Reviews

Gr 9-12-- Elsewhere is a bookstore in Bordertown, a polymorphous city in a fictional region where runaway teenagers flee in search of identity and a sense of belonging. Ron, looking for his older brother Tony, instead finds an extended family of elves, half-elves, and humans in the decrepit surroundings of Castle Pup. He takes a job at Elsewhere; his closest friend is Mooner, a charismatic but unpredictable half-elf biker. When fellow Castle Pup-ers deny Mooner the chance to transform their cooperative home into a glitzy night club, he commits arson and accidently burns to death. Ron survives but is blamed for the fire, and so flees to a rival gang. When he returns, it is to confront his accusers--and his own guilt. He also comes to terms with his hidden past: he is running from the knowledge that Tony commited suicide. An incredible cast of punkish characters resembling the strange creatures in the Star Wars bar will keep readers on their toes, but they will also be distracted and sometimes confused. Too little action and too much talk slow the pace of this metaphorical fantasy, overshadowing Shetterly's clever concoctions and the rich literary allusions that satirize social prejudices, violence, poverty, etc. Unfortunately, the author sometimes loses readers who are trying to make sense of this complex make-believe world and to discover how Ron fits into it. --Jack Forman, Mesa College Library, San Diego

Praise for Will Shetterly's Bordertown novels:
"A gritty, vivid portrait of a half-familiar world . . . "Elsewhere "works almost perfectly."--"Newsday"

"Shetterly has just enough distance from his hero to shape [his] troubled journey with skill and conviction, too little distance to patronize."--"The Village Voice Literary Supplement"

"Breaks ground that other writers will certainly try to cultivate."--"Minneapolis Star Tribune"

"Sometimes violent and profane, yet beautifully written . . . Not for the weak of heart, but a book for the adventurous soul."--"The New Advocate"