Where the Drowned Girls Go

This Wayward Children installment takes the series’ portal-fantasy framework and turns it inward, exploring what happens when belonging curdles into control. McGuire uses the Whitehorn Institute as a stark counterpoint to Eleanor West’s school, making the novella feel less whimsical and more sharply institutional. Cora remains a strong anchor because her cynicism and vulnerability coexist so convincingly. The book is especially effective on the psychological violence of being told to erase what you know about yourself. There’s a clear emotional throughline about autonomy, community, and the desire to be believed. McGuire’s prose stays clean and quick, letting the ideas carry weight without slowing the narrative. It’s one of the darker entries in the series, but also one of the most pointed. A slim book with real bite.