Synopsis:
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.

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?

Review:
“Acting brave was easy as a stand-in, but much less so without the costume of someone else’s dream.” (Page 41)

Is this book Ghibli-esque? Yes. Will it leave you wondering what the heck actually happened and where did things end? Also yes.

This book encompasses what finding oneself may look like–the introspection, the different paths one could go, the different interests one has and how they could have developed if they were nurtured. One decision could change your entire life. This book is a wonderland type adventure where you’re never sure what may lie ahead or whether or not you’re really there. This is very much a story of magical realism where the reader must make judgements about things that may never be stated in full. Maybe your life would be an entirely different way if…

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯