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{{Short description|2020 fantasy novella by American author Seanan McGuire}}
{{Short description|2020 fantasy novella by American author Seanan McGuire}}


{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}{{Infobox novella|name=Come Tumbling Down|image=|caption=Cover of first edition|author=[[Seanan McGuire]]|country=United States|language=English|series=[[Wayward Children]]|genre=[[Fantasy literature|Fantasy]]|publisher=[[Tor.com]]|release_date=January 7, 2020|media_type=|pages=|followed_by_italics=Across the Green Grass Fields|preceded_by_italics=[[In an Absent Dream]]|isbn=978-0-7653-9931-1}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}{{Infobox novella|name=Come Tumbling Down|image=Come_Tumbling_Down.jpg|caption=Cover of first edition|author=[[Seanan McGuire]]|country=United States|language=English|series=[[Wayward Children]]|genre=[[Fantasy literature|Fantasy]]|publisher=[[Tor.com]]|release_date=January 7, 2020|media_type=|pages=|followed_by_italics=[[Across the Green Grass Fields]]|preceded_by_italics=[[In an Absent Dream]]|isbn=978-0-7653-9931-1}}


'''''Come Tumbling Down''''' is a 2020 fantasy novella by American author [[Seanan McGuire]]. It is the fifth book in the [[Wayward Children]] series and focuses on the Wolcott twins, who were centered in the first book in the series ([[Every Heart a Doorway|''Every Heart a Doorway'']]) and the second ([[Down Among the Sticks and Bones|''Down Among the Sticks and Bones'']]). This time, the children from the School for Wayward Children must venture into the Moors to save Jack Wolcott and the Moors themselves.
'''''Come Tumbling Down''''' is a 2020 fantasy novella by American author [[Seanan McGuire]]. It is the fifth book in the [[Wayward Children]] series and focuses on the Wolcott twins, who were centered in the first book in the series (''[[Every Heart a Doorway]]'') and the second (''[[Down Among the Sticks and Bones]]''). This time, the children from the School for Wayward Children must venture into the Moors to save Jack Wolcott and the Moors themselves.


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
Line 9: Line 9:


In hopes of returning to the girls to their rightful bodies and saving the Moors, the children venture into the Moors.
In hopes of returning to the girls to their rightful bodies and saving the Moors, the children venture into the Moors.

== Characters ==

* '''Alexis Chopper''': Jack's love interest in the Moors
* '''Christopher Flores:''' a student who lived in the skeleton world of Mariposa before arriving at the Home for Wayward Children.
* '''Cora Miller:''' a student who lived in the underwater world of the Trenches before arriving at the Home for Wayward Children.
* '''Jack Wolcott''': Jill's twin sister who trained under Dr. Bleak when they lived in the Moors.
* '''Jill Wolcott''': Jack's twin sister who was daughter to the Master when they lived in the Moors.
* '''Kade Bronson:''' a student who lived in Prism before coming to the School for Wayward Children.
* '''Onishi Sumi''': Nancy's roommate, who lived in Confection, a land of sugar, before coming to the School for Wayward Children.


== Major themes ==
== Major themes ==
''Come Tumbling Down'' explores various themes. Both ''[[Booklist]]'' and [[Library Journal|''Library Journal'']] discussed the novel's exploration regarding the themes of "dysphoria and gender",<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Chadwick |first=Kristi |date=2019-11-01 |title=Come Tumbling Down |url=https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/come-tumbling-down |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Library Journal]]}}</ref> in large part because two of the book's characters spend much of the book living in the other's body, causing distress.
''Come Tumbling Down'' explores various themes. Both ''[[Booklist]]'' and ''[[Library Journal]]'' discussed the novel's exploration regarding the themes of "dysphoria and gender",<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Chadwick |first=Kristi |date=2019-11-01 |title=Come Tumbling Down |url=https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/come-tumbling-down |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Library Journal]] |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204085608/https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/come-tumbling-down |url-status=live }}</ref> in large part because two of the book's characters spend much of the book living in the other's body, causing distress.


Further, ''[[Kirkus Reviews]]'' highlighted an ongoing theme in the Wayward Children series regarding how "one’s real or perceived flaws can prove to be a source of strength despite, or even because of, the pain they cause to oneself and others."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2019-10-13 |title=Come Tumbling Down |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/seanan-mcguire/come-tumbling-down/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Kirkus Reviews]]}}</ref>
Further, ''[[Kirkus Reviews]]'' highlighted an ongoing theme in the Wayward Children series regarding how "one’s real or perceived flaws can prove to be a source of strength despite, or even because of, the pain they cause to oneself and others."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2019-10-13 |title=Come Tumbling Down |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/seanan-mcguire/come-tumbling-down/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Kirkus Reviews]] |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117210343/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/seanan-mcguire/come-tumbling-down/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


According to [[Publishers Weekly|''Publishers Weekly'']], the novels also explores the themes of "sacrifice, love, and hope".<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2019-08-26 |title=Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780765399311 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Publishers Weekly]]}}</ref>
According to ''[[Publishers Weekly]]'', the novels also explores the themes of "sacrifice, love, and hope".<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2019-08-26 |title=Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780765399311 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Publishers Weekly]] |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331122610/https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780765399311 |url-status=live }}</ref>


== Reception ==
== Reception ==
''Come Tumbling Down'' received starred reviews from [[Kirkus Reviews|''Kirkus Reviews'']] and [[Library Journal|''Library Journal'']].<ref name=":0" />
''Come Tumbling Down'' received starred reviews from ''[[Kirkus Reviews]]'' and ''[[Library Journal]]''.<ref name=":0" />

⚫
''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' referred to the novel as a "grim yet achingly tender tale".<ref name=":2" />


⚫
Multiple reviewers discussed McGuire's skill as a writer. ''Library Journal''<nowiki/>'s Kristi Chadwick generally spotlighted "McGuire’s rich prose",<ref name=":0" /> while ''[[Booklist]]''<nowiki/>'s Regina Schroeder highlighted the novel's "magnificent worlds" and "wonderful variety of characters".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schroeder |first=Regina |date=2019-11-15 |title=Come Tumbling Down |url=https://www.booklistonline.com/Come-Tumbling-Down/pid=9726618 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Booklist]] |archive-date=April 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240412201855/https://www.booklistonline.com/Come-Tumbling-Down/pid=9726618 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Kirkus Reviews'' praised McGuire's ability to "lending equal richness to her worldbuilding and her characterizations", comparing the Moors to the worlds and fantasies concocted by [[Bram Stoker]] (''Dracula''), [[Mary Shelley]] (''Frankenstein''), and [[H. P. Lovecraft]]. They also noted that the characters feel like "real people dumped into fantastical situations" with a "thin line separating heroes from monsters".<ref name=":1" />
⚫
[[Publishers Weekly|''Publishers Weekly'']] referred to the novel as a "grim yet achingly tender tale".<ref name=":2" />


''[[AudioFile (magazine)|AudioFile]]'' reviewed the audiobook, referring to the author's reading as "serviceable". They highlighted McGuire's strength narrating the "dialogue, as she allows the characters' tenderness and tenacity to come through". However, they noted that "she reads at such an accelerated pace that listeners may not be able to truly savor the lush beauty of her prose".<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 2020 |title=COME TUMBLING DOWN by Seanan McGuire Read by Seanan McGuire {{!}} Audiobook Review |url=https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/171249/come-tumbling-down-by-seanan-mcguire-read-by-seanan-mcguire/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[AudioFile Magazine]] |language=en |archive-date=August 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804201651/https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/171249/come-tumbling-down-by-seanan-mcguire-read-by-seanan-mcguire/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
⚫
Multiple reviewers discussed McGuire's skill as a writer. ''Library Journal''<nowiki/>'s Kristi Chadwick generally spotlighted "McGuire’s rich prose",<ref name=":0" /> while ''[[Booklist]]''<nowiki/>'s Regina Schroeder highlighted the novel's "magnificent worlds" and "wonderful variety of characters".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schroeder |first=Regina |date=2019-11-15 |title=Come Tumbling Down |url=https://www.booklistonline.com/Come-Tumbling-Down/pid=9726618 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Booklist]]}}</ref> ''Kirkus Reviews'' praised McGuire's ability to "lending equal richness to her worldbuilding and her characterizations", comparing the Moors to the worlds and fantasies concocted by [[Bram Stoker]] (''Dracula''), [[Mary Shelley]] (''Frankenstein''), and [[H. P. Lovecraft]]. They also noted that the characters feel like "real people dumped into fantastical situations" with a "thin line separating heroes from monsters".<ref name=":1" />


''[[Locus (magazine)|Locus]]'' included ''Come Tumbling Down'' on their list of the best science fiction novellas of 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-02-01 |title=2020 Locus Recommended Reading List |url=https://locusmag.com/2021/02/2020-locus-recommended-reading-list/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401193504/https://locusmag.com/2021/02/2020-locus-recommended-reading-list/ |archive-date=2023-04-01 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Locus Online]] |language=en-US}}</ref> The novel was also nominated for the 2020 [[Hugo Award for Best Novella]]<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2020-04-07 |title=2020 Hugo Awards |url=https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2020-hugo-awards/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323213954/https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2020-hugo-awards/ |archive-date=2023-03-23 |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=The Hugo Awards |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":16">{{Cite web |date=2020-08-01 |title=2020 Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2020/07/2020-hugo-lodestar-and-astounding-awards-winners/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122161702/https://locusmag.com/2020/07/2020-hugo-lodestar-and-astounding-awards-winners/ |archive-date=2023-11-22 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Locus Online]] |language=en-US}}</ref> and [[World Fantasy Award for Novella]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2020-11-02 |title=World Fantasy Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2020/11/world-fantasy-awards-winners-5/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331040934/https://locusmag.com/2020/11/world-fantasy-awards-winners-5/ |archive-date=2023-03-31 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Locus Online]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
''[[Locus (magazine)|Locus]]'' included ''Come Tumbling Down'' on their list of the best science fiction novellas of 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-02-01 |title=2020 Locus Recommended Reading List |url=https://locusmag.com/2021/02/2020-locus-recommended-reading-list/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401193504/https://locusmag.com/2021/02/2020-locus-recommended-reading-list/ |archive-date=2023-04-01 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Locus Online]] |language=en-US}}</ref> The novel was also nominated for the 2020 [[Hugo Award for Best Novella]]<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2020-04-07 |title=2020 Hugo Awards |url=https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2020-hugo-awards/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323213954/https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2020-hugo-awards/ |archive-date=2023-03-23 |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=The Hugo Awards |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":16">{{Cite web |date=2020-08-01 |title=2020 Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2020/07/2020-hugo-lodestar-and-astounding-awards-winners/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122161702/https://locusmag.com/2020/07/2020-hugo-lodestar-and-astounding-awards-winners/ |archive-date=2023-11-22 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Locus Online]] |language=en-US}}</ref> and [[World Fantasy Award for Novella]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2020-11-02 |title=World Fantasy Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2020/11/world-fantasy-awards-winners-5/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331040934/https://locusmag.com/2020/11/world-fantasy-awards-winners-5/ |archive-date=2023-03-31 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=[[Locus Online]] |language=en-US}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==

Latest revision as of 02:50, 31 July 2024

Come Tumbling Down
Cover of first edition
AuthorSeanan McGuire
LandVereinigte Staaten
SpracheEnglisch
SeriesWayward Children
Genre(s)Fantasy
PublisherTor.com
ISBN978-0-7653-9931-1
Publication dateJanuary 7, 2020
Preceded byIn an Absent Dream
Followed byAcross the Green Grass Fields

Come Tumbling Down is a 2020 fantasy novella by American author Seanan McGuire. It is the fifth book in the Wayward Children series and focuses on the Wolcott twins, who were centered in the first book in the series (Every Heart a Doorway) and the second (Down Among the Sticks and Bones). This time, the children from the School for Wayward Children must venture into the Moors to save Jack Wolcott and the Moors themselves.

Plot

[edit]

Come Tumbling Down begins at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children as sparks of lightning strike in the basement, bringing to life a door through which a teenaged girl steps, another girl in her arms. Soon, the children learn that the injured girl is Jack Wolcott, a former schoolmate, and the girl carrying her is her beloved Alexis from the Moors, a world filled with vampires, werewolves, mad scientists, and other monsters. The children soon learn that Jill sought out revenge after Jack killed previously killed her to end a Jill's murderous rampage in Every Heart a Doorway. Though Jack, who apprenticed with a mad scientist in the Moors, was able to bring Jill back to life, Jill would no longer be eligible to become a vampire as she had dreamed. However, because Jack's body had never died, her body could still become vampiric. As such, Jill concocted and carried out a plan to switch her body with Jack's. This distresses Jack not only because she doesn't want her body defiled by vampirism but also because her obsessive–compulsive disorder is in overdrive living in her sister's body.

In hopes of returning to the girls to their rightful bodies and saving the Moors, the children venture into the Moors.

Characters

[edit]
  • Alexis Chopper: Jack's love interest in the Moors
  • Christopher Flores: a student who lived in the skeleton world of Mariposa before arriving at the Home for Wayward Children.
  • Cora Miller: a student who lived in the underwater world of the Trenches before arriving at the Home for Wayward Children.
  • Jack Wolcott: Jill's twin sister who trained under Dr. Bleak when they lived in the Moors.
  • Jill Wolcott: Jack's twin sister who was daughter to the Master when they lived in the Moors.
  • Kade Bronson: a student who lived in Prism before coming to the School for Wayward Children.
  • Onishi Sumi: Nancy's roommate, who lived in Confection, a land of sugar, before coming to the School for Wayward Children.

Major themes

[edit]

Come Tumbling Down explores various themes. Both Booklist and Library Journal discussed the novel's exploration regarding the themes of "dysphoria and gender",[1] in large part because two of the book's characters spend much of the book living in the other's body, causing distress.

Further, Kirkus Reviews highlighted an ongoing theme in the Wayward Children series regarding how "one’s real or perceived flaws can prove to be a source of strength despite, or even because of, the pain they cause to oneself and others."[2]

According to Publishers Weekly, the novels also explores the themes of "sacrifice, love, and hope".[3]

Reception

[edit]

Come Tumbling Down received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal.[1]

Publishers Weekly referred to the novel as a "grim yet achingly tender tale".[3]

Multiple reviewers discussed McGuire's skill as a writer. Library Journal's Kristi Chadwick generally spotlighted "McGuire’s rich prose",[1] while Booklist's Regina Schroeder highlighted the novel's "magnificent worlds" and "wonderful variety of characters".[4] Kirkus Reviews praised McGuire's ability to "lending equal richness to her worldbuilding and her characterizations", comparing the Moors to the worlds and fantasies concocted by Bram Stoker (Dracula), Mary Shelley (Frankenstein), and H. P. Lovecraft. They also noted that the characters feel like "real people dumped into fantastical situations" with a "thin line separating heroes from monsters".[2]

AudioFile reviewed the audiobook, referring to the author's reading as "serviceable". They highlighted McGuire's strength narrating the "dialogue, as she allows the characters' tenderness and tenacity to come through". However, they noted that "she reads at such an accelerated pace that listeners may not be able to truly savor the lush beauty of her prose".[5]

Locus included Come Tumbling Down on their list of the best science fiction novellas of 2020.[6] The novel was also nominated for the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novella[7][8] and World Fantasy Award for Novella.[9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Chadwick, Kristi (November 1, 2019). "Come Tumbling Down". Library Journal. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Come Tumbling Down". Kirkus Reviews. October 13, 2019. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire". Publishers Weekly. August 26, 2019. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  4. ^ Schroeder, Regina (November 15, 2019). "Come Tumbling Down". Booklist. Archived from the original on April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  5. ^ "COME TUMBLING DOWN by Seanan McGuire Read by Seanan McGuire | Audiobook Review". AudioFile Magazine. February 2020. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  6. ^ "2020 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. February 1, 2021. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  7. ^ "2020 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. April 7, 2020. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  8. ^ "2020 Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Awards Winners". Locus Online. August 1, 2020. Archived from the original on November 22, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  9. ^ "World Fantasy Awards Winners". Locus Online. November 2, 2020. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
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