*This is a review of the audiobook of this novel

One of my goals this year is to try out different genres. I’ve read some YA books but never YA fantasy. Based on the blurb stating that it was a standalone, I gave it a try!

“A young girl discovers an infinite variety of worlds in this standalone tale in the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Wayward Children series from Seanan McGuire, Lost in the Moment and Found.

Welcome to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go.”

Antoinette, Antsy, is very close to her father. They spend every Saturday at Target where her dad lets her roam through the toy aisles while always being close by. On one such Saturday, tragedy strikes and young Antsy learns what it’s like to lose someone you love.

Her mother remarries within a year and Antsy does not like her stepfather. He plays mother against daughter and unfortunately, Antsy’s mother doesn’t believe her when she tries to tell her what he is doing.

Her stepfather begins to say and do things that make Antsy feel very uncomfortable and she knows that this is not the way a father should act. His inappropriate touches frighten her and she doesn’t know who to trust.

SHE RUNS AWAY, not knowing where she is going. She wanders into a shop with the intention of calling her grandmother, but this is no ordinary shop.

Here is where the fantasy comes in. This is the “Shop Where the Lost Things Go”.

PROS:
*I thought the very serious and frightening subject of adults acting inappropriately was handled very well.
*I enjoyed the fantastical elements throughout the middle part of the book. The author wonderfully describes the different doors that Antsy goes through and the “other worlds and creatures” that she discovers
*The narrator's voice was appropriate for Antsy's age

CONS:
*The descriptions of Antsy’s mothers actions seemed so “off” to me. She doesn’t seem to help Antsy understand her loss well and the girl is left to grieve on her own.
*I couldn’t decide if the woman in the shop was “good” or “bad”, I think this would be confusing to young readers.
*I felt that Antsy was being “punished” for running away as she found out more about how difficult it would be to return home.

This book is marketed as “young adult” but I’m unsure what age this would be appropriate for? The subject matters are serious however the fantasy elements change from being light hearted and fun to being dangerously serious.

Readers of this series seem to really like this one but I felt that it left a lot of things unanswered!

I received an ARC of this book from the author through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

Outstanding yet again! Each book in this series is beautifully unique. All are a little dark and full of magic. Children who walk through doors to find the things made of dreams and nightmares. Addicting and Intriguing! Antsy’s story is one of the saddest ones in the series. These stories are quick fantasy reads. You can read them as stand-alones if you wish, but reading them in order is such an experience. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen in exchange for a review.

I never want this magical journey to end.
While this one dealt with some darker issues it was a wonderful book the writing is so well done you are visually take to another place and i absolutely loved every minute, I can’t wait until the next one

If I were a bibliotherapist, the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire is a series that I would definitely use with my clients who have suffered from trauma in childhood. These books have a way of making one feel understood — they acknowledge the bad things; they acknowledge the growth and strength that one develops as a survivor, without discounting the fact that no one should ever have to go through the traumatic experiences in the first place. In that sense, these books are cathartic like a good cry, or a warm hug. Lost In the Moment and Found, which tells us the story of Antoinette (Antsy) — the girl who can find lost things, but is herself lost, is similarly therapeutic. It talks about child sexual abuse, and parentification, with a great deal of sensitivity. However, that does not mean that the book is gloomy. Set in a fantastic shop of wonders that travels across dimensions and worlds, the book is fun and I enjoyed it greatly. It was nice to come across callbacks to some of my favourite characters from previous books in the series (I won't say who, because spoilers!), and I greatly enjoyed the reading by Jesse Vilinsky, who endows it with a sense of wonder and empathy.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of the audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

This book felt very different from all of the previous books. This one felt much more personal to Seanan McGuire. At times it was pretty hard to read because you definitely had a sense of what was coming next and you didn’t want it to happen (thankfully it never does). Antsy’s story is a very sad one - from her home life to her magical world - and I just felt for her the entire time (especially after we learn more about her world). I don’t know if I can say that this one is one of my favorites, but damn it kept me hooked from beginning to end. I hope we get to see more of Antsy in the next book.

Also, I mostly listened to this audiobook and the narrator was excellent! She brought Antsy and the other characters to life (which may be why I was so invested in the story). I would highly recommend the audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for honest reviews.

Antsy is there when her father dies and her mother quickly ends up with another man, who Antsy does not like. She does not like his gaze or his power plays. When she slips through a door, she ends up in the Shop Where The Lost Things Go, and soon she finds herself changing, a mystery that keeps slipping her mind.

The latest in the Wayward Children series, this novella is heartbreaking, and sad, and squeezes your heart. I really just wanted to squeeze Antsy into a hug and rage. This is a different kind of story in this series, where instead of being someone who doesn't quite fit, Antsy is more lost and neglected. It's a story of innocence lost too young and someone being taken advantage of. And this is the story of how she finds her way to the Home for Wayward Children. Definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!

The narration on this is excellent. The story itself is enjoyable, but please remember it is a novella and the abrupt ending will not be a disappointment. (I forgot a bit)

Not the strongest in the series, but still a delight.

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

Oh my goodness! I absolutely adored this story and had trouble putting it down. The beginning was heartbreaking and the rest so on point, amazing, incredible, and sad. One of those books that end perfectly and yet you still want more. So glad I came across it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an ALC of this book.

In this standalone installment of The Wayward Children series, Antsy stumbles through a door to a shop of lost things after running away from home. This nexus of worlds allows her to open doors to other worlds and shop as much as she wants. Little does she know, there is always a cost.


I loved this as I love all these books! It took me a minute to remember Antsy from Where the Drowned Girls Go (very minor character) but I love that there is still a connection! It also shows there is a sort of happy middle for her at Miss Eleanor's. The backstory to this on was so sad!!!! I thought the backstory in Across the Green Grass Fields was sad but this is way worse. And the ending is also sad.

But this was so good and interesting and I loved it. Can't wait for an infinite amount more of this novella series!


CW: grooming, gaslighting, sexual harassment, death of a parent, grief

Will there ever be a Seanan McGuire book that I don't love?? If so, it certainly won't be part of the Wayward Children series. I know the author will have to move on at some point and stop writing these novellas but I'm so desperately hopeful that the day never comes. These remain the most fantastic portal fantasy stories, with loveable characters, usually plenty of drama/plot movement, but they all tackle some form of childhood trauma and that is where the series is really able to shine. This one was a little difficult in the beginning, and McGuire warns you from the first page that there is a TW for grooming, but it never gets to a breaking point - and that becomes a major plot point for why Antsy found her door. It was well handled, and I would trust McGuire with just about any topic at this point. I love this series and the audiobook was just phenomenal this time around. Jesse Vilinsky was the perfect choice for narrator.

Wow. Just freakin' wow.

This book made me feel every emotion and while some were triggering (complete with a very respectful and appreciated warning from the author) I couldn't put this book down.

I had no idea it was part of a series when I requested it on NetGalley but it worked perfectly as a standalone.

Will definitely read any others I can get my hands on.

TW: grooming, abuse, loss.

The narrator was acceptable; I found the "little girl voice" a bit irritating, but I'm also listening at 1.5 x so that may play into it. As for the story, McGuire knocks it out of the park again. The Wayward Children series has been so lovely and I really enjoyed how this story tied numerous others together. I liked the setting and the travel system to other places. I enjoyed the twist and the ending was also lovely and hopeful.

This starts out heavy, with Antoinette’s backstory in the first 4 chapters. To me, the book reads like a contemporary suspense/fiction before Ansty finds her first door. Here, there’s a shift in the writing, as this is where the magic truly starts in the story. While this novella is a fantasy, with magic doors that open into other worlds (and talking magpies), it’s truly about how trauma can make children grow up before they’re meant to. There are many things that happen which references things metaphorically, such as the price she pays when she opens a door in reference to growing up too soon and losing one’s childhood. I haven’t read the other books in this series and can say that this could be read as a standalone. Although now I’m super curious how it’ll tie into the other stories.

This is the 3rd book I've read from the Wayward Children series by Seanon McGuire. In this installment, Antoinette "Antsy" runs away from her family because she doesn't think her mom will believe what she has to say about her terrible gaslighting stepfather. She soon steps through a door that leads her to the shop where lost things go. She meets the other residents of the shop Vineta, and a talking magpie named Hudson, who hire Antsy because of her ability to find and open so many of the doors.

I appreciated the author's note at the beginning of the story giving a trigger warning because she didn't want anyone to be blindsided by the dark themes. There was no super villain for Antsy to defeat in order to go home. In this case she has to be found before the door to her world will reappear. I enjoyed the overall arc of the story and appreciated some of the closure given at the end. I plan to continue reading the series.

This might be number eight in the series but I think it might just be my number one. Definitely a contender for one of the best.

As the setting in this one is a nexus point so you get glimpses of many worlds. I love how it ties into the lore and you get a little more info on the doors.

This is also one of the heaviest books in the series and I appreciated the authors note at the beginning to warn you and assure you. Once Antsy learns what is happening to her in the shop it is not lost on me the annology that such traumas force kids to grow up too fast and loose their childhood.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced audiobook for review.

This series is just so amazing. Each one has so much heart and is written so well. The characters, the settings the stories are all beautiful. This one is a little darker and at the beginning of the audiobook there was a warning of what was to come. Despite the warning the subject manner was handled with great care. Once again I cannot possible pick a favorite book, they all are unique and wonderful. I cannot wait for the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

5 ⭐️

#NetGalley #SeananMcGuire #LostintheMomentandFound

Lost in the Moment and Found is a heart-wrenching story of loss, in multiple forms, that is a fitting continuation of the Hugo award winning Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire. Lost in the Moment and Found is a standalone addition to the Wayward Children series in the sense that alternating stories in the series feature the backstory of characters and the often traumatic circumstances that led them to find their doors. While previous knowledge of the series is not required, I recommend starting at the beginning of the series.

McGuire tells the story of Antoinette (Antsy), who loses her father at an early age and faces further trauma before stumbling upon the Shop Where the Lost Things Go which exists between the worlds and doors of the series. While a standalone story, the nature of the Shop allows glimpses at the broader universe of the series and gives us more insight into the interactions between worlds and how the doors work, which I expect to be significant in future installments. Jesse Vilinsky’s narration is well done and makes the opening chapters through the loss of Antsy’s father and subsequent events, particularly emotional and heart wrenching; while she also subtly captures Antsy’s growth through the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an audio review copy of Lost in the Moment and Found. Review and broader exploration of portal fantasy stories (including Wayward Children series) planned for episode #189 of Narrated podcast: https://narratedpodcast.com/189

I went into "Lost in the Moment and Found" blind, not realizing it was book 8 in an existing series. As promised, it did fine as a standalone read, and I found myself immersed in the characters and narrative from the first few minutes.

Antoinette, aptly nicknamed Antsy, has her world turned upside down a number of times in young childhood when she experiences a number of losses: first her father, then her trust in adults, and finally herself when she becomes lost among the streets of her city and turns up quite accidentally at the Shop Where Lost Things Go. There, she begins to explore new worlds through the doors the shop offers, finding along the way that all is perhaps not as delightful as it seems.

Antsy is a character that's easily to like and root for. I found myself wishing I had more of her experiences in other worlds, but as this is a 100-page novella, perhaps that was too much for me to expect (and likely is where the previous seven books in the series come in). The writing quality was strong enough, the imagery vivid enough, and the characters intriguing enough for me to want to seek out the original series to read more.

This was another excellent addition to the Home for Wayward Children series. The books typically alternate between one about the home and one about a character in their world and I definitely prefer the later. This one was about Antsy's world in the Shop of Lost Things and is possibly the darkest instalment so far. I also found this book to possibly be the most profound of the series. There was a definite metaphor between the trauma Antsy faced as a child and the "cost" of travelling through the door. Both being that it was a childhood lost.

Trigger warnings for child abuse, grooming, gaslighting.

Rating: 5 leaves out of 5
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Audiobook
Worth?: YES

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to listen to this book. Wow...just wow. First I want to say that if you like Howl's Moving Castle's (Diana Wynne Jones) mixed with The Midnight Library (Matt Haig) and Seanan's touch this is the book for you. It does deal with a heavy, close to home theme that she warns before hand.

The message this story gives is probably the most heartbreaking thing. The story is so beautiful woven that you get just as lost as Antoinette and before you know it you are kicked out and just left wondering what next. I had taken points off for the mom but... realized she was needed, even if I despised her.

Maybe it just hit very close to home for me but it was so well done. I am tearing up just thinking about it now. And I wanted to take points off for shutting the door, right after it opened, but the ending was very exactly what was needed. We see where it went and how it will go. I just really love this damn book.