Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series is a comfort series for me. It's one I go back to over and over for a quick reread in between books or when I need to keep myself from falling into a reading slump. I always look forwards to the next installment.

The world in Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear was so unique, and I loved Nadya's story. Just like all of the other books in this series it made me laugh and cry, and I didn't want it to end. I also loved the disability rep in this book. Portal fantasies will forever have my heart.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group/Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.
 
4/5 🌟

Out of all books in this series, the story of Nadia touches my heart the most. I loved how the motives of disability and immigration interchanges to underline representation of the group that still needs to find their voice in the community. Especially in 2025, where political atmosphere seems to discriminate left and right. Without even a shred of disappointment Seanan, yet another time, forces us with her sensitivity and mindfulness, to exercise our muscle of empathy. At the same time, she created a backstory for a character we know from the first instalments of the series. I was always curious about water worlds and here we got a chance to see one that despite having vibe of being surrounded by stinky, green water, is as enchanting as it gets with love to turtles and other Slavic people who were sure to open the door.
Despite having a feeling that other books might have been better, Nadya will always stay in my heart and hence, officially, this is the best book I have read in January 2025.

*4 stars*

Like all the other books in the Wayward Children series this was heartwarming and enjoyable. It gives the background story of Nadya who we’ve previously met in previous books.
Although we see Nadya in the future in Beneath the Sugar Sky I would have liked a little more of her future at the end of this book. The ending felt very abrupt and I feel like the story could have been wrapped with more of where Nadya is now in the current timeline.
The narration was well done. Easy to listen to and definitely added to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

The narrator did an excellent job and I loved that she had a Russian accent. I felt fully immersed into the story and it was as if Nadya herself were talking to me.

This is book 10 in the Wayward Children series and follows Nadya, an orphan from Russia adopted by an American couple. Her adoptive parents aim to show their church and the world what wonderful people they are by fixing Nadya. But Nadya doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with herself, she’s lived her whole life doing the same things as everyone else but just with one arm. One day, while visiting her beloved turtles, she falls into the nearby pond and finds herself in Belyyreka, a Drowned world.

I’ve always thought that I enjoyed the odd numbered books more because of the adventures with multiple of my favorite recurring characters, but I’m realizing as the series continues that I equally love reading about the backstories. The last time we saw Nadya was in book 3 in Confection (a world where everything is made up of sweets 🤤) and I forgot almost everything about her, so this was a great reintroduction into her character. If you love this series, you will love this story. And if you’ve made it this far into the series then I’m assuming you love the series lol. This is honestly my favorite January tradition and if Seanan McGuire keeps writing them, I will keep reading them.

Thank you McMillan Audio for an advanced listener copy of this book.

This was such a pleasant surprise for me. I have not read any of the other books in this series, but after this one, I'm looking for them all.

The imagery and world building was intricate and detailed. Being told from Nadya's point of view you get such an honest portrayal of what is happening in the story. Her growth throughout this short story is impactful and believable. In just 160 pages, you are taken through a journey you won't soon forget.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the eAudiobook ARC! The tenth book in the Wayward Children series, Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear, is Nadya story. Nadya was adopted and offered a new life with her new family, but they also felt that Nadya was incomplete. Born without an arm, her adoptive parents try to "fix" Nadya regardless of her feelings and wants. When Nadya falls into the water near her home, a doorway opens for Nadya and she is given a choice. Entering the door, Nadya becomes one of the drowned girls welcomed into elyrreka, the Land Beneath the Lake. There, Nadya makes a new life for herself, discovering her strength and resilience. An engaging and emotional tale that will have you rooting for Nadya and enjoying her brave and adventurous spirit with fantastic narration by Barrie Kreinik that will pull you in to this other world.

This story felt like being swept away and there's nothing more perfect than that.
I didn't initially remember this character but every character in this series feels so real and distinct that it didn't take very long before I was immersed enough that I began to fill in the pieces that I had forgotten.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire is the tenth book in the Wayward Children series. This story is about Nadya, a girl born with one arm, who feels out of place until she finds a magical world called Belyyreka, the Land Beneath the Lake. In this new world, she meets giant turtles and other strange creatures, and finally feels like she belongs.

Nadya's journey is about discovering who she is and finding strength in herself. The book is both magical and emotional, with a focus on Nadya's personal growth and the challenges she faces. The writing is engaging and heartfelt, making it a good read for fans of this series. Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear is perfect for those who enjoy fantasy stories with deep emotional connections.

*3 stars* This has been my lowest rated Wayward Children book yet. I absolutely adore this series but this book just wasn't needed. We didn't need Nadya's story and it felt like a story where nothing happened. It didn't contribute to what we have already learned and didn't answer any questions.

I always enjoy a return to the Wayward Children series, even if this one felt a little too short for me. The narrator made an interesting choice in portraying a Russian accent throughout the audiobook which lends it an extra thematic layer, as you consider that our main character's internal voice is probably in Russian, which I loved.

Read Completed 11/29/24 | 2 stars

1 | Every Heart a Doorway ★★★★☆
2 | Down Among the Sticks and Bones ★★★★☆
3 | Beneath the Sugar Sky ★★★★☆
4 | In an Absent Dream ★★★★☆
5 | Come Tumbling Down ★★★☆☆
6 | Across the Green Grass Fields ★★★★☆
7 | Where the Drowned Girls Go ★★☆☆☆
8 | Lost in the Moment and Found ★★★☆☆
9 | Mislaid in Parts Half-Known ★★★☆☆
10 | Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear ★★☆☆☆

I'm just not sure why I'm not connecting with these anymore. I found this installment entirely boring and couldn't get any interested in this world. I think I really don't like the worlds that are more folklore & fairy tale with animals as a MAIN part of the world. I have a really hard time with it not feeling like just a nursery rhyme -- which could also entirely be the point.

I really, really didn't like the concept of Nadya's prothesis. In the beginning, when it's her adoptive parents making the decision for her, it's a terrible thing that she's never consulted or asked if it's what she wants to do... but then when she magically gets a prosthesis in the underwater world, it's totally okay. So is it what she wanted all along and that's why magic grants it to her? I thought it would be more lovely if she didn't have that because she kept saying how she was perfect the way she was born. I thought it would make more sense for her to perfectly adept for this world that welcomed her without adding something like that -- that would be better suited for continuing the concept that she was perfect the way she was.

I keep getting disappointed in this series, but I loved the early installments so I keep trying. I think the origin stories are more difficult because they're so separate from the *plot*. I know that's not the point of a lot of these origin stories, but something just feels a little empty at times.

This was just a miss for me because of what the world was and it wasn't something I enjoyed, but there were also elements that I just didn't enjoy and some writing choices I didn't love. I'll keep trying a few more, but if they keep going like this, I may have to abandon this series.

I was so delighted to finally get the backstory on this character, after having seen her outcome earlier in the series. Nadya was a delightful main character who is unique and easy to root for. I was charmed by her no-nonsense attitude and her reflections on her life before going through her door. As always, the ending of these novels can be heartbreaking, but it was tolerable knowing that there is more to Nadya's story. I absolutely cannot wait for the next in this series!

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan Mcguire is the tenth audiobook in the Wayward Children series and shares Nadya’s origin story when the door to Belyyreka first opened to her. Narrated by Barrie Kreinik, McGuire once again held me captive in this riveting fantasy.

We first met Nadya. “the drowned girl” in Beneath the Sugar Sky. In that story her door opened for her again. Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear gives us Nayda’s origin story and how her door first opened to take her to Belyyreka, the world under the lake.

I absolutely love the Wayward Children series and the characters and doors we have opened. It was a delight to learn more about Nadya. We meet her on the day of her birth, and spend time with her in a Russian orphanage before she is adopted by a family. Nadya accepts who she is,feels frustrated she can’t make her adoptive mother happy and loves spending time at the pond with the turtles but others make decisions “in her best interest.” The one she struggles with the most is the prosthetic arm her new parents and doctors are making her wear. It isn’t her, and makes her feel clumsy and useless.

It is then that a door opens for her. Nadya finds herself in the land under the lake known as Belyyreka. Here she meets a fox and finds It’s world of water and creatures, like child-eating amphibians, talking frogs and giant turtles. In this world with impossible ships that sail on wind and air she finds acceptance. A home, and a family.

Of course there are dangers, and trials Nayda must face and McGuire’s storytelling pulled me in. I devoured this almost in a single sitting. Nayda is a wonderful character and I felt for her and loved seeing her find herself. The ending I knew going in, because of Beneath the Sugar Sky but it still left me sad.

Barrie Kreinik narrates this story and did a lovely job with the Russian accents and voicing Nadya herself. I highly recommend listening to the series.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear is the newest installment in Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series, a collection centered onchildren who find portals to fantastical worlds.

This particular story, which can be read as a standalone, follows Nadya, a Russian orphan, on her journey from her home country to America and eventually to the magical world of Belyyreka: the Land Beneath the Lake. Belyyreka is an utterly fascinating new creation, featuring massive turtles as the main form of transportation, various talking animals, rivers that can bestow magical gifts, and a landscape entirely devoid of dry land - only water of varying densities. The mesmerizing world-building makes this Drowned world feel unlike anything I have read about before.

McGuire masterfully weaves a poignant and emotional tale, addressing complex themes like inter-country adoption and disability with the utmost care and sensitivity. I really enjoyed watching Nadya find her family and her purpose over the course of this story!

Nadya has quickly become one of my favorite characters in the Wayward Children series, and I’m thrilled to report that McGuire goes above and beyond to do her story justice.

Thank you Netgalley and Tordotcom for providing me with an ALC!

This one was charming and fun. I loved the turtles and Nadia as a main character, and I thought it felt whimsical and remained poignant. One of my favorites from this series.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear, like all of the Wayward Children series, gives a nostalgic vibe. There's this almost fairy tale atmosphere to the story. You know the 'fairy tale' logic? Where things don't make sense and in a strange way they do? Worlds where anything seems possible and the questions of how and why are suddenly suspended. Yet at the same time, these worlds have this uncanny ability to ask, with almost childlike curiosity, about the true heart of the matter. It's one of my favorite elements of the Wayward Children series.

My only complaint is that the ending felt incredibly abrupt. I was totally enraptured with Barrie Kreinik's narration. There's something about listening to this series on audiobook which gives me a new appreciation for their transportative quality. But the abrupt ending made me think my audiobook had skipped ahead.

I’ve read every installation of The Wayward Children series and really enjoyed it. This was another solid addition. This time, we learn about Nadya and how she found her door. Her story starts in Russia in an orphanage and moves on from there. While the circumstances that led her to a door were similar to other stories, the origin of her story is quite a bit different from the rest. I won’t say that it was super original, but if you’ve enjoyed the series thus far, you’ll likely enjoy this one too.

I haven't been loving Seanan McGuire's other series this year, so I wasn't looking forward to this book. Ultimately, I'm glad I had nothing to worry about. This book is an honest look at a child, Nadya, born without the lower part of her right arm and the ablism she deals with from her adopted parents, who only see her as a doll. Nadya finds a proper home with people who accept and love her when she ends up in the underwater world. The knowledge that she would return to our world made her story bittersweet because as much as she loved that underwater world, she would be parted from it and end up at Wayward Children's School. I had to reread Beneath the Sugar Sky to remind myself what happened to Nadya, and now I want another book.

I loved Barrie Kreinik's narration. Her Russian accent was pleasant to listen to.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for my honest thoughts.

I've been reading or listening to the Wayward Children series since I got the very first, Every Heart a Doorway, as an arc many years ago. I was thrilled to receive Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear from Netgalley. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book, just as I've enjoyed listening to or reading the rest of the series. The narrator was spot on, as her voice and reading pattern was able to add the mystical/magic to the book itself. The voice and narration was also consistent with the rest of the series, which I find to be incredibly important. I love recommending this series to people and look forward to recommending this latest installment.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration and the way it brought the story to life.
This was part of the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire. It is the first book I have read in the series and I definitely want to read more. The books seem to be stand alone and not necessarily need to read together or in order. It was a unique story, about a young girl named Nadya who was born without an arm and raised in a Russian orphanage. She is adopted through a Missionary program that brings her to the States. Her new parents provide everything that she could possibly want, but don't take the time to get to know the real her or what she really needs. she goes through the door, she finds herself in a magical world filled with water, giant turtles and people that understand the Drowned Girl. This book was really good, but a little short. I have to say, the ending I felt was a little abrupt and I found myself wanting a little more. I definitely would recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audioarc to preview.