Review: Elsewhere (by Alexis Schaitkin)

My Rating: 3.5 stars



When I first got my hands on this ARC of Alexis Schaitkin's sophomore novel  Elsewhere, I was definitely excited to read it, as I had really enjoyed her debut novel Saint X and couldn't wait to see what she would have for us next.  

Now having finished this, I have to say that it was not what I expected.  The writing was actually beautiful and I loved the magical quality of the prose, which flowed so lyrically and seamlessly throughout the story.  Having said that though, the experience of reading this book was actually quite a struggle for me, mostly because, from beginning to end, I wasn't really sure what I was reading.  The world that the main character Vera inhabited was completely foreign to me and I honestly couldn't relate to her actions (or those of any of the other characters) at all.  Much of the plot didn't make a whole lot of sense to me either, though this has nothing to do with the quality of the work per se, but rather my own inability to comprehend the nuances of the story.  

This book falls heavily into the speculative, dystopian fiction category, which is not a genre that I typically read, so I guess it's not a surprise that I struggled through it.  While I don't regret reading this, I definitely prefer Schaitkin's debut novel over this one — though with that said, I also admire her ability to put out a second novel that is so markedly different from the first one.  The imagery in Elsewhere is vivid and stunning, especially when describing the "world" in the mountains that Vera called home.  

Overall, this was a good book, and well-written too, but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. Hopefully Schaitkin's next book will work better for me.

Received ARC from Celadon Books via Celadon Early Reader program.

Review: Saint X (by Alexis Schaitkin)

My Rating: 4.5 stars

A family of 4 goes on a trip to the island of Saint X, but tragically, only 3 return.  A beautiful teenager on the cusp of womanhood goes missing, her body later found in the depths of the sea, her death a mystery.  Two men accused of a murder, arrested but later released due to lack of evidence.  Strangers who happened to be on the same island at the time, who had only a few brief interactions with the deceased, yet their lives are changed forever.  Decades later, a chance encounter between a young woman wanting to find out the truth behind her sister's death and a middle-aged man formerly accused in the case, turns into an obsession —  two people whose lives are forever intertwined as a result of what happened on that island so many years ago. 

This is the premise of Alexis Schaitkin's debut mystery thriller novel Saint X, the name of a fictitious island in the Caribbean where the rich and privileged go to have a good time.   On the surface, this may sound like a murder mystery with the ultimate objective being uncovering the truth and pursuing justice....but the story is so much more complicated than that.  Truth be told, this is not your typical crime thriller-themed novel in the sense that the themes it explores run deep — grief, obsession, family, sisterly devotion, class, privilege, the pursuit of the truth, etc.  The mystery surrounding the death of Alison Thomas is a main focus of the story, yet at the same time, it can also be said that the story isn't really about her death, but rather, the aftermath of it — specifically the far-reaching impact that her death and the events leading up to it has on all the characters.  

This was one of those books where, once I started reading, I found it very hard to stop.  It wasn't just the compelling plot that held my attention, but also the writing, which was lyrical and descriptive, but not overly so.  One of the things that impressed me the most about the writing were the lush descriptions of Saint X and what life was like on the islands, descriptions that felt so realistic to me that I was absolutely shocked when I found out from the Author's Note at the end of the book that Saint X was not a real place.  I also appreciated the way the story was structured, with the narrative alternating between Alison's sister Claire and one of the men once suspected to have been involved in Alison's death, Clive Richardson — aside from that though, there were also perspectives from other characters interspersed throughout that, despite being very brief, were effective in giving further insight on the impact of those events.

I don't want to say too much more, as I don't want to ruin the story for those interested in reading this one.  However, I will say this — if you're looking for a book that is unique, inventive, and different from the typical thriller, but still possesses a highly propulsive, captivating plot, I would definitely recommend picking this one up.  I would not be the least bit surprised if this book were to become a hugely popular read when it comes out next year (in February 2020)!  

Received ARC from Celadon Books as part of Early Reader program.