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The Elsewhere Express

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Embark on a magical journey in this wistful, Ghibli-esque fantasy from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Water Moon – perfect for fans of Spirited Away, Dallergut Dream Department Store and The Starless Sea.


Raya is a lost soul, going through the motions of life without a dream of her own.
One night, on her subway ride home, Raya’s thoughts wander too far. She wakes on the Elsewhere Express, a magical train that offers its passengers a sense of purpose, peace, and belonging. The journey is a chance for Raya to reimagine her life – but only if she finds her compartment before time runs out.


Once aboard, Raya meets an intriguing artist named Q and together they race to find their place on the train, through a boarding car carpeted in meadow grass and along a dining carriage where passengers picnic on lilypads.


But a mysterious stowaway has boarded with them, and with it a dark, malignant magic that threatens to destroy the train. The closer Raya comes to uncovering the stowaway's identity, the nearer she draws to the ultimate question:


What is her life's true purpose – and is it a destination the Elsewhere Express can take her to?

'Wondrous and wonderful, lovely and tender, The Elsewhere Express is a lyrical feast for the imagination!' —Sarah Beth Durst, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Spellshop


© Samantha Sotto Yambao 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

 Coming of Age Cosy Fantasy Genre Fiction Magical Realism Mystery Magic Dream

Critic reviews

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.
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 a Miyazaki flair. Its musical prose, vast imagination, and exploratory storytelling will spirit you away.
This book had me sobbing on the beach. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The Elsewhere Express is a gorgeous story about finding your place somewhere in between two great inevitabilities: love, and loss.
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.
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.
Wondrous and wonderful, lovely and tender, THE ELSEWHERE EXPRESS is a lyrical feast for the imagination!
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.
There’s no denying author Samantha Sotto Yambao’s astonishing imagination, which has furnished her trundling transport with so many magical ideas…a staggering achievement. A fabulous ride.
A magical and heartwarming love story…this enchanting new novel will keep you spellbound until the very end.
All stars
Most relevant
It could have been so much more. I do see the potential of the story. I liked it, but it didn’t reach my expectations. Beside that… i was a fun read.

I liked the story, but

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