wordylocks's reviews
628 reviews

This book was bittersweet, and heartwarming at the same time. It captures how external pressures on a friendship can create distances and misunderstandings that are difficult to bridge; and also how friendships can be built with just a little bit of empathy. I appreciate the ace and enby representation in this book. I also appreciate how the writer has explored how even seemingly "perfect" families can be dysfunctional, using privilege and power to manipulate the lives of children in those families. I actually would like a sequel to this, that picks up these characters at a later stage in their life, after they've become independent of their parents. 
I loved the art style and thought that it was perfect for this graphic novel.

I received an eARC of this graphic novel via NetGalley in exchange for this honest review. 

If I were a bibliotherapist, the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire is a series that I would definitely use with my clients who have suffered from trauma in childhood. These books have a way of making one feel understood — they acknowledge the bad things; they acknowledge the growth and strength that one develops as a survivor, without discounting the fact that no one should ever have to go through the traumatic experiences in the first place. In that sense, these books are cathartic like a good cry, or a warm hug. Lost In the Moment and Found, which tells us the story of Antoinette (Antsy) — the girl who can find lost things, but is herself lost, is similarly  therapeutic. It talks about child sexual abuse, and parentification, with a great deal of sensitivity. However, that does not mean that the book is gloomy. Set in a fantastic shop of wonders that travels across dimensions and worlds, the book is fun and I enjoyed it greatly. It was nice to come across callbacks to some of my favourite characters from previous books in the series  (I won't say who, because spoilers!), and I greatly enjoyed the reading by Jesse Vilinsky, who endows it with a sense of wonder and empathy. 

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of the audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.