The Nowhere Thief

by Alice M. Ross

A mind-bending multiverse adventure about theft, family, and finding your home.

Twelve-year-old Elsbeth has an extraordinary power: she can travel to parallel worlds and bring objects back with her. But as freak weather events become more frequent and a strange boy, Idris, starts to turn up everywhere she travels, she has to ask herself: does her gift come with a price?

Fans of Christopher Edge, Ross Welford and Jessica Townsend will love this fast-paced story and mind-blowing plot! Perfect for readers aged 9 and up.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 2, 2023

Reviews

[Rosh (on a medical break) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: An imaginative debut work for middle graders. Great multiverse setup and relatable characters, coupled with unpredictable plot developments. Enjoyable!

Story Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Elsbeth has a secret power – she can sense gateways through ‘Nowhere’ to step into other ‘Somewheres’ and bring back unusual artefacts with her, to be sold in her mom’s little antique shop. However, the shop hasn’t been doing too well recently, the landlord is a mean jerk, and the poor weather means that tourists numbers and visitors to the town are dipping. To add to it, Elsbeth has the strange feeling that someone is following her, even into the unknown. Has her magical ability put her life at risk?
The story is written in a limited third person perspective, mostly from the point of view of Elsbeth.

The synopsis doesn’t even begin to cover the adventures lying in store for Elsbeth! I love it when a blurb reveals just as much as necessary.


Bookish Yays:
😍 An imaginative and adventurous storyline that caters to its little clientele perfectly.

😍 The world-building, or rather, multiverse-building. I loved how easily the various parallel universes were incorporated into a middle-grade story without its becoming too overwhelming for little readers.
(I am following the golden rule of not overanalysing the technicalities of travelling through the multiverse. I just went with the flow, as most middle-graders undoubtedly will, and relished the experience of reading without my logical cap on.)

😍 The writing balances pace and description well.

😍 The main characters, Elsbeth and Idris, both are relatable rather than perfect. They mean well, they make mistakes, they learn from their mistakes. More importantly, they learn the importance of working as a team.

😍 Even within a fantastical world, the book manages to highlight climate change and the dangers arising from the same.

😍 The book is set in an alternate universe, and so we have places like ‘Lunden’ and ‘Amerika’. (But India was still ‘India’ – how boring!) I liked some of the Easter Egg-kind of references to places and people from our own world but with minor changes. I am not sure if the target audience of middle graders will get all of these, but they are still fun additions.


Bookish Nays:
😔 One of the adult characters has an abrupt change of heart at the end. It was too quick to be believable.

😔 The ending is a bit rushed, with too much happening too quickly.


Despite the minor quibbles about the ending, I enjoyed this creative and entertaining debut novel. It has many adventures and thrills to keep its readers occupied. Definitely recommended to the target age group.

4 stars.

My thanks to Nosy Crow and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Nowhere Thief”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.



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[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. So engaging, I wanted to read it in one sitting.
The characters were original, and so were the worlds Ross had created.
Can't wait to see where the series goes.

[Carolyn Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic multi-verse adventure explained in a clear and clever way for MG age readers. I was gripped! Elsbeth and Idris learn to work together to create openings into new worlds, and then have to figure out who they can trust. The sort of book that stays with you. Brilliantly imaginative.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This children's book has an original idea about a girl who can travel to other worlds and is full of adventure and themes of family.

It's very imaginative and would have caught my attention as a younger reader, many moons ago. The world building is very good as are the two main characters, Elsbeth and Idris. They make mistakes but have such a lovely bond and unwavering trust in each other, it's a very well developed relationship.

My only quibble is the ending was bit rushed and might have worked better as two shorter novels in a duology.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thank you to Netgalley, Nosy Crow and the author.

[Kitchen Sink Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many times have you wishes that you had the ability to time travel or that perhaps someone had invented a time machine so you could go back to any time that you’d like to, just to have a look of course… What about if you move through time and pick up objects, bring them home. Now think about what it might be like if you had a power like this but rather than moving around in time you could travel o parallel worlds, what would that be like? I imagine it as very exciting and the way that Alice M. Ross describes it in her debut novel published by Nosy Crow, The Nowhere Thief, it certainly seems to be. I imagine it is more exciting than her previous writing for the Financial Times newspaper too!

Elsbeth is twelve years old and she has the most extraordinary power, she can travel to parallel worlds and she can bring objects back from them to her own. Why would she want to do this? Well, for one thing she is hoping that it will help revitalize her mother’s failing antique shop, adding some wonder and curiosity to bring the customers in. But when Elsbeth’s travels are disrupted by bizarre weather events that cause an unnatural swirling every time she travels she begins to think that some sinister powers may be at work. Not only that but she also begins to question if her gift comes with a price, is it a price that she is willing to pay?

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a delight exploring such imaginative alternative worlds — and with such a loveable stray of a tour guide in Idris! I just wanted to give him a hug (AND pet some of the unusual other-world creatures of course.)

The Nowhere Thief is packed full of adventure, magic and fun, but also so intelligently written: I loved the moral ambiguity of Elsbeth's quest, as well as the subtly drawn characterisation that means everyone can be viewed through a different lens.

There are layers upon layers in this book — just like the alternative worlds of the story folded over each other. Refreshingly, no character is entirely what they seem, and few motivations are entirely innocent. There are lessons to be learnt, too, from the worlds Elsbeth and Idris visit...

Imaginative, twisty and fun. It's a complicated concept for an MG, but told with lightness and ease.

[Emma Renshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun, unique, adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed it, Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read. I’m so excited to see where The Nowhere Thief and Co go next. It’s five well deserved stars from me.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely engrossing read for young and old alike. A super adventure and great writing. It is about a yound girl in an alternative version of our world where London is Lunden and everything is slightly different but easily recognisable who can create openings to other worlds through a kaleidoscope.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elsbeth is a 12 year old with an unusual power: the ability to move between different worlds or spheres, what she calls Somewheres. However, her gift leads to her being in a position that tests her loyalties and forces her to make difficult choices.
This multiverse novel is a great example of the science fiction genre for 8-14 year olds. Elsbeth and Idris are wonderfully relatable and likeable characters. I found it very refreshing that all the main protagonists were strong females. Unlike many fantasy novels, there are no thoroughly good or thoroughly bad characters. They all are faced with difficult decisions and must weigh up the rewards of their actions against the consequences. This novel would be perfect for exploring character motivation and to spark discussions about personal responsibility and self-advocacy. There are links to environmental issues, global economy and world relations which could all be explored through using the novel as a catalyst.
Thank you to Netgalley for this review copy.

[Bzz Kolla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Nosy Crow for this eCopy to review

I really enjoyed The Nowhere Thief, it was a great adventure story of how Elsbeth can travel to pararell worlds where she takes objects to sell in her mother's shop. Along the way she makes a new friend Idris, together they learn more about their powers and how they affect the weather and the worlds they travel to. I love the surprise revelation at the end and hopefully there will be more books to follow telling us about Elsbeth's and Idris' training and work for the Council.

Alice M. Ross creates beautiful worlds that are slightly similar or completely different depending on where they are situated in 'nowhere,' the characters are well created and very believable and the pace is just right not too fast and not too slow. A very enjoyable read

[Andrea Barlien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another absolute gem from the wonderful people at Nosy Crow. And a special thank you to them for this e-arc via NetGalley.
Elspeth can travel through space and she does so to steal trinkets to sell in her mum’s struggling second hand store in a quiet beach town away from Lundun. When she meets Idris on her travels they realise they are the perfect team and their adventures really pickup a pace.
A brilliantly constructed and thought-out middle grade novel set in the multi-verse. It all makes wonderful sense and is a joyful read. Highly recommended for KS2 and early KS3 readers. Lovely messages as well as a jolly good adventurous read.

[Sophie Crane]

Everybody seemed to be talking about this book online, so I had very high expectations for this one.

The cover is very eye-catching and the first half of the first chapter is also very gripping. I was really intrigued at first but then everything just slowed down a lot. A shop selling stolen bits also does not sit too well with my conscience. I sometimes think that it is my dislike of anything about multiverse that has tainted my opinion.

The writing is really good though. I would definitely love to read future books by the same author because of that.
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Wonderful Novel!)

[Karen Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

The children adored this, it is exciting but a bit different. A story of family, friendship and travelling across different dimensions. We got so engrossed that I got into trouble with my children for reading later into the night that I should have on a school night.

[Lil · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter loves your book, she is 10. I was asked to look for another book by you, so here I am. Looking forward to your next book 🤗

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

When an antique dealer's daughter finds the ability to travel from one world to another and back, she thinks it's going to help the pair of them. She has no idea what danger it will also cause, though, in this none more varied and inventive fantasy drama.

For my full greater-than-four-stars review, please click on:-
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/T...

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this world-jumping, object-stealing, family-finding adventure! I thought the characters were great and this is full of inspiration for stories and writing and talking! I don’t think I’d make a good world jumper though. I think my kids will love this! Looking for something filled with adventures, friends, family and intrigue? This could be it!

[Chris Parkinson-Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

An imaginative and vivid adventure of 12-year-old Elsbeth and travelling through the multiverse - a host of Somewheres and Nowheres. Elsbeth learns a lot about herself throughout the places she visits and the people she meets, including the mysterious Idris and Norbert Persimmon. As trouble seems to come with every visit she makes, Elsbeth is forced to risk everything she knows and loves if she is to discover the truth about her family past and who she is. An excellently written story!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

At twelve years old Eslbeth has recently discovered that she can travel to other worlds, or ‘somewheres’ as she calls them. Bringing back objects from these worlds to sell in her mother’s shop, Elsbeth is sure she is doing what she can to help her family. As she begins to travel more though she starts to notice things changing, and Elsbeth starts to question the price of her power.

This one is super easy to get in to. We jump straight in to Elsbeth’s world as she is already familiar with travelling, so we don’t go through the discovery process with her. I think in this case that works well because it means we get straight in to the action and don’t really have time for questions! We do get a bit of an explanation when she meets Idris which will help satisfy those curious minds out there.

I thought Elsbeth and Idris were great characters and I enjoyed reading about their friendship developing. Idris being the one to explain how things worked to Elsbeth was a great way to get the information across, and meant that things didn’t end up over complicated which is important for younger readers.

There was one thing that took away from the fun and enjoyment of the book for me, and that was the last few chapters. There’s a bit of an about turn for one of the characters that just didn’t fit with their personality so far in the book, and from there everything was wrapped up incredibly quickly and in ways that didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the story. It was almost as if there was a page limit for the book and the ending had to be squeezed in.

All in all the book was a fun read, the story was fast moving and although it had plenty going on it was easy to follow for younger readers too. I do think it could have done to be marginally longer though so that the end events could have been explored in more detail.

Thanks to NetGalley and Nosy Crow for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Valinora Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this exciting, fun story of Elsbeth's adventures in (sort-of) parallel worlds. Elsbeth discovers she can pop into Nowhere, an updated Wood-Between-the-Worlds, and from there go into other, similar but different Somewheres. Things that appear to be junk in the other Somewheres turn out to be much more valuable in her world, when she takes them back with her, hoping to repair the fortunes of her mother's antiques shop. In other words, to get enough money to pay the overdue rent before the landlord evicts them. However, as Elsbeth discovers, actions have consequences, and it isn't long before she has to deal with some very unpleasant ones.
The idea of the 'Nowhere', although not new, is nicely executed with its kaleidoscope centre, and Elsbeth's means to enter and exit is fun. I’m not a fan of multi-verses generally but this one with the HostTech and HostNat worlds was fun. The plot is fast-paced and exciting with enough twists to satisfy, as well as leaving lots of possibilities for further adventures. For those interested, HostTech is short for Hostile Technology and HostNat for Hostile Nature. I think further exploration of those worlds is definitely called for!
Elsbeth is an endearing character and I really liked Idris, who, despite terrible treatment by his grandmother, keeps going, undeterred, and remains cheerful and sweet-tempered. One of my favourite parts of the story is the relationship between Idris and his grandmother, which gives depth and interest to the characters. While Racine’s story line is resolved perhaps a little conveniently, I enjoyed it.
The Nowhere Thief is a great story with wonderful characters, and an interesting world, so if you like middle grade fantasy, you should check it out.

[Omiai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mostly enjoyed this book, there were a few times where I got a bit bored, i think mainly because I didn't find the main character all that exciting. She didn't have much of a personality, just a kind of generic heroine (also, i have this dislike for the name elspeth, and her name was elsbeth, which was close enough to just make me feel less sympathetic towards her, but this is not the fault of the author at all, this is my own personal trauma, so i am trying not to hold it against the book).
Overall, this was an exciting story. Well thought out and put together. The world building was good, it wasn't too complicated or hard to understand, and was explained really well. I definitely enjoyed the 2nd half of the book much more, as it became much more exciting. I think until that point, although stuff was happening, it was a bit slow and wasn't always clear what it was building towards, but once the second half came around, it was much more exciting, things were happening, things were being revealed and it became very hard to put down.
so overall, I recommend this book. It was a good read with a very interesting and satisfying conclusion.

[Yoon Ayu · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.3💫

I love the theme of time travel in books, such as The Nowhere Thief. It is centered on Elsbeth, who has the ability to travel through time. Elsbeth, who lives with her mother, owns an almost-closed antique shop. As a result, Elsbeth steals trinkets and treasures from the worlds she visits to resell in her shop, until her actions cause chaos and disaster in the worlds she visits.⠀
⠀
Elsbeth isn't the only one who can travel through time; Idris also possesses this ability. They become involved in an exciting adventure filled with twists and turns. I like Elsbeth. She is not afraid to make difficult decisions in order to save the people she cares about. Meanwhile, Idris is a little manipulative, imo, and I don't particularly like him 😒 Nonetheless, their friendship endured until the end ❣️⠀

It was a fun, action-packed read, made all the more interesting by the intriguing multiverse concept. I wondered if there was another version of myself out there somewhere? 🤔⠀
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The Nowhere Thief will be released on March 2nd and is perfect for readers aged 9 and up who enjoy Sci-fi! Thank you to Netgalley and Nosy Crow for providing me with the e-arc. I enjoyed it! ⠀

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

A world travelling adventure with a bit of a twist!

The Nowhere Thief follows a young girl, Elsbeth, on her travels through various alternate worlds. In order to help save her antiques shop that she helps her mother to run, Elsbeth steals objects from these other dimensions. But after a time, her actions bounce back with dire consequences.

The only fault I found with this book was that the characters sometimes felt a bit flat, and one of them, Racine, suddenly underwent a personality change that felt out of place. However, with it being a debut novel it isn't too deterring and overall it was very enjoyable.

This was a magical, thrilling adventure with various twists and turns that will keep you on your toes, with some fun imaginative critters that made an appearance too! No doubt a great children's book that many will love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary Rees · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nowhere Thief is a dazzling, exciting and action-packed multiverse adventure that completely captured me: a story of family and friendship; of danger and courage; and, of hope and finding your path.
Twelve-year-old Elsbeth lives in the quiet seaside village of Lewesby with her mother who runs an antique shop, but they are in danger of losing their livelihood due to the threat of eviction from their unscrupulous landlord. However, Elsbeth has an incredible ability that might just save the shop: she can travel to parallel worlds through the Nowhere where she brings back items she finds to be sold in the shop.
On a visit to another world to acquire more items, Elsbeth is saved from being caught for stealing by a young boy, but she loses him in the Nowhere. When she visits a world close to her own, she again meets the boy who confesses that he has been following her. Idris and Elsbeth soon find themselves in danger as they are caught and imprisoned, but Elsbeth discovers that together they have the ability to escape, but at what cost? Could her powers be linked to unusual weather patterns? Could she lose more than her home if she continues to risk taking goods from the multiverse?
And so begins an absolutely gripping, fast-paced adventure brimming with danger, daring and unexpected twists and revelations that kept me on the edge of my seat. I was eagerly turning the pages to find out who Elsbeth could really trust as she faces great peril, uncovers secrets and learns more about her abilities and the worlds she has been travelling between.
I really liked that Elsbeth has found her way into something that she has no real knowledge of, that she has been fearless and curious in her exploration and is learning about how it works organically. I felt that this was juxtaposed perfectly with Idris’ knowledge which allows Elsbeth to learn more about the multiverse including its economy and politics – and what a fascinating, complex and dangerous place it proves to be!
I really liked both Elsbeth and Idris, and enjoyed the firm friendship that develops between them, working as a team and learning to trust and rely on each other. Both have experienced loss and loneliness and are willing to take risks for their family and place themselves in danger in order to help each other and those they love. I really felt for Idris as I learned more about the relationship between him and his grandmother and his reason for following Elsbeth. I definitely sympathised with Elsbeth’s situation and her choice to steal items, which she felt didn’t hold great value in their own world and wouldn’t be missed, in order to sell them to help her mother. I think this could open up some great classroom discussion linked to: is it ever right to steal?
The Nowhere Thief is an unmissable adventure into a kaleidoscope of scintillating, exhilarating and fast-paced action that is just perfect for readers of 9+.

[Carlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to get into this at first, confused by the 'Nowhere' bit and the 'Somewheres' at the beginning weren't detailed enough for you to fully imagine. I was also unsure about Elsbeth essentially stealing as the reason for the story starting. There were some imaginative worlds created but others were thinly veiled references to actual places - like Disney was mentioned which I thought was a bit bizarre! I'd have rathered everything was made up.

The story really improved once Elsbeth had met Idris and I liked that there was more detail in his world, and the slowly dawning realisation of the links between them. Racine was a fascinating character but I wasn't sure about her ending - it didn't quite sit right. The story definitely ends with potential for more and I think many children would enjoy this.

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

[Insert Name Here · Rating 5 out of 5]

Multiverse stories are always fascinating, and this one is a wonderful fresh take on it. I love the idea of the kaleidoscope and the descriptions of the different worlds and how they alter a little bit as they work together. It's a fascinating thought, how different a life would be in different surroundings.

I got quite irritated on Elsbeth's behalf when Idris was dragging her around not telling her things, but he does eventually explain most of it. (I made a guess at a reveal surrounding them and was partly correct.) I loved him as a character, he was smart, loyal and brave. An excellent companion to Elsbeth herself.

Kids will love following the fast paced adventures and trying to figure out what's behind everything that's happening. It's a fabulous read and I can see a lot of scope for discussions afterwards! Definitely one of the best current releases.

[Victoria Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I liked the idea of being able to travel to different worlds and the thought that there might be places that are right next door but are slightly different. However, the idea that travelling like this has an impact on the world you live in and the world you travel to is an interesting and important topic of discussion. Even if you can do something, does that mean you should? There is also an important message in this book about being careful about who you put your trust in to. I think this book would be great to use in the classroom as it would provide lots of opportunities for discussion and for writing. You could write about different worlds that you might travel to and how they are different but also about the environmental impact of travel. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nowhere Thief is a wonderful book about two cousins, Elsbeth and Idris, but they don’t know they are cousins yet…
… Elsbeth and Idris can travel to other somewhere/spheres! Spheres/somewheres are a bit like different worlds and they each are unique. Elsbeth and her Mum own an antique shop but Elsbeth’s Mum is struggling endlessly to pay the rents. As this is happening, Elsbeth needs to do something fast to help her Mum and more. As Elsbeth and Idris lead themselves into an adventure with chamchas, cardemon rolls and kaleidoscopes, Elsbeth and Idris uncover a big family secret…
I enjoyed this book a lot because the book is beautifully written and it is very interesting how travelling through different worlds is possible in books. I really recommend this book a lot!

[Sue H H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Nosy Crow for an advance copy.
The Nowhere Thief is an exciting adventure for MG readers with a clever twist on the multiverse concept. Elsbeth is an engaging relatable character who travels from a familiar parallel universe to other Somewheres, collecting treasures to sell in her mother's shop. The writing is vibrant and very visual and I especially enjoyed watching Elsbeth's friendship develop with Idris as they navigate the increasing risks of moving between different worlds. Fast-paced and entertaining.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My (11 yr old) son picked this from a library competition as his winning prize and we've been working our way through it (slowly, with distractions) over this year for bedtime reading. It's a reasonable introduction to fantasy tropes and multiversal shenanigans and has a few surprising twists. I thought it was fine (not great, not terrible) but my son really liked the story and felt satisfied with where it took us so the 4 star rating comes from him. Plus, the joy of him still being interested in bedtime reading means I'll happily read anything he wants.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

With my school having a new connection with an independent bookshop, this is the first proof I have to review.

I can see how this book would be really exciting for
younger readers travelling between different Spheres, however, just not my type of book- was too far from reality for me.

I enjoyed the relationship Elsbeth and Idris had together as they explored the different universes and the power of the kaleidoscope