Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire is Volume 10 in the Wayward Children series, a collection of short novels in which youths find mysterious doors and pass through them into worlds perfectly suited to each person. This story centers on Nadya, a cynical girl who in previous books desperately tried to return to her perfect watery world of Belyyreka. Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear tells the story of how a younger Nadya fell into a turtle pond and into Belyyreka, an aquatic world full of giant frogs, talking foxes, and turtle companions, along with found family of all kinds.

McGuire often chooses specific themes to focus on in each book in this series--here, she explores the themes of adoption and physical disability (Nadya is born with a partially missing limb). I appreciated that McGuire emphasizes that a missing limb is not a detriment; nor do adopted children necessarily owe their adoptive families a debt of gratitude. With limited page space, McGuire adds a lot of nuance.

In terms of characters, Burian (who is a disabled turtle) is 100% my favorite character. I loved his bond with Nadya, and hope he at least cameos in future books! That said, in some ways, it did feel a bit like McGuire was trapped by descriptions of Nadya's story hinted at in previous books; the worldbuilding felt a little weaker in this story compared to some others, such as Jack's or Sumi's. It does, however, feel like a stronger overall work compared to stories in the second 'arc' of this series, so perhaps McGuire has regained her stride and more exciting adventures are yet to come. I'll be waiting!

Readers who enjoy this book may also be interested in: Castle Swimmer by Wendy Lian Martin, The Moorings of Mackerel Sky by MZ, Whale Star: The Gyeongseong Mermaid by Na Yoonhee, Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, Made in Abyss by Akihito Tsukushi, The Anti-Ableist Manifesto by Tiffany Yu, LoveBot by Chase Keels and Miranda Mundt, and Big Fish & Begonia (2016).

This was an amazing 10th book in the series. Seanan McGuide always manages to incorporate serious topics into these whimsical and magical stories. I get so entranced and lost in these books and they are such quick reads. I recommend this series and this book to everyone who loves a good story. The magical realism is captivating and the world building is top tier! I loved falling into this world with the main character and learning about this world. This book was fantastically done and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be rereading it in the future and I wish this wasn’t the last book in the series.

I have not read any other books by this author yet, but my friends and sister strongly recommended them. I am not a huge turtle fan, so my sister's gushing praise of McGuire's inclusion of turtles didn't strike much of a chord for me, but I still really enjoyed the under-water world in this book. It reminded me a bit of the wood between the worlds in the Chronicles of Narnia, but taken in a really different direction. This is a quick, engaging read, and I will be looking for more books by McGuire this year.

This is one of my all time favorite series. I reread all of it at least once a year. I have dying to hear about Nadya's story. She is such a strong character that had been through so much at such a young age but was making the best of her situation. She was orphaned at birth then when she was finally adopted she was seen as something less because she was missing part of her arm. The family never thought about what she would want. Her door was so cool. I love the turtles. The ending was just heartbreaking. I need to find out more about her now. I cannot wait for the next story. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group got allowing me to read the arc in exchange for my honest review.

The tenth book of the Wayward Children series gives up Nadya, born in Russia and without part of her right arm. She gets adopted to parents from the US and loves turtles. She falls through a door in the middle of the turtle pond in her backyard and ends up in a drowned world. She is more welcome there, than with her adoptive parents — figuring out how to work without her arm. She bonds with a turtle and adventures above their watery home. Another great addition to the series.

I have read and ADORED all of the Wayward Children Novellas. Since I have consumed 10 of these novellas, there are definitely some I have enjoyed more than others. Though I do love Nadiya as a character, her story felt a bit slower than the others. I found myself.... bored at times, which I HATE to say.

I will of course forever continue with this series. This one was a solid 3.5/5. I enjoyed it but it wasnt my FAVORITE of the series.

This may be my favorite book in the Wayward Children series!

I loved this story from page one. It's highly entertaining with a love story, adventure, and PLENTY of adorable turtle animal companions. It also has incredibly insightful and important things to say about disability (Nadya was born with one arm) and how the use of mobility aids can be incredibly liberating when chosen by oneself, or incredibly limiting when forced upon someone to get them to conform. There was great conversation about finding comfort in a place similar to the one where you were born, and about how exciting it is to travel to new places. The magic system in here was very interesting! It's focused on different weights of water which I loved learning about. I also loved how we were able to follow Nadya quite a bit older than most of the other children, and therefore were able to watch her fall in love. I always enjoy this series, but this one was incredible (maybe tied with down among the sticks and bones for my favorite!) Cant wait to read the next one :)

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this addition to the series! I always love seeing how the various worlds are uniquely suited to each child. I loved the conversations about disability and identity and what it means to interact with the world differently. I love how Seanan McGuire continues to let children have complex emotions and thoughts even if they don't have the means to express them yet. I found the ending a bit abrupt. Most of the other books in the series have a clear turning point but this one was a bit different and I didn't expect that. I grew very attached to this world and it was hard to see the book end. I'm very curious to see more of this character when we return to the school.

This series continues to be such a lovely adventure. We see a bit of Nadia in Rini’s book when she is trying to get back to her world, but this one is a deep dive on her time in an orphanage before being adopted, her adopted family trying to “fix” her, and then the amazing time she spends in a world of turtles and air lighter than water, and adventures. One thing that this book doesn’t do that I wish is did is circle all the way back to her coming to Eleanor West’s school. I always look forward to those moments and I was a little bummed to be without it. Still, McGuire is a master at the delicate emotions of these young characters and giving them what they need even if they get taken away at the end. Happy endings come in many forms. Drink this book: Enjoy with a salty and light bottle of French Muscadet.

This is #10 in the Wayward Children series. I love these quick read books. McGuire has such a way with words, and cutting to the heart of things in ways I don't see often. In this book, you'll find themes of disability and feeling whole, and adoption, belonging and found family. As readers we first learned about our main character, Nadya, in the first couple of books in this series. In this book, we finally get Nadya's whole story.

Not my favorite installment to this series, but definitely a fun ride! I adored the turtles and the idea of an underwater world. Nadya was a strong and likable character. I do hope the series continues and she is united with some of the characters who came before, if not returned through her door.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

I could not even begin to explain to you how the water in this world works but that's the beautiful thing about these books. The nonsense just works. It doesn't matter. It's the spirit and tenderness that really hits home with the Wayward Children stories. Nadya is one of my favorite characters so far. I love how she always saw herself as wholly complete and was secure in herself. I'm so glad she found her door to get away from those nasty Americans.

I got an ARC of this book.

I am very behind on books. I have had some medical issues and school has been kicking my butt this semester. I promise reviews are coming. I only got to this one, because the audiobook came out and I was able to listen at work.

This one felt different than the rest. The story before Nadya made it to her world just felt so much longer. It felt so much more intense. It might have been because I listened to the audiobook instead of reading it, but it felt like the story before the doorway was longer than usual and might h ave even been longer than her time in Belyyreka.

I am not an amputee or have any visible limb differences, so I can’t speak on how that representation worked or didn’t work. I can look at it from a disablity lens and say that I enjoyed that there was a clear and obvious difference between a prostethic arm being forced on her and her getting the gift from the water. There is a difference in how she view them, a difference in how they functioned, but a huge difference in the consent of the situation. Nadya had agency and it changed everything.

Who doesn’t love a talking turtle. The world was fascinating. It was about support, working hard, and meeting people where they were. This is one of those worlds that I would have loved to be a part of. I would have befriended every turtle without hesitation.

Overall, this was not my favorite book in the series, but I think it was a pretty strong addition to the universe.

I love the Wayward Children series and have devoured all of them; I feel like this one is easily the weakest of the series. Nothing really happens, there's not a lot of self-exploration or growth. There's no evil or bad guy to overcome. Just kind of fantasy slice of life that abruptly ends.

This was not my favorite. At times, I felt similarities to the Up and Under Series (in a bad way), and while it ultimately felt like its own world, it doesn't feel distinct enough for me. Of all the possibilities, this one feels a bit to familiar. Nevertheless, McGuire never fails to make it emotionally resonant.

This was a solid entry into the Wayward children series. I thought Nadya's story was well thought out and carefully crafted. As with so many of the other books in this series, Seanan Mcguire tackles difficult themes beautifully. She dives deep into adoption and ableism. I held my breath through most of this, extremely worried for the turtle companion. You never know with this author... But overall, a wonderful story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC.

A prequel of sorts where we get Nadya's story of how she found her door to Belyrreka. I almost wish we got more at the end, like about how she got back at the end of Beneath the Sugared Sky because I have so many questions about how time passed between each of the worlds, which would change how I feel about this ending here.

Book Summary:

Nadya likes to say that she had three mothers—the first gave her up, the second was her country, and the third took her in and tried to change her. She was born in Russia but moved to the Americas, where the expectations continued to mount.

Until one day, the young girl found a doorway. She didn’t realize it was a door until she went through it, and what she found on the other side was a world of giant turtles, rivers, and great dangers.

My Review:

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear was a slightly difficult book to pick up. It was easily the hardest in the series for me because I already had an idea where it would go. The one downside to this format is that the stories bounce back and forth, giving readers insight into the future.

As with many children's tales, Nadya's story is heartwrenching. She was taken in by a family determined to "fix" what wasn't broken and was lucky enough to find a doorway she didn't know she was looking for.

Unfortunately, this story is also heartbreaking for the readers. The very format of the series tells us that Nadya will not get to stay in the place she'll come to love. That's why I hesitated so long to read it.

Still, it was worth the read. Did I cry a little bit at the ending, even knowing it would come to pass? Maybe. I will not admit to anything. However, Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear may have raised more questions than answers. Every other backstory helped me understand the character more, but this one left me wondering how Nadya was forced out of her world. What did she do to become unsure? (If I missed it and you know, please feel free to say something!)

Highlights:
Urban Fantasy
Magical Worlds
Doorways to the Unknown
Wayward Children Series
Be Sure

Trigger Warnings:
Controlling Parents
Risk of Drowning

This was such a great continuation in a series that is always guaranteed to be an enjoyable trip into a different world with amazing characters!

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.