Henry Holt & Company
The Elements
Couldn't load pickup availability
From bestselling author John Boyne, a gripping and profound exploration of guilt, blame, trauma, and the human capacity for redemption.
In The Elements, acclaimed Irish novelist John Boyne has created an epic saga that weaves together four interconnected narratives, each representing a different perspective on crime: the enabler, the accomplice, the perpetrator, and the victim.
The narrative follows a mother on the run from her past, a young soccer star facing a trial, a successful surgeon grappling with childhood trauma, and a father on a transformative journey with his son. Each is somehow connected to the next, and as the story unfolds, their lives intersect in unimaginable ways.
Boyne's most ambitious work yet, The Elements is both an engrossing drama and a moving investigation of why and how we allow crime to occur. With masterful, spellbinding prose, he navigates this complex subject with extraordinary empathy and unflinching honesty. The story resonates on a deeply emotional level, challenging readers to confront their own conceptions of guilt and innocence at every step. Amid the wildly engrossing storytelling, the book ultimately asks: What would you do when faced with the unthinkable?
Share
Book Details
ISBN:
9781250410368
EAN:
9781250410368
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
496
Authors:
John Boyne
Publisher:
Henry Holt & Company
Published Date: 2025-09-09
View full details
Absolutely wonderful story that entwines all 3 previous books into one. Beautiful created.I highly recommend any of his books!
This was a very hard book to rate, as John Boyne is one of my favorite authors. It is beautifully written, but the subject matter is brutal to read, hence the four star rating.
John Boyne has written one of my new favorite books. The Elements is a brilliant and powerful novel that explores guilt, innocence, and the vast space in between. Told through four narrators—each representing one of the elements (water, earth, fire, and air)—the stories unfold from the perspectives of an enabler, an accomplice, a perpetrator, and a victim.As each voice reveals its truth, the plot slowly unravels, and the hidden connections come into focus. I was completely absorbed and found it impossible to put down. Few novels manage to be both structurally inventive and emotionally devastating, but this one does so with ease. More than just another five-star read, The Elements was an emotional experience—one that will stay with me and one I’ll be wholeheartedly recommending to friends and family.
First listen of John Boyne. could not stop listening. A new gift idea for my family and friends.A plus!
WOW!This is my first book by John Boyne and my mind is blown. I really went in blind having no idea where the book was going. It was incredible.It follows four different people as they work through their lives, current and past. In the beginning thinking these are four different stories and then finding the careful way the are intertwined.I highly recommend this book!Thank you Netgalley, John Boyne, and Macmillan Audio for this ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
