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The Elsewhere Express - by  Samantha Sotto Yambao (Hardcover) - 1 of 1

The Elsewhere Express - by Samantha Sotto Yambao (Hardcover)

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About this item

Highlights

  • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - When you lose your way in life, the Elsewhere Express just might find you.
  • About the Author: Samantha Sotto Yambao is a professional daydreamer, aspiring time traveler, and speculative fiction writer based in Manila.
  • 432 Pages
  • Fiction + Literature Genres, Romance

Description



About the Book



"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"--



Book Synopsis



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)



Review Quotes




"The Elsewhere Express is a gorgeous story about finding your place somewhere in between two great inevitabilities: love, and loss."--Sydney J. Shields, national bestselling author of The Honey Witch

"The Elsewhere Express reads like a Ghibli movie. I loved following these deeply hurt, broken, and lost characters on this Alice-in-Wonderland-esque adventure with Miyazaki flair. Its musical prose, vast imagination, and exploratory storytelling will spirit you away."--Charlie N. Holmberg, bestselling author of the Whimbrel House series

"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

"With its poetic, descriptive prose, The Elsewhere Express takes the reader on a magical ride exploring loneliness, life's purpose, and ultimately human connection through a playful, surreal tale. Without question, the book will delight fantasy enthusiasts as they nestle into this perfect escape, a story that whisks them from the mundane and into an imaginative wonderland they might not want to leave."--J. Penner, author of A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic

"The Elsewhere Express is nothing short of exquisite. Luminous and soulful, it will enchant you with its dreamy, whimsical charm even while it carries you through an exploration of such profound subjects as loss and the purpose of life. I am dazzled by Samantha Sotto Yambao's extraordinarily beautiful imagination."--India Holton, author of The League of Gentlewomen Witches

"The Elsewhere Express is not just thought-provoking but dream-provoking: with pages upon pages of sensory marvels apt to enliven your own idle thoughts (as they did mine!). This uniquely painterly story, full of songs and spectacle, is fueled by a dauntless hopefulness that I hope might find its way into my own dreams as well."--Sylvie Cathrall, author of A Letter to the Luminous Deep

"A sparklingly creative spectacle of a world that inhabits a Studio Ghibli-like chaos."--Booklist, starred review

"This work of magical realism, derring-do, and sadness combines Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, and a trip through Wonderland, creating an adventure in which guilt is powerful, forgetting is a trap, and a happily-ever-after lurks behind the clouds."--Library Journal, starred review



About the Author



Samantha Sotto Yambao is a professional daydreamer, aspiring time traveler, and speculative fiction writer based in Manila. She is the nationally bestselling author of Before Ever After, Love and Gravity, A Dream of Trees, The Beginning of Always, and Water Moon.
Dimensions (Overall): 8.3 Inches (H) x 5.8 Inches (W) x 1.5 Inches (D)
Weight: 1.1 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 432
Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres
Sub-Genre: Romance
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Theme: Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Author: Samantha Sotto Yambao
Language: English
Street Date: January 20, 2026
TCIN: 1003381387
UPC: 9780593725023
Item Number (DPCI): 247-49-2203
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 1.5 inches length x 5.8 inches width x 8.3 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1.1 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Guam (see also separate entry under GU), Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO, Alaska, Hawaii

Return details

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Q: What themes are explored in the book?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 7 days ago
  • A: The book explores themes of purpose, loss, love, and human connection through a magical narrative.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 7 days ago
    Ai generated

Q: What unique features does the hardcover edition include?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 7 days ago
  • A: The hardcover edition features interactive endpapers for coloring and a full-color illustrated book case beneath the jacket.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 7 days ago
    Ai generated

Q: Who is the main character in the story?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 7 days ago
  • A: The main character is Raya, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery aboard the Elsewhere Express.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 7 days ago
    Ai generated

Q: What genre does this book belong to?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 7 days ago
  • A: The book falls under the genres of fiction, literature, and romance, with elements of fantasy.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 7 days ago
    Ai generated

Q: What kind of adventure does Raya experience?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 7 days ago
  • A: Raya experiences a whimsical adventure on a magical train filled with wonders and secrets, alongside intriguing characters.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 7 days ago
    Ai generated

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5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
26 January, 2026

Must read, beautiful novel!

This was intentionally the first book I chose to read in 2026 because I wanted to start the year strong and boy, did this story deliver. The Elsewhere Express takes you on a journey with Raya and Q, both who struggle with different stages of grief but have been given an opportunity to replace that grief with purpose and peace. Much like Water Moon, this story is told with a lyrical prose that you just want to eat up. The plot was extremely engaging and I loved the inclusion of a bit of mystery to the story. I appreciate that the characters were relatable and their backgrounds were well written to complement the plot. The imagination that it took to write the world of this book is deeper than the depths of the ocean. I will say that the world of The Elsewhere Express is extremely expansive and I could see how disorienting it might be. There were numerous passages that I reread to help myself visualize and process what I was reading. While the book is not overtly a romance, it does have an abundance of my favorite aspect of romance - longing. Raya and Q's interactions throughout the story pulled at my heart strings so much. Their relationship was a hopeful and melancholic song. It reflected falling in love perfectly. Finishing The Elsewhere Express forced me to experience all five stages of grief and I could not be happier. I will absolutely continue to look forward to anything Yambao writes! As I've said of her previous work, this is another absolute gem of a story.
Briana
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