Another stellar contribution to the series. I tend to be partial to the backstory novellas but this one is definitely in my top 3 for the series. Nadya's tale will take you on an emotional roller coaster but you'll enjoy every moment of the ride.

This series is one of the more interesting series I've ever picked up, and book *checks notes* TEN is no different from the rest.

These books are both cozy and light and absolutely devastating, and again, this one is no different.

What a journey we go on with a young orphaned Russian girl with one arm. She gets adopted by some okay but less than stellar people (mainly the dude is okay, the mom is not great). Then she falls into a turtle pond, only to wake up in another world. Where she lives, and thrives, and grows, and falls in love, and gets married.

But, as is the case with all of these little nuggets of books, the ending is not always pleasant.

A brutal ending. One that broke my heart, and I'll say I wasn't entirely invested in this story, but the ending alone made me bump this up to 4 stars because Seanin, why are you the way you are?

This was lovely, this was devastating.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire is a heartfelt entry in the Wayward Children series, following Nadya, a girl born with one arm who escapes into a magical underwater world where she’s accepted for who she is. With vivid world-building and emotional depth, the story explores identity, belonging, and the pain of not being seen. Nadya’s journey is powerful and beautifully told.

This was fantastic! I feel like every book in this series has a bit of social commentary happening, but this felt even more so.

In this one we have Nadya, who is orphaned in an Eastern European country (I don't believe it's named). She was born with a limb reduction defect (her lower arm/hand is missing), and this is an important aspect of the book.

I really appreciated the critique of white/western saviourism in this story; Nadya is adopted by a good, upstanding Christian family in the US, saving poor Nadya from her life of poverty. Yet they never ask her what she wants, never realize that she played an important role at the orphanage she was living at, and has now had that taken away from her. They also force her into getting a prosthetic arm/hand, highlighting what good people they are, they're making her better, when Nadya herself never saw her limb difference as anything to be ashamed of or that it made her any less than anyone else.

I feel a bit conflicted about how the story ends, as it ends the same as pretty much every other book in this series. I hope that we'll get to see Nadya again, I really loved her as a character.

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.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear leans into the story of Nadya, one of the characters introduced in the last book. We get to learn more about another Drowned world, Belyrekka, and how she embraces her bodily autonomy and identity that she couldn't portray in her real world in America.

I thoroughly enjoyed Nadya's backstory and what transpired to her portal world. Lowkey, some of these books contain some covert messaging about parenting. How her parents provided Nadya many things, yet she isn't content with how these things don't speak to her. Making her the child that they always wanted, but never connected to the person that she is, such as her disability and her Russian heritage.

"Things weren't love, and she was a thing to them, a thing that required many other things to be content, but not entirely a person."

Additionally, I thought her portal world, Belyrekka was so beautiful and lush. It was different from my expectations of a Drowned world, coming from reading Cora's story in "Where the Drowned Girls Go." I was pleased to see how its descriptions and worldbuilding of Belyrekka was befitting to the fairytale-esque storytelling that's familiar in McGuire's writing.

While I was infuriated with the ending of the book and where Nadya ended up, I got swept away by the narrator's Russian accent that speaks to Nadya's strong character and arc to becoming her best self.

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. The narration was just perfect for this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audio arc in exchange for my 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.

The narrator did a lovely job of bringing Nadya to life! I definitely recommend the audio for others who love to listen to books.

A welcome addition to the Wayward Children series that captures the appropriate blend of fairy tales and painful nostalgia.

I received this audio DRC from NetGalley.

Seanan McGuire does a good job of making you feel for Nadya in a short amount of time, which, of course, makes the ending more devastating even though you know it's coming. I really like that the books in this series can stand alone, and I thought this was another good addition to it.

The latest book in the Wayward Children series!

I fell in love with this series at book 1, and I am not generally one to follow a series. I love that each book, while in the same universe and with some recurring characters, can stand on its own.

This series feels so cozy to me. I love the cast of characters and how each one brings something different to the series. In this one, we follow Nadya, who is adopted and brought to America. It deals with bodily autonomy, choice, and voice. While this book (and the series in general) deal with important topics, it never feels heavy-handed.

I'm already looking forward to the next book!

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.

3.5 out of 5 Stars

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear wasn't my favorite of the Wayward Children series but it still just as fun and whimsical as the rest of them have been.

Nadya has always been one of the background characters of the Wayward Children series that intrigued me, so I love that we get to get her story, along with some hard looks at how adoption can actually play out, and the perception of disability. Wonderful read. Our narrator also gives us a gorgeous Russian accent to overlay the whole thing.

The tenth book in the Wayward Children series is another excellent novella that could be read on its own. Like all the even numbered books in this series, this book is the backstory of one of the children instead of a story that takes place at the school. We get to explore Nadia's underwater world and it is easy to fall into this story. These never disappoint to create something that is magical, dark, and yet so relevant.

This series is so special to me. This book was such a good addition to the series, and I was so excited to receive an advanced copy to review. The audiobook was very well done, and the narrator was a great choice for this book.

Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series is a comfort series for me. It's one I go back to over and over for a quick reread in between books or when I need to keep myself from falling into a reading slump. I always look forwards to the next installment.

The world in Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear was so unique, and I loved Nadya's story. Just like all of the other books in this series it made me laugh and cry, and I didn't want it to end. I also loved the disability rep in this book. Portal fantasies will forever have my heart.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group/Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.
 
4/5 🌟

Out of all books in this series, the story of Nadia touches my heart the most. I loved how the motives of disability and immigration interchanges to underline representation of the group that still needs to find their voice in the community. Especially in 2025, where political atmosphere seems to discriminate left and right. Without even a shred of disappointment Seanan, yet another time, forces us with her sensitivity and mindfulness, to exercise our muscle of empathy. At the same time, she created a backstory for a character we know from the first instalments of the series. I was always curious about water worlds and here we got a chance to see one that despite having vibe of being surrounded by stinky, green water, is as enchanting as it gets with love to turtles and other Slavic people who were sure to open the door.
Despite having a feeling that other books might have been better, Nadya will always stay in my heart and hence, officially, this is the best book I have read in January 2025.

*4 stars*

Like all the other books in the Wayward Children series this was heartwarming and enjoyable. It gives the background story of Nadya who we’ve previously met in previous books.
Although we see Nadya in the future in Beneath the Sugar Sky I would have liked a little more of her future at the end of this book. The ending felt very abrupt and I feel like the story could have been wrapped with more of where Nadya is now in the current timeline.
The narration was well done. Easy to listen to and definitely added to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

The narrator did an excellent job and I loved that she had a Russian accent. I felt fully immersed into the story and it was as if Nadya herself were talking to me.

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.