Lost in the Moment and Found

Wayward Children, Book 8

By: Seanan McGuire

Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky

"Jesse Vilinsky's versatile performance brightens this dark tale of a child who is forced to grow up too fast. Listeners will be captivated by how Vilinksy balances tragedy and hope in this eighth installment of the Wayward Children series."—AudioFile

Winner: 2022 Hugo Award for Best Series

A young girl discovers an infinite variety of worlds in this standalone tale in the Hugo and Nebula Award-wining Wayward Children series from Seanan McGuire, Lost in the Moment and Found.

Welcome to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go.

If you ever lost a sock, you’ll find it here.

If you ever wondered about favorite toy from childhood... it’s probably sitting on a shelf in the back.

And the headphones that you swore this time you’d keep safe? You guessed it....

Antoinette has lost her father. Metaphorically. He’s not in the shop, and she’ll never see him again. But when Antsy finds herself lost (literally, this time), she discovers that however many doors open for her, leaving the Shop for good might not be as simple as it sounds.

And stepping through those doors exacts a price.

Lost in the Moment and Found tells us that childhood and innocence, once lost, can never be found.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor.com.

©2023 Seanan McGuire (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Hugo Award winner McGuire manages to make some extreme tonal shifts work together beautifully.… Antsy’s emotional coming-of-age will have readers hooked.”—Publishers Weekly

“Antsy is a pleasing addition to the lore of Wayward Children, promising plenty of intrigue to come.”—Booklist

Touching and very well told

This book did not disappoint at all! It was a beautifully built story that was sad and sweet and joyful all at the right times, just like other Seanan McGuire books. I truly enjoyed this tale.

Another awesome story -with trigger warnings

This series is amazing and every book is a must read. It feels like a series that fans can take on too & write their own door journey while waiting for the next one by Seanan McGuire. This book in particular deals with some intense emotions & subject matter in a way that soothes an adult survivor & hopefully educates or illuminates these issues for children who might face similar trauma.
Ultimately after each of these books end I just want more I wanna know about other worlds and other doors not just the functioning of the doors but also just how he adventures had there. What happened to Wayward children before Elinor’s place. Where are the other schools that are like Elinor’s & also what happens when children become gods of worlds that are even more evil than the moors?
Love this series & would love to see what would happen is other authors played with this concept too?

Another Great Book

I have enjoyed this series immensely! The beginning is painful to listen to, as it should be. It was definitely worth the credit.

Another hauntingly beautiful Wayward book

Seanan McGuire gathers you up for an achingly beautiful journey through childhood trauma and fantasy. Again, narration and prose work in tandem to continue the feel of this series. I'm not giving away any content, if you like any of the other books in this series, come find another hero who is lost and found and lost again, but is always sure.

Loved

Wow this Wayward Children novel was darker than most of the others, but it was awesome

Schooled Again: This Time By Loss

Seanan has brought this old man to tears once again through her poignant prodding of problem parents. While I (thankfully) don’t see myself in many of her ignorant or malignant progenitors I am painfully aware that my lost child never found their doorway in this world. They loved these ‘wayward’ tales, and I continue to read them to honor their search for answers.

Another beautiful chapter in the series. You will not be disappointed.

Another excellent chapter to one of my favorite series!

Another excellent chapter to one of my favorite series! Thought-provoking and poignant. Highly recommended!

Yes! Yes! Yes!

I love this whole series and this might be the most Heartbreaking one yet! Each child needs to have adults that care for them! It is a must, always! I cannot believe this story, but it is more real than any of them yet! Antsy is just a child, and she is running away because she can sense that her new step dad is a bad man! Antsy travels to the place of lost things and her world is turned upside down! But at a cost! She is a smart child and becomes so much smarter and more mature in two years than most adults their whole lives. Trust your gut is key for anyone! I absolutely adore this book!

The hardest Wayward Children book

Excellent story, but this was the most emotionally difficult book in this series to start. Heed the trigger warning.

Nonstop listen!

I finished this in one sitting. Just like every other Wayward Children book!

Now, the book begins with a trigger warning for child sexual abuse, and DAMN, take that SERIOUSLY. As the warning says, Antoinette escapes before anything “happens,” but as an observer, even one who has had this assurance, every movement by her abuser makes your stomach twist. I’ve got no particular triggers, but the first half of the book had me on high alert.

But then, Antoinette escapes, and we’re treated to yet another wonderful (and terrible) world beyond a door. This time, we’re in a shop which specializes in lost things. But this shop also has access to many other doors, allowing us glimpses into many more worlds, as Antoinette goes on bartering adventures…until the inevitable “price” of her adventures is explained.

I would never call these books “fast.” McGuire certainly takes time to focus on scenery–such as Antoinette’s first trip to a market–but I think the genius here is that only scenes which are plot-relevant appear. This book, in particular, covers at least 2 years of adventures in the Shop, but I can only think of three or four actual scenes that get any focus. The rest of the time is covered in broad sweeps of narrative, in a manner that is rather dream-like. If Antoinette had woken up and realized the whole adventure had happened in just a night, it would feel perfectly logical.

I wait an entire year for each new Wayward Children book, and my only regret on getting an advanced copy this year was that I now have to wait a few extra days more! Agh! This series! <3