Another hit in the Wayward Children series. This book packs quite an emotional punch. I can’t believe how much world building Seanan McGuire can fit into only a novella. Fans of this series, this is a must.

Another enchanting and heartbreaking entry in the world of Every Heart a Doorway.

I appreciate the way that McGuire keeps inscribing new identities that will speak to so many adults' experiences as children.

It's difficult to capture that time spent before your brain fully matures. Children are hard to write but McGuire manages to translate those beliefs, sureties, and the developing logic of children.

The magic comes into how that is all altered by the basic structure of the portal fantasy.

Hopefully new and old readers alike will Be Sure to visit yet another Drowned world in this entry to the series.

There's just something about the Wayward Children series that I refuse to give up on - I have rated every book in the series as four stars and number 10 continues to follow that pattern. McGuire touches on difficult subjects and does it in a tiny package that is easy to devour in an afternoon.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the arc of this book in return for an honest review...

To say I am disappointed is an understatement. I was expecting a conclusion that would make me feel something... Instead, I received a story of a girl who found a place she belonged, only to be sucked out of it and have it seem like it was all a dream... Not that she was ever really somewhere else... That she had a near death experience and the world she loved was simply her brain running out of oxygen.

I am choosing to believe this is not part of the series I hold so true to my soul and maybe that's an insult to the series - to the author who created worlds that we all could escape into when we needed somewhere that wasn't our real lives. To have this story be part of the 9 before it would simply be an insult to them. So I refuse to do so.

The Wayward Children series will always be a hit for me. We follow Drowned Girl Nadya in this one. We haven't seen her since Nancy's world and it was really great to get to see her world. The turtles made my heart so happy. The bonding reminds me of dragon bonding in some other fantasy series. The aging in the worlds being so different will always make me a little wary when they go back through the doors. Nadya having a whole husband, etc. and then going back home as 11 again always gives me the chills. Anyway, not my most favorite installment but I love it anyways.

Yet another fascinating addition to the Wayward Children Series by Seanan McGuire. Her books are an auto-read for me and I constantly recommend them to everyone. They've also been a big hit with our book club since they are interconnected but don't have to be read in order. We will be purchasing for the collection.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm always curious to see what the setting of each of these books is going to be, and who it will center around. Sometimes I'm underwhelmed. That is the case with this one. And yet, every time I read one of these books, even the underwhelming ones, I end up with at least a few tears. Don't know what that says about me.

Anyways it was ok. I liked the turtles. 3/5.

I will drop everything I'm doing the second I get my hands on a new Wayward Children series book and that's exactly what I ddi as I received an early copy of Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear. Thank you so much for this early copy!

This story is about Nadya, who is born in Russia to a young mother that wants nothing to do with her, so she lives her early life in an adoption home. Nadya is eventually adopted by an American couple who wants a daughter of their own. Although she doesn't have an arm, her adoptive parents fit her with a prosthetic one, which she is unhappy about, but can't explain why. Nadya winds her self wondering, and falling into a door that leads her to Belyrreka, the Land Beneath the Lake - and found herself in a world full of water and turtles. Nadya finds herself to be a Drowned Girl and is happy in the world she finds herself in, until she winds up right back where she didn't want to be: with her adoptive parents.

As always, Seanan McGuire wrote a beautiful story and her storytelling is stunning - there is truly no one like her. I absolutely adore her work and will ALWAYS champion her and this series.

Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series continues to be one of the most creative series out there, but this latest installment suffers from its decision to focus on a character who hasn't featured prominently since (if my memory serves) <i>Beneath the Sugar Sky</i> (published seven years prior to the pub date of this book). Given that these books are quite short and come out only once a year, I had no memory of Nadya or what her story was. This isn't necessarily prohibitive to enjoying the book, as the story begins before Nadya finds her door, but I felt it would have been a richer reading experience if I could actually remember this character's significance to the overarching story.

Choosing to make Nadya an orphan in Russia who is adopted by Americans feels inspired, given the message of this series: Nadya's parents have very specific ideas about what an adopted daughter should be, all of which are ultimately self-serving to their own agenda of appearing to be good, Godly folks. They "choose" her at the orphanage because her limb difference makes them look even more pious, but then ignore the fact that Nadya's limb difference doesn't bother her and has never seemed to her to be an inhibition. It's no wonder that the world she finds behind her door feels more like home to her than her new home does; it has no expectations of her, not even that of heroics. (It's repeated throughout that this is not a time when Belyyreka, her world, is in need of heroes.) However, for all that, the book felt like it was missing something for me. Maybe it's because there's no need for heroics in this world that very little happens to Nadya, and for another reader, maybe that's perfectly okay! I will say that, as usual, this world was incredibly inventive, creative, and even at times scientifically sound, in the way of fantasy logic! Seanan McGuire is an endless well of creativity when it comes to imagining magical worlds that children may fall into.

I really, really hope that this isn't the last Wayward Children book. I think it might be, but if McGuire wants to keep writing...you know I'm going to keep reading!

Returning to this series feels like returning to the arms of an old friend. ADRIFT IN CURRENTS CLEAN AND CLEAR is oozing with the magic, darkness, nostalgia, and heart that makes the Wayward Children series so achingly timeless, and I LOVED the disability representation in this entry. Nadya is such an endearing protagonist, and the details of her drowned world were SO evocative and atmospheric. Turtle companions? Rivers within rivers? Talking foxes? Flooded forests? YES YES YES.

This was not my favorite entry in this series, but despite that I think the author has given readers yet another fantastically unique and well developed fantasy world to sink into. This book is as vibrant and clever as ever, but I felt it was lacking in action and focus, feeling more like a biography of the main character than a portal fantasy adventure. I also had trouble connecting with the main character and didn't find her as appealing as some of the others.

Loved the world of Belyyrekia! This was cute and sweet, but not as impactful as some of the other Wayward Children's books.

I just finished Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire. I received a free eARC from NetGalley.

Nadya was born in Russia and raised in an orphanage. She spends her time learning what she can, looking after her "brothers and sisters" and caring for tortoises. One day, an American couple comes and whisks her away to Colorado. While there, Nadya must assimilate to a new country, language and family. When her American "parents" get her fitted for a prosthetic arm, without asking her, Nadya rebels at this act of self serving charity by running to the nearby pond that's teeming with turtles. When she realizes one of the turtles is injured, she sneaks closer. "Be Sure" is carved into the turtle's back; right before she's sucked through a doorway to Belyyreka.

I reviewed book 9 in the Wayward Children's series; but book 10 is really something else. I absolutely loved this newest entry into the series. Nadya is strong, self sufficient, and determined. She struggles with who she is versus who the adults in her life want her to be, much like most teenagers. She is grateful that her American parents have given her a good life, but she's not outwardly grateful in the ways her adoptive mother wants her to be. She doesn't see her limitations from her congenital "defect" until other people tell her she is limited. Nadya is pragmatic; life has handed her what she has, and she has no wish to be any different. The story is just so beautiful when we get through Nadya's door. Belyyreka is an amazing world, obviously ordered, as I'm sure Kade will (or has) let us know. Once again Seanan has written a beautiful story, with amazing representation. I can't wait for book 11!

Book Ten in the Wayward Children series, 'Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear' gives us a backstory for character Nadya who made a brief appearance in Book Two: 'Beneath the Sugar Sky.' Nadya was always seen around the turtle pond on the school grounds and this story confirms why she was considered a Drowned Girl. In 'Currents Clean and Clear' we learn that she was an orphan from Russia, adopted by an American family. The usual formula follows when Nadya finds her door and enters a world made entirely of water. I enjoyed this story quite a bit. It reads rather stand-alone so if someone has not read the others in the series you can enjoy it without missing any important concepts. The ending did leave me sad! She was SO SURE! even though we know Nadya makes her way eventually to Eleanor's school. As always, there are a few lingering questions I am often left with when it comes to the Wayward Children stories but its interesting trying to piece the worldbuilding together. Overall, another solid entry in the series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seanan McGuire is one of my favorite writers and I love her Wayward Children series. I was lucky enough to review this year's entry in the series and now, thanks to an early digital copy from Net Galley and the publisher, I've read next year's entry.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear is a stand-alone novel and you don't need to know anything about the rest of the series. The book stars Nadya, a Russian girl who only has one arm. She's adopted out to an American family who wants her to be like them. She resists changing and eventually finds a door to another world. The world she finds is perfect for her, with water and turtles. I won't spoil anymore of the story for you though.

Nadya is such a unique and wonderful character. Its not just her missing arm that makes her unique, its also her spirit and how she doesn't feel broken and how she pushes forward bravely. And the world she ends up in is amazing. One of the best Wayward Children worlds so far.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear is a short, wonderful tale with a world worth visiting and supporting characters that you want to hug. The story feels like a warm blanket, a cozy read with some danger but lots of comfort too. Of course, if you know this series, then you might be able to guess how it ends...

Seanan McGuire has produced the best Wayward Children book yet with this one. If you love the series or if you have never read one before, you can be sure that this one is a stand-alone entry thats well worth checking out.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear will release on January 7th, 2025. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing an early digital copy for this review.

The Wayward Children books are always an absolute delight, and coming from someone who normally has avoided short storied most of her life this series has changed my mind about them for the most part. If you've read any of this series you know how the plot goes and this one was just as unique and magical as all of the previous stories. Though this one left me a little more sad than previous books I'm hopeful that Nadya finds her way to Elenore West's school for Wayward Children quickly.

I am not okay. To be fair, i haven’t been okay since i got approved for this ARC (THANK YOU🧎🏻‍♀️). The Wayward series just hit differently and ten books in, it still hits. even if i know the formula, i know i’m gonna follow a child who doesn’t fit, a child who’s gonna find a magic world that will give them what they need only to be ripped away from it…
This one was really interesting! i love the world, the underwater vibes and the turtles OF COURSE. i got invested AGAINST MY WILL in the romance, making that ending feel like a punch in a gut. 😭
Not my favourite in the series, i think the pacing felt a little off in some parts, but still a very solid entry 👌🏻

4.5/5

I will read every book in this series, but as I tell everyone I recommend it to, there are hits, misses, and middle of the road books. This one was pretty average, and suffers for the fact that the real-world situation is written far more compellingly than the world through the door. When Nadya gets to her world, the pacing crawls and it feels like filler. The details were interesting, but there wasn’t any plot or even an internal journey.

But I will keep reading because for every one like this we get an In an Absent Dream or Lost in the Moment and Found. And they’re certainly easy reads, I flew through this in a day.

I'll start by saying I'm as bias as someone can be while reading the 10th book in a series. I'm also always partial to the stories that explore a character's world, despite the love that I have for the full cast of characters and the macro plot. In other words, I was primed to love this and I did! I had to refresh my memory on Nadya, but now I love her. She's fiercely realised, literally from the moment of her birth. The series exploration of belonging will always get to me and I was rooting for her the whole time, despite knowing the end (always bittersweet in these). I did think the ending was a bit abrupt, but I loved everything else so much, especially Belyyreka, Nadya's portal world, that I'm fine with overlooking that -particularly given the context of the entry in the overall series too. I always start my new year reading the latest Wayward Children book, so I'm both very grateful to read this early but also looking forward to rereading upon release in January. I can't wait to see the illustrations as well. The cover for this book is one of my favourites so far!

I’ll admit, I’m biased. I’ve read all of the Wayward Children series thus far, so I was super excited to get chosen by NetGalley for this one. Surprisingly exactly no one, I loved it as much (maybe more!) than the others. I don’t want to say too much because it’s a novella and I feel like almost anything I can say would be a spoiler. But if you love portal fantasies—and especially if you love the complexities that would arise from being a kid thrown through and back a random portal—then you will enjoy this series immensely. HIGHLY recommend.