Hi guys, happy Monday! I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. Today has been such a weird day, but in a good way? I hope your week has started off well! 🙂

Today I’m going to be posting my review of Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series.

Every Heart a Doorway by: Seanan McGuire: This is a place where children who disappear go to; all the doors that lead to the outside and the magical lands. Nancy has found herself in this world once before, but now that she’s back there is a darkness upon them and when things turn bad quickly, she and her new friends have to get to the bottom of it. The concept and the world that McGuire has created is vivid; it’s something refreshing and was very pleasant to read. Although the plot slipped in and out of this fairy tale dream, where the plot wavered here and there, this was still something worth reading. McGuire’s writing was fantastic; it’s so truthful and really makes the reader think. It was also very quotable; like everything she wrote was written with purpose. The fact that this novel was short made the reader crave for more. It also didn’t give the reader much time to establish characters very well. Given a little more time there would probably have been more memorable characters because the reader wishes they could spend more time in the world with them. Hopefully in the second book we’ll get more. As for this novel, it was a lovely opening to a world of mystery and fantasy that really grips the reader into wanting to find out more.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by: Seanan McGuire: Twin sisters Jack and Jill, who could be nothing more alike, Jack was raised to be her mother’s perfect daughter all pretty and polite, whereas Jill was raised to be her father’s perfect daughter full of adventure and roughing around. Somewhat set up against each other growing up one day they find their way to Eleanor’s home for Wayward children where they learn about so many things they’d never have otherwise. It was such a thrill to be back in this world because it’s something else. This world seems to get better and better each time the reader visits. This time around the whole story of Jack and Jill was very intriguing and really well written. Like the first novel, this was poetically written and filled with lovely prose that made this so easy to read. Reading about these twins who are so different from one another, yet created so equally was engrossing. McGuire has a real knack for creating characters that the reader can’t help but want to read about. They may not be relatable to the reader, but they are still compelling characters nonetheless. This novel was never slow, and it never had time to be dull, this short novella-sized book really grips the reader and takes them on a journey, a fabulous magical journey.

Beneath the Sugar Sky by: Seanan McGuire: When Rini lands in the pond behind Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children she’s shocked to find her mother, who has died years before she’s been born. This sets Rini on a mission to restore her mother so as not to erase her existence in Reality. With the help of her new friends from the home she sets off into motion to not only save her mother, but the whole world too. McGuire has done it again by adding to this mythical, whimsical world she’s created and it’s brilliant. Her writing is so soft and so fanciful and airy, yet it packs so much meaning at the same time. It’s hard to ignore all the references towards body imagine and gender fluidity, and she writes it all in this way that really brings a positive message towards it, it’s so very well done. The plot was excellent; it was full of adventure, baking and saving the world, making it an absolute fun read. Her characters were outspoken and enjoyable to read about. They really talk to the reader and help them understand the overall themes of this novel, as well as pulling them into the story and helping them get lost in the pages. All in all, this was another great addition to this series that makes the reader want to come back for more.

In an Absent Dream by: Seanan McGuire: Katherine Lundy is what you’d call a text book definition of a bookworm. All she wants to do is read and dream all day, and of course follow the rules, instead of becoming the housewife that her life is geared towards. When she finds herself opening a door to a strange place, at first she believes it to be her paradise, but what she doesn’t realize is the bargains and costs she’d have to make once in. McGuire does it again. The fourth novel in this series and it leaves the reader just as hooked as the first time they entered the world, if not more this time around. The world building was so vivid and full of life; the characters were even more relatable than they’ve ever been. McGuire touched on so many themes and she is so good at bringing a fantasy world together with the mundane world to make plots relatable. She has this way with, not only her brilliant words, but with understanding complex concepts and really breaking them down for her readers. This novel really blew the reader away, and that ending, just when everything was all said and done, bam, McGuire pulls this last bit out of nowhere that makes the reader excited for more. Now we can’t wait to be back because there feels like there is so much more to explore.

Come Tumbling Down by: Seanan McGuire: This novel sorta picks up after Down Among the Sticks and Bones with Jack carrying her sister, Jill after murdering her for justice and bringing her back home. Only when she returns, it’s clear she isn’t quite the same. Something has happened to her, and only her friends are prepared to help her overcome, the stuff of mad scientists. This novel, although really short, definitely packed a punch and left the reader wanting more. It was so good to see old characters again, especially beloved characters. The plots were really engaging and thought out; McGuire took the time to really flush out these characters and everything they went through was captivating. The writing was absolutely gorgeous; the representations, along with the rest of this series, is so well done. McGuire has this magical way of writing such great rep, as well as remarkable characters and stellar plots. This was fast-paced and drew the reader in from the start, this was definitely a wonderful read.