It should be no surprise by now that I am a huge fan of Seanan McGuire. She writes well, her characterizations are all very well done, her plots are fantastic and on rereads, you start to realize that she has Something to Say.

"Across the Green Grass Fields" is the latest installment in the Wayward Children series. It can be read as a stand-alone, the series proper starts with "Every Heart a Doorway", so if you're a completist, start there. One of the themes in this series, sometimes explicitly stated is the power that adults have over children and how, sometimes with the best of intentions, that power is abused. Not "abuse" as it's been coded in the past, but the more subtler forms.

Seanan's protagonists are aware of this power imbalance and sometimes are able to take the power back. Sometimes not, which while heartbreaking at points, is also much more honest.

I love this series and feel it gets richer with each addition and each reread.

#NetGalley #AcrossTheGreenGrassFields

I have read all of the Wayward Children series and they are honestly one of the best things about January every year! This sixth offering is no exception and is a great place for new readers to jump into the series as it stands on its own perfectly. We follow Reagan, a young girl who goes through a doorway and lands in the Hooflands, where she runs with herds of Centaurs while trying to avoid her destiny. I absolutely adored this book and thought that Reagan's story was so beautiful. The discussion around what makes a good friend and what acceptance actually looks like was powerful without ever feeling preachy, which I really appreciated. At its heart, this is a great adventure story with some fabulous characters and I would highly recommend it, both to fans of the series and definitely for new readers.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

OK. Whelp. I have DEFINITE mixed feelings about this.

Positives: this series is an absolute knockout for representation and Green Grass Fields is a great addition to that pantheon. Regan is intersex, which despite the excellent explanation provided (organically, not in a giant infodump) by Regan's parents, I still went to go do further learning about. I really appreciate a book that makes you want to learn more. I can count on one hand the number of intersex characters I can recall reading about, so kudos so Ms. McGuire. I can't say with any authority whether this was an accurate representation but it certainly seemed so, to this reader.

I also absolutely loved the beginning portion with Regan in school: her experiences with other girls really hit home for me. Being different and liking things that are unusual (like Heather and her snake; I too found a garden snake as a little girl and was absolutely FASCINATED [to the complete and utter horror of the other fourth grade girls]), will get you ostracized at lightning speed. Sadly, I still clearly recall those days. And I too was absolutely horse-mad. So I could really identify with Regan in that regard.

Being (formerly?) horse-mad, of course, I also enjoyed the Hooflands very much. Of all the "worlds" the children visit in this series, that's the one that would draw me in and tempt me to stay. What's not to love? Centaurs! Unicorns! Kelpies! (Ugh, Gristle, what a cutie.)

So why a three star book? Wellllllllllll despite all the absolutely lovely heartwarming ideas of acceptance, destiny, self love, etc, the actual PLOT really faltered at the climax. The climax turned anticlimactic really quickly, and then, uh, nothing else really happened. Regan uncovered the Wizard of Oz scenario, left the castle, and ... went home. Nothing seemed resolved, nothing really happened. I don't know it was rushed, or if the themes were the plot instead of an actual plot being the plot (does that make sense?) but there just wasn't any there, there. The end left me as a reader dangling off the edge of the proverbial mountain like the Grinch's sled, waiting for something, anything, to actually happen. No closure, no finality. The centaurs were just abandoned. The "government" was left in absolute ruin with very little explanation from Regan other than a few sentences in passing to the same henchmen who were willing to bash her over the head and kidnap her. You really want THOSE GUYS left with the information and power amidst the rubble of their government system? Gristle, one is left to assume, ate the "queen" but who really knows. And what did Regan do when she returned "home"? Absolutely nothing is answered.

So, despite the inclusiveness, the important themes, the beauty of the writing, the gorgeousness of the Hooflands, and Regan herself who was otherwise a terrific, complex character, I just could not bring myself to give more than three stars. I need a more complete plot in my stories and I hope that the next Wayward Children book (because I LOVE this series and I'll keep reading it as long as McGuire writes it) will have one.

Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series continues here in Across the Green Grass Fields. This is actually a standalone novel, but I would strongly recommend reading the whole series (in general, as well as in order).

All Regan ever wanted was to be a normal girl. A normal girl who adored horses more than anything. But when Regan's world is shaken, and her best friend proves to be less than stellar, she finds a door.

That door led her to a world where all of her dreams came true. As a girl who loves horses, you can imagine the wonder in her soul when she comes across centaurs, unicorns, kelpies, and more in the world she has entered.

“At seven, Regan Lewis was perfectly normal according to every measurement she knew, which meant she was normal in every way that counted.”

Seanan McGuire has done it again. She's written a compelling and emotional read, one that cuts right to the soul of its readers. Across the Green Grass Fields is a truly amazing read, one that will be sticking with me for some time to come.

One of the many things I love about the Wayward Children series is how different each and every character in the series is. Yet each and every one of them feels human to the readers – even those who personally identify a bit more as a mermaid.

That element shined true once again here, with Regan's character. She is very much a child in the beginning of this book, and it shows. Her story could have been the story of any one of us, with her being forced to make a decision about conforming to the demands of those her age, or not.

There is so much more to this story than meets the eye. Once again McGuire has woven more representation into this world than many other series I've read (combined!). She has consistently created representation in her very human characters, and that is beautiful.

“Regan thought it must be nice, to believe children were innocent angels incapable of intrigue or cruelty.

Then there are the horses. The horses! Regan's love of them felt so pure and sweet, and all of that before she stepped through the door and found more equines to fall in love with. She became part of a centaur herd, and it was like she finally found her home.

All while being tossed in the middle of a story. Literally. The expectations of this world were full of surprises, and that alone is enough to leave the reader thinking – and wondering. Not just about what will happen next in this world – but what our own doors would look like, if we were ever lucky enough to find them.

This book is probably my favourite out of the Wayward Children series together with In an Absent Dream! Again, this one was such a quick and enjoyable read that I could easily finish within a day. I really liked the magical world, the characters and the plot, and loved that the main character is intersex. Also, the message of the story is just beautiful. It tells us that destiny is not something that can be decided for us, instead, we decide our own destiny. My only dislike is that this book felt a little bit disconnected from the rest of the series. The rest of the series partly took place at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children and this book didn't mention the home at all. Further, I was kind of disappointed by the open ending. I understand why the author chose to stop writing where she did, and I guess this might be the best possible ending for this book, but still, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!! Hopefully, Seanan McQuire will give me answers in her next book. I will be trying to wait patiently for it to come out.

In what I understand to be a soft reboot of the Wayward Children series, Across the Green Grass fields tells us the story of Regan, a girl who struggles with seeing conformity as true acceptance before she finds a doorway asking her to “Be Sure”.

This series has been a noteworthy one in my 2020 reading journey as I went through all five previous novellas this year, and I’m happy to say I enjoyed book six as well. I absolutely loved that not only is our protagonist Regan intersex, but that there are conversations on page about what that means. There were a lot of personally resonant messages throughout the novella, as there have been in other Wayward Children books, about the challenges of being a girl; in this one, the performative and rigid nature of femininity and girlhood predominates, with a unique emphasis on how being intersex adds additional considerations.

As always, the magical world of the Hooflands intrigues and captivates as many of the other worlds have in this series. A whole world populated by magical equines of various types, each of them filling different roles, was well executed. Regan’s friendship with a centaur named Chicory was particularly sweet to me.

However, I did have more critiques of this novella than others. The conflict Regan left behind in her home world—the all too real pain of conditional friendships between young girls and the ostracization and exclusion that can fester within them—felt more compelling than the conflict in the magical Hooflands. The lack of a story within a story (i.e. in the previous novellas, there was often a plot ongoing at Eleanor West’s school as well as the story of a character being told) made this one fall flat for me. Finally, the ending left a lot to be desired; there’s no satisfactory or even detailed conclusion to Regan’s journey, just an abrupt stop without so much as a frustrating cliffhanger. For these reasons, this is one of my least favourite entries in the series.

Still, I have a soft spot for the Wayward Children series and Across the Green Grass Fields was still an engaging, magical, and quick read with a unique world. For the worldbuilding and the intersex protagonist alone, this is worth a read and recommendation for me, and I’m hopeful that subsequent entries in the series will reintroduce a subplot again to add the depth we’ve come to expect.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Well, this year has been so long that I didn’t realize I already read an ARC of this earlier this year until I started reading. The good news is that it was just as enjoyable the second time around. Here is my original review: I love the Wayward Children series and wasn't sure there would be more, so I was really excited when I found this title. In Across the Green Grass Fields we are introduced to a new world full of centaurs, unicorns, and other creatures. This book has the same whimsy and creativity of the other books in the series and I'm glad this is a new world that we haven't seen before. I read it in a couple of hours, so it was an easy and fantastic read!

Across the Green Grass Fields was such a good read! I was a bit hesitant picking this up since some books in the series were big big misses to me, but all of my expectations were met! McGuire’s writing continued to be wonderful and they did an amazing job at setting the tone for this odd and fantastic novella.

I loved Regan! Huge congrats to McGuire for the intersex rep–there is very little representation of intersex characters in lit and the way they decided to show that was very well done. I really could have done without the prejudice, though? I also loved how unapologetically into horses Regan was. I’m best friends with a horse girl, so reading about a horse girl protagonist immediately endeared me to the story lol

And the world-building regarding the Hooflands was so cool! McGuire created such a unique world with its own complex culture in just a few short pages and made it seem so real. It was so interesting to read about the herd and the work they did and the relationship dynamics between everyone.

I was a bit bummed that the ending was… the end. I would’ve liked to read about the reaction surrounding Regan’s comeback as well as what happened in the Hooflands after she did what she did. Even so, great addition to the series!

Over the past few years, I’ve come to love Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series fiercely. And thanks to the wonderful people at Tor.com, reading the newest installment a bit ahead of its publication date has become something of a Christmas tradition for me. These novellas are all beautifully written and poignant and full of heavy topics handled with a light but respectful touch. Across the Green Grass Fields is no exception to this rule.

In this sixth volume of the loose series we meet Regan, a young girl who loves horses and lives in fear of being shunned for any reason. She tries to surpress anything about herself that might make her stand out, but it’s not enough. When Regan finds out why she doesn’t fit in easily with the other girls, her sense of betrayal drives her through a Door into a world she didn’t know she was searching for.

The Hooflands are populated by every hoofed creature imaginable. Unicorns, fauns, kelpies, selines, perytons, and minotaurs abound. But Regan finds her true home in a herd of centaurs, where she learns that being a strong woman doesn’t look the same for everyone. Within this herd, Regan finds love and acceptance and empowerment. Her human parents in our world also loved her fiercely and accepted her unconditionally and would have done anything to help her feel empowered, but something about the presence of hooves and furred flanks has cleared her vision enough to finally accept and love herself.

This story, like all of its predecessors, deals with some heavy topics in lovely, respectful ways while never impeding the plot in any way. The tale at the heart of this book was meandering but compelling, and I enjoyed it immensely right up until I didn’t. The ending seemed incredibly abrupt, but as that’s how it would have seemed for Regan, I think that was the point. But even though I understand the choice, it still left me a teensy bit dissatisfied with the final pages.

Across the Green Grass Fields is an achingly lovely story about a girl who loved horses but not herself, who finally found self-acceptance among the hoofed inhabitants of another world. It was a solid new installment in a series that resonates deeply with a multitude of readers, and I think they’re going to really love this one.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received a copy of this young adult fantasy novella eArc from NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings.  This be the sixth book in the series.  While I try to post no spoilers, if ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

I say this every time I finish one of these novellas but I seriously could read dozens of books set in the various worlds.  This be the sixth installment and ye do not have to read any of the others for this one to make sense.  I actually highly recommend reading this series in publishing order because I feel that the reader gets the best flow that way.

This one completely floats me boat because it deals with ponies (me first love).  Not just ponies but kelpies, centaurs, unicorns, etc.  I was absolutely delighted with the world.  I was also delighted with the character of Regan and her new found family.  The chosen one trope is twisted here.  The evil in this book is found both in our world and in the doorway world.  The idea of cruelty in children is spot on.  Yet there are loving parents in this one.  There is love and kindness all over the place.  There is also selfishness, conformity, wrong choices made, and manipulation.  The major complaint with this book is that it felt like it needed to be longer and more fleshed out especially towards the end.  The ending itself left me unsatisfied though it made sense with the rest of the book.  Perhaps I just need more of Regan because I loved her so.  Arrrr!

Side note: The next book in the series, where the drowned girls go, is scheduled for January 2022.  Apparently there be three more after that, one each following January.  I will be waiting.  Arrrrr!

Beautifully told story about self acceptance and finding your own way forward.
Also, there are unicorns!

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

This book was a welcome return to McGuire's "Wayward Children" series. The descriptions of the interactions between grade school children were all too real to me, especially the intolerance for anything perceived to be other than normal. I did rather miss the interweaving with the past books and characters from the earlier books in the series, but this book still stands quite capably all on its own.

There’s no right way to be a girl.

Regan is horse-crazy, which is acceptable form of girlishness in her tight circle of friends, particularly with her best friend, who places everything in a neat box of girl or not-girl-enough. Regan wants to be girl enough, but some days she just doesn’t understand. And when she doesn’t develop like the other girls, her parents drop a huge secret on her—a secret that escapes to her friends. So Regan slips into the woods to take the long way home, and finds a door…

I really really loved this novella, which was about a girl who was destined to be The Chosen One because all humans are Chosen in some way, and who had a queen hunting for her because change was bad and humans brought change. Which is a horrible way to describe this book, so I’ll give you another horrible explanation: a girl who discovered she was intersex after living in rigid gender conformity, and then found herself a species of one surrounded by hoofed creatures.

It’s a delightful found family story that covers growing up, conformity, being yourself, and what it means to be a girl. Plus it has delightful side characters (Chicory!! Gristle!!), and a delicious twist on the chosen one trope and the concept of history and propaganda and government.

I need MORE of this story. MORE, DAMMIT! I need to know what happens to Regan, and I need more Gristle, dammit.

Minus one star because of the short ending and because the villain’s was Laurel (dammit, the one time I share a name with a character and she’s a baddie).

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

The Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire it has become one of my favourite book series in the last couple of years. We follow these children who have been chosen to live in these fantasy worlds, the worlds themselves call them and give them doors to cross, but after their adventure is over, after they have saved the world, they find themselves in here, again in earth but with their heart in that place that became their home. And now, they want to go back.

Each book of the series is so intriguing, the writing styles range from an adventure, full of action and tasks to complete type of story, to gothic novels and murder mysteries. For what I’ve inferred, each odd number book in the series (1, 3, 5, and probably 7) advances the earth plot, the story of the school and the adventures these kids need to have in order to learn some vital lesson before they can go back to the worlds they love. However, with each even number book (2, 4, and now 6) we get to know more about the magical worlds, we get to know about their lives and how they ended up in earth again, and why they want to go back so badly.

Across the Green Grass Fields is the sixth book in the series, and this time we follow someone who hasn’t been introduced by the main plot, which it is exiting because we can assume that Reagan is going to appear in the next one, I think it’s going to be interesting see her interact with the schools cast.

This is such a good story, we follow Reagan and her life as the only human in the Hooflands, where humans are heroes, they are expected and appreciated when they get there. Humans are prophecy, each time one appears tragedy follows, and this time is Reagan the one who needs to safe the Hooflands.

I really like all the themes the author tries to explore, such as chosen family, identity beyond what is expected from you, internalized misogyny, what it means to have a destiny, the oh so common human saviour complex, prejudice, horse girls rights, just to name a few. However, pacing overshadowed a little too much my level of enjoyment.

The book starts with Reagan in her childhood, she’s trying to process new information that comes to her life. It is a confusing time for her, and it becomes painful. Then we get to the new world that adopts her, we see her grow as a person, as her own individual. This happens in the first ¾ of the book. The author takes her time to make us care about the characters and their journey, but that leaves all the action and the climax of the book to the last 25 pages, rushed to say the least. In my personal opinion, the book would benefit from having more pages to explore the last part of the book with the patience and timing it might need.

I also noticed that the last adventure part of this book was probably inspired by the story of Momotarō, a traditional Japanese folk tale, that also follows the protagonist and the animal sidekicks that he encounters throughout his journey that end up joining him and helping him in his quest. I’d have loved to see a little bit more development and interactions between Reagan and the two animals that join her in her own quest, maybe spend a more time building the relationship between them. Nevertheless, all of these takes, my opinions in pacing and character relationships come from my personal taste as a reader, which is the more plot driven kind, therefore the climax of the book and the falling action are a priority in sincere opinions of what makes a story work for me.

In spite of all the criticism that I could possibly have for this book, I still think it is a really good story, especially for this series and the audience who loves it. It fit really well with the tone of the rest of the books, and it is always nice to have some gender diversity, something I always remark when recommending these books.

Seanan McGuire, the author of Across the Green Grass Fields, the newest addition to the Wayward Children series, is bringing us a touching and verdant tale that takes place amongst centaurs and unicorns.

Seanan McGuire, author of countless novels, novellas, comics, short stories, and songs, has an inborn connection to myths and legends. In reading her stories, it seems like McGuire takes tales of old and twists them, turns them on their head, and serves them to her readers like an exquisite delicacy. I have gorged myself on her stories in the past. I can say that I have enjoyed what Seanan has written for her full catalog in one way or another. Even the stories that don't 100% connect with me as a reader, I appreciate her mastery as a writer. Luckily for me, she is a prolific writer, and I have many choices in stories.

All that being said, I enjoyed Across the Green Grass Fields, as I have enjoyed or loved the other books in her Wayward Children series, but this one was not my favorite. I came out of the story almost ambivalent to the plot.

The story starts with the main character, a little girl named Regan. Regan is different than other girls in the story. You see how Regan is kind and empathetic and how she stumbles in personal relationships as McGuire details the intricacies of those relationships with her peers. Girls can be mean, the mean girl stereotype is there for a reason, and she is getting the full force of it due to her "best friend." While Regan is ten at the start of this story, that is only in years as Regan is far wiser in some ways than your average ten-year-old girl. Regan has one passion, and that is a love of horses. According to Regan, this is an acceptable passion for a young girl. Had she had a passion, for say, bugs, she knows that she would be ostracized and shunned as some of her classmates had been. She keeps most of this love to herself and does not share it with her schoolmates. This self-awareness plays a significant role in Regan's character's development as the story moves onwards.

As the story continues, Regan ages, and her schoolmates physically develop. But, Regan seems stalled in her childlike stage. She is standing on the precipice of starting that terrible transition to adulthood but not quite getting there.

She goes to her parents with the question, "Why?" Why is she different than the other girls? Her parents let her know that she is intersex. I am delighted that McGuire took such a real and pertinent issue and gave it the treatment it deserves. Regan is an example of one of McGuire's strengths, in that she treats and creates children as real human beings. They feel fear, panic, and emotional turmoil and are not treated with, pardon the pun, kid gloves.

Regan reaches out to a "friend" and explains to her friend what being intersex is. She wants to talk about a momentous thing in her life so she reaches out to a "friend." The "friend" reacts as I can imagine some children reacting and starts yelling at her, calling her a boy and telling the school. What should be an intimate moment between friends turns into taunting and jeers from uninformed and cruel kids. Regan runs out of her school.

At this point, Regan finds a door.

If you are familiar with any of the Wayward Children books, you understand the significance of a door and what it means for the child. The door is to a place, unlike your home. In previous books, a door led children to a land of mad science and death, a goblin market, or lands made of candy. Each land changes the child. In this child's case, the land that Regan walked into is one called Hooflands. A land of centaurs, unicorns, and other creatures of the same ilk. Perfect land for one who loves all creatures equine. It is said when a human child comes through a door into the Hooflands; it portends to change. By the act of her coming to The Hooflands, her human nature wills a destiny into effect. One that will affect the citizens of The Hooflands and change the world they know. Regan does not believe in destiny.

"Welcome to the Hooflands. We're happy to have you, even if you being here means something's coming."

The second and third part of Across the Grass Green Fields details the land of centaurs and unicorns. It is an unusual lake on the mythos behind these creatures. McGuire's Worldbuilding is lush and verdant. Like any of her other stories across multiple genres, there is always a slightly dark edge to everything. What may be green and gorgeous with towering trees and emerald green moss will likely be housing monsters. This speaks to McGuire's familiarity with folk tales and legends. Before Disney, stories such as The Little Mermaid and Hansel and Gretel were tales of fancy as much as cautionary. Good does not always conquer evil. Sometimes the witch does eat the children, and the mermaid might not get the prince. And, of course, everything has teeth.

Regan spends years living amongst the creatures of The Hooflands. She becomes a wild girl, probably who she was always meant to be. She also learns self-reliance, kindness, strength of will, and character. I like who Regan becomes; it feels like a proper extension and growth for her as a character. But, as a human is an omen for significant change in the Hooflands, Regan has a destiny that will be fulfilled. Even if she doesn't believe in fate and wants to be left alone with her found family.

"She still didn't believe in destiny. Clay shaped into a cup was not always destined to become a drinking vessel' it was simply shaped by someone too large to be resisted. She was not clay, but she had been shaped by her circumstances all the same, not directed by any destiny."

The fourth and final act of the story is where Across the Green Grass Fields lost me a little bit. This book has beautiful writing, a great explanation of centaurs' matriarchal society, and touching descriptions of the real friendships Regan makes. But, beyond the lush details, the actual plot and final crescendo of the story fell flat for me. It felt anti-climatic in the face of such excellent writing. However, I have to say that Regan's very practical nature is entertaining to read. The vital thing to note about the ending, even though I found it anti-climatic; it is in line with Regan's character. One of the major themes of Across the Green Grass Fields has to do with destiny or lack thereof. Regan believes in her future, her own path. It will not be defined by what and who thinks it should. That idea starts slow when dealing with her peers' preconceived notions and eventually crescendos at the end of the story. Regan becomes more comfortable in her shoes and does not care if that bothers anyone.

Overall, I enjoyed this addition to The Wayward Children series, great characters, and a lush world. It is solid, but I think it lacks the same oomph that other books in the series have. I will continue reading the Wayward Books, taken as a whole series; they are lovely and some of McGuires best writing.

Seanan McGuire rarely disappoints and this book is no exception. A fun and engaging read with intersex representation, which I have rarely seen before.  The books challenges perceptions of a what a “girl needs to be”.  A wonderful story of friendship and learning to be comfortable in your own skin.  A fast, easy read that is sure to engage and entertain. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This series is a joy to read and this book is no different. We meet Regan a young girl dearly loved by her parents but Regan feels somewhat different to the other girls in school. It's nothing that she can quite put her finger on but nevertheless Regan really wants to fit in. Her best friend is little Miss popular if you get my drift but as they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder . Regan discovers something about herself that she shares with devastating consequences leading her to run away but she's led to a doorway that leads to the Hooflands and there is where her journey to self discovery truly begins !
Beautifully told with frequent moments of humour I adored this exploration of what it means to be a little different. We need books like this that explore diversity and all the possibilities therein. This felt like a standalone although it does connect with others in this series. Perhaps more of the miniature of the day to day living of the Centaurs but this allowed the reader to experience Regans growth. I did find the conclusion to be a tad quick but because I overall enjoyed it so much I honestly don't mind.
This voluntary take is of an advanced copy and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I very much enjoyed this installment in the series! I was definitely one of those horse crazy girls when I was younger, so I was excited to read about a world full of different types of equines.

In this story we follow Regan, a horse crazy girl who finds out the hard way how judgmental some people can be when someone doesn’t fit into the boxes that society wants to place them in. Regan begins to feel like something is wrong with her when the other girls start to go through puberty, but Regan herself hasn’t changed at all. She eventually asks her parents who inform her that her body may take longer to develop, or may need some help to get things going because she is intersex. The way that Regan’s parents handled this conversation and how kind and supportive they were was really nice to see.

One thing leads to another, and Regan gets her own door, this time to The Hooflands, a world with kelpies, centaurs, unicorns, kirins, and more! I really loved this world a lot, and the characters that Regan meets along the way. I really liked the way that this all played into how even though these centaurs and kelpies are different from Regan, they’re still people and still matter which fits nicely with the way Regan was feeling before she found her door.

This book felt different from the others in the series, and I don’t know if that’s because this one felt more like it could easily be a middle grade story to me or it it’s something else. I really liked how many messages this book had, from found family, unconditional love, destiny, and being true to yourself.

As far as the plot goes, we spend a lot more time seeing the day to day life of Regan and the centaurs she lives with. When Regan first arrives in this world, she’s told that all humans must be turned over to the queen so that they can begin their quest to save the world, but that takes a back seat to everything else which I think also makes this one different than the others in the series.

The one thing I didn’t truly love was the ending – it felt a little too rushed (which is saying something for a 167 page novella) and I didn’t really feel like I had enough closure. I did enjoy the reveal at the end and the way that it fit in with the message of destiny and the expectations that are put on you and how it’s easier when you’re surrounded by those who love you.

I really hope we get to see another book in the Hooflands, because I would love to see more of the creatures that inhabit this world! I really love this series a lot, and think that everyone should read them if they get the chance because they’re just so….full of hope and understanding. I’m looking forward to the next book, and the title looks like it’s going to be Where the Drowned Girls Go which sounds exciting!

Seanan McGuire continues to prove that any and every story can be queer. In this case, it's the story of an intersex girl named Regan and her childhood friendships and discovering who she is. Ultimately like all of the other books in this series, she ends up going into another world through a door she finds while walking along a creek. Once she passes through, she encounters a world free of pollution and populated by centaurs. She meets Pansy and Pansy takes her back to her lodging with her family and Regan is in awe of them just as much as they are in awe of her. She is a human and humans in their world save it and then leave, but Regan does not want to leave. So they help hide her as she gets familiar with the world and builds a family among them.

Like all of the other books in this series, this one is beautifully written. Not only that, it's filled with humor and morality, a message and a joke on every other page. I really think this is my favorite of the series so far. I was worried that we would be getting another Jack and Jill story so I'm really pleased that we didn't and that the story was so fresh compared to the rest of the series. I'm excited to see how Regan fits in with the rest of the Wayward crew and what will come of her after this story. I'm just happy that there are six more books in this series because I don't want them to stop.

Copied from my Goodreads review:

Another great addition to the Wayward Children series! This one has intersex rep which I hadn’t read about before. As always with these books I highly recommend it!

**I received an e-arc via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This in no way affects my thoughts or opinions on this book.