Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

5 Stars Jun 11, 2025

Format: Paperback

Publication Date: 5 June 2006

💭 My thoughts...

5/5 stars

I first read this book as a teenager (I was 17 when it came out) and I adored it at the time. It is something that has resonated with me across the resulting two decades, and is always my go to answer when I am asked about my favourite books from my childhood. In spite of this, I have never re-read it. A recent revelation (to me, I'm sure others were lightyears ahead of me in their awareness) about the author's other works bought me back to this world and I re-entered it gleefully.

Thankfully, my re-reading was no less impactful than my first reading almost 20 years ago. I enjoyed the unusual premise just as much the second time around. It's a quirky visualisation of what an afterlife might look like, and it's a very creative exploration of grief. The people surrounding Liz in her afterlife experience were very well written and likeable, but I appreciated that the centre fully centred around Liz throughout.

As a side note, I forgot about the animal storyline, and I found the ability that those in the afterlife had to speak to animals very charming. Now that I have pets (I didn't as a child), it struck a different chord with me.

Loved, loved, loved. Still highly recommend this to anyone - don't let the fact that it's about a teenager and was originally found in the YA section fool you, this is a beautiful novel at any age.

📖 Synopsis...

Liz has a car accident and wakes up to find herself aboard a ship heading to Elsewhere. Elsewhere is just like normal lie, except everyone is dead and is ageing backwards, heading towards their rebirth back down to Earth.

Liz is forced to explore her grief for her old life while trying to create a new one for herself at the tender age of 15. Along the way, she manages to make new friends and figure out how to live a full life in the face of overwhelming grief.