+Extensive world-building
+Compelling characters you quickly bond with
+Thought-provoking plot
+Great balance of character growth, world building, and plot

This series (and all of Becky Chamber's, to be honest) has become my comfort series. Every time I read these books, it's like being wrapped in a warm hug, even if the stories themselves are sometimes heartbreaking. This final installment has only further proven that, and I can't wait to read these books over and over again. I'm heartbroken I won't get another story in this world, but at the same time, I've loved the other works Chambers has written as well (To Be Taught, If Fortunate and the Psalm for the Wild Built), and can't wait to see what she writes next.

One of my favorite things throughout this series has been the universe that the stories are set in. Chambers has always done a fantastic job of creating worlds and cultures that feel entirely real, while also making them inclusive and realistic. Her world-building has become what I compare other sci-fis too, as to me it's just a perfect example of how to create a deep, fascinating setting for a sci-fi story to take place in. The diversity that exists between the different cultures and how they perceive the world around them (both on a cultural level, such as with gender and relationships, but also on a physical level, like communicating through colors instead of sound) is one of my favorite parts of the universe this series takes place in. I also love that each new book seems to take a different approach and angle to this universe, and we aren't just getting the human perspective of this vast world. We get to see the world through the lens of different species, and it's always really cool to see how that changes a particular story. This book is a perfect example of that, since our point of view characters are all from a different species and therefore have an entirely different way of seeing and interacting with the world.

Chambers also always really shines when it comes to the characters. Every story of hers has, without fail, ensured I was attached to the POV characters (and often side characters), within the first few chapters. The level of care that seems to echo through every layer of their development is visible in every interaction between Chambers' characters, and in their thoughts as they process certain events. You quickly grow to love these characters, to understand them. I loved the cast we got to see in this book, and it hurt finishing the story knowing that I wasn't ever going to see them again. Another important aspect, related to characters, was the relationships between them, and this part was especially interesting in this installment, as the main POV characters all started off as strangers. It meant we both got to see how characters viewed themselves and how they viewed each other, which varied greatly depending on the beliefs of individuals characters and the prejudices they had going into this situation. It led to discussions between these characters that were sometimes confrontational, but even in those arguments, Chambers did a good job of not painting any single character as a 'bad' one. This allowed readers to see the many shades of the same color, and that no specific character was right.

We need more hopeful stories like Chambers' in this world, and I love how full and happy I feel whenever I finish another one of her stories. There's just something so compelling and fulfilling about a story like this, one that isn't necessarily about packing as much action and excitement as possible into 400 pages, but instead focuses more on lived experience, interactions across cultures, and exploring what it means to just be. I couldn't recommend this book, and the Wayfarers series, enough. I'll be (impatiently) waiting to see what Becky Chambers writes next!

+Interesting perspective from the 'kids who are left behind'
-Not actually much going on at all
-Ending felt extremely quick and tried to answer every last question
-Don't know if this is actually a book younger kids would read

Real rating is 3.5 stars, but I chose to round down because I wasn't a fan of the ending at all, which I'll explain more in the review. Overall, I do like what this book was trying to do, and aspects of it definitely worked more for me than I thought they would. However, I'm not sure how much of this had to do with the book itself and how much had to do with my experience to similar stories and connections I already had to related ideas.

Okay so, I love the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire. I love the idea of doors that appear to kids when they aren't looking, of the adventures that come at the oddest moment. I love how this series explored the lasting impact of those adventures, especially when those kids are thrown back into their normal world and forced to adapt. This booked played on aspects of that, except the point of view was from someone who didn't go themselves, but saw someone else go. Lucas, after missing his brother for almost a week, finally gets him back, but now Aidan is full of stories of this second life he started to form and live. The position of Lucas was a tough one, he was overjoyed to have this brother back, but could see the sorrow that Aidan carried due to being forced back home. It was an interesting position for the story to take, and I enjoyed how it stopped to make me think about that perspective. While reading Wayward Children, you think about whether you'd enter a door if you came across one, but while reading this book, you consider what it would mean to leave others behind, or be left behind yourself.

However, despite this interesting premise and interesting exploration of adventure and the effects it has on those around you, there wasn't actually much going on. Early on it's clear that this story isn't specifically about where Aidan went, and it also didn't have much to do with trying to get him back to where he belonged (since the argument seemed to lean to the fact that he belonged with his family). Instead, we just see a lot of discussions about how and why Aidan left, if he'd do it again, and other emotional explorations. There's some stuff happening regarding other people's reactions to Aidan's disappearance and story, but even these feel minimal, and are generally quickly resolved with no large impact to the story or Aidan/Lucas's lives. While this is fine in many books and genres, and I like books with a focus on introspection vs. constant action, it makes me wonder how much this book is aimed at kids? I just feel like I wouldn't like this as much if I were younger, and reading books full of quests and magic like Percy Jackson (what I was reading then). Obviously I can't be the final judge of that, kids themselves will have to be, but it's just something that made me wonder.

I also just wasn't a fan of the ending, and that's why I chose to round down in the end. I feel like this book's strength came from some of the what ifs, and not necessarily knowing if Aidan was telling the truth, but trusting him and trusting Lucas to judge and make his own opinion. The ending negated this. I also felt like it tried to tie off the whole book with a nice, neat bow, solidly engraining Aidan back into this world and giving him a whole list of reasons to say, if he were to ever see the door again. I just didn't like that this book took every question that could've made you think after the end, and answered it.

Overall, I did enjoy this, but I'm not quite sure who I'd recommend this too. Maybe it's a good, short story to read alongside stories like the Wayward Children series, to give you another angle on the idea of disappearing kids and magical worlds.

I am going to punch this book what a load of BS