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vonni's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you're like me and enjoy a pastoral, alpine, mystery book with luscious descriptions and haunting tones, this book is a must read. It's a bit slow to start, but the intrigue of the setting kept me engaged and I am so thankful that I stuck around for the whole novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, Abandonment, Grief, Rape, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Infertility, Animal death, Bullying, and Pregnancy
jennikreads's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Rape
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Bullying and Death of parent
vigil's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, and Misogyny
kelsoups's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Thoroughly enjoyed the themes of motherhood and what it means to leave a place.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: War, Infertility, Murder, and Vomit
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Elsewhere is set high up in the mountains, in a village isolated from the rest of society except for a single trader who visits regularly. Apart from its location and isolation the other thing that sets this village apart is that periodically, without warning, some mothers simply disappear into the clouds, never to return. At the centre of this novel is Vera. We first meet her as a young girl whose own mother has disappeared and then follow her through her teen years until she marries and eventually has a daughter of her own. I liked the fairytale like setting and atmosphere and thought the story was a clever way of exploring motherhood, the pressures mothers face and the pressures they place on themselves, the way they are judged by society, the parts of themselves that they lose when they have a child. I loved the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship and they nuanced way they were portrayed via Vera’s relationship with her mother and then with her daughter Iris. Children’s memories, what and how they remember is another important issue examined via the story. What this story doesn’t do is wrap up neatly or answer every question the reader may have. I felt that was a smart move since it amplifies the disconcerted feeling that the storyline creates.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, and Sexual assault
immovabletype's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Bullying, Death of parent, Rape, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Body horror and Pregnancy
Minor: War
radtastical's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Grief, Animal death, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexism, Abandonment, Stalking, Miscarriage, and Misogyny
Minor: Vomit, Pregnancy, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, and Bullying
reading_and_roaming20's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I’m always here for a female-focused dystopian novel, but sadly, this one really didn’t do it for me. Let’s break it down with some bullet points.
ASPECTS I ENJOYED ::
• The premise of mothers who disappear without a trace and a community that ritualizes these disappearances was really unique.
• The storyline kept me juuuust interested enough to want to know the outcome and the ending had a neat little twist.
• After reading, ELSEWHERE prompted some great conversations with others! There are different interpretations of so many aspects of this book and I really enjoyed the discussions I wound up having.
NOT A FAN OF ::
• I’m a short chapter kind of gal, so 240 pages broken into just five sections was slightly brutal.
• I enjoyed the first bit, but by the end of this short book, it felt like a slog. The middle section seriously dragged and almost lost me.
• I’m good with things being left open ended, love chatting about different perspectives and recognize that this is speculative fiction. That said, I felt there was a bit too much room for interpretation. I could have used a more explanations to get a better sense of where ALEXIS SCHAITKIN was trying to take me. She worked hard to blend in deep ideas and commentary about motherhood/womanhood that I didn’t appreciate as much as I would have if I was not regularly working through my confusion.
• There is one scene in particular that was pretty darn rough. This is fine - I read dark, heavy stuff pretty regularly. (For instance, A TINY UPWARD SHOVE was a five-star for me.) However, if I can’t find the purpose of such a scene, I don’t want to read it. I never figured out why it was necessary and that left me feeling yucky about it.
• The hairpin? Can someone please tell me the point of the hairpin?!
OVERALL THOUGHTS ::
This was not my favorite, but I can see where this would be a great book club pick. There is certainly A LOT to discuss. Perhaps this is just the kind of book that is better read as a group for the sake of processing thoughts.
Thank you to @celadonbooks for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!
ASPECTS I ENJOYED ::
• The premise of mothers who disappear without a trace and a community that ritualizes these disappearances was really unique.
• The storyline kept me juuuust interested enough to want to know the outcome and the ending had a neat little twist.
• After reading, ELSEWHERE prompted some great conversations with others! There are different interpretations of so many aspects of this book and I really enjoyed the discussions I wound up having.
NOT A FAN OF ::
• I’m a short chapter kind of gal, so 240 pages broken into just five sections was slightly brutal.
• I enjoyed the first bit, but by the end of this short book, it felt like a slog. The middle section seriously dragged and almost lost me.
• I’m good with things being left open ended, love chatting about different perspectives and recognize that this is speculative fiction. That said, I felt there was a bit too much room for interpretation. I could have used a more explanations to get a better sense of where ALEXIS SCHAITKIN was trying to take me. She worked hard to blend in deep ideas and commentary about motherhood/womanhood that I didn’t appreciate as much as I would have if I was not regularly working through my confusion.
• There is one scene in particular that was pretty darn rough. This is fine - I read dark, heavy stuff pretty regularly. (For instance, A TINY UPWARD SHOVE was a five-star for me.) However, if I can’t find the purpose of such a scene, I don’t want to read it. I never figured out why it was necessary and that left me feeling yucky about it.
• The hairpin? Can someone please tell me the point of the hairpin?!
OVERALL THOUGHTS ::
This was not my favorite, but I can see where this would be a great book club pick. There is certainly A LOT to discuss. Perhaps this is just the kind of book that is better read as a group for the sake of processing thoughts.
Thank you to @celadonbooks for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Rape
kponturo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Abandonment
mellamaron's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
It’s hard not to review this book without spoilers but I will try. We have a tale here that defies logic, a bit of a magical presence which to be fair could not exist at all. This book is fascinating in the way it is told. I liked the beginning and the middle but I was not as fond of the last 1/3.
Overall, I think this book might be a metaphor for post-partum depression. The mothers who disappear don’t have anything in common and the people left behind always try to see “where did their life go wrong” but really there in lies the issue. It’s not a thing you can pinpoint - it’s not something that happens because of something else. PPD is a sickness and it does not discriminate; it can happen to anyone.
I felt such heartache throughout this book. It really hurt to read it sometimes and I think in this case, that is okay. Despite me giving this book 3.5 stars, I would recommend it to others. I think it deserves to be read. I just can’t give it more than that myself due to my experiences.
Also, yes, I 100% see the similarities between Elsewhere and The Lottery. That short story was one of my favorites in school.
Overall, I think this book might be a metaphor for post-partum depression. The mothers who disappear don’t have anything in common and the people left behind always try to see “where did their life go wrong” but really there in lies the issue. It’s not a thing you can pinpoint - it’s not something that happens because of something else. PPD is a sickness and it does not discriminate; it can happen to anyone.
I felt such heartache throughout this book. It really hurt to read it sometimes and I think in this case, that is okay. Despite me giving this book 3.5 stars, I would recommend it to others. I think it deserves to be read. I just can’t give it more than that myself due to my experiences.
Also, yes, I 100% see the similarities between Elsewhere and The Lottery. That short story was one of my favorites in school.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, and Death