The Elements: A Novel | 
pick5+ Stars • The Elements (2025 collected edition) by John Boyne is four interconnected novellas—Water, Earth, Fire, and Air—examining child sexual abuse and its aftermath from four perspectives:
• Water: The enabler (a wife fleeing scandal after her husband's conviction).
• Earth: The accomplice/bystander (someone who knew/suspected but did nothing).
• Fire: The perpetrator (the abuser's mindset, unflinching and unexcused). ⬇️
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Truly Brilliant storytelling. No one circles back as thoughtfully as Boyne. I first read these as four separate novellas published in the UK, and haven‘t been able get them off my mind, so decided to revisit on audio now that the collected version has been published in the US. Incredibly difficult themes of abuse, but these stories are so worth the anguish.
Four (very slightly) connected stories each centered around one of the four elements (fire, water, earth, air). Warning that each story features sexual assault, often involving a minor.
I‘m knee-deep in seasonal reading, but I knew it was unlikely anything in this grid would match the feels I had (still have) reading the tagged.
5 ⭐️= Loved It, would recommend to others. A+
4 ⭐️= Liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3.5 ⭐️ = Close to either pick or so-so
3 ⭐️= Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2 ⭐️=Nope D
1 ⭐️=DNF F
pickAnother winner from John Boyne. This one is made up of 4 novellas very loosely related to one another, but the way they subtly interweave is genius, and in the end it all comes full circle.
pickThis book speaks to sexual abuse and rape in such a powerful way through four novellas representing water (enabler), earth (accomplice), fire (perpetrator), and air (victim). Characters weave subtly from one element to the next while time always moves forward. The ending is beautiful, which is an accomplishment since these elements are brutal in their destruction.
Beloved characters are interwoven within the pages of #JohnBoynes latest masterpiece, #Elements. Thanks to #GoodreadsGiveaway, I got a sneak peak. Which element would describe your life? All the feels with his new unforgettable novel from a true master of fiction!
Absolutely 100% in LOVE - look at the edges! Look at the cover! 💧 🌎🔥💨 😍😍😍
pickHaving read these four novellas already, I felt like rereading them all at one time to keep the thread of characters clearly in my mind. This is by far the best way to read these stories, Water, Earth, Fire and Air. Four terrific stand alone stories, stories of childhood traumas, survival, hope. Don‘t miss this book if you haven‘t read the novellas already.
pickHappy Publication Day! The four elements of the novel— four characters loosely connected, covers decades and centers around different angles of sexual abuse. It‘s a dark story, but one that is not without hope & healing. Boyne brings all of the characters to life— even those at the darkest points. It‘s a compelling listen that is well-performed across all of the narrators. I never knew quite where it would go but I was hooked from the beginning!
pickThis is not an easy book to read. There is a lot of trauma regarding sexual abuse. The book is divided into 4 parts that are loosely connected.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.
pickWhen John Boyne takes you for a ride, buckle up! I am glad I was able to read all four novellas in one go, as it made the reading experience better for me.
Be ready, you will not feel joy reading this, but the stories are told in such a way that it will be hard to put down (I did have to take a break between Fire and Air to catch my breath, though).
Be ready to question your biases!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #arc US Pub Date: 9/9/25
💨Air review! 💨👇🏽
Incorporates heavy, graphic themes of abuse, guilt, trauma, and complicity. Praised for empathy, depth, and craft, but intensely harrowing. A powerful look at responsibility, blame, and possible redemption. 4d