Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What was your initial reaction to the concept of the Elsewhere Express as a physical place for people who have lost their purpose? Did this idea of a liminal space remind you of similar settings in other books, such as the titular library in Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library or the Lands Beyond in Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth?

2. The story offers a bittersweet ending followed by an alternate, happier one. What were your thoughts on this dual conclusion? Which felt more satisfying or true to the characters’ journeys for you, and what made you feel that way?

3. Which of the fantastical train cars, built from daydreams and stray thoughts, was the most memorable for you? What do you think its design suggests about the nature of imagination and memory?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Raya’s identity is first defined by her prescribed purpose as a “savior sibling” and later by her brother’s dream. Think about a time when you’ve felt the weight of an expectation placed on you by family, friends, or society. How did your experience compare to Raya’s journey of forging her own path?

2. What role does creative expression, like Raya’s songwriting or Q’s painting, play in processing difficult emotions? How have you seen art or creativity serve as a healing or connecting force in your own life or the lives of others?

3. The train’s system is built on the idea that shedding painful memories is necessary for a fresh start. In your experience, what is gained or lost by choosing to forget parts of your past?

4. Q uses his anger over his father’s death and his vision loss as a coping mechanism that fuels his art. The novel shows characters handling grief in many ways, from Raya’s guilt to Lily’s deep-seated denial. How have you or people you know responded to grief or loss? What approaches do you find most helpful?

5. The Missed and Misplaced Department is a valley filled with objects people have either lost or longed for. If you could visit this car on the train, what one object from your life would you hope to find there, and what significance does it hold for you?

6. Lily adopts the faces from other people’s daydreams to better connect with new passengers. Have you ever felt the need to adopt a different persona to relate to someone or fit into a situation? What does Lily’s practice suggest about the fluid nature of identity?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel grounds Raya’s story in the real-world medical practice of conceiving “savior siblings.” How did learning about this complex issue affect your reading of her character and her feelings of guilt? What ethical questions does this raise about the line between medical hope and the psychological weight placed on a child?

2. What commentary do you think the novel makes about memory and history through the shocking revelation that the monstrous Echoes are actually the train’s discarded memories? How might this connect to the ways societies sometimes choose to “forget” difficult parts of their collective past to maintain a sense of order?

3. Q’s journey with retinitis pigmentosa highlights the connections between physical ability, career, and identity. In what ways does the story challenge or reinforce common ideas about disability? How does Q’s ultimate transformation redefine what it means to truly “see” the world?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Do you see Lily as a villain, a tragic figure, or something in between? How did your perception of her shift after you learned her backstory?

2. The stowaway is a physical manifestation of unprocessed guilt. What is the significance of it appearing as a swarm of moths? How does its ability to wear the faces of Jace and Q heighten its power as a representation of internal torment?

3. How does the author use the motif of songs throughout the novel? In what ways do they transform from simple melodies into tangible, living forces for mending the train and healing its passengers?

4. Q’s art is defined by his signature “scorched moth” motif. What does this recurring image symbolize about his grief and anger? How does this personal symbol create a fascinating link to the larger threat of the stowaway?

5. The Elsewhere Express is a classic liminal space, similar to the surreal settings in works like Haruki Murakami’s Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. How does placing the characters outside of normal space and time allow the author to explore their internal psychological journeys so effectively?

6. The narrative’s structure is punctuated by chapter titles framed as questions from a passenger handbook. How did this stylistic choice shape your reading experience and your understanding of the Elsewhere Express’s strange and rigid bureaucracy?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were a passenger on the Elsewhere Express, what kind of train car would your daydreams or recurring thoughts create? What purpose might it serve for the other passengers on the train?

2. Imagine you’re the curator for Q’s final art exhibit, “HERE.” What sensory experiences beyond sight would you design to convey the magic, danger, and emotion of the Elsewhere Express to visitors?

3. The novel ends with Raya breaking the cycle and leaving the train. If you could write the next “loudspeaker announcement” for the remaining passengers, what would it say? How do you imagine the train’s community would adapt to this new era of freedom and uncertainty?