Seanan McGuire: In an Absent Dream (2020, Center Point Large Print)
208 pages
English language
Published Dec. 17, 2020 by Center Point Large Print.
I like it a lot. The Goblin Market.. I would listen to so many more stories about it.
Very likely my favorite of the Wayward Children novellas I've read so far, certainly the one that feels most original concept-wise, as well as "complete". The others generally work as follow ups to the original or a part of a larger thing, but this one stands on its own beautifully.
A wonderful book, like all the previous ones in this series. Short and sweet, but also just a little sad.
This is sort of a prequel to the first book in the Wayward Children series, although can be enjoyed as a stand-alone and there's very little reference to any other book except at the very end. It revolves around Katherine Lundy, the therapist we met helping the children in book 1, and tells the story of the door she found, and what happened there, and why she left and joined Eleanor West's home.
Lundy's world is the Goblin Market, a wild bazaar type world where everything has a value and everything must be a fair trade, and those who take more than they pay back are slowly transformed into birds. Unlike many of the worlds, those who find the Goblin Market can come and go as they like, up to the age of 18, and they must make their mind up which world to stay in before they turn 18. …
This is sort of a prequel to the first book in the Wayward Children series, although can be enjoyed as a stand-alone and there's very little reference to any other book except at the very end. It revolves around Katherine Lundy, the therapist we met helping the children in book 1, and tells the story of the door she found, and what happened there, and why she left and joined Eleanor West's home.
Lundy's world is the Goblin Market, a wild bazaar type world where everything has a value and everything must be a fair trade, and those who take more than they pay back are slowly transformed into birds. Unlike many of the worlds, those who find the Goblin Market can come and go as they like, up to the age of 18, and they must make their mind up which world to stay in before they turn 18. Lundy's family seem to have an affinity for the Goblin Market; her father had visited it as a child, she encounters it at age 8, and there's suggestion at the end of the book that another relative also finds it. But this story is strictly about Katherine Lundy's, and the friends she makes at the Market. An interesting world and a light fun read like most of the series.
I love Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series. The prose is poetic and describes wonderful, fantastic worlds that you wish you could visit even as she never hides their terrible secrets from you.
In an Absent Dream deals with Lundy, who was met before in the first book of the series, as she discovers, explores, and travels to and from the Goblin Market. The story deals with themes of loss, of belonging, and of giving fair value for the things we receive.
Excellent book.
This was absolutely fantastic in every way. Loved the story and the setting, felt A LOT for Lundy, and and and. Really amazing.
This book started slower than all the previous Wayward Children books for me. Perhaps my problem was in the character.
I really enjoy the story McGuire is telling and I feel this set of books especially are fables with lessons and morals in them to be found and understood.
Highly recommend.
This one was really good. Heartbreaking in all the best ways, but really fun too!
I am bad at remembering words, so for the longest time I thought about the wrong person in the previous books while reading about this adventure.
Even with that mistake I loved our protagonist and enjoyed her journey.
I guess as with previous books the social issues were a bit too much in my face, I would have preferred them more subtle. Oh, I don't doubt there's a maths teacher somewhere belittling girls ability to do it well in such an open way, just it hasn't been my experience and books can't afford to be as blunt as reality is anyway. Other than that, I loved the world behind the door in this one, I loved the characters, the book is lovely.
