Where the Drowned Girls Go

Starred review from October 11, 2021
McGuire’s outstanding seventh Wayward Children fantasy (following Across the Green Grass Fields) comes in darker than the previous novellas, tackling identity, body image, and trauma. Cora Miller has walked through magical doors, turned from modern girl to mermaid, been possessed by eldritch gods, and been spat out of her newfound home back to Earth all before the story begins. Exhausted and wanting nothing more than to forget her adventures, she eschews the comfort of Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, which caters to children who’ve gone on magical quests, for its rival, the Whitethorn Institute, which houses similar students, but encourages them to “believe that everything that happened on the other side of the door was just a dream, or a delusion.” As Cora’s sense of self crumbles under Whitethorn’s rules, the institute turns from school to prison, and Cora and her peers risk losing their identities—and their doorways home—forever. Throughout Cora’s harrowing adventures, McGuire’s sense of whimsy never falters. She delivers a plot dense enough for a full-length novel in her signature lyrical prose, exploring the effect of cruel, oppressive systems on children’s psyches, while keeping the series’ fairy tale tone intact. The result will captivate both longtime Wayward Children fans and new readers. Agent: Diana Fox, Fox Literary.

March 1, 2022

McGuire's latest installment in her "Wayward Children" series (after Across the Green Grass Fields) focuses on Cora Miller, recently returned to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. Cora is a girl in this world, but in her watery portal world, she is a mermaid. Since returning to the school after narrowly escaping the menacing world of the Moors, she has been pursued by the Drowned Gods, who infiltrate her dreams and try to take her back. Desperately hoping to eliminate their hold upon her, Cora transfers to the Whitethorn Institute, an anti-magical school that promises to make her forget magical worlds and become a normal girl once again. With clear, age-appropriate character voices, Whitney Johnson depicts the diversity and breadth of the students at the institute, from upbeat Sumi to the miserably frightened Girl with No Name. She communicates the dread that all of the girls feel in the repressive school, where punishments are severe and individuality is stamped out. Listeners will be buoyed by Cora's growing confidence as she begins to realize her own power and agency, abandoning her fear and taking on the mantle of protector. VERDICT Strong crossover appeal. Recommended for both fans and new listeners, particularly where interest in fantasy is high.--Sarah Hashimoto

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