Where the Drowned Girls Go

Cora Miller, a former student at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children, seeks refuge at the Whitethorn Institute to escape the haunting call of the Drowned Gods. The Whitethorn Institute stands in stark contrast to Eleanor West's school - instead of helping children process their magical adventures, it aims to make them forget their experiences and readjust to ordinary life. After finding a portal to an underwater world called the Trenches where she became a heroic mermaid, Cora returned changed in both body and spirit. Her subsequent adventure to the Moors left her vulnerable to the Drowned Gods' nightly torment, leading to her desperate choice to transfer schools. At Whitethorn, Cora faces strict rules and harsh treatment while trying to suppress her memories of magical realms. The arrival of her former classmate Sumi sets events in motion that expose the true nature of the institute. The book examines themes of identity, belonging, and the price of conformity through the lens of portal fantasy. It questions whether forgetting who you are can ever truly be the answer to finding peace.

Readers describe this as a darker entry in the Wayward Children series that explores trauma and recovery. Many found the confrontational tone and heavier themes created an emotional impact. Readers appreciated: - The exploration of mental health and healing - Return of characters from previous books - Deeper world-building of the school system - Writing style that captures the bleakness Common criticisms: - Less plot-driven than other books in the series - Some found it too depressing - Feels more like a transitional book setting up future stories - Less magical elements compared to previous entries Ratings: Goodreads: 4.16/5 (15,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (1,200+ ratings) StoryGraph: 4.05/5 Several readers noted it works better as part of the series than as a standalone. As one Goodreads reviewer wrote: "This isn't a fun adventure, but rather a necessary examination of what happens after the adventures end."

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire Children who return from portal worlds navigate a boarding school while wrestling with their longing to return to magical realms.

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas Students at an isolated institution submit to strange experiments and rigid rules while uncovering dark secrets about their elite school.

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey A non-magical detective investigates a murder at a school for magically gifted students while confronting her complicated relationship with her magical twin sister.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon A clairvoyant student in a supernatural education system must survive both her training and the dark political machinations of her otherworldly instructors.

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins Former students of a godlike figure must use their supernatural education to navigate a complex system of power and survival after their master disappears.

🌊 The Drowned Gods in the novel draw inspiration from various water deities found in mythology worldwide, particularly the dangerous and seductive aspects of ocean folklore. 🚪 This is the seventh book in the Wayward Children series, which has won multiple awards including the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards for its unique take on portal fantasy. 📝 Seanan McGuire writes horror fiction under the pen name Mira Grant, and has published over 40 novels across multiple genres since her debut in 2009. 🏫 The contrasting schools in the series - Eleanor West's School and the Whitethorn Institute - represent opposing philosophical approaches to trauma recovery: acceptance versus erasure. 🧜‍♀️ The underwater world Cora visited, the Trenches, is one of many portal worlds in the series that are categorized along axes of Logic/Nonsense and Virtue/Wickedness.