In the course of every great adventure there are multiple side-quests. All too often these go unreported—perhaps because the adventurers in question fail to return to the main narrative due to death or other distractions, and sometimes because the chronicler of the events decide to edit out that part of that particular history for reasons of their own (historians are never infallible)—but occasionally we get another window into our heroes' world.
In Juice Like Wounds we once again get to meet Lundy, and some of her companions. Lundy's main adventure is detailed in In an Absent Dream (which is nominated for a Hugo Award, this year!) and you should definitely read that. Before or after this tale is up to you.
This is the story of three girls who went into the woods together, and the two girls who came out the other side. I tell you this so that you will know, even from the beginning, that to become overly attached is only to do yourself a profound and primeval harm.
MY REVIEW:
enjoyable/easy to read:
☆☆☆☆☆3.5/5
I was so excited to find out there were some short stories in the Wayward Children series posted online. It helped to counterbalance the fact that I wasn’t super excited to read more about Lundy in Juice Like Wounds.
Short and not-so-sweet, I don’t think I realised how much I missed McGuire's writing. It makes me want to start the series all over again and then reread the Alchemical Journeys series while I’m at it. I was very excited to see Mislaid in Parts Half-Known pop up on NetGalley recently, and even more excited to be approved for an ARC, so these short stories were the perfect appetisers for the main event.
Stories are weapons, you see. All stories. Some are swords and some are cudgels, but all of them can hurt you, if you allow it. If you give them the space they need to twist and wriggle in your hands, becoming something other than friendly, becoming something other than tame. All stories are weapons, and children’s stories are doubly so, for children have not yet learned how to be careful.
While the subject matter was not what I was hoping for (I’m here for Christopher or the Moors, obviously), the writing more than made up for it. Dark and lyrical, McGuire never disappoints, and I was left wanting more. So much more. Good thing there are another two short stories to read!