I love this whooooole series so much. I did miss the other characters, but really enjoyed being a part of Nadya's story from the beginning. I anxiously await *every* installment.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire


I was already a big fan of Ms. McGuire’s when the first wayward children book, Every Heart a Doorway, came out, and I loved it! As a kid who grew up loving the Oz series and resenting the Christian imagery in Narnia, it was right up my alley. It is a wonderful book and this is an excellent series, definitely deserving of its Best Series Hugo win. In this series, the odd numbered books are the main timeline, and the even numbered books tell stories outside the main timeline - sometimes introducing us to new characters when they travel through their Doors, and other times showing up backstory of preexisting characters.

I was overjoyed when tordotcom and NetGalley awarded me an eARC of Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear . I hope for eARCs of the wayward children books every year and once again this year I was finally lucky enough to get one!

This story is an even numbered book, so it is not advancing the main story forward - it more of a character study of Nadya. We met Nadya way back when the gang went on a journey to resurrect Sumi. We hadn’t learned that much of her story except that her Door led to a world of water with turtles in it, and that she eventually made it back there.

This story is heartbreaking - we learned that Nadya was abandoned at a Russian orphanage by a teenager who was planning on giving her up even before she saw that she was born with a missing arm. The orphanage part isn’t the heartbreaking part - it is the way Nadya is treated by the right wing religious couple who adopt her as an act of charity, not love. Nadya’s time in her world is wonderful but too brief, and I was so sad when she was ripped away at the end of the novella, heartened only by my memory of her ultimate happier ending.

I tried to savor this book but failed, rushing through to the end because I couldn’t put it down.

I cannot wait to devour the next one!

In Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear, we learn more about Nadya, a Russian orphan who gets adopted by an American couple. As always, I love the representation and social commentary that Seanan weaves into these stories. In this case, we were given disability representation and a very interesting conversation about international adoption and cultural identity. I enjoyed this aspect of the book the most. Once Nadya got settled into Belyrreka, the story fell a little bit flat for me. I loved the turtles! Although this was not my favorite in the series, I certainly recommend it and will be purchasing a physical copy of the book.

To say I love this series is an understatement. This is one of my favorite series of all time. Seanan McGuire is incredible at creating worlds and characters you will love and care for so much.

Thank you so much to Tordotcom and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear is the latest of Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series and is one of the greats. It follows Nadya, a child who was born with one arm and was abandoned in the hospital soon after her birth. Nadya grows up not feeling the lack of a second arm and is content to lead the children in the orphanage to the outcomes she feels are best for them.

Her tragedy comes when the well-meaning nuns at the orphanage set her up to be adopted. An American couple brings her back to the States, tearing her away from Russia—the land and the language she knows. She is expected to be a perfect, grateful daughter, especially when they insist on a prosthetic Nadya neither needs nor wants.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear explores the difference between intent and impact and the difference between the golden and platinum rules. It is as thought-provoking as the rest of the series and is more heart-wrenching for showing Nadya’s early story instead of what will happen when she gets back to this world from her doorway.

Overall, this latest installment to the Wayward Children series is well worth the read.

Yet another heartbreaking installment in this series. Not quite as brutal as Antsy or as fraught with indecision as Cora, Nadya’s tale was the cool, and thoughtful sort of story I’ve come to expect from this series. Belyyreka was gorgeous and wild and so much more immersive than some of the other worlds we’ve visited. Across the board this was a lovely addition to the series.

This is the story of Nadya, a girl we have already met at Eleanor's School for Wayward Children — we have seen how her tale ends up, and now we backtrack to see how it began. I love this series, but I'm not sure this book justifies the deeper dive than the original brief glimpse of Nadya's story we'd already gotten.

Why didn't I enjoy Adrift more than I did? First off, I thought that Nadya was a compelling character, and I love how the author consciously makes a point to explore different viewpoints from all different circumstances and walks of life... but honestly, in this case I found Nadya's personal challenges more interesting before she fell through her door. The world she fell into was peaceful (and I like turtles as much as the next person), but once there, it just didn't seem to be much of a hook to build a story around. Now, the drowned woods, the talking fox, the horrifying giant frogs? Good stuff, instantly intriguing. But once Nadya settles into her new life, that's about it, story-wise. And even the way she eventually finds herself back in her original world just seems... anticlimactic.

All in all, this was a nice little slice-of-life story, but I wish there had been a little more meat on its bones.

Seanan McGuire once again proves her mastery of storytelling in Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear, a novel that beautifully blends fantasy with deeply human emotions. The story is set in a world both familiar and strange, where McGuire's lyrical prose draws you into a journey of self-discovery, loss, and redemption.

The protagonist’s journey is filled with moments of quiet introspection and intense action, making it a compelling read from start to finish. McGuire’s ability to create richly detailed worlds is on full display, and the characters are vividly brought to life, each with their own complexities and struggles that make them feel real and relatable.

What sets this book apart is its exploration of the delicate balance between hope and despair. McGuire tackles these themes with sensitivity, weaving them into the narrative in a way that feels both natural and profound. The pacing is generally well-handled, though there are moments where the plot meanders slightly, which may slow down some readers.

Overall, Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear is a hauntingly beautiful novel that will linger in your thoughts long after you’ve turned the last page. It’s a story of resilience, of finding clarity in the midst of chaos, and of the quiet strength that lies within us all. While not without its flaws, it’s a book that will resonate deeply with fans of McGuire’s work and newcomers alike.

It's one of those like, I'm going to read all of the Wayward Children books, but they come out so erratically and don't tie together that I tend to forget who is who and why I care about them. I liked this story, I did, I'm just not sure about why it's being told now.

. Thank you Tordotcom via NetGalley for the eARC of my most anticipated book of 2025!

If you think we didn’t need a backstory of a character whose story was settled earlier in this series, you are wrong.

I am emotional!! McGuire makes me care about characters so much that I’ve committed to a series, which I haven’t done since I first read Twilight in 2008 (lol). Even more so, she makes me care about characters that I admittedly didn’t really think twice about in earlier books.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear is the backstory of Nadya, a Russian orphan adopted by American parents and a Drowned Girl, whom we met in books 1 & 3 of the Wayward Children series. We spend years with Nadya in Belyyreka, a Drowned World with talking turtles. I am not typically fond of talking animals in my stories, but it really worked for me in this one. (Yes, it helps that turtles are my favorite).

Overall, I have never found a World to be so comforting, which is why it is so devastating and cruel to have cast her out. She finds safety, security, and bodily autonomy - something she lacked as a child outside of Belyyreka: “I am fine. I do not need a protez—a, ah, prosthetic—arm. I am happy as I am.” “But you can’t be,” Carl insisted. “You must want to be a whole little girl.” Gut punch!!

This book was sad and hopeful. Nadya is brave and resilient and whole and she talks to turtles and I adore her.

I cannot wait for more of this series.

Another hit in the Wayward Children series. This book packs quite an emotional punch. I can’t believe how much world building Seanan McGuire can fit into only a novella. Fans of this series, this is a must.

Another enchanting and heartbreaking entry in the world of Every Heart a Doorway.

I appreciate the way that McGuire keeps inscribing new identities that will speak to so many adults' experiences as children.

It's difficult to capture that time spent before your brain fully matures. Children are hard to write but McGuire manages to translate those beliefs, sureties, and the developing logic of children.

The magic comes into how that is all altered by the basic structure of the portal fantasy.

Hopefully new and old readers alike will Be Sure to visit yet another Drowned world in this entry to the series.

There's just something about the Wayward Children series that I refuse to give up on - I have rated every book in the series as four stars and number 10 continues to follow that pattern. McGuire touches on difficult subjects and does it in a tiny package that is easy to devour in an afternoon.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the arc of this book in return for an honest review...

To say I am disappointed is an understatement. I was expecting a conclusion that would make me feel something... Instead, I received a story of a girl who found a place she belonged, only to be sucked out of it and have it seem like it was all a dream... Not that she was ever really somewhere else... That she had a near death experience and the world she loved was simply her brain running out of oxygen.

I am choosing to believe this is not part of the series I hold so true to my soul and maybe that's an insult to the series - to the author who created worlds that we all could escape into when we needed somewhere that wasn't our real lives. To have this story be part of the 9 before it would simply be an insult to them. So I refuse to do so.

The Wayward Children series will always be a hit for me. We follow Drowned Girl Nadya in this one. We haven't seen her since Nancy's world and it was really great to get to see her world. The turtles made my heart so happy. The bonding reminds me of dragon bonding in some other fantasy series. The aging in the worlds being so different will always make me a little wary when they go back through the doors. Nadya having a whole husband, etc. and then going back home as 11 again always gives me the chills. Anyway, not my most favorite installment but I love it anyways.

Yet another fascinating addition to the Wayward Children Series by Seanan McGuire. Her books are an auto-read for me and I constantly recommend them to everyone. They've also been a big hit with our book club since they are interconnected but don't have to be read in order. We will be purchasing for the collection.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm always curious to see what the setting of each of these books is going to be, and who it will center around. Sometimes I'm underwhelmed. That is the case with this one. And yet, every time I read one of these books, even the underwhelming ones, I end up with at least a few tears. Don't know what that says about me.

Anyways it was ok. I liked the turtles. 3/5.

I will drop everything I'm doing the second I get my hands on a new Wayward Children series book and that's exactly what I ddi as I received an early copy of Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear. Thank you so much for this early copy!

This story is about Nadya, who is born in Russia to a young mother that wants nothing to do with her, so she lives her early life in an adoption home. Nadya is eventually adopted by an American couple who wants a daughter of their own. Although she doesn't have an arm, her adoptive parents fit her with a prosthetic one, which she is unhappy about, but can't explain why. Nadya winds her self wondering, and falling into a door that leads her to Belyrreka, the Land Beneath the Lake - and found herself in a world full of water and turtles. Nadya finds herself to be a Drowned Girl and is happy in the world she finds herself in, until she winds up right back where she didn't want to be: with her adoptive parents.

As always, Seanan McGuire wrote a beautiful story and her storytelling is stunning - there is truly no one like her. I absolutely adore her work and will ALWAYS champion her and this series.

Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series continues to be one of the most creative series out there, but this latest installment suffers from its decision to focus on a character who hasn't featured prominently since (if my memory serves) <i>Beneath the Sugar Sky</i> (published seven years prior to the pub date of this book). Given that these books are quite short and come out only once a year, I had no memory of Nadya or what her story was. This isn't necessarily prohibitive to enjoying the book, as the story begins before Nadya finds her door, but I felt it would have been a richer reading experience if I could actually remember this character's significance to the overarching story.

Choosing to make Nadya an orphan in Russia who is adopted by Americans feels inspired, given the message of this series: Nadya's parents have very specific ideas about what an adopted daughter should be, all of which are ultimately self-serving to their own agenda of appearing to be good, Godly folks. They "choose" her at the orphanage because her limb difference makes them look even more pious, but then ignore the fact that Nadya's limb difference doesn't bother her and has never seemed to her to be an inhibition. It's no wonder that the world she finds behind her door feels more like home to her than her new home does; it has no expectations of her, not even that of heroics. (It's repeated throughout that this is not a time when Belyyreka, her world, is in need of heroes.) However, for all that, the book felt like it was missing something for me. Maybe it's because there's no need for heroics in this world that very little happens to Nadya, and for another reader, maybe that's perfectly okay! I will say that, as usual, this world was incredibly inventive, creative, and even at times scientifically sound, in the way of fantasy logic! Seanan McGuire is an endless well of creativity when it comes to imagining magical worlds that children may fall into.

I really, really hope that this isn't the last Wayward Children book. I think it might be, but if McGuire wants to keep writing...you know I'm going to keep reading!

Returning to this series feels like returning to the arms of an old friend. ADRIFT IN CURRENTS CLEAN AND CLEAR is oozing with the magic, darkness, nostalgia, and heart that makes the Wayward Children series so achingly timeless, and I LOVED the disability representation in this entry. Nadya is such an endearing protagonist, and the details of her drowned world were SO evocative and atmospheric. Turtle companions? Rivers within rivers? Talking foxes? Flooded forests? YES YES YES.

This was not my favorite entry in this series, but despite that I think the author has given readers yet another fantastically unique and well developed fantasy world to sink into. This book is as vibrant and clever as ever, but I felt it was lacking in action and focus, feeling more like a biography of the main character than a portal fantasy adventure. I also had trouble connecting with the main character and didn't find her as appealing as some of the others.