Where the Drowned Girls Go (Wayward Children #7) by Seanan McGuire
Publication date: January 4, 2022

Date read: January 17, 2022



Warning: minor spoilers to follow for previous books in the “Wayward Children” series.

Cora is a mermaid. At least, she was, after she went through her door into the Trenches. Now she’s back in our world, and has always been keeping an eye out for her door back. But after a rescue mission to the Moors, and a close encounter with the Drowned Gods, Cora no longer feels safe in the water, and only wants to forget her time in either world. It’s for this reason that she requests a transfer from Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, where you’re taught to accept, to the Whitethorn Institute, where you’re taught to forget. But promises are one thing, and Cora soon realizes that the promises that Whitethorn makes to its students might not represent the whole truth about what goes on behind their doors.

Note: This is Book 7 in the Wayward Children series. While some of these books are standalone and can be read out of order, I highly recommend having read the previous books before starting this one. References are made to characters and events in previous books that will both serve as spoilers if you choose to go back and read them and leave you a bit confused when reading this one.

I love the Wayward Children series. (Let me get that bias out of the way right now.) Most of these books are under 200 pages and are able to build whole imaginary worlds (sometimes more than one) in so few pages. And Cora is one of my favorite characters from the series, so I loved getting her as a lead in one of the books.

This book is a little different from previous books in that were not thrown into a new world, but rather into a new school in the “real” world. This bleak place is at times worse than the “wicked” alternate worlds, because of the nature of it, trying to emotionally wear down its students enough that they eventually give in and admit that their magical worlds were just a dream. While I would have loved to read more about Cora’s mermaid life in the Trenches, I thought that this situation was a great place for her to shine.

Also, when we first encountered Sumi in Book 1, I didn’t love her. But the more books she’s in, the more she has grown on me, to the point that I really enjoyed her presence here.

In this whole series, McGuire does an impressive job of world-building, and each world is different. It’s hard enough creating one believable alternate world, but to go from death-obsessed worlds to goblin markets to worlds made of candy, and so many others, is just wonderful. And her teenage protagonists are all complex and interesting, but to a point where adult readers will also really enjoy their stories.

Overall, I highly recommend this book for any fantasy fan, teenager or adult. And anyone who is just trying to get into fantasy or isn’t sure if they like it - Book 1 of the series (Every Heart a Doorway) is only 175 pages. A good place to start. And I do strongly recommend that if you are interested in this series, you read it in order. There is too much overlap between characters and worlds that skipping ahead would get confusing. One of my favorite series, and this book does not disappoint.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Trigger warning: suicide attempt, forced institutionalization, body shaming, bullying

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book

wonderful addition to the wayward children series. loved seeing the other school and the way that it set up further books in the series. excited for book 2

Another amazing book in one of my favorite series! I love Cora so much. Her story is so heartbreaking. I want to hug her. It was so awesome to be back in this world. I cannot wait to read whatever comes next! Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing this Ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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... Overall this was a fun, exciting book that gave me several hours of escapism and enjoyment. Id definitely read other books released by this author.

Another amazing entry into this series. This time, the heroics all take place outside of magical doors and fantasy worlds. Proof that we can achieve great things right here with only confidence and conviction.

I had been concerned since my favourite stories in this series involved Jack and Jill, and I hadn't been fully involved in Cora's story but she becomes a character just as exciting. This installment moved quickly to the near top of my favorites.

Quick and concise, it's very easy to become absorbed in the story and read through this in one sitting. If you haven't begun this series of books, what are you waiting for.

DNF at 50%

I absolutely love this series, so I am disappointed how much I am not enjoying this book. To be fair, this will be a temporary DNF because I will eventually do the audio prior the the release of book 8.

Unlike the rest of the stories in this series, Cora's story is just so bleak and depressing. There's on page suicidal ideation and a suicide attempt as well as so much fatphobia (both internalized and experienced).

McGuire's writing is still incredible, I am just struggling to get through this story for how heavy it is. That being said, if the next book isn't Kade's story, I will riot.

For some reason, this entry felt like coming home to the series. I enjoyed the addition of the other school and learning how they categorize and label the various doorway worlds. My only complaint is that I need to know more about it and some of their stories! I want to say more but it would contain too many spoilers.
My heart hurt for Cora though, her self esteem in this world is so low and tarnished that it felt like she would never be okay. And the way kids treated her, both before and after her adventure was just so mean :(

Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the arc....even if I just got around to reading it a bit late.

I absolutely love, love, love this series. I look forward to the next installment each year! In this book, we get to discover what happens when someone doesn't want to go back to where they are called, in this case there are two other worlds. The Whitethorn Institute is finally explored, and it's worse than worse.

I am someone who has a mixed relationship with the Wayward Children series, but I have been reading the new releases for four years now as soon as they come out, and it felt like a good start to my journey on Netgalley to make this my first review. In the end, I am very glad I requested this title. I am someone who has had no problem criticizing this series in the past, nor have I had any problem talking about how this series can be fun and atmospheric and insightful. I really thought that this book was a return to form in terms of what I love about this series.

In this seventh installment, we continue with our odd-numbered-books plot thread (for those who are not aware, this series bounces back and forth to students who have gone through doors to magical worlds at schools for students having trouble readjusting in the odd-numbered books and various journeys at various magical worlds in the even-numbered books). Picking up where book 5 left off, we are following Cora as she deals with the consequences of her trip to the Moors (a world that is not her own, but that called to her in the worst ways) and decides to take extreme measures: leaving the welcoming school she is at and transferring to the austere and abusive Whitethorn Institute.

In the past, Cora has annoyed me. Her actions in the last book annoyed me. Surprisingly, this book following her did not annoy me, and I quite liked her. Her strength was welcome in this book, where she was actively in a place trying to break her down. She deals with a fair bit of fatphobia from her peers in this school, just as a warning, and we get a bit of insight into Cora's past of depression and suicide attempts. I thought that this book really rounded out Cora a lot. I also loved that we saw a favorite character of mine from past books, but to say who it is would be a spoiler for who lives and who doesn't. However, this book could've used more of my absolute favorite character (Kade) and I am forever waiting for his perspective in every book. Despite not having nearly enough Kade for my liking, I really liked hearing about some of the new characters we were introduced to, even if they were not given as much depth as some of the kids at Eleanor's school. We also see the main character of the last novella, who we had never heard of in all the preceding novellas, and whose story took a lot of people by surprise. While I cannot say that "oh, the side quest of book 6 feels totally intentional after this book!" I can say that I enjoyed seeing Regan again and having her have a point in the plot.

Then there's the Institute, which has somewhat Gothic horror vibes in that the Institute feels SO awful to be at. It is not Gothic in the way of the Moors, but in the way of an institution that thrives on abuse, manipulation, and gaslighting. Everything feels like you're throwing a match on gasoline, and it created a lot of suspense and worry for the characters. I think that it created a really good conflict and plot for this book.

Speaking of plot, I found this plot much more compelling than any plot since book 3 of this series. I just think that McGuire got the tension just right, and the character moments just right for something like this. It brought back a lot of enjoyment that I had reading this series when I first discovered it and binge read the first 3 books. While some of the reveals/a ha moments at the end felt a bit flimsy or tacked on, I am used to nonsensical logic even when we are dealing with the real world in this series, and I accept it, because that's just what this series is doing. This portal fantasy deals in a lot of soft rules that are made to be broken in terms of magic and worlds. If that does not sound like your thing, steer clear. If it doesn't sound like it will make or break the book for you, maybe try this series out.

Anyways, if you were like me, and found yourself having problems with the series's direction, I recommend you maybe give Where the Drowned Girls Go a shot. I heard from a longtime fan of the series that this is one of the best books yet; I was not expecting to agree with this statement, and yet, I see it. It's my third favorite novella in this seven-book series, and I think that this has one of the better plots I've seen yet. I can truly say I highly recommend it, and found it very enjoyable.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novella.

I adore the Wayward Children series, I have for years. I adore Seanan McGuire's writing and thats no exception here. However, this novella didn't click with me. I loved the fact that in this book we travelled to Whitehorn school, and how different it is to the school we know and love. But honestly, I was kind of bored throughout this, my attention kept drifting from the plot to the point where I had no clue what was even happening most of the time.

I may read the next book depending on who it will be about. I'm more interested in finding out about Eleanor, Kade and Christopher's stories, but I doubt they’ll all get their stories told at this point.

Overall, while this one was a miss for me, I definitely think I'm in the minority and would still recommend it to fans of this series!

I went into this novel with some serious skepticism with it taking place mostly at another school away from the Wayward school. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved the story. I read it in one afternoon and am already looking forward to the next book(s). Our students love this series, so I'll definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Where the Drowned Girls Go is book 7 in the Wayward Children series and this one is the most similar to book 1. Every Heart a Doorway is set in Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children which is a place that children who have travelled through doors stay while hoping the world they truly belong to comes back for them. In Where the Drowned Girls Go we follow one of the students who after going through a traumatic experience doesn’t feel like they fit at the school. They decide to transfer to a sister school called the Whitethorn Institute which unlike Eleanor West’s it is for children that want to forget their experiences through the doors and go back to normal life. Everything is not all that it appears at this school though. Not as welcoming. Not as safe.

I love that we got to see some expansion on the world outside the doors. Learning more about what happens outside Eleanor’s Wests school & the doors was an interesting addition. Don’t get me wrong I love the uniqueness of the worlds behind the doors but it was interested seeing the other side of things.

I also enjoyed that this one dealt with some more ‘normal’ problems compared to trying to save the world or making sure you electrocute your girlfriend often enough so she can talk… This one dealt with trauma and how people can try and pretend it didn’t happen compared to actually dealing with it. Our MC is also fat, so we dealt with some fatphobia as well as internal fatphobia with the MC which I think was done quite well. Especially discussion on the idea that everyone who is fat is eating unhealthily and not being active as if that’s the only possible way someone can be fat. Which is extremely unrealistic… Some awesome discussion throughout on the topic.

As always Seanan McGuire has amazing writing with the ability to build worlds so vividly, even the more realistic ones… There was some amazing character development throughout for both our MC and the more side characters. I love McGuire’s ability to interlock all the stories in little ways as well. I enjoyed seeing old characters return like Sumi & Reagan!

Great installment and expansion of the Wayward Children series. In this story, which directly follows the events in Come Tumbling Down, we find Cora dealing with the aftereffects of her encounter with the Drowned Gods of the Moors. Battling depression and the pernicious hold of the Drowned Gods, Cora transfers from Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children to the Whitethorn Institute. At Whitethorn, Cora is subjected to a regiment antithetical to her character and experience in the Trenches as a means of severing her from her door. At first this is Cora's desire (anything to keep her away from the Drowned Gods), but as she discovers the ugly truths hiding at the heart of Whitethorn Institute, she realizes she has to escape.

i was so close to being done with this series. i haven't totally loved the last few installments. and even though i liked number 6, i thought "you know, i could just not read any more of these books and be just fine." but i decided to give number 7 a go. and i'm really glad i did! honestly this one was more adventurous and captivating than the last few installments have been. plus, this one definitely opened up the possibilities of many future installments.

just like that, i'm sucked right back in and i'll probably continue to read this series until seanan mcguire decides to stop writing it.

Ohhh I could read this series forever. Really enjoyed Where the Drowned Girls Go. I purposely knew very little about the premise of this before diving in and I'm glad for it because I was so pleasantly surprised in the direction the story went, and what this volume could mean for later books in the series. McGuire's writing is beautiful (as always!) and I became very invested in the well being of all these characters. Another wonderful instalment the Wayward Children series.

Where the Drowned Girls (Wayward Girls #1) by Seanan McGuire is another fantastic installment of what has been a mostly awesome series. I'd say this seventh book in the series is the best since the third, Beneath the Sugar Sky, which joined the ranks of my all time favorites. I wouldn't quite say this has reached quite this level, but it still easily earns all five of its stars. I liked getting to know our brand new setting of The Whitethorn Institute. I especially loved finding out that Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children isn't the only one of its kind, even if The Whitethorn Institute isn't nearly as friendly or as safe. It was also good to meet the new and returning cast - I'm so glad to see Cora again from Beneath the Sugar Sky! Overall, if you haven't read this series or read this installment yet, I can't recommend it enough. I can't wait for book eight, Lost in the Moment and Found.

such an impactful story with great pacing, but i had no idea it was part of a series. I will have to go back and read the other books.

A brilliant continuation of a much-loved series. Seanan Mcguire writes masterfully with each character leaping from the oage. I will read anything by this author! 5*

I thoroughly enjoyed the 7 instalment in the Wayward Series. In this one we follow Cora the mermaid who is desperate to forget her experience with the Drowned God while in the Moors in the previous book. She thinks to do this she must leave The School for Wayward children and go to Whitethorn. But things are not as they appear at Whitethorn and Cora quickly leans a thing or two about herself and her classmates.
It was nice to see Sumi pop up again, I love her story. I really hope that Kade will get his own book soon but I don’t think it will be the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an eArc for review.

As always, I absolutely LOVED this installment of the Wayward Children series. Every single one just feels so magical and takes me right back to childhood. Since they're novella length, they're also an easy read and I recommend them to everyone I can. I'm going to be so sad when the series is over and I hope it ends up being extended.