I really enjoyed the narration of this book and the description of the land sounded beautiful, this is a very different genre from what I typically read so I’m not sure how to rate it. ⁣
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I will start with the descriptions of this magical place sound stunning and dreamy, it’s so beautifully depicted it paints a picture in your head. ⁣
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It was a very different read, I was a bit confused at time, and thought the way motherhood was portrayed was very interested but it was a very slow burn and just an unusual story. I finished it in one day because the narration was great but I think if I read a lot of it myself I would’ve stalled a bit. ⁣
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I was unsure why the strangers were so forbidden and confused by why the mothers disappeared. I don’t want to say much more and give the story away.⁣
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Thank you @celadonbooks for an ARC for my honest review. ⁣
3.5⭐️

Elsewhere takes place in an unknown, damp, foggy mountain village where strangers are rare yet sometimes welcomed for a short stay, but ultimately driven out by villagers in protection of their ways, ideas, traditions. The time period is ambiguous as some indications seem from "pioneer days"-- weaving baskets, orchard fruit harvesting, all women wear hair braids and often wore dresses with heavy boots, the town has a tannery and everything has to be ordered and delivered from Elsewhere. Other indications point to a more modern setting, such as a camera shop (with instant film cameras), aerobics in the park, cut-off shorts. One of the traditions is known as "the affliction", as their women become mothers, if they misstep by loving too much or not enough or by paying too much attention to their children or not enough, they may be come overcome by the affliction and "disappear" into nothingness. Everyone accepts this a possibility and since there is no explanation everyone is on the lookout for "signs" that it may occur. Everyone watches everyone else very closely and mothers judge other mothers, however they are their own harshest critics when they judge themselves, second guessing every moment of their mothering. This societal and self judgement will be very familiar to the reader's who are mothers, as will be the description of how when they devote themselves fully to their offspring, they slowly lose their own identity, piece by piece until they fade into the mist. The writing was descriptive and beautiful. I do wish a few things would have been explained a bit more fully (the fruit, the silver pins, the dirt eating) and the ending seemed a bit abrupt, without a clear direction for hope or guidance for future mothers with this "affliction".

We follow Vera as she grows up in a world far from the constraints of normal civilization. High up in the foggy mountains, the beauty and simplicity of their town becomes a focal point of the story. With what seems to be a blend of new-age mysticism and antiquated morals, each woman in the town awaits her marriage and her impending and mysterious disappearance from their small town.

As the mothers warily ruminate over who may vanish next, Vera begins to weigh her options as she believes that she, too, sees signs of her impending fate. Feeling a strange pull to leave the comforts of her small town and family to save herself, will Vera make the right decision before she too disappears?

This novel was so different than anything I’ve read in a while. The premise was unique, and the characters felt fresh.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Vera was born and raised in an unnamed town in the mountains that is separate and apart from normal society. The women of the town who becomes mothers sometimes suffer from the “affliction” which makes the women disappear entirely as if they never even existed.. The town then rids all evidence of that woman from pictures to clothing and then everyone (including her husband and child(ren) forget about her entirely. While people speculate as to why the affliction befalls certain women, there is no set criteria for which to know if you will suffer from it. When Vera is grown she marries and has a child named Iris. Vera becomes convinced that she can see the telltale signs of affliction starting to take her away. Will she accept her fate or rage against it?

Candidly literary fiction and speculative fiction are not my favorite genres. I can appreciate that this story is a different lens through which to examine motherhood and all of the doubts, feelings, pressures, responsibilities that come along with being a mom. Certainly a book club kind of book with plenty of things to discuss and you may very well have some unanswered questions by the end of the story. Ultimately a 3.5 star rating from me. .

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an digital advanced reader's copy of Elsewhere for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

This one was a bit too slow for me and a bit to out there. I tried but just couldnt get into it... and i REALLY wanted to.

I loved Saint X so much so I jumped at the chance to read Elsewhere.

This is not Saint X at all and I was surprised this one was by the same author. However, this is not a bad thing. This book is gorgeous in it’s own way. I loved it and it’s fairy tale feel.

Such a lyrical, different and beautiful story about motherhood with some serious undertones. I found this to be both magical, mysterious and dark. Loved it!

This one won’t be one that everyone ‘gets’ but I did. I can’t wait for this authors next book.

Thanks Celadon and NetGalley for my early copy.

What a strange and interesting book! I wasn't sure if I was enjoying it at first, but I couldn't put it down. It was weird and a little creepy, and I still don't understand some of it. It definitely will stay with me and make me think!

What does it mean to be a mother? This is the question at the core of Alexis Schaiken's new novel. This is written in a very different genre than Saint X, showcasing Schaiken's range. Personally, I liked this one even better!

"The clouds held her, as they held all our gone mothers, and at night when we opened our shutters and invited the clouds in, they would enter us: memories we could not tough, a feeling we could not name."

This speculative novel is part fable, part philosophical fantasy. It requires the reader to set aside their judgements and follow the characters into their unique world.

Vera lives in an isolated town with a peculiar affliction: mothers regularly disappear, leaving all their belongings behind. No one knows why, so they simply accept it and carry on with their traditions and rituals. For the residents of this town, their home is the only thing that exists, and all other places are referred to as "Elsewhere." In fact, they don't want to know anything about Elsewhere.

Vera's own mother disappears, and Vera never plans to marry and have a family. But then she meets Peter, and they fall in love. When Vera's daughter is born, she's unsettled, because now she could disappear, but she also celebrates becoming more fully herself.

But the sense of danger looms. When a mother disappears, the town gathers and burns all photos of her and all her belongings and analyzes all of her past interactions for the signs that she was flawed in some way, that her disappearance was to be expected. Maybe she loved her children too much or too little. This book tackles the question of how a mother's love is perceived and critiqued by others.

"Impossible to predict, what motherhood would bring out of a woman, what it would show her about herself, the end to which it would carry her."

When Vera begins to feel herself disappear, she has to decide: will she let it happen or do something about it?

This is a book that will leave you thinking about it for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I rarely read speculative fiction and I was tempted to skip this book because of the genre. That would have been a mistake. This book does not feel like "work" to read. Elsewhere is well constructed and held my attention. As a mother, I was drawn to the book's examination of the orbit and impact of motherhood.

It follows the story of Vera who lives on a small island where some mothers vanish, leaving their families alone. Vera grows up and has some decisions of her own to make.

It is not the kind of book that will grab and demand your attention. Rather, it slowly hooks into your mind and makes you think for long periods even after you have stopped reading.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was definitely out of my comfort zone as the mere fact I don't read in this genre...like ever.

I was intrigued by the synopsis and thought I wanted to at least give it a shot. I am so so glad I did!

I really enjoyed the story, how well it flowed and descriptive it was. It was very easy to read and the story just made you want to keep reading.

I will be picking up more in this genre from now on!

Thank you to Celadon for supplying ARCs to my book club for us to read and discuss together.

I haven’t read Alexis Schaitkin’s previous release, Saint X, but I’m assuming this is quite different from that one.

Vera and the stories of the other women isn’t the village drew me in and Vera’s journey kept me turning page after page.

I think this book will be a big hit for those who love speculative fiction but don’t want any fantastical elements to it. I’m not sure how to describe this without copying the synopsis or spoiling the plot, but I will say this won’t be for everyone. I really enjoyed it as it had a lot that I like: speculative fiction following a secluded community with a bit a mystery.

This made a perfect book club discussion book as it covered motherhood, daughterhood, friendship, and a mysterious affliction in a small, almost cultish community in the mountains.

Be aware that this is fairly medium paced for such a short book as while some parts were page turners, others dragged.

All I gotta say is wow.

This book was written in first person, but it was written differently? (idk how to explain it) It was a very unique writing style and I low-key love it. I loved being able to watch Vera (MC) grow up, from being a young girl to becoming a mother was amazing! (It did get boring at times because it's literally just reading through her life but also thats what made it interesting?!) Also where is grew up? It was a little crazy at times, and at some times I still didn't understand the affliction part but other then that I thought it was extremely cool! Obviously I have to mention the PARALELL AT THE END??? I mean as soon as she went back I low-key predicted it, but wow. Seeing my prediction be right was satisfiying.

Overall I really did enjoy reading this book, it's something new and unique and thats what I loved the most about it! 3.75 stars!!

(Thank you to the publisher for giving me an arc in exchange for a honest review <3)

Elsewhere is a beautifully written fairy tale about mothers and daughters living in a magical town where mothers are protected and revered until they disappear. No one knows what happens to these mothers and why their perfect life is disrupted.

Vera, the protagonist, navigates through her childhood without her mother and with a distant father. One day she meets Ruth, a stranger to the town of Elsewhere, who at first is adored, then rejected when Vera finds out that Ruth had sex with her father and the townspeople feel used by her. Vera keeps a photo from Ruth’s possessions that becomes significant to the story.

Vera gets married and has a child named Iris, realizing that she may succumb to the fate of Elsewhere’s mothers one day—that she may vanish. But she loves being a wife and mother above her own needs until she feels herself disappearing.

Elsewhere is a statement on motherhood, the sacrifices, and joy. But do mothers have to give up their identity for their families, or can they experience happiness elsewhere? The author keeps the reader guessing to find the true meaning of this novel: its true beauty. I thank Celadon Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Elsewhere. #NetGalley #Elsewhere #Womensfiction

Elsewhere is promoted as being similar to Shirley Jackson's Lottery and I would agree. A slow burn of speculative fiction, Elsewhere introduces us to a tiny town secluded in the mountains. In this particular town, mothers may disappear, forever, for reasons unknown. The prose is luxurious and paints a picture of a peaceful and content town that as a whole, prefers to not move forward with the modern world. Vera grows up in this remote town somewhat emotionally detached worrying that she will follow in her own mother's footsteps and disappear.

It's a unique book, a parable really, and will cause you to question much of what you know. If you like a deep read, speculative fiction, motherhood stories or are a Shirley Jackson fan, then Elsewhere is for you!
#Celadon #netgalley #netgalleyreads

Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin was a book that I was excited to read. I really enjoyed reading this book which was mysterious , yet fairytale like. The characters in this book take you to a strange place where mothers are the main characters. I enjoyed getting to see how motherhood changes each of the women. It was very intriguing as a mother And the main character Vera connected to her daughter so much that the people she often comes in contact with reminds her of her daughter Iris. The strong binds of a mother and daughter are unbreakable . Definitely a different kind of read for me but enjoyable. Will Vera’s legacy live on. You’ll have to find out in this captivating read.

Elsewhere is really just kind of weird. It also very much has a cyclical and self-reinforcing nature to it. Vera grows up in a community that is unto itself. Rarely if ever do they have visitors besides their supplier, Mr. Phillips. The life the people live is similar, but not the same as the rest of the world and the only time this curiosity comes in to play is when a stranger comes to town. The oddest part of their community? Some of the mothers disappear. There one day, gone the next. Some, not all. And who can truly say what causes the women to disappear. Do they really disappear? Do they leave in the night without leaving a trace? Vera's mother is one of the women that disappears when she is young, and as she gets older insistent thoughts begin to creep in. Will she ever be a mother, or grow up to be a deprived spinster? If she gets married and has a child will she stay, or will she go? When she does marry and have a child of her own, the thought increasingly weighs on her mind and acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts. If she never thought of what it would mean to disappear, would the thoughts have ever crept in to her mind in the first place? Those thoughts however, could give her the opportunity to understand what has happened so many times before - it just requires giving up everything she knows and loves to do. The premise of the book is certainly interesting, and even at the end leaves me wondering if the women really did disappear into the air, or if they left of their own free will, because their life and their role became so consuming that they wanted to seek out an alternative and had the circumstances in their society where disappearing was a thing that could happen. It's hard to describe my feelings about this book without giving too much away. Is it dystopian? Maybe. Is it a look at motherhood and the roles women are expected to play, even if they yearn to know what else is out there? I didn't hate this book, but it was hard for me to love it either. It would certainly be an interesting read for a book club discussion.