Thank you to NetGalley for grating me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We follow Nadya a Russian orphan with a limb difference who is adopted by Christian do-gooders and brought to the USA. There they force a prosthetic limb upon her because they wish for her to appear "normal", and totally disregard how this prosthetic limb is non-functional and not something she even missed because she never had a right hand to miss. She falls through a door into the Drowned Lands.

STRENGTHS:
- love the way this series continues to think through fantasy tropes and play/subvert them
- so often in fantasy we have a magical cure that erases disability or difference
- here we have Nadya (spoilers) being gifted a magical hand that is clearly magical and doesn't erase her limb difference (the hand is functional but made of water and can function like a little fish tank with creatures living in her water hand); it's a gift that she opened herself up to accepting AND she sees it's utility and isn't opposed to using the water hand like isn't isn't opposed to using other tools
- this water hand also stands in contrast to the non-functional prosthetic limb which isn't actually a useful tool that makes Nadya's life easier; rather is makes her appear at first glance "normal" and causes her physical pain where the prosthetic blisters her skin

WEAKNESSES: (spoilers)
- sometimes the pacing of events in this series feels really "off" or unconventional; the pacing here felt really leisurely and enjoyable and then we got yoinked/hard pivoted with the role Nadya takes as an adult in the Drowned Lands being an explorer, exploring "too close to the sun" and once again falling through the door to her own world again, but once again being an 11 year old
- I don't understand why the door appeared again? She was an adult, had a husband, had a turtle companion, all of which we're told *should* anchor her to the Drowned Lands

OPPORTUNITIES
- obviously w where the book ends, we'll meet Nadya again (and I'm looking forward to that)

THREATS
- same threat I see for this series overall; they seem like a lot of these stories could stand alone and I've had folks recommend ones randomly from the series, but they really do make sense to read in publication order (in my opinion)

Overall, an enjoyable read! One I'd be happy to recommend as part of this series as a whole.

This book made me feel so many things. Some people should not be parents. Don't treat your kids like things that need to be perfect. Ask kids what they want/need and LISTEN TO THEM. Oh and the portrayal of people adopting children form other countries, bringing them back and trying to remove all their history and culture and everything - just despicable and heartbreaking!
Oh Nadya you sweet girl, I wanted to hug her the entire time and it filled me with so much joy when she found her door. I also love the water and so I related so much to her love of that and the turtles! Her world was truly amazing. Thank goodness this book comes later in the series so I know what else happens to her (from previous books) because I am so invested in her future!

I've been an avid fan of this series since it began, and seeing yet another story arc come into a grand conclusion and having answers was so satisfying.

I personally didn't feel like the ending was sad--as someone who knows the rest of the series--but I can see, if you read it out of order how it could be misleading.

Nadya as a character is yet another great installment to the cast of characters, especially with her being fleshed out and her backstory added.
For anyone who is a fan of this series, this is a highly recommended read.

This is book 10 in the Wayward Children series and follows Nadya, an orphan from Russia adopted by an American couple. Her adoptive parents aim to show their church and the world what wonderful people they are by fixing Nadya. But Nadya doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with herself, she’s lived her whole life doing the same things as everyone else but just with one arm. One day, while visiting her beloved turtles, she falls into the nearby pond and finds herself in Belyyreka, a Drowned world.

I’ve always thought that I enjoyed the odd numbered books more because of the adventures with multiple of my favorite recurring characters, but I’m realizing as the series continues that I equally love reading about the backstories. The last time we saw Nadya was in book 3 in Confection (a world where everything is made up of sweets 🤤) and I forgot almost everything about her, so this was a great reintroduction into her character. If you love this series, you will love this story. And if you’ve made it this far into the series then I’m assuming you love the series lol. This is honestly my favorite January tradition and if Seanan McGuire keeps writing them, I will keep reading them.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear continues the Wayward Children series with Nadya's story. Nadya's story explores disability, adoption, and found family.

I always love the Wayward Children installments that introduce us to the worlds the children go to when they find their door. This one is just as unique and interesting as the rest. I loved Nadya's story and just how adventurous and headstrong she is. I also really loved that Nadya's disability was normal to her and that she didn't understand why everyone else made such a big deal out of it.

This wasn't my favorite in the series but I am always excited to come back to this series every January.

This series has been so up and down. The first few books were great, then they slid downhill, then they came back up, and now we're back in a hole.

I feel like there was no editing to this, or only enough to cover the basics. There was tons of repetition and poorly worded sentences. There were random things thrown in that were never followed up on, and it was so heavy handed. Like I get that the point of the story was to show us that Nadya was fine without an arm. The only problem is there was no showing. We were told, constantly, on almost every single page for the first part of the book, how perfect Nadya was without her arm and how it was so unfair that her adoptive parents got her a prosthetic, but we are never really shown all this. I don't need to be told on every page that Nadya is capable without her arm; I got it after the first couple of times. But I would like to be shown. As for the prosthetic, I know she didn't want one and was very adamant about this and was so upset that she wasn't asked if she wanted one. But then in her world she is gifted an arm and she's just like, "oh yea this is pretty sweet," and carries on with her new arm. After so many pages of being told she didn't want one or need one and no one asked her opinion. But then she was never asked if she wanted one in her world. It's acceptable though, because it was gifted? Sure. She also has a lot of nationalism for a 9 year old child. When she's not talking about her perfect she is without her arm, she's talking about Mother Russia and how she can't believe Mother Russia gave her up and how she would do anything to return to Mother Russia. It's way more nationalism than I've ever seen any 9 year old have (Russia is also an odd choice, considering). She also points out how upset she is about her furniture. Her adoptive parents picked out furniture for her before they brought her home, and she's upset because she can't see it as her furniture because she didn't choose it. What child gets so upset about furniture? What child talks like this? I also can't help but point out that if the author was so keen on reminding us that people need to respect others cultures and such, then she should have actually written about them correctly. I'm not an expert on Russia, but I do know enough about naming structures, namely last names. Nadya says several times that her Russian name is Nadya Sokolov, but last names in Russian that end with -ov decline to -ova for females. Her last name should have been Sokolova (if I'm missing some obscure or not well known fact about name structures, feel free to correct me; however, I'm pretty sure this is how it goes). The grammar for the Russian "Be sure" has been pointed out by others as not being correct either. I'm not knowledgable enough on the language to know if this is correct, so I defer to others who have said it's not. But the point is, don't shame people on not knowing or understanding a culture if you can't write it correctly.

There are other parts that seem like lazy writing, or lazy editing, or both. There is a second child mentioned by Nadya's adoptive parents. They claim to have adopted a son from China, but that is literally the only thing you hear of him. He's never mentioned again. Did he die? Did they give him up? Did he grow up? We don't know. But it makes no sense to mention a second child and then never mention him again, especially when the first part of the book focuses on the family. Later, in Belyyreka, we are introduced to Galina's husband. What's his name? I don't know. He doesn't get the honor of a name. He's just Galina's husband. Alexi more or less tries to kill Nadya, and then wants to marry her in the next chapter. There is no big objective to accomplish, no bad guy to vanquish, no trial to overcome. She just grows and marries Alexi with nothing in between. And then, she goes home. Nadya doesn't do anything to get sent back. She just end up back in the real world one day, at about the same point she left, having de-aged from Belyyreka back to the age she was in the real world. It's more like a fever dream than a lived experience.

I'm back to the point where I don't know if I'll continue with the series. I've hit this point before, and nearly did give up. But the last two books were good enough to reel me back in. It may depend on who the next book is about. We'll see.

Book number ten in the Wayward Children series was less of a continuation and more of a side quest tale. It took readers to the imaginary land of Belyrreka with Nadya, who we did meet earlier in the series. I was very confused by the way water worked in Belyrreka, but I liked the idea of the place overall. There was something almost melancholy and sad about Nadya's tale, and I'm not sure why exactly, but something made me sad whilst reading.

Overall, solid book in the series.

In the latest book in the Wayward Children series book 10, Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear, Seanan McGuire has created a narrative that is both poignant and immersive. But I’ve yet to read one in the series that doesn’t break my heart just a bit, mostly for the children who find homes and then are set adrift in a world that fails to understand them. What Seanan does so beautifully is capture how misunderstood children are and how little adults listen to the children in their care. This book tells a new story with these same themes, a story that demonstrates how powerful a child can truly be if we only allow them to be so.
In the story Nadya’s beginning is beautiful as she finds ways to be strong, to survive easily and even after she is adopted, she is majestic in her abilities and her intelligence. I love Nadya’s resistance to being changed by her adopted parents, her resilience and her strength. I love how she grows and finds a home full of love and warmth but the ending was absolutely heartbreaking to me.
If you like Seanan McGuire’s other stories of the Wayward Children, then you will love Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear. It is poignant and immersive, beautiful and heartbreaking but it is a story about strength, resilience and building a home. And it completely steals your heart as does the character of Nadya. And while it helps to have read the other books in the series, this is one that can be read as a stand alone. It will make more sense in the context of the series but much of it is not reliant on that fact. It is an absolutely breathtaking read.

*3 stars* This has been my lowest rated Wayward Children book yet. I absolutely adore this series but this book just wasn't needed. We didn't need Nadya's story and it felt like a story where nothing happened. It didn't contribute to what we have already learned and didn't answer any questions.

This post is all about the latest entry in one of my all-time favorite on-going series by author Seanan McGuire. In Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear, we get the story of Nadya’s door, and gain a little more knowledge about the worlds of the Wayward Children series.

If you’ve been following my posts, you will recall that I love these books. I love the idea of the series, the themes that McGuire explores, and the stories of these children who feel like outcasts in our world, and just want to return to the worlds where they are welcomed and accepted. This entry proves to be another story worth reading, and letting it wash over you with all its triumphs and tragedies.

Readers of the series will have met Nadya in earlier books (specifically Beneath the Sugar Sky), but this book is all about her story – her door, the world of Belyyreka, and her life there. Born in Russia and adopted by American parents, Nadya is of course grateful for the care and at the same time curious as to its motivation. There’s a sense that Nadya’s adoptive parents are following a trend, taking a Russian infant into their family and even providing her with a prosthetic arm in order to help her ‘fit in.’ But to Nadya, these attempts are less about the care of a child in need than about forcing that child into the expectations that her American family has for her. She doesn’t need the prosthetic arm; she doesn’t see herself as incomplete or missing anything. All she knows is that with the arm, she is uncomfortable, and even worse, she’s made to feel less than herself. This is a powerful way to connect with experiences that we all have, as we attempt to find our place in our families, communities, and the world at large. Sometimes we add things to ourselves, whether or not they are a good fit, or perhaps we truncate pieces so that we can appear more acceptable, and fit in better.

As you can imagine, this doesn’t sit well with Nadya, and when she doesn’t have to be in school or fulfilling any duties at home, she spends her time at a nearby pond watching the turtles. She loves the way they move (“slow until they needed to be fast”), and she loves their serenity and simplicity. One thing leads to another, and although it isn’t described explicitly in this book, a doorway opens and Nadya exchanges her “normal” world for a much different one.

These worlds of the Wayward Children never cease to amaze me. Whatever these children need in their lives, whatever part of them that is crying out for help, is always provided; and so it is with Nadya in Belryyka. She finds herself in a watery world where there is land and water, but more importantly, there is a place for a girl like Nadya, where she fits in exactly as she is – which doesn’t involve being forced to behave or look or act in any certain way, and which even includes her missing limb. Belryyka isn’t the most whimsical of worlds, and it is missing the “home of evil ancient ones” feel of some of the other Drowned Worlds that we’ve seen; nevertheless, there is danger, and this part of the book reads like a coming-of-age tale that sets Nadya up to demonstrate her skills and gain confidence as she becomes part of the society in Belryyka.

Unfortunately for Nadya, the book ends with her being thrust back into the real world, and the circumstances in which she finds herself are utterly heartbreaking. Such is the way of the Doors, and the worlds of the Wayward Children. However, I have to believe that Nadya has been changed by her journey and her experiences, and that these changes might help her as she returns to normal life. After all, like the river that’s always running, all we can carry with us is who we are.

I love this series of vignette-novellas so much. This one was interesting, as it felt equal parts real and equal parts nature-fantasy. I recall Nadya from the other books where she is so sad and always in the bath and they speak about her being a "Drowned Girl," which was always mysterious. The concepts in this book of a world made of water with its own rivers and streams and oceans all at different densities so it just appears like a world made of air and water - so interesting! Of course, we have to have the sad real world to make these kids "Be Sure" enough to enter these doorways, but Nadya's resilience and determination to get through the things that are unpleasant for her in order to make it somewhere better was a refreshing perspective. And Pansy can go fall in a hole.

I hope Seanan McGuire never stops writing these.

Another beautiful installment of the Wayward Children series. I absolutely adore these books and this one was no different. Sad and whimsical at the same time.

An emotional, beautiful story. This was my first Wayward Children book, and I lapped up every minute of it until the end. The ending made me sad and put a damper on my reading experience. I will, however, read more of the author’s books.

The 10th Installment of the Wayward Children, starring all the turtle friends you could ever want!

Last year I devoured the entirety of this series, short stories included, so when I saw it on Netgalley, I knew I had to request it. It was a bit strange to not be reading this on audio like I did for the rest of the novellas but McGuire’s prose is so delightful that it was a treat to read it physically! I read it slowly to soak up every line.

Adrift In Currents Clean and Clear focuses on the life of Nadya who we first meet in Beneath the Sugar Sky. This is the story of how she is born with one arm, grows up in an orphanage in Russia, and eventually gets adopted by an American family who fits her with a prosthetic arm despite her wishes. But mostly it’s the story of all the ways she belongs in Belyyreka (the Land Beyond the Lake) who one day calls her home.

The first part is hardest to read because it takes place in the world of the main character’s birth. Which means that it’s the place of the source of their trauma, neglect, and mistreatment. The author excels at making the reader feel incandescent rage at the parents and systems that fail these children and this case was no different. We follow Nadya as she’s forcibly removed from her culture and expected to conform to her adoptive parents’ ableist ideas of a picture-perfect daughter. I don’t think many readers of this series will disagree that one of its strengths is diversity of all kinds. The commentary on ableism was easily my favourite aspect of this short novella.

The various portal worlds we get to visit in the pair-numbered books are always so creative! Belyyreka is a world of rivers under a lake, of different types of water (some water is heavier than other water and they each have their own physics). It was so much fun to watch Nadya learn the rules of this new world and make friends both with people and turtles! After reading this book I’d be shocked if you don’t want a turtle companion for yourself, I mean how adorable!!

I do have a small issue with a time-jump that felt a bit too stark, I would have preferred to spend more time in Belyyreka. The world was fascinating and there was space in there for more adventure, in fact, the story stopped in an inopportune place, narratively speaking. Since we had already met Nadya at Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, the ending was not exactly a surprise. Yet, McGuire still finds a way to create tension and deliver an emotional blow all at once. This was a very strong entry in the series, the only reason It falls under 5 stars is that darn time jump! When something’s good I can’t be blamed for wanting more of it 😜!

Thanks to Netgalley and Tordotcom for the ARC; All opinions are my own.

There will never be too many Wayward Children books. I love this lost girl as much as all the others and am already looking forward to the next.

I admit I was surprised when I saw Nadya was the protagonist of this book. To me, she didn't stand out that much compared to the rest of the cast. Now, I kind of want to reread those books because I really enjoyed Nadya here!
The first part of the book, Nadya’s childhood and moving from Russia to America was my favorite part. It really endeared me to Nadya and I love how McGuire talked about Nadya’s parents and how they view family and children. One of the biggest points was Nadya’s adopted mom wanting the family to be seen as a typical American family, so she gets Nadya a prosthetic without asking Nadya what she wants and what’s comfortable to her.
I really enjoyed the world building of the Drowned World and Belyrreka. The rivers and lakes and forests were very cool, as was the people and turtles. These books are atmospheric as always. This is another World that acknowledges other Doors and worlds, which I love to see added to this series.
Unfortunately, the part that fell flattest for me was the plot of what Nadya did in the Drowned World. The people there say that they have no need for Heroes at the moment, so Nadya just kind of… grows up? With no clear overarching plot or character development in my opinion? I feel like usually, these books have some kind of thread from pre-Door to Door world, but there wasn’t anything that I could see.
For that reason, I think this is my least favorite of the prequel Wayward Children books, but I still enjoyed reading it and like I said, I want to reread the books to see Nadya again. I rated this 3.5 stars.

I love this series, but this one was lacking a little something extra special for me. It was fine and good, but not great. Weirdly, the pacing felt off for me. I have felt that way about one other in the series, so it's just a blip. Hoping for more installments.

this was not my favorite of the series, but it had really charming and emotional moments! i just found the characters and story less memorable than other installments.

This one might be my favorite Wayward Children book yet! Oh my goodness!! This is probably one of my favorite covers.


Nadya was born with a missing arm and lives in an orphanage. She’s adopted out, but she never really feels at home. Her parents want to “fix” her when she doesn’t think she needs it. It was so heartbreaking reading this. I get both sides, but these parents were so wrong. Love the child as you adopted her, and that’s all. Nadya is one that I connected with right away, and I wanted nothing but the best for her. She eventually finds what she’s looking for. I had to keep reminding myself, “this is the Wayward Children series,” and things are sometimes very dark. Her life under the lake was so beautiful and so lovely. I thought it was such a beautifully created world and enjoyed it so much. Then Seanan McGuire had to go and break my heart in the end!!


I adored this one and got through the whole book in one sitting. I have had my favorite and not-so-favorites in this series. I believe this might have just climbed to the top!!


Thank you, Tor/tordotcom, for the e-arc through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The nitty-gritty: Another magical and thought provoking entry in the Wayward Children series, Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear brings one character's origin story to life.

This is the tenth book in Seanan McGuire’s magical—and slightly uneven—fantasy portal series, and I feel the need to not only review this particular book, but give you my thoughts on the overall series so far. I really enjoyed this one, especially since it’s mostly set in one of the “doorway” worlds.

Note: Minor spoilers ahead

Nadya Sokolov was born in a Russian orphanage and given up for adoption, because she was born without an arm. Seeing her “deformity,” her mother fled and left her in the care of the orphanage nurses. Nadya grows up to be a sweet, caring girl who thinks of others before herself, and her missing limb doesn’t stop her from learning to do everything a child with two arms can do. One day she’s adopted by an American missionary couple, who aren’t interested in having a child so much as looking good in the eyes of their church. Nadya must learn quickly how to speak English and adapt to her new life, and although her parents seem kind, her biggest joy is visiting the nearby turtle pond.

Nadya is fairly happy, until the day she’s taken to the doctor to be fitted for a prosthetic arm. The new arm is scratchy and hurts, and Nadya doesn’t need it. But her mother insists that it makes her a “normal” girl and forces her to wear it.

One day, sad and lonely and tired of being teased by the kids at school, Nadya visits her beloved turtle pond, only to fall into the water and through door. She ends up in another world, a place called Belyyreka, where people live underwater and ride in boats carried on the backs of giant turtles. 

We originally met Nadya in 2018’s Beneath the Sugar Sky, after she was pulled back into the “real” world, so it was interesting to see her origin story and how she ended up in Belyyreka. This is a different book from the others in that we don’t see Eleanor West or her Home for Wayward Children at all, including any of the other characters we’ve met over the years. The story is focused solely on Nadya and the first nineteen years of her life, most of which take place in the magical, underwater world. Nadya’s life changes for the better once she falls through the door in the pond, and we watch her bond with one of the giant turtles, make friends and even fall in love, all while being accepted as she is, missing arm and all.

McGuire always addresses important topics in her books (which are often about acceptance and gender identity), and here she tackles Nadya’s lack of an arm and the way her parents insisted they “fix” her. Nadya knows that by forcing her to wear a prosthetic, she’s unable to make decisions about her own body, a very timely hot button topic that I’m always happy to see addressed.

Of course, if you’ve read the rest of the series, you know the fate that awaits her—she is pulled out of Belyyreka and winds up at Eleanor West’s Home, with other children who had similar experiences but in different worlds and doorways. So despite her wonderful, magical life, you just know her luck is going to change at some point, and that’s where the tension lies in this story. 

As for the series so far, looking back over ten books that are all told out of order, I’m wondering how this series would read if McGuire wrote and published the books in chronological order instead of the haphazard way the series is laid out. Nadya isn’t the only character who gets this treatment, and it’s not always easy to get your bearings when starting a new installment. Maybe she’s mimicking the random way the doors themselves work, or she’s simply telling the stories as they come to her. If you’ve read all ten books, I’d love to know what you think.

There are still more stories to tell in this world, so I doubt McGuire is finished, although I haven’t seen any official announcements about possible next books. Still, I’ll be here when the next one comes out.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.