The Elsewhere Express: A Novel
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • When you lose your way in life, the Elsewhere Express just might find you. Step on board the train that may take you to your life’s purpose in this wistful, Ghibli-esque fantasy from the bestselling author of Water Moon.
This hardcover edition includes:
• Interactive endpapers with a scene you can color in
• A full-color illustrated book case beneath the jacket
“A delicately layered dream of a book that glimmers with the promise of hope after grief, The Elsewhere Express will carry you to the stars.”—Molly O’Neill, author of Greenteeth
You can’t buy a ticket for the Elsewhere Express. Appearing only to those whose lives are adrift, it’s a magical train seeming to carry very rare and special cargo: a sense of purpose, peace, and belonging.
Raya is one of those lost souls. She had dreamed of being a songwriter, but when her brother died, she gave up on her dream and started living his instead.
One day on the subway, as her thoughts wander, she’s swept off to the Elsewhere Express. There she meets Q, an intriguing artist who, like her, has lost his place in the world.
Together they find a train full of wonders, from a boarding car that’s also a meadow to a dining car where passengers can picnic on lily pads to a bar where jellyfish and whales swim through pink clouds.
Over the course of their long, strange night on the train, they also discover that it harbors secrets—and danger: A mysterious stranger has stowed away and brought with him a dark, malignant magic that threatens to destroy the train.
But in investigating the stowaway's identity, Raya also finds herself drawing closer to the ultimate question: What is her life's true purpose—and is it a destination the Elsewhere Express can take her to?
★ “A stunning, visual fever dream of a story akin to both the game Spiritfarer and Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea—a character-driven tale wrapped in a sparklingly creative spectacle of a world that inhabits a Studio Ghibli–like chaos even as it comes with a well-organized passenger rulebook.”—Booklist (starred review)
This hardcover edition includes:
• Interactive endpapers with a scene you can color in
• A full-color illustrated book case beneath the jacket
“A delicately layered dream of a book that glimmers with the promise of hope after grief, The Elsewhere Express will carry you to the stars.”—Molly O’Neill, author of Greenteeth
You can’t buy a ticket for the Elsewhere Express. Appearing only to those whose lives are adrift, it’s a magical train seeming to carry very rare and special cargo: a sense of purpose, peace, and belonging.
Raya is one of those lost souls. She had dreamed of being a songwriter, but when her brother died, she gave up on her dream and started living his instead.
One day on the subway, as her thoughts wander, she’s swept off to the Elsewhere Express. There she meets Q, an intriguing artist who, like her, has lost his place in the world.
Together they find a train full of wonders, from a boarding car that’s also a meadow to a dining car where passengers can picnic on lily pads to a bar where jellyfish and whales swim through pink clouds.
Over the course of their long, strange night on the train, they also discover that it harbors secrets—and danger: A mysterious stranger has stowed away and brought with him a dark, malignant magic that threatens to destroy the train.
But in investigating the stowaway's identity, Raya also finds herself drawing closer to the ultimate question: What is her life's true purpose—and is it a destination the Elsewhere Express can take her to?
★ “A stunning, visual fever dream of a story akin to both the game Spiritfarer and Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea—a character-driven tale wrapped in a sparklingly creative spectacle of a world that inhabits a Studio Ghibli–like chaos even as it comes with a well-organized passenger rulebook.”—Booklist (starred review)
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Community Reviews
The Elsewhere Express was a whimsical, imaginative journey. I was totally immersed in this magical world, feeling like I was right there on the train. It had the same feel as Water Moon, which I absolutely loved. This book was a little bit confusing at some parts and hard to follow for me. There was a lot going on and I found myself having to re read paragraphs to understand what was happening. Overall, though, I loved the story. I found the ending deeply sentimental. Truly beautiful writing.
I am genuinely sad to report that The Elsewhere Express and I did not vibe. Which hurts extra because I loved Water Moon. Like, adored it. So I boarded this magical train with high hopes, snacks packed, and my heart wide open… only to spend the entire ride wondering where we were going and why no one would explain it to me.
On paper, this is everything I should love: a whimsical train that appears to lost souls, dreamy cars with meadows and jellyfish bars, grief, purpose, and healing wrapped up in cozy fantasy packaging. In reality, I was confused from start to finish. The worldbuilding felt less mysterious and magical and more blink and you’ve missed an important rule that was never explained anyway. I kept waiting for the story to click into place, and instead it politely waved as it sped past me.
Raya’s grief and loss are meaningful, and I appreciated the emotional core of the story, but the plot itself felt murky and oddly weightless. Things happened. Then other things happened. Then there was danger? Maybe? And a villain with vibes but not enough clarity to feel truly threatening. By the time we reached the big questions about purpose and destiny, I was too busy still trying to figure out how the train worked.
Also, can we talk about the irony of a book about finding your purpose leaving me utterly directionless? Bold choice.
The aesthetic, however? Immaculate. Stunning. The physical book is doing most of the heavy lifting here, and I respect it for that. Sadly, pretty vibes can only carry me so far.
I wanted to love this. I really did. But despite the cozy fantasy promise and beautiful imagery, The Elsewhere Express left me lost in a way that was not magical—just confusing. Sometimes the train finds you. Sometimes it just… keeps going without you.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for this review copy!
On paper, this is everything I should love: a whimsical train that appears to lost souls, dreamy cars with meadows and jellyfish bars, grief, purpose, and healing wrapped up in cozy fantasy packaging. In reality, I was confused from start to finish. The worldbuilding felt less mysterious and magical and more blink and you’ve missed an important rule that was never explained anyway. I kept waiting for the story to click into place, and instead it politely waved as it sped past me.
Raya’s grief and loss are meaningful, and I appreciated the emotional core of the story, but the plot itself felt murky and oddly weightless. Things happened. Then other things happened. Then there was danger? Maybe? And a villain with vibes but not enough clarity to feel truly threatening. By the time we reached the big questions about purpose and destiny, I was too busy still trying to figure out how the train worked.
Also, can we talk about the irony of a book about finding your purpose leaving me utterly directionless? Bold choice.
The aesthetic, however? Immaculate. Stunning. The physical book is doing most of the heavy lifting here, and I respect it for that. Sadly, pretty vibes can only carry me so far.
I wanted to love this. I really did. But despite the cozy fantasy promise and beautiful imagery, The Elsewhere Express left me lost in a way that was not magical—just confusing. Sometimes the train finds you. Sometimes it just… keeps going without you.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for this review copy!
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