In Where the Drowned Girls Go, the next addition to Seanan McGuire’s beloved Wayward Children series, students at an anti-magical school rebel against the oppressive faculty
“Welcome to the Whitethorn Institute. The first step is always admitting you need help, and you’ve already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company.”
There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again.
It isn’t as friendly as Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.
And it isn’t as safe.
When Eleanor West decided to open her school, her sanctuary, her “Home for Wayward Children,” she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn’t save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction, a different fate, a different prophecy, Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school, where things are run very differently by Whitethorn, the Headmaster.
She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming…
Amazon Link: Where the Drowned Girls Go (Wayward Children #7)
Author: Seanan McGuire
Genre: YA portal fantasy
Rating: 5/5 stars
This was a great story, not only to get more information about Cora, but also Regan from Across the Green Grass Fields–although it’s sad that she ended up at the other school. (Regan is intersex and has already faced enough hardship.) All the scenes at the other school were hard to read. But then Sumi helped them escape and rescued a few other girls as well. And hopefully, they learned something which will enable them to help more of the trapped students and teachers in the future.
It’s good that you can read these books in any order, because I realized that I hadn’t read “Come Tumbling Down” yet, which includes the part where Cora meets the Drowned Gods. I guess I accidentally skipped over that one when I was binging the series before. But there was enough information to catch me up so I could follow along. If you’re new to this series, it’s fine to jump in at any point and/or only read the books that sound interesting to you. They all weave together in a unique way, but relevant information is repeated in each book.
I also liked the new characters, especially the mouse girl who couldn’t say her name. It reminded me of the Nutcracker story and the Rat King. I would love to learn more about all these other worlds that get mentioned by other characters. I guess then the series would never end, but I don’t mind it. They’re always short and over too soon!
But the biggest mystery now is the Whitethorn Institute and how it’s related to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. Is Eleanor really helping her students? Why is the other school so harsh, and why does it need to steal names? With a year between each book, it will be awhile to wait to find out more answers.
LGBTQIA representation: secondary characters (two of the teachers) were an F/F couple. The intersex main character from a previous book is a secondary character in this book, although I don’t think this book mentioned her identity.
Here is the book in my reading journal:
