Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire

A Mostly Spoiler Free Review

I have pretty much loved this entire series. Seanan McGuire stole my heart as swiftly as the Doors steal away children. Lost in the Moment and Found is no exception. In fact, I probably enjoyed this one the best out of the single character stories. Antsy might not be the most well-rounded character, but I liked her well enough.

So, the author’s note at the beginning of the book had me in a sort of dread lock while reading the first part of Lost in the Moment and Found. The warning was a good idea for those who have experienced the same type of trauma Antsy did, but it definitely had me reading in a “when is the other shoe going to drop” kind of way. I am so glad Antsy got the chance and made the decision to run. That said, Lost in the Moment and Found is definitely dark but doesn’t stay that way… mostly.

I also enjoyed the Land of Lost Things. Definitely brought back memories of how thrift stores felt when I was younger. I would very much enjoy going back with either Antsy or a different character.

This part is kind of a spoiler, but I think it bears some talking about. Vineta and Hudson’s attitude toward the cost and letting the children make the informed choice is very understandable. Vineta experienced the cost and doesn’t think it would really make that much of a difference letting the kids know. Hudson’s got that longer view due to the magpies being around to see whether or not it would make a difference to know the cost. Antsy not realizing there even was a cost was also understandable. We have to teach kids about cost because they just don’t know until they learn eventually. I very much agree with Elodina and Antsy’s view that the cost must be known. Informed consent is best consent. Just letting kids do all the dirty work, essentially, without knowing what they’re giving up is just messed up.

Speaking of information, I really liked that we got some more information about the Doors and how they work. I always enjoy the world-building aspects of this series.

I’m really not sure if I can say much else without properly spoiling things, so I’ll just stop here. If, for some reason, this is your first Wayward Children book, I highly recommend reading the rest of the series. It’s wonderful and Lost in the Moment and Found is a wonderful addition.