Somewhere (Elsewhere #2) by Shelby Matheson

Title: Somewhere (Elsewhere #2)

Author: Shelby Matheson

Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction

Publisher: Wombat Books

Published: 1^st May 2026

Format: Paperback

Pages: 411

Price: $21.99

Synopsis: A new semester means new surprises at Miss Coleridge’s Academy for Gifted Youths. Elsie tries her best to be a good Guardian, but a few terrible mistakes causes Elsewhere’s trust in her to falter.

To make matters worse, Gifted kids from around the world have gone missing, taken somewhere the Gateways can’t reach.

A mysterious figure offers Elsie a tempting solution—a way to keep Gifts for good instead of borrowing them—but the deal comes with a heavy price.

Do the ends truly justify the means?

~*~

Elsie and her friends are back for the new term at Miss Coleridge’s Academy for Gifted Youths. Since the end of the last book, there are many changes. Lots of new students, a new headmistress and new teachers. The war is still going on, and London is being bombarded with air raids. But Elsie and her friends are safe at school in Wales. Or they should be. There are whispers of Gifted children going missing from all over the world: Japan, Australia and from all cultures as well.

Elsie knows she needs to find then, but she’s not even ready to introduce new Gifted students to Elsewhere when Tryll has to duck off, nor does she think through the consequences of a dangerous mission that could hurt everyone. Then she has to contend with the mysterious figure trying to manipulate her and tell her that she can keep Gifts instead of borrowing them. Will Elsie take this figure up on her offer, or will she find a way to thwart them?

The war is ever present in this book as the war enters its second year in 1915, touches on Gallipoli and the dangers that people in London face. Everyone is on edge, and there are the constant real world threats and ideas that illustrate how the war made people feel. How it made them react and what they tried to do to get through, like not being welcoming or inclusive of other cultures.

As readers, we get to learn more about Elsie and her parents, and see the contrast in how accepting and understanding Elsie is of people with different backgrounds, nationalities, religions and languages in comparison to her parents. It highlights societal and historical attitudes around race that still exist today, showcasing that we can’t judge a person based on misconceptions.

The war is divisive, and fracturing the world, so Elsie and her friends do what they can to stay united and find moments of joy in a dark time. A time when their innocence is touched and affected by the war, the battles and the dark news they hear all the time. The unity they show is wonderful, highlighting what can be done and how we can come together when times are tough to show the world that divisiveness doesn’t work. That the wars of governments and countries devastates everyone in many different ways.

The underbelly of encroaching deception also threatens the diversity of the characters. Like Jaime, who feels as if she is a girl at times, a boy at other times and in between as well. She’s a new character, and she fits in so well because everyone has come from somewhere else in the world. Tryll, Elsie and the other Gifted are very accepting, and I loved the new art teacher, Ms Msomi. It manages to reflect a great diversity whilst also suiting the time the story is set.

The mysterious figure is unsettling to Elsie and Tryll, especially Elsie who wants to do the right thing for everyone, and get through the war. I keep cheering for her, as she stands up for her friends and what she believes in, and does her best not to let anyone manipulate her. And she learns throughout the book. Just like all of us at any age, she is always learning. Tryll is also a favourite, as she tries to bring in childlike wonder and whimsy into serious things. She’s such a cool teacher! Another great book from Shelby Matheson and I am looking forward to seeing where this one goes.