If you like extremely slow build stories then you will love this one. I was able to stick with it because I needed to see what was happening with all of the moms. I’m not sure I completely got my answer, but I did like some parts of the book. I just wish I could have gotten more answers.

I received an advance review copy of this audiobook for free from MacMillian Audio and NetGalley, and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily as a courtesy.

In this interesting piece of women's fiction, we follow a young woman, Vera, through her childhood and into adulthood as she grows, marries, and has a child in a small town nestled in the mountains. With the essence of a fairy tale or fable, the writing was rich and full of vivid imagery. It explores what it means to be a girl/woman living in a small town and the uncertainties and judgment one encounters throughout life.

The audiobook is narrated beautifully by Ell Potter and I was whisked away by her richly emotive voice. I found myself getting lost in the story up until the end when I realized that the story wasn't quite what I thought it to be.

As a woman who has chosen to live her life child-free, I believe I may not have the required experience or knowledge to fully appreciate the message of this book. It was excellently written and I enjoyed listening to the narration, but I feel as though I just didn’t really get “it,” whatever “it” may be.

Overall, I gave this 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 because of the excellent writing and narration) and would recommend it to those I know who are mothers who would understand the overall meaning better than I.

Thank you so much MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy of this one.
Vera is from a small, idyllic, alpine town that is unlike any other. It's a special place with little contact with the real world and a community in which girls become wives, wives become mothers and some of them, quite simply, disappear. The community is perfectly fine with this. It's a price they pay for their amazing town. The book follows Vera from her childhood as her own mother disappears, as she grows up and has her own child. The young mothers discuss and try to guess who might disappear next, looking for signs of who was doting upon their child too much or who was acting strange toward them. Vera wonders if she'll be able to continue to mother her child or if she would also disappear?

This book had a very interesting way of diving into what it is to be a mother, prioritizing yourself as a mother, judgements both from communities and ones self when it comes to motherhood. It also dives into growing up and how new experiences shift our tastes. I think my experience was elevated as I was reading this while back in my hometown for the first time with my kids. There were a lot of things I found fascinating about this book. The narration by Ell Potter in this audiobook was amazing. I throughly enjoyed it.

Elsewhere is a fable about an isolated small town where mothers sometimes spontaneously disappear. They're largely kept away from the outside world because of their secrets and traditions. The story is beautifully written and I loved the description of settings and people. However, I found it a little bit difficult to connect to the characters. I tend to find that to be true with the genre or fables and dystopian literature. The story is fascinating and keeps pace as we discover what is going on. The narration by Ell Potter was phenomenal. She has such a beautiful, emotive voice.

Thank you Celadon Books / Macmillan Audio for providing this ebook / audiobook ARC. All thoughts are my own.

“When a mother went, we woke in the morning and sensed it. The clouds that took her touched us all, connected us all, an intimacy we had never not known. We felt her vanishing like a thread cut loose, presence turned to absence.”

Vera grows up in a small and isolated town, pressed upon against the mountains, cloud-covered and damp year round. This town is unique in that it faces a singular affliction: some mothers vanish, disappearing into the clouds. It is the exquisite pain and intrinsic beauty of their lives; it sets them apart from those that live Elsewhere and it gives their lives meaning. When motherhood comes for Vera, will she be able to stay and mother her beloved child, or will she, too, disappear into the clouds?

It has been a hot minute since I’ve read a good dystopian story. Elsewhere was compared to the stories of Margaret Atwood and that is a very fair and accurate comparison. If you just focus on the surface of this story it is an interesting take on an isolated society. But if you look a bit deeper, it it so much more than that. It explores all of the nuances of motherhood. It puts the spotlight on mothers and how they are critiqued for every decision they make. She’s not involved enough. She’s too involved. Her child misbehaves so it must mean that she’s not mothering right. As a mother myself, I feel like we are always under a microscope for our decision. It feels, at times, like people want to see you fail because maybe that failure makes them feel better about themselves and their decisions.

Vera is every woman. She is scared but strong and just trying to be the best she can be for her daughter. Is that enough? Are any of us ever enough? Motherhood is simultaneously the hardest and most rewarding job there is. Watching Vera as she tries and, inevitably, stumbles to find her way was a joy indeed. I have found myself thinking of this story long after I finished reading it.

The audio of this book was so well done! The narrator has the most beautiful accent which adds to the uniqueness of the story and gives it a bit of mystery. Her narration is easy to follow and she adds quite a bit of emotion and angst to poor Vera. I highly recommend it!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, Celadon Books, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. Available tomorrow!

Elsewhere by @ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Thank you @netgalley, @celadon and @macmillan.audio for the audiobook of #Elsewhere

🌙𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝐵𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑏: “Vera grows up in a small town, removed and isolated, pressed up against the mountains, cloud-covered and damp year-round. This town, fiercely protective, brutal and unforgiving in its adherence to tradition, faces a singular affliction: some mothers vanish, disappearing into the clouds. It is the exquisite pain and intrinsic beauty of their lives; it sets them apart from people elsewhere and gives them meaning.

Vera, a young girl when her own mother went, is on the cusp of adulthood herself. As her peers begin to marry and become mothers, they speculate about who might be the first to go, each wondering about her own fate. Reveling in their gossip, they witness each other in motherhood, waiting for signs: this one devotes herself to her child too much, this one not enough―that must surely draw the affliction’s gaze. When motherhood comes for Vera, she is faced with the question: will she be able to stay and mother her beloved child, or will she disappear?

Provocative and hypnotic, Alexis Schaitkin’s Elsewhere is at once a spellbinding revelation and a rumination on the mysterious task of motherhood and all the ways in which a woman can lose herself to it; the self-monitoring and judgment, the doubts and unknowns, and the legacy she leaves behind.”

🌙𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤: Give me one second here to gather my thoughts🧘🏾‍♀️… this book was weird af! Here me out ✋🏼🛑What do they called them? Dystopian? When books are weird as fuck, and you get so invested and it’s so fantastically written that you have to finish them and at the end it will have you wondering and questioning your whole existence 😮‍💨 yea, dystopian. Which the actual meaning according to the Oxford English Dictionary, a dystopia is "An imaginary place or condition in which everything is as bad as possible." It was raw, real and makes you nod in agreement of the representation of motherhood on its deepest levels.
Now, Elsewhere was beautifully written, thought provoking, odd but purposely allegory. This book is not light, almost dark. It would be great for a book club because it contains so many things that need to be discussed and talk about.

🌙𝑁𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛: This. Was. Phenomenal. To be honest I probably wouldn’t have finished this as a physical book; I was just a lot. But the audiobook is superb, it draws you in and make you want to stay. Big shout out to Ell Potter for making want to stick around.

🌙𝑃𝑢𝑏 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒: June 28th 2022.


🏷
✨
✨
✨
✨
✨
✨
✨
✨

#bookish #bookstagram #booklover #bookworm #books #bookstagrammer #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookphotography #booklove #booksbooksbooks #instabook #igreads #bookreview #Elsewhere #AlexisSchaitkin #macmillanaudio #audiobook #netgalley #wearebookish

Very interesting premise, but just not my cup of tea. It was quite bizarre and I typically enjoy fantasy books. Parts seemed to be spooky or odd just for the sake of being unsettling. Maybe I’m just not in the right headspace to enjoy it.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/478I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This kind of reminded me of the HBO show The Leftovers, where the mothers disappear and you aren't sure why or where they go. There doesn't seem to be a formula for who is chosen or when, the only criteria is that you are a mother. Unlike The Leftovers, the leaving as we will call it happens regularly and only happens to women who are mothers. The town has accepted this phenomenon as part of their normal routine, and they know it does not happen "elsewhere". They have a ritual when a leaving occurs. They understand that their isolated town is different than elsewhere, and they are OK with that. They are fascinated by elsewhere but have no intentions of going there, their town is perfect the way it is.

This follows Vera from childhood through adulthood as she experiences her own mother disappearing and becoming a mother herself. She shows us the beauty of her town as well as the brutality that occurs when holding true to their traditions. This touches on so many great topics. At the center it is a book about identity, motherhood, and relationships. Through Vera's eyes we get to experience all of the facets of her person as well as how she views motherhood. This book will take you through all of your emotions and I found that it kept my attention as we walked alongside Vera for all of the major events in her life.

I don't gravitate toward speculative fiction or character driven stories, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was new and fresh but something I wholeheartedly can relate to as a mom. As mothers we often find ourselves losing our identities as we settle into our roles as wives and mothers as our families come first. The love we feel for our children is fierce, and we are constantly judged as we raise our children. No matter what you do it isn't enough or it is too much, and no matter what you do it is never the right choice. Schaitkin very much accurately captured what it is like to be a mother on any give day.

This was a wonderful deviation from the plot driven novels I typically enjoy. I loved the writing and the imagination put into the town. If you are a fan of Margaret Atwood I think you would enjoy this. It is emotional and thought provoking. I highly recommend it!2394618?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I was hooked by both the writing and the mystery of this very quickly & finished it in under 24 hours. At the end, now that I think I understand what was happening, I mostly want to discuss it with someone else, but I enjoyed the experience a lot, so four stars. Plus, the audio narration was excellent.

Disclosure: I received an ALC via Libro.fm.

"I began to know what women here had always known: We we're endangered, but we were dangerous, too; our peril was also our power."

In light of the Supreme Court's Handmaid's Tale decision to rule over women, the words in the beautiful lyrically written allegory Elsewhere by prophetic author Alexis Schaitkin are powerful reminders that we, women, must be our own force.

Told through Vera's eyes, this story of an isolated town surrounded by mountains, is about women often suffering an "affliction" when they become mothers; disappearing without a trace. The townsfolk will say she was a "bad" mother. She is judged as neglectful or over protective, too strict or not strict enough and undeserving of children. Her belongings will be burned and all traces of her float as ash above the mountains.

Vera finds a way out of the affliction but one that changes the course of her life and through her journey Elsewhere we learn truths about the town and the choices we all make; including not making a choice.

I read and listened to this important timely story about how as women we must only have the "right" emotions. We can't be sad, depressed or angry. We are no longer an individual feeling human. We are just a vessel.

The hypnotic performance of narrator Ell Potter kept me immersed in Vera's quest to escape disappearing and have her family. I cried when she felt her choices were taken from her, when she was alone, scared and often ridiculed by those who knew nothing of her life. Sound familiar?

Elsewhere is speculative fiction, magical realism, a modern day allegory. There's mystery, tension, sex, fear, and love. At times we long to be Elsewhere maybe Vera 's story will give us the courage to find our way.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Vera has lived her entire life in her small mountain community. Sequestered within the clouds, the village is close knit and adheres closely to long-held cultural traditions, namely surrounding their affliction. This affliction that sets them apart is the reason that with no warning, some mothers in the community vanish, disappearing into the clouds. They are not scared of their affliction, rather it's what sets them apart- a necessity that comes with their isolated way of life.

Vera has personally come into contact with the affliction, as it took her mother when she was young. Elsewhere follows Vera through her life and her experiences as an adolescent and then a new wife and mother in the village. As her own daughter grows, Vera thinks more and more about what she would do to stay with her child, or if she will follow her own mother's journey into the clouds.

Elsewhere really surprised me in that the writing was so thought provoking, seeming almost as if it is from another time. The audio narration by Ell Potter was sublime and comforting as well, which added a really nice background to subject matter that was emotional for me as a mother myself. There are many questions left unanswered, but in that there is so much room for personal interpretation. I think this would make a perfect book club book for that reason. It's warm like a cup of tea but makes for such interesting conversation as well. I could easily recommend Elsewhere to almost anyone, especially readers who love speculative fic as much as I do.

Thanks so much to Celadon books as well as NetGalleyfor an ALC of Elsewhere in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Nestled in an aperture of a cloudy mountain range lives an isolated community whose mothers are regularly struck by “the affliction,” which causes them to vanish. Elsewhere, by Alexis Schaitkin, is told in five lengthy chapters by Vera, who is 16 at the opening and a middle aged at the end. Through her eyes and experience, we see how these women’s lives are shaped by uncertainty and speculation. When a mother vanishes into the clouds during the night, the next day everyone gathers, and speculates on the reason she was taken. What was lacking in her mothering? What was too much, or not enough. The others always come up with a reason, perhaps to assuage their own fears and kindle the hope that if they love just the right way, they will be spared.

Vera, who’s own mother was taken, grows, marries and has a daughter of her own. She remembers a stranger who once visited their village, a woman who made the others both self-conscious and defensive of their way of life. A woman who gave her a photograph of Elsewhere, and told her that she too could live outside of this place. Elsewhere. Her love for her daughter Iris, is complete and all-encompassing, and yet it can not save her. Feeling like she’s on the verge of becoming afflicted, she decides to leave the confines of her community, not knowing if it will save or destroy her.

The writing in this work of speculative fiction is artful and immersive. Schaitkin's setting is rich and sensory, her observations deft and beautiful. The community, cut off from all except a man who delivers their supplies and the occasional visitor, possesses many odd practices, some of which verge on disturbing in their intensity. Yet the beautiful language pulls the reader back in.

The story centers on the complex bond between mother and child, and the various gradations this relationship evokes. Other minor themes explored include how women, and girls, relate to one another, and the value that society places on mothers.

I listened to the audiobook version produced by Macmillan Audio and narrated by the brilliant Ell Potter, and her soft, precise words lead the listener into the story and complements the suspenseful, otherworldly tone of the book. I whole-heartedly recommend the audio format for this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for access to this imaginative, thought-provoking audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This book is why I give authors second chances. I didn’t love Saint X, but Elsewhere was everything. It took me about 15-20% of the way through to see where the book was going, but I was still hooked in right away. The writing was fantastic and I was curious to see where it would go. Vera lives in a small town where a mother disappears every now and then for no reason. All young women worry that they will be one to disappear and wonder why this happens.

I think this one is going to be like Addie LaRue- either you love it and really enjoy the story or you just don’t get it and want more out of the story. Don’t read a ton of reviews going in cause some goodreads rescues contain what I would consider spoilers. Just go in expecting little and you’ll get a lot in return.

𝘌𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦, 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨!

I finished this book some days ago and I’m still thinking of it; it was so weird, but fantastic, dark and moving, disturbing and captivating. I love a good dystopian novel and Elsewhere was simply magical.

Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

𝗘𝗹𝘀𝗲𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 by Alexis Chaitkin releases June 28, 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

.5 stars

There is no disputing the fact that Schaitkin's writing is beautiful and lyrical. She has a way of turning a phrase that resonates with the reader, making you think about certain lines and their truth.

This is an odd book. It's a bit of a fantasy novel, a bit of an allegory perhaps. It has themes of motherhood and womanhood and everything complicated that those things entail. The story isn't really straightforward, yet it's also not extremely difficult to understand if you make it to the end. The tale comes full circle and while not everything is explained, I felt like I did grasp what the author was trying to accomplish in her narrative.

I feel, as a wife and mother on the cusp of big life transitions myself, that this book came along just when I needed it, and I could identify with so much of Vera's life and experiences. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator is superb, she drew me into the story and helped me enter into what Vera was going through.

This would make an incredible book club selection as there are many things that cry out for discussion. It's a quiet kind of story that sneaks up on you, so much of that has to do with the author's writing ability, but I also admire her theming and way she crafted the story.

This is a tricky one for me to review. The storyline has a dystopian edge with beautiful lyrical writing. I alternated between reading my print copy and listening on audiobook. The audiobook made it easier to follow the story but I didn’t really enjoy the premise as it makes me uncomfortable. It was well written and I can see the draw- Its just not my kind of read.

Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin

In an unknown and isolated town in the middle of nowhere, there's a community where no one leaves and no one arrives. Children are born, they grow up, marry each other and have children of their own. But after that, due to a mysterious affliction, mothers disappear into the clouds.

Vera is a teenage girl from the community. She had to grow up without her mother after she vanished when Vera was a little girl and she knows she's going to disappear one day too. They don't know what causes this affliction nor do they try to prevent it from happening, they just accept their destiny. But one day, a stranger from elsewhere arrives and everything changes.

Elsewhere is a work of speculative fiction about motherhood and everything that comes with it. From unconditional love and happiness to self-doubt and dealing with people's judgment.

This was a very intriguing and original story. Some parts of the story felt slow and I would have loved to know more about the affliction, but overall I enjoyed the story and the author’s writing style.

Thank you @macmillan and @netgalley for the advanced audio copy of this book due to be published on June 28, 2022.

Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin is a book that I went into knowing nothing of the story. I heard some people hyping it up and thought the cover was different and interesting. So I requested this book, was accepted and dived in. I was pleasantly surprised!

✨𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆: June 28, 2022

𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤:
The community where Vera lives is secluded from the rest of the world. Everything they need is in town. Everything they don’t have is provided by one man only. Here, girls become wives who become mothers. Sometimes, like Vera’s mother, they disappear. But, when a stranger comes to town everyone is fascinated by her and things start to change for Vera.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
-Elsewhere has been compared to Margaret Atwood and I can totally see why.

-Strong female characters.

-This story will take you on an adventure.

-Loved the story, loved the audiobook. Fantastic job by Ell Potter



Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Alexis Schaitkin's book Saint X and was looking forward to Elsewhere. It has a Margaret Atwood dystopian feel to it, but I did not enjoy the story and didn't really understand where it was going. Wives become mothers and some of those mothers disappear... The writing is lovely and the narration is good, but I didn't connect with this book. I'm still a Schaitkin fan and I look forward to reading future works.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

I read 35% of this book before stopping. I liked the mystery of what was happening to the mothers in the town, but I felt that it dragged a lot. I didn't find myself wanting to keep reading. I liked the descriptions of the small town, but plot was too slow moving for me.
I did like the narrator. She was easy to listen to.