Summary:
Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests
Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.
But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.
Nancy tumbled once, but now she's back. The things she's experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West's care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.
But Nancy's arrival marks a change at the Home. There's a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it's up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of things.
No matter the cost.
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| Published by Tor |
Only Seanan McGuire would be the one to ask what happens to children after coming back from magical doors. And yes, she does an amazing job keeping you reading until the last page has passed and you've wished the book had more words. (that's true of all her series I've encountered)
The story follows Nancy as she is sent to Miss Eleanor's Home. A girl for whom the bright light hurts, the world is a riot of color, and anything faster than a sedate pace is considered too fast. Her hair has never been bleached, yet it now grows out pure white with rivulets of black. The school itself looks to be a respectable boarding school, and it is. It's meant to help those who have come back from the other side of a magical door.
The children themselves are mostly girls, with a few boys. The self adage "boys will be boys" actually proves to be a deterrent for magic doors, since boys are more noticeable to go missing than girls and get lost less often.
What really got me for this book was how well the magical worlds were described using only a few words. Even in sparsity they were infused with so much yearning. "Hope" is a dangerous word to use. Yet that's what these kids have, hope that someday their door might come back for them. If they only could just find the right combination of words and motions that will let them back in. A lot of the worlds described are fairyland style worlds, with either a "high logic" or "high nonsense" underlying foundation. The rules for which all inhabitants, native and tourist alike, must follow. The few darker worlds, like Nancy's Hall of the Dead, or Jack and Jill's Moors are harder to pin down. They don't seem like nonsense worlds, but would they be considered virtuous or wicked in nature?
The story itself packs so much emotion in such a short time. The ending resolves everything nicely, with no frills or bows to add to the ceremony.
I know this story is meant to be about the children, but I really wanted to read more about Eleanor West. She opens the story with her narration, introduces Nancy to her new room, and sticks up for her when everyone is convinced it's Nancy's presence that's causing the sudden upheavals . But beyond that she only pops in at intermittent moments.
The story follows Nancy as she is sent to Miss Eleanor's Home. A girl for whom the bright light hurts, the world is a riot of color, and anything faster than a sedate pace is considered too fast. Her hair has never been bleached, yet it now grows out pure white with rivulets of black. The school itself looks to be a respectable boarding school, and it is. It's meant to help those who have come back from the other side of a magical door.
The children themselves are mostly girls, with a few boys. The self adage "boys will be boys" actually proves to be a deterrent for magic doors, since boys are more noticeable to go missing than girls and get lost less often.
What really got me for this book was how well the magical worlds were described using only a few words. Even in sparsity they were infused with so much yearning. "Hope" is a dangerous word to use. Yet that's what these kids have, hope that someday their door might come back for them. If they only could just find the right combination of words and motions that will let them back in. A lot of the worlds described are fairyland style worlds, with either a "high logic" or "high nonsense" underlying foundation. The rules for which all inhabitants, native and tourist alike, must follow. The few darker worlds, like Nancy's Hall of the Dead, or Jack and Jill's Moors are harder to pin down. They don't seem like nonsense worlds, but would they be considered virtuous or wicked in nature?
The story itself packs so much emotion in such a short time. The ending resolves everything nicely, with no frills or bows to add to the ceremony.
I know this story is meant to be about the children, but I really wanted to read more about Eleanor West. She opens the story with her narration, introduces Nancy to her new room, and sticks up for her when everyone is convinced it's Nancy's presence that's causing the sudden upheavals . But beyond that she only pops in at intermittent moments.
There is some good news for sequel hopefuls. Tor has already set up for two more books to be written in this world. I have no idea what the plot will be about, but I'm looking forward already. If I had any complaint about this book, it's that it was a novella length and thus far too short. But then the really good books usually are.
4.5/5 stars
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