Where the Drowned Girls Go is a powerful and dark look at what it means to come back from a place that still has hooks embedded deep within the skin. Cora is tired. Tired of never getting a good night’s sleep, tired of being the odd one out, and tired of hearing the Drowned Gods whisper to her maliciously from every shadow. As long as they try to claim her, she can never return to her watery door, The Trenches. Cora knows there is a school that might be able to help her forget the world of doors and her adventures as a mermaid- Whitethorn Institute. Of course, not all is as it seems at this regimented and strange school.

I loved this installment into the Wayward Children series from the title alone! I was hoping we would see more from Cora! This was an interesting look into the menacing Whitethorn Institute and what happens to the children who return from worlds that are dangerous or they may be unable to return. I loved watching Cora journey through the stages of learning her own power and deciding what it means to be a hero (with help from Sumi!). Seanan McGuire has a haunting way with description, chilling and precise. I appreciate the thoughtful focus on mental health and caution readers to check the TWs relating to fatphobia, bullying, eating disorders, and mention of suicide attempt.

Having read Across the Green Grass Fields, I absolutely loved the cameo from Regan! Regan is one of my favorite characters in the series and it was great to see her again (while not in the best circumstances!). Where The Drowned Girls Go can be read as a standalone, I think readers will get the most out of this having read at least one other book in the series. I already can’t wait to continue the adventure with the next book in the series! Thank you so much to Seanan McGuire, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.