I absolutely love the Wayward Children series and this author! Lost in the Moment and Found has got to be one of my favorites in the series! I was immediately immersed in the story, and I enjoyed the section before the main character finds the door as well as the section afterwards. Sometimes I am just waiting to get to the doorway, but not in this case!

McGuire often tackles difficult themes in these stories, but they are also infused with action, adventure, fairy tales, and whimsy to balance out the heavier aspects of the story.

I find myself recommending both to readers all the time, even those who are not necessarily fantasy readers. I think because they are short and so well written they can be an excellent gateway for readers to try a new genre. Also, I love that the books don't need to be read in any particular order! Readers can pick up whichever one strikes their fancy and go from there.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out! Really wonderful read!

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars

A giant thank you to Tordotcom/Macmillan-Tor/Forge & NetGalley for the ARC ! All Opinions are my own.

After every single one of these lovely novellas, I come out thinking… This one was my absolute FAVORITE!, & Lost in the Moment and Found, of course, was no different! There was so, so much to love in our brave little heroine, Antsy. There were endless adventures contained in one BEAUTIFUL, gorgeously written novella, and so many amazing, quite literal treasures (from worlds visited or talked about in previous books ), including cameos (!) left for us to find.

Antsy is probably one of my favorite characters I’ve met thus far! Her story is a troubling one, and deals with some awful occurrences that Seanan handled gently, and with grace. I don’t know how she happens to be able to do this every time, with any subject, anything!

This is a must read, and I have a feeling we will be seeing Antsy in the future! ( one can only hope!)

Oh! Oh! ALSO! (So exciting!!!) Amazingly, we finally find out more about the Doors, and it is utterly fascinating! My lips are zipped on that! I can’t wait for other Wayward Children lovers to read this, I really can’t! It was SO INCREDIBLE that it brings tears to my eyes.

Beautifully done, McGuire, as usual.

This was a really compelling entry in a series that never misses. Readers get more insight into the way that Doors work and the main character is very interesting.

A wonderful, standalone story in the Wayward Children series. This book delves into some much darker topics than the other books, and is a deeply personal story of the loss of childhood innocence. I'd recommend checking content warnings before picking it up.

A good addition to the series but In An Absent Dreams is still the best story. McGuire managed to make it more nostalgic with the version of the "Goblin Market" and heart-breaking since the protagonist is contemplating her decision of whether to take her door and go back.

I do hope it explores more of the "shop" and have this deep relationship with the characters.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"She could learn to like him, if she knew why she didn't."

Man, I don't know why I'm still sticking with this series. It started so strong but I'm just liking each installment less and less.

This installment focuses on Antsy, who I don't remember from prior novellas but maybe she was there? Anyway, I have some mixed feelings about this story, so below are some random thoughts.

- The first sentence is gripping. Say what you want about SG, but she knows how to trap a reader's attention.
- It was really unclear who the narrator was, whose "voice" we were hearing. This story is written as if it's being told to the reader by someone who knows what happened, but the storyteller doesn't appear to be anyone you encounter. It was a very unique style, even within this series, and there were random moments of omniscience that felt jarring against the mostly limited POV.
- This story follows Antsy from a very young age, and I couldn't suppress my disbelief about some of the thoughts she had, which were way too mature and self-aware for a little kid.
- SG's ability to craft an atmosphere is really something else, even when I'm not enjoying the story.
- There's some moments that really feel like a self-insert for the author.
- The exploration of the different ways adults can groom and exploit children is an important one, but it's obviously uncomfortable to read about.
- There's been so many installments in this universe that it's almost like SG is turning her own series into a trope.
- Loving the Jack and Jill cameo.

Beyond the time I've already invested in this series, I'm not really sure why I'm still reading. SG can craft a world and an atmosphere like a mother-effer, but the stories aren't fun to read anymore. What do you guys think?

An outstanding addition to a phenomenal series. The room of list things is a place I'd love to return. Run to this one!

ARC received by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book should have been much longer. There I said it. I felt like the moment I closed it there was so many things missing that I just wanted more. Which, is a general feeling I get from this series, but never to this level. It felt like the story was barely even told let alone halfway explained. I wanted to know more about the doors and wish we spent more time there. That would have made the plot development feel like it happened over time instead of just between one page and the next. Give us more details please Seanan I would love to see more rather than be so lost in the human world that I see every day.

Lost in the moment and found is another great book in the series. I loved the writing and fantastical elements, and it felt melancholy at times as well.

Thank you to @netgalley @torbooks for the advanced reading copy in exchange for a review!

If you are familiar with Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children's series, you will likely enjoy this one. Don't be discouraged by the fact that it is being marketed as #8 in the series if you have not read any of the Wayward Children books, this one works as a standalone as well.

Antoinette, better known as Antsy has lost her father and does not trust her mom's new husband. She explores in The Shop Where the Lost Things Go through many different doorways.

This novella was rich in its detail and imagination but unfortunately also its melancholy. It put me in a bit of a sad mood. That's not to say it wasn't a great book, just maybe not what I was looking for at the time.

I give this one ⭐⭐⭐🌠

This book releases to the general public on January 10, 2023

This one was excellent and heavier than I expected it to be. The theme of grooming was difficult to read, but so important to discuss. The authors note at the beginning of the book makes it especially poignant. I generally prefer the books in the series that take place after they arrive at the school but in this case, I loved the story just as much. I never want this series to end.

I adore this series and this book is no different. This whole series is amazing and each book has so much packed into such a small book but I love that about them. This series never waste a single word and this book is no different. While this is technically a stand alone book it still adds to the work building of the main series. Truly this is one of the most unique and beautiful book series out there.

Lost in the Moment and Found is the eighth installment of the Wayward Children series. It follows Antionette's journey who finds herself 'Lost'. Like all other installments in this series, there is a Door involved and this one opens into an interesting nexus rather than one distinct world like all the others have been. I will say there with each installment the themes of the children running from something or to something is becoming more and more up front, which I think brings depth to each story.

I don't want to spoil any plot points because Wayward Children installments are all novella length books so it'll take an afternoon to read and get lost in a new world.

i've been a bit disenchanted with the last few books in this series, but that's one reason to love it - you may always love the next one, and love it i did.

there's always a balance in these books between backstory and magic and good and evil, and this struck it perfectly for me. i had missed the magic school and here we glimpsed it.

i loved antsy and i loved her world and the only downside (which is the best and worst downside of this series) is that i want more of her story! that's a very good problem to have.

can't wait for the next one! these go by too quickly. every book should be a novella about kids in magic places. bonus points if they're as thoughtful and representative and lovely as these are.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I have loved the Wayward Children series and this one was no exception. I loved Antsys character and her development. I think this is one of my favorites in the series.no enjoyed the slight mentions of other characters from past books. I can’t wait for the next one in the series!

Lost in the Moment and Found has a heavier start than the others, so definitely read the author's note before hopping in. That said, this addition to the series was excellent, and could definitely be read as a standalone. I loved the shop Ansty ended up in, and what it revealed about those who came to the shop before her. This is definitely one of the strongest stories in this series, and I look forward to the re-read once the book is released.
Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an arc for review.

A Vivid exquisite reimagination of all things mundane. It is like exploring the known with new eyes. This book is a delightful read with the perfect length. You don't need to have read the previous books to enjoy it.

I think this is the best novella yet in McGuire's excellent Wayward Children series, perhaps because it is infused with McGuire's own personal background. Antsy finds her door at the age of 7 while running away from an abusive stepfather. The story is balanced perfectly between our world and Antsy's new world, where she works and lives in the Shop Where the Lost Things Go. The book is rich in metaphor without punching the reader in the face with it, and although it's a hard read, it's a hauntingly beautiful story that will linger with me more than any of the Wayward Children yet. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for a digital review copy.

I was genuinely very excited for this entry in the Wayward Children series. I really liked the brief glimpse of Antsy and the idea of her world that we got previously and I wanted to know more about this Thrift shop and more about the Doors themselves. Sadly the book immediately went off the rails in the first chapter and failed for me ultimately.

***The next paragraph may not be suitable to read for anyone who deals with Death or Death of a Parent anxiety, but I think it's necessary to describe why I feel the way I do:

Within the first chapter we see the vividly rendered death of Antsy's beloved father from her eyes. Seanan went out of her way to describe the way his shoes pointed, the glazed 'empty' look of his eyes, etc. A lot of effort is put into this scene, from the way Antsy focuses on the lights in Target and how she fixates on the one Target employee she knows. Furthermore after her father's death she refuses to go into that store, and it is mentioned on multiple instances of her aversion to any lights similar to those of Target. ***

This death is the reason that Antsy's mother remarries the man who ultimately gaslights and attempts to groom Antsy which causes her to flee her home and stumble into her Door. This door leads to the Thrift shop idea of 'where Lost things go' and the actual story of the plot unravels.

Where I take issue with this book is the unnecessarily vivid and brutal rendering of that death, especially after Seanan writes a message at the beginning of the book giving a Trigger Warning for the attempted grooming but mentions nothing about the Death. Furthermore that death, as impactful as it was to the reader seems to be nothing to Antsy. Once within her Door it is never brought up again, in fact she forgets it because of the nature of where she is. When she does eventually remember that death the only thing we get is one line of regret then there is nothing else. No acknowledgement of the trauma that sort of event could and likely would cause, or no catharsis for the reader. It was traumatic for the sake of trauma, and handled badly.

From there the story continues and in the end of course Antsy finds her way home to see some closure on her Mother and the Evil Step-Father (which I also don't completely buy) before she continues on to the School. The story comes swinging at the reader with a traumatic experience, possibly mirroring experiences readers might have had with no warning at all, then leaves it. It felt as if was there only to prime the readers to be sad, to connect to Antsy even if that trauma was never handled, or even addressed adequately. The detail that bothered me the most was the seeming fixation on the lights from Target - yet once through the Door and even once she was within our world again - it was never brought up.

This ruined the entire reading experience for me. As someone who deals with intense anxiety surrounding Death of loved ones, and with several loved ones with similar anxieties and triggers this felt like a punch to the gut. I can handle my anxiety and triggers when they're presented with care and respect, in fact I read a novel just prior to this that did that. That book also hit my trigger in a bullseye but did so in a way that felt respectful and I ended up loving the novel overall. This did not do that. For my friends and anyone else with these concerns, I advise(d) against reading the book or at least skipping to Chapter 5.

In the end that first portion, because it's not actually handled anywhere else in the story, made the book fell like the story of Antsy in the Thrift shop with some drama tacked on the beginning because it wasn't long enough or an editor thought it needed it. It felt like two disjointed halves and I left feeling angry I'd experienced it and like it was lacking overall.

2 Magical Doors out of 5