later too.

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known is the newest installment in the Wayward Children series and a more direct follow up to Lost in the Moment and Found. We follow Antsy in this book as well as she starts at the Home for Wayward Children.

Lost in the Moment and Found was probably my favorite installment of the series so far so I was quite happy to return to Antsy so soon. It makes sense as Antsy's power of finding anything would stand out to the other students. Because if she can find anything, she could find everyone's door, couldn't she? Having to explain that doesn't quite work that way, isn't easy to students that are quite desperate. It would be hard to continue to navigate that power. Yet I'm still sad that her story is already at an end. I found Antsy a great character to follow.

It was interesting to go through various worlds. Kade's world for instance! Getting more on what he went through was a good thing to have. And going through a world with dinosaurs was really cool too.

Returning to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go was interesting because there should have been repurcussions after Antsy left. Yet Vineta seemed to have carried on just like before with a new girl. Learning more about Hudson's kind and Ansy's role to play in the shop was interesting. And it was a good wrap to Antsy's story. I'm just sad to not get her back.

There was also another wrap to someone else's story. And it really ups the anticipation because, does that mean that we will finally get more of a focus on Kade and Christopher?

In which we learn, in no preferrential order, more about Kade, more about how (and why) Sumi can make sense, a further unraveling of Elly-Eleanor's ability to discern Doors, a rather logical explanation about Doors and what is (and isn't) required from them...

...and a bit about the Moors I should have realized but never did.

Eleanor West doesn't allow quests in her rules, but as our ever growing and changing band of questers finds, even if you aren't looking for adventures, sometimes adventure is necessary to protect those you love.

This series as a whole has always been about finding yourself, finding what it is about your life you are missing or need to make you Sure about your choice. What the series has been hinting at, but didn't make explicit until Antsy's book (book 8: Lost in the Moment and Found), was the TOLL levvied. Not that McGuire hasn't spent every book, both implicitly and explicitly, stating that these Travels the kids go on and the adventures they have, they have a price. In Lundy's book (Book 4: In an Absent Dream), as well as Lundy's explanation in Nancy's book (Book 1: Every Heart a Doorway), we get an idea that a Price is paid by some of the kids according to the Laws of the Door they find themself in.

We know for Christopher, when he goes home to his Skeleton Girl, his price for his Happily Ever After, for him to Belong, is to shed his flesh and blood. For Kade, his price to Belong in Prism was to be someone he never wanted to be. These are more extreme examples, but these are things the kids must be Sure of because this is the Price their Door requires. It was even something Nancy had to grapple with, in her own way, before she could return.

But these are not the only Prices. Antsy learned what the Price that all Doors require, but few ever really have to worry about (something Sumi explains quite well) because they only go through their Door a handful or two times. Barely anything is taken because barely anything happens in 3 days to make note of. And when your Door is asynchonistic to Earth anyhow, would you really notice if you grew three days older?

And now...well. We come to the reckoning as it were. We come to where Antsy explains it all out for everyone to understand and we see the consequences of that knowing. This feels more linear then the others, but that might be a little misleading as the last book was Antsy's and this one also was a bit Antsy's and a bit Cora's and a bit Sumi's.

Though I'm not sure how I feel about Christopher's casual acceptance that if he can't return to Mariposa and his Skeleton Girl he'll have a perfectly splendid career as a serial killer.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

The Wayward Children return, this time with no new kids, but with yet another great adventure that uncovers just a little more about how the Doors might work, and visits to a couple of worlds that we have seen before. This fascinating series continues to keep us enthralled and hoping for more.

Another excellent addition to the Wayward Children series! I loved the new directions opened up in the storyline, as well as the time spent with both new and familiar characters. This book is not a place to start the series, but for those who've read all the previous books, Mislaid in Parts Half-Known will be a total treat.

I love this series, and the last one (Lost in the Moment and Found) was one of my favourites, but this one lost me a bit. I'll be interested to see more reviews because I'm not sure if it was just my mood or the book. It has a ton of everyone's favourite characters, and some door travel which usually slaps, but I found myself bored and desperate to finish which is not great for a novella!

I really like Antsy and I'm glad we get more of her after Lost in the Moment and Found. I'm not sold on the dinosaurs kind of like I wasn't sold on the horses in Across the Green Grass Fields (though it's not quite the same) but McGuire's writing makes up for it. I still love this series and already can't wait for book 10.

The 9th book in the Wayward Children series, Mislaid continues Antsy’s story and fills in a little more knowledge of the doors. Portal fiction can take a bit to get used to, but McGuire knows her way around.

There are undercurrents of abuse, but nothing explicit, and everything makes sense and boy howdy, is there a satisfying conclusion! Another series about a found family and aftermaths, this is a series that will linger far after the last page is turned. Recommended!

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.


#MislaidInPartsHalfKnown #NetGalley

I got an ARC of this book.

I read this in one sitting. I couldn’t stop once I started. It isn’t a super long book, so it wasn’t detrimental to my health. I am just warning you, it is that good. It is one of my favorite books in the series so far.

This one really brings up so much emotions. What happens when you have access to someone who can find the one thing you desire most in the world? There is clear rules to follow, but sometimes cheating is very appealing. Sometimes the call of your deepest desires can have you questioning what is right and wrong. It also raised the question of what makes a perfect world. Is a world perfect if it demands you deny parts of yourself to fit in? Is missing that world ok, even when it clearly didn’t want you?

Add in the few lines about Eleanor starting to be less coherent, which was always already questionable because of her level of nonsense. Even Sumi noticed though. Then finding the lost keys near a certain door just really hammered home how close Eleanor is to leaving the Earth and going back to her true world.

Sumi is the star of this one. I don’t care that Antsy is clearly the main character. Sumi has the best lines. She has the most sense, which is less nonsense than usual. At one point she said something pretty profound and then ended it with reminding everyone how wise she was, because she had already died once. She was not holding back this book. Every time Sumi spoke, it was so intensely perfect.

This is one of the ones that does require reading the ones before to get the full picture. There are references to Sumi dying, to her future, to adventures in the Trenches. There is even a joke about new people not understanding all the quests, despite the no quest rule. It also really expanded the understanding of how the doors work and the worlds attached to them. It gave a bit more structure and answered some questions I didn’t know I had. It did all of this without being preachy or info dumping. It was lovely. The series is still going strong this far in!

While I enjoyed this book, I think it's important to note that it certainly feels like more of a connecting story in a longer saga than a standalone story. My sense is that we're laying groundwork for some big things to come. I have certainly learned to trust McGuire with long plot lines, and sometimes we just need a story to get us from A to B (or in this case A to E via Y, because the Doors are complicated). This is one of those stories.

Antsy's ability to see the Doors is a coveted skill at the School for Wayward Children, and before we know it circumstances have the usual suspects plus Antsy bouncing through various Doors. We see some old faces and new ones on the way, and just maybe set a thing or two right in the process. A couple storylines are tied off and a few questions answered. But the real strength of what I call the Quest books in this series (where the whole crew goes off together) is in seeing how the children support each other in their very unique needs and strengths. There are a lot of wonderful interactions along the way, some definite growth, as well as some further insights into specific characters for us as the reader.

If you likes stories about lost things being found and found family coming together to fiercely support one another, I think you'll enjoy this installment of the Wayward Children.