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The Hunt for Elsewhere
Abandoned by his family and raised by a wise, old crow, Saxton grows up to be no ordinary fox.
Where other foxes are ruthless, Saxton is merciful. Where they are greedy, he is generous. But for all that Saxton believes in honor and love, kindness and courage, other animals deem him no better than the moniker his kind is fated to bear: Lonely Thief.
Meanwhile, Dante, a battle-worn wolf missing an eye and an ear, left his pack for reasons he keeps close to his chest. One too many bad memories has left him cynical, and yet he somehow remains faithful to a fault. His lonely life, plagued by misfortune and dishonor, changes forever the day he meets Saxton.
Thrown together by fate, this unlikely duo travel across the North American continent, chasing trains, fighting hunger, evading man, and confronting their own inner demons— all while searching for redemption, family, and a place to call home.
Where other foxes are ruthless, Saxton is merciful. Where they are greedy, he is generous. But for all that Saxton believes in honor and love, kindness and courage, other animals deem him no better than the moniker his kind is fated to bear: Lonely Thief.
Meanwhile, Dante, a battle-worn wolf missing an eye and an ear, left his pack for reasons he keeps close to his chest. One too many bad memories has left him cynical, and yet he somehow remains faithful to a fault. His lonely life, plagued by misfortune and dishonor, changes forever the day he meets Saxton.
Thrown together by fate, this unlikely duo travel across the North American continent, chasing trains, fighting hunger, evading man, and confronting their own inner demons— all while searching for redemption, family, and a place to call home.
273 pages, Unknown Binding
First published March 3, 2013
14 people are currently reading
422 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 15, 2022
I’m really surprised to see so many positive reviews for this book – it’s utter tripe! It’s poorly written, with numerous spelling and grammatical errors throughout, and the characters are ridiculously anthropomorphic. The author seems to have done no research whatsoever – almost nothing the animals do is factually accurate. The ending is also abrupt and without resolution. I can only assume that the majority of readers who enjoyed it are children or people who don’t know much about animals (or grammar).
November 12, 2021
‘The Hunt for Elsewhere’ tells the story of Saxton, a red fox, and Dante, a wolf. Saxton was raised by Quill, a crow (how on Earth a crow has any idea how to raise a different species is not explained), and as such is not like other foxes, whilst Dante is running from the mistakes of his past. The two misfits join forces and journey across North America together in an attempt to bring one of Quill’s feathers back to his homeland after his death.
On starting to read this book, it quickly became apparent that it is aimed at a much younger audience than I was expecting. Like many animal-loving adults, I often read young adult fiction as many animal stories fall into this category, and they can be very well-written and mature despite being aimed at younger audiences. This book, however, is much more juvenile fare. The characters are very anthropomorphic, constantly using human terms of which animals would have no knowledge, and generally behaving like little furry people. For example, they understand human speech, eat three meals a day which they call breakfast, lunch and dinner, some of them can read, and at one point Saxton uses a pair of shears!
The author seems to have little or no knowledge of the animals she is writing about. She has no idea how a wolf pack is structured, how they hunt, at what time of year wolves and foxes breed, or even that foxes are nocturnal. Saxton is also anguished over having accidentally caused the death of a bear cub, despite being a predator and killing other animals every day in order to eat.
In addition, it appears as though the manuscript was not proof-read before going to print. There are numerous errors in the text, such as missing or incorrect punctuation and the frequent misuse of capital letters. There are various spelling mistakes, such as "peaked" used in place of "peeked" and "rye" in place of "wry". The word "vicious" is written "viscious" every time it appears.
Whilst very young children might enjoy this book, as they are unlikely to notice all the factual and grammatical errors, I cannot in all honesty recommend it even to them. The story is weak and has no real resolution, the characterisation is poor, and the animal behaviour extremely unrealistic. In short, don’t waste your time or money on this book.
On starting to read this book, it quickly became apparent that it is aimed at a much younger audience than I was expecting. Like many animal-loving adults, I often read young adult fiction as many animal stories fall into this category, and they can be very well-written and mature despite being aimed at younger audiences. This book, however, is much more juvenile fare. The characters are very anthropomorphic, constantly using human terms of which animals would have no knowledge, and generally behaving like little furry people. For example, they understand human speech, eat three meals a day which they call breakfast, lunch and dinner, some of them can read, and at one point Saxton uses a pair of shears!
The author seems to have little or no knowledge of the animals she is writing about. She has no idea how a wolf pack is structured, how they hunt, at what time of year wolves and foxes breed, or even that foxes are nocturnal. Saxton is also anguished over having accidentally caused the death of a bear cub, despite being a predator and killing other animals every day in order to eat.
In addition, it appears as though the manuscript was not proof-read before going to print. There are numerous errors in the text, such as missing or incorrect punctuation and the frequent misuse of capital letters. There are various spelling mistakes, such as "peaked" used in place of "peeked" and "rye" in place of "wry". The word "vicious" is written "viscious" every time it appears.
Whilst very young children might enjoy this book, as they are unlikely to notice all the factual and grammatical errors, I cannot in all honesty recommend it even to them. The story is weak and has no real resolution, the characterisation is poor, and the animal behaviour extremely unrealistic. In short, don’t waste your time or money on this book.
April 1, 2013
I began reading The Hunt For Elsewhere thinking that it was going to be a children's fantasy story - cute, sweet, funny, and filled with adorable animals somewhat akin to Bambi. What I found instead was pleasantly surprising, emotionally gripping, and a fascinating read, though it was a bit strong for young children.
I loved the unique and genuine personalities that each of Beatrice Vine's characters have in this book. She brings us into a world of predator and prey, where animals must often kill not only for food, but for survival and protection, and they must teach their young to be selfish, ruthless, and just as deadly as their forbears. But when a young fox named Saxton starts learning that there might be a bit more to the world around him than cold-hearted ruthlessness, a series of events unfold that set him on a path to change many lives for the better, and some for the worse. At times, this story is playful, fun, and maybe even a bit cute, and at times it is heart wrenching, brutal, and as violent as one would expect in a real depiction of animal interaction.
Nearly all good books I can think of have aspects that are easy to be critical of, but upon finishing this tale, I can't think of much that I would change. If had written a work like this, I would have struggled, if not completely failed, to make it through some of the heartbreaking moments in these pages - but for this, I commend Beatrice Vine for her bravery in taking on such raw and difficult content, and for seeing the story through in spite of its painfulness. I might not have created animal characters that were as human-like, or brought quite so much realism to their natures - but again, this is a feature that brought me to understand and empathize with the characters on a level that I probably wouldn't have otherwise reached.
To sum it up, The Hunt For Elsewhere is a well written, well rounded, and emotionally gripping tale that I'm glad to have experienced, especially since it's outside of the realms that I might normally have chosen to explore.
In my humble estimation, this book rates five stars without reservations, and it has left me hoping to read more from Beatrice Vine in the near future.
I loved the unique and genuine personalities that each of Beatrice Vine's characters have in this book. She brings us into a world of predator and prey, where animals must often kill not only for food, but for survival and protection, and they must teach their young to be selfish, ruthless, and just as deadly as their forbears. But when a young fox named Saxton starts learning that there might be a bit more to the world around him than cold-hearted ruthlessness, a series of events unfold that set him on a path to change many lives for the better, and some for the worse. At times, this story is playful, fun, and maybe even a bit cute, and at times it is heart wrenching, brutal, and as violent as one would expect in a real depiction of animal interaction.
Nearly all good books I can think of have aspects that are easy to be critical of, but upon finishing this tale, I can't think of much that I would change. If had written a work like this, I would have struggled, if not completely failed, to make it through some of the heartbreaking moments in these pages - but for this, I commend Beatrice Vine for her bravery in taking on such raw and difficult content, and for seeing the story through in spite of its painfulness. I might not have created animal characters that were as human-like, or brought quite so much realism to their natures - but again, this is a feature that brought me to understand and empathize with the characters on a level that I probably wouldn't have otherwise reached.
To sum it up, The Hunt For Elsewhere is a well written, well rounded, and emotionally gripping tale that I'm glad to have experienced, especially since it's outside of the realms that I might normally have chosen to explore.
In my humble estimation, this book rates five stars without reservations, and it has left me hoping to read more from Beatrice Vine in the near future.
March 10, 2022
Complete garbage from start to finish. Spelling and grammatical mistakes everywhere you look, nonsensical plot that goes nowhere, and utterly ridiculous animal behaviour. Don’t read this. Just don’t.
July 19, 2025
The most notable part of the book was the relationship with Saxton and Dante, which was awesome to see play out. Saxton made bone headed choices every now and then which cost him, Dante, and some others which got on my nerves. He comes off as too vitriolic every now and then as well, which makes sense since he has a hard time trusting people at first after all he's lost. Fortunately, it's consistent with how the book portrays how foxes have to act in order to survive sometimes; selfish, cunning, and solitary. It doesn't clash too heavily with the few moments he shows kindness and mercy to other creatures like Quill would've wanted him to since he doesn't let common label of a lonely thief define him.
Dante slightly had the more interesting arc to me since I wanted him to succeed. With how seriously he takes the debt he feels he owes Saxton, and how much he tries to keep him in line (even if he screws that up sometimes), it made me feel for him more than I expected. The pairs of animals they met along the way and how their bonds compared to Saxton and Dante's was also interesting to see since they complimented and strengthened the bond they have too, especially with all the help they needed getting east.
Biggest gripe of mine was Napowsa. Although her appearances were admittedly frightening since I had a feeling Dante and Saxton would've been killed by her, I would've preferred if she met her end much earlier. The sense of dread she made, knowing she's still out for Saxton's blood, got too much after a while. Another one was the extent of Saxton surviving his injury near the end since I thought for sure he’d bleed to death. How he’s able to travel so far with a missing, bloody limb is beyond me. The entire subplot with the pair being in an animal enclosure is something I most likely could've done without as well since the narrative shines most when it's the pair traveling together continuously. It also makes the already headstrong Saxton forget his goal of delivering quill's feather to his lost family. Perhaps he and Dante could've both found a new family in the wild in a place that brought things to a screeching halt. It reminds me of the somewhat meandering start to the book as well since Saxton doesn't meet Dante until 30ish% of the way though.
It's still a fine book. One that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend newcomers of animal xenofiction to read.
Dante slightly had the more interesting arc to me since I wanted him to succeed. With how seriously he takes the debt he feels he owes Saxton, and how much he tries to keep him in line (even if he screws that up sometimes), it made me feel for him more than I expected. The pairs of animals they met along the way and how their bonds compared to Saxton and Dante's was also interesting to see since they complimented and strengthened the bond they have too, especially with all the help they needed getting east.
Biggest gripe of mine was Napowsa. Although her appearances were admittedly frightening since I had a feeling Dante and Saxton would've been killed by her, I would've preferred if she met her end much earlier. The sense of dread she made, knowing she's still out for Saxton's blood, got too much after a while. Another one was the extent of Saxton surviving his injury near the end since I thought for sure he’d bleed to death. How he’s able to travel so far with a missing, bloody limb is beyond me. The entire subplot with the pair being in an animal enclosure is something I most likely could've done without as well since the narrative shines most when it's the pair traveling together continuously. It also makes the already headstrong Saxton forget his goal of delivering quill's feather to his lost family. Perhaps he and Dante could've both found a new family in the wild in a place that brought things to a screeching halt. It reminds me of the somewhat meandering start to the book as well since Saxton doesn't meet Dante until 30ish% of the way though.
It's still a fine book. One that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend newcomers of animal xenofiction to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2019
Hunt for Elsewhere came to my attention when a Facebook friend posted a photo of the cover. It was a birthday present and she seemed very excited to receive a copy, so I checked it out and purchased the Kindle edition.
I wasn’t prepared to be so totally engrossed in the lives and journeys of a fox, a crow, a wolf and many other animals.
Hunt for Elsewhere is a joyous and emotional, serious and light-hearted, pleasant and sombre read. The reader becomes emotionally involved with the characters, grieves for their losses, rejoices in their successes and loves when they find love.
As Saxton and Dante journey to their destination they make friends with, and are helped by, a variety of animals including a rat who teaches them to read, raccoons (one who has rabies), smart town cats, guard dogs, farm animals (some who surprisingly help Saxton), a mother bear bent on killing Saxton and a pack of wolves living in a reserve. However, the main influence on Saxton is Quill, the wise crow.
It is no sweet animal tale, but most of the characters are likeable, some even loveable. I particular loved Dante who has leant life’s lessons the hard way.
It is well written and well-paced. There is plenty suspense, adventure, fun and some romance.
It is more than just a story. It is filled with lessons and wise words that form both Saxton and Dante’s personalities. The most important lessons are about friendship, acceptance and forgiveness.
The characters have human qualities (eg they can all talk to each other) but each demonstrates traits typical of their species. Although the animals are anthropomorphised their characteristics and struggle for survival are realistic.
The story is complete but open to a sequel with possibly some new adventures – one I would very much like to read.
This is not a cutesy animal story. It is the story of life and survival. As such it would not be suitable for very young readers. However, mature older children and early teens would benefit from the story especially if read with a parent.
I absolutely loved this story and can't wait to share it with my granddaughter when she is old enough.
I wasn’t prepared to be so totally engrossed in the lives and journeys of a fox, a crow, a wolf and many other animals.
Hunt for Elsewhere is a joyous and emotional, serious and light-hearted, pleasant and sombre read. The reader becomes emotionally involved with the characters, grieves for their losses, rejoices in their successes and loves when they find love.
As Saxton and Dante journey to their destination they make friends with, and are helped by, a variety of animals including a rat who teaches them to read, raccoons (one who has rabies), smart town cats, guard dogs, farm animals (some who surprisingly help Saxton), a mother bear bent on killing Saxton and a pack of wolves living in a reserve. However, the main influence on Saxton is Quill, the wise crow.
It is no sweet animal tale, but most of the characters are likeable, some even loveable. I particular loved Dante who has leant life’s lessons the hard way.
It is well written and well-paced. There is plenty suspense, adventure, fun and some romance.
It is more than just a story. It is filled with lessons and wise words that form both Saxton and Dante’s personalities. The most important lessons are about friendship, acceptance and forgiveness.
The characters have human qualities (eg they can all talk to each other) but each demonstrates traits typical of their species. Although the animals are anthropomorphised their characteristics and struggle for survival are realistic.
The story is complete but open to a sequel with possibly some new adventures – one I would very much like to read.
This is not a cutesy animal story. It is the story of life and survival. As such it would not be suitable for very young readers. However, mature older children and early teens would benefit from the story especially if read with a parent.
I absolutely loved this story and can't wait to share it with my granddaughter when she is old enough.
January 11, 2024
This was a bit of a strange book. Roughly around the first 3/5ths of The Hunt for Elsewhere were wildly different in style and quality than the final 2/5ths, creating what felt like 2 entirely different reading experiences.
The start of this book is rough, to put it lightly. The pacing was extremely confusing, as though there were formatting errors. Some scenes flew by with seemingly important events glossed over, while others dragged on for unnecessarily long in grueling detail. Some scenes included flashbacks which weren't entirely clearly formatted. Some full chapters could have just been sections, having spanned only two or three pages, while other chapters felt like they would never end. Much of the pacing issues resolved themselves about halfway through the book- save for the chapter length issues -but the earlier chapters felt like they could have gone for some editing.
The Hunt for Elsewhere's target audience is... unclear. One of the biggest length sinks in this book is characters explaining some rather simple topics, written as though they're meant for very young audiences. For example, some geography is explained, and one character goes into exhaustive detail on the length of a mile. However, the book also references rather gory scenes that wouldn't be suitable for a reader who needs the length of a mile explained. I would pretty safely put this in the "young adult" category, but it could have gone without seemingly babying the reader. Again, this issue is pretty much exclusive to the first half of the book.
One thing I greatly appreciated from The Hunt for Elsewhere was the use of human terms to describe human objects, such as cars. Admittedly, from the perspective of a fox or wolf, knowledge of these terms didn't necessarily make sense, but I appreciated not having to scrape my brain across loose descriptions of objects to sort out what I should be envisioning, as some other books require. This was applied a bit loosely in The Hunt for Elsewhere, with some seemingly obvious objects being described rather than named, but the vast majority of the narration used human terms for human objects, which made reading this book a lot easier.
What didn't quite make the book so easy to read, however, was the length. This book is not super long necessarily, but it feels like it goes on and on and on. This is especially true for the first half of the book, which is so dense with new characters (many of whom come and go without another trace, while some less significantly introduced characters become very important later) that it left my head swimming. The end of the book mentions each by name, and I genuinely could not remember half of the characters we'd run into by that point, even though it had only been a week of reading by that point.
One final thing that kind of irked me about The Hunt for Elsewhere, which again is almost entirely exclusive to the first 3/5ths of the book, was that much of the book was riddled with "quotable moments" that, while maybe seemingly inspiring, didn't really add much to the story. It felt a bit tacked on in a lot of places. This becomes very easy to spot with the Kindle version, where seconds highlighted by multiple readers are underlined. A lot of these quotes stick out like a sore thumb, and it felt like a lot of the first half was built around trying to harvest as many of these quotes as possible, rather than developing a plot.
Let's talk about the plot, actually. It's... non-traditional. It's not bad, but it is a little bit confusing. What you would think would be the main plot ends up being hardly a footnote in the book, with characters embarking on these multi-chapter, journeys just to seemingly throw them right back away and jump into a different adventure. It wasn't egregious, but it left me a bit confused as to what the plot of the book really was supposed to be. In reality, I think this book is more like 3 or 4 different books. And no, the three "parts" of the book do not logically break up these plots. They're not there for no reason, but they're a bit loosely implemented.
As previously mentioned, roughly the last 2/5ths of this book was where it really shined. It took me a number of days to get through the first half of this book (and I did debate giving it up a few times), but once I reached the second half, I could hardly put it down. Many of the above complaints I had with the book had almost completely resolved themselves. The characters become much more memorable, and the story became incredibly compelling, even invoking quite a bit of emotion. Some issues remained, namely formatting. Some scenes opened in somewhat confusing ways, which painted some characters more negatively than I think was intended. In some spots, it was a bit difficult to determine who was speaking as well. But the story by that point had me pretty well hooked.
The second half of The Hunt for Elsewhere also included much more mature language and imagery than the first half. While I was nearly bored of the simplistic, almost elementary language of the first half, I found myself busting out the dictionary more than once through the second half. It felt much more intentionally structured and meaningfully phrased. And the constant "quotable moments" had pretty much entirely given way to the story, which I appreciated. I was a bit concerned the latter half was beginning to move into a gore-fest, as it briefly hinted at it, but I was pleasantly surprised that I strayed away from becoming too graphic.
In the end, this book actually ended up being quite the page turner, but had the same "you just gotta get through the first season" vibe of that one anime your friend insists you should watch, but you can't get through. It almost felt like the first and second halves of this book were written at very different point in time. The first half could probably have gone for a re-write, in all honesty. But by the end of this book, I felt very well-connected with the characters and the plot, and mostly satisfied with the ending. I would read this again, but I'd probably gloss over the first half.
The start of this book is rough, to put it lightly. The pacing was extremely confusing, as though there were formatting errors. Some scenes flew by with seemingly important events glossed over, while others dragged on for unnecessarily long in grueling detail. Some scenes included flashbacks which weren't entirely clearly formatted. Some full chapters could have just been sections, having spanned only two or three pages, while other chapters felt like they would never end. Much of the pacing issues resolved themselves about halfway through the book- save for the chapter length issues -but the earlier chapters felt like they could have gone for some editing.
The Hunt for Elsewhere's target audience is... unclear. One of the biggest length sinks in this book is characters explaining some rather simple topics, written as though they're meant for very young audiences. For example, some geography is explained, and one character goes into exhaustive detail on the length of a mile. However, the book also references rather gory scenes that wouldn't be suitable for a reader who needs the length of a mile explained. I would pretty safely put this in the "young adult" category, but it could have gone without seemingly babying the reader. Again, this issue is pretty much exclusive to the first half of the book.
One thing I greatly appreciated from The Hunt for Elsewhere was the use of human terms to describe human objects, such as cars. Admittedly, from the perspective of a fox or wolf, knowledge of these terms didn't necessarily make sense, but I appreciated not having to scrape my brain across loose descriptions of objects to sort out what I should be envisioning, as some other books require. This was applied a bit loosely in The Hunt for Elsewhere, with some seemingly obvious objects being described rather than named, but the vast majority of the narration used human terms for human objects, which made reading this book a lot easier.
What didn't quite make the book so easy to read, however, was the length. This book is not super long necessarily, but it feels like it goes on and on and on. This is especially true for the first half of the book, which is so dense with new characters (many of whom come and go without another trace, while some less significantly introduced characters become very important later) that it left my head swimming. The end of the book mentions each by name, and I genuinely could not remember half of the characters we'd run into by that point, even though it had only been a week of reading by that point.
One final thing that kind of irked me about The Hunt for Elsewhere, which again is almost entirely exclusive to the first 3/5ths of the book, was that much of the book was riddled with "quotable moments" that, while maybe seemingly inspiring, didn't really add much to the story. It felt a bit tacked on in a lot of places. This becomes very easy to spot with the Kindle version, where seconds highlighted by multiple readers are underlined. A lot of these quotes stick out like a sore thumb, and it felt like a lot of the first half was built around trying to harvest as many of these quotes as possible, rather than developing a plot.
Let's talk about the plot, actually. It's... non-traditional. It's not bad, but it is a little bit confusing. What you would think would be the main plot ends up being hardly a footnote in the book, with characters embarking on these multi-chapter, journeys just to seemingly throw them right back away and jump into a different adventure. It wasn't egregious, but it left me a bit confused as to what the plot of the book really was supposed to be. In reality, I think this book is more like 3 or 4 different books. And no, the three "parts" of the book do not logically break up these plots. They're not there for no reason, but they're a bit loosely implemented.
As previously mentioned, roughly the last 2/5ths of this book was where it really shined. It took me a number of days to get through the first half of this book (and I did debate giving it up a few times), but once I reached the second half, I could hardly put it down. Many of the above complaints I had with the book had almost completely resolved themselves. The characters become much more memorable, and the story became incredibly compelling, even invoking quite a bit of emotion. Some issues remained, namely formatting. Some scenes opened in somewhat confusing ways, which painted some characters more negatively than I think was intended. In some spots, it was a bit difficult to determine who was speaking as well. But the story by that point had me pretty well hooked.
The second half of The Hunt for Elsewhere also included much more mature language and imagery than the first half. While I was nearly bored of the simplistic, almost elementary language of the first half, I found myself busting out the dictionary more than once through the second half. It felt much more intentionally structured and meaningfully phrased. And the constant "quotable moments" had pretty much entirely given way to the story, which I appreciated. I was a bit concerned the latter half was beginning to move into a gore-fest, as it briefly hinted at it, but I was pleasantly surprised that I strayed away from becoming too graphic.
In the end, this book actually ended up being quite the page turner, but had the same "you just gotta get through the first season" vibe of that one anime your friend insists you should watch, but you can't get through. It almost felt like the first and second halves of this book were written at very different point in time. The first half could probably have gone for a re-write, in all honesty. But by the end of this book, I felt very well-connected with the characters and the plot, and mostly satisfied with the ending. I would read this again, but I'd probably gloss over the first half.
March 28, 2024
genuinely one of the best books ive had the honor of reading. brought back my passion for books.
edit: i feel as though the few bad reviews on this book are those looking for absolute realism. this is not the case, this is animal fantasy. the summary should make that apparent so i do think the 1 star reviews dismissing it as "horriblly written" because it isn't realism is uncalled for. if youre fine with fiction/non realism when it comes to the animal kingdom, you should give this book a try, an absolutely gripping story that might just make you tear up here and there, (or in my case, cry!). the characters are very well built up with distinctive personalities and their own walls they have to break through, their own challenges. i do have a few concerns with the story but its nothing that takes away from the end result of satisfaction and longing for more by the end of the book.
edit: i feel as though the few bad reviews on this book are those looking for absolute realism. this is not the case, this is animal fantasy. the summary should make that apparent so i do think the 1 star reviews dismissing it as "horriblly written" because it isn't realism is uncalled for. if youre fine with fiction/non realism when it comes to the animal kingdom, you should give this book a try, an absolutely gripping story that might just make you tear up here and there, (or in my case, cry!). the characters are very well built up with distinctive personalities and their own walls they have to break through, their own challenges. i do have a few concerns with the story but its nothing that takes away from the end result of satisfaction and longing for more by the end of the book.
February 15, 2016
My first thoughts upon finishing this book was, for a lack of a better word, wow. This is a very well written book in a genre that is sadly kinda empty. Animal fiction isn't the most popular genre by a long shot and it's often filled with boring stories that don’t take the time to properly write out many characters. This story, for me at least, didn’t have any of those problems. Saxton and Dante are the two main characters in this story, both of which have great personality and they felt natural. There are many other side characters in this story which also have good character arcs. The mother bear for example, is only around a couple of times but each time she is I could feel her character filling my mind as I read. Over all this was a great story about forgiveness and the everlasting search for happiness. I wouldn't mind seeing more books like this from the author in the future,
November 2, 2024
A very sweet little allegory that was surprisingly (but refreshingly) raw at times. I think about the characters a lot, and have genuine feelings about them. I ugly cried, I laughed out loud, I rolled my eyes. Truly, I haven't /felt/ this much from a book since I was a kid. Easy 9/10
January 19, 2017
It was okay. There could've been more to it, I think. It ended rather abruptly for my liking.
April 20, 2018
This book was really good. It gave a very interesting point of view and had a great story, but the characters were AMAZING and they're what really made the book come together.
May 5, 2018
Sad, awesome, all that good stuff. . .
January 11, 2020
A he-wolf and a red dog-fox become travellers
A modern parable, both sane and nice. I feel like it helped in grief and shadows in my life. Reckon you would enjoy it.
A modern parable, both sane and nice. I feel like it helped in grief and shadows in my life. Reckon you would enjoy it.
September 1, 2019
Hunt for Elsewhere came to my attention when a Facebook friend posted a photo of the cover. It was a birthday present and she seemed very excited to receive a copy, so I checked it out and purchased the Kindle edition.
I wasn’t prepared to be so totally engrossed in the lives and journeys of a fox, a crow, a wolf and many other animals.
Hunt for Elsewhere is a joyous and emotional, serious and light-hearted, pleasant and sombre read. The reader becomes emotionally involved with the characters, grieves for their losses, rejoices in their successes and loves when they find love.
As Saxton and Dante journey to their destination they make friends with, and are helped by, a variety of animals including a rat who teaches them to read, raccoons (one who has rabies), smart town cats, guard dogs, farm animals (some who surprisingly help Saxton), a mother bear bent on killing Saxton and a pack of wolves living in a reserve. However, the main influence on Saxton is Quill, the wise crow.
It is no sweet animal tale, but most of the characters are likeable, some even lovable. I particular loved Dante who has learnt life’s lessons the hard way.
It is well written and well-paced. There is plenty suspense, adventure, fun and some romance.
It is more than just a story. It is filled with lessons and wise words that form both Saxton and Dante’s personalities. The most important lessons are about friendship, acceptance and forgiveness.
The characters have human qualities (eg they can all talk to each other) but each demonstrates traits typical of their species. Although the animals are anthropomorphised their characteristics and struggle for survival are realistic.
The story is complete but open to a sequel with possibly some new adventures – one I would very much like to read.
This is not a cutesy animal story. It is the story of life and survival. As such it would not be suitable for very young readers. However, mature older children and early teens would benefit from the story especially if read with a parent.
I absolutely loved this story and can't wait to share it with my granddaughter when she is old enough.
I wasn’t prepared to be so totally engrossed in the lives and journeys of a fox, a crow, a wolf and many other animals.
Hunt for Elsewhere is a joyous and emotional, serious and light-hearted, pleasant and sombre read. The reader becomes emotionally involved with the characters, grieves for their losses, rejoices in their successes and loves when they find love.
As Saxton and Dante journey to their destination they make friends with, and are helped by, a variety of animals including a rat who teaches them to read, raccoons (one who has rabies), smart town cats, guard dogs, farm animals (some who surprisingly help Saxton), a mother bear bent on killing Saxton and a pack of wolves living in a reserve. However, the main influence on Saxton is Quill, the wise crow.
It is no sweet animal tale, but most of the characters are likeable, some even lovable. I particular loved Dante who has learnt life’s lessons the hard way.
It is well written and well-paced. There is plenty suspense, adventure, fun and some romance.
It is more than just a story. It is filled with lessons and wise words that form both Saxton and Dante’s personalities. The most important lessons are about friendship, acceptance and forgiveness.
The characters have human qualities (eg they can all talk to each other) but each demonstrates traits typical of their species. Although the animals are anthropomorphised their characteristics and struggle for survival are realistic.
The story is complete but open to a sequel with possibly some new adventures – one I would very much like to read.
This is not a cutesy animal story. It is the story of life and survival. As such it would not be suitable for very young readers. However, mature older children and early teens would benefit from the story especially if read with a parent.
I absolutely loved this story and can't wait to share it with my granddaughter when she is old enough.
March 26, 2020
The beginning was great and the story was well paced. It is better then I thought it would be and it wasn't cliche. But, I feel as though the ending was rushed, didn't wrap up the story very well, and it was off focus. I know the author needed love interests but I feel as though she could've introduced them sooner and more gradually. But, overall, most of the book was great so I ended up giving it 4 stars. If you want a book about a journey, friendship, and family, this is the book for you.
January 20, 2019
Warm-hearted adventure story flourishing with characters. My expectations were very high. I was searching everywhere for a novel with a male fox lead with predominantly feral animal characters. This is exactly do, though I'd prefer a grittier, more adult story and style, it's still an intriguing read centered around the friendship between the wolf and the fox. A surprising find.
July 28, 2025
It has some story-related problems and goes off in wild directions. I could've recommended this to middle grade readers, but it has 2 bizarre anti-spay/neuter interjections and acts like animals have family planning abilities to the point that it demonizes spay/neuter, which may confuse younger readers.
IDK, there was just some icky stuff about this for me. :\
IDK, there was just some icky stuff about this for me. :\
April 17, 2021
A sweet book. Main characters, A fox, a wolf and a crow. Story is about love, friendship, family, commitment, adventure and promise. Most readers might give it a three, but it was such a delight to read, that I gave it four stars. I felt so uplifted when I finished the story.
August 23, 2023
A lovely book about a lost fox cub named Saxon who is befriended by a crow named Quill. This is a coming of age book as well as a finding one’s place in the world story. Great for any animal lover to read.
September 30, 2022
Cute story. Not as happy as I had hoped, but still good.
November 28, 2014
"The Hunt for Elsewhere" was beautiful. I teared up a bit and it takes a good book to make me do that. (Only one book ever made me actually cry.) I loved following Dante and Saxton on their epic journey across great wildernesses and suburban backyards. there were a few typos but I ignored them. the book seems like its self-published work. or maybe by a really small publishing company. but I'm not sure. I looked all over my copy, but I couldn't find it.
So, my main love of the book is my Dear sweet Dante. :D I just love him to death. he's a very special wolf. poor guy starts out as the lowest rung of his pack's social ladder, but he grow so confident over the course of the story. :) he's strong and brave and so very, very loyal to his little fox friend. and honorable to a fault. he did something wrong, made a mistake. and he's willing to suffer through so much just so he can make it right and be forgiven. XD such a wonderful trait in a character, don't you agree?
plus, wolves are my favorite animals. and foxes are totally in my top ten, so that have something to do with it also.
Saxton . . . . . . I didn't like as much. he was so pretentious. so damned full of himself and his prefect little more system. even when he was called out on it he doesn't really do much about it. and I get the feeling that, even though he's shorter than a lot of the characters, he's secretly looking down his snout at them. especially dante in the beginning. :( but he was still a good character. at least he wasn't a Marty Stew. >:C so cannot stand those.
I think my one issue with the story itself was at times it could get sort a preachy. I think it could've been toned down a bit. but over all we get a good adventure story. some interesting characters, even the supporting characters were good. I loved Scratch the rat. (and that bear was like a damned energizer bunny!) a good climatic, animal rebellion battle at the end. and in the end the mission was complete but with a hopeful outlook for their future adventures. :)
I'd suggest it to fans of books with animals characters like the "Warrior cats" and "Seekers" and "Firebringer". or someone who just really loves foxes and wolves.
So, my main love of the book is my Dear sweet Dante. :D I just love him to death. he's a very special wolf. poor guy starts out as the lowest rung of his pack's social ladder, but he grow so confident over the course of the story. :) he's strong and brave and so very, very loyal to his little fox friend. and honorable to a fault. he did something wrong, made a mistake. and he's willing to suffer through so much just so he can make it right and be forgiven. XD such a wonderful trait in a character, don't you agree?
plus, wolves are my favorite animals. and foxes are totally in my top ten, so that have something to do with it also.
Saxton . . . . . . I didn't like as much. he was so pretentious. so damned full of himself and his prefect little more system. even when he was called out on it he doesn't really do much about it. and I get the feeling that, even though he's shorter than a lot of the characters, he's secretly looking down his snout at them. especially dante in the beginning. :( but he was still a good character. at least he wasn't a Marty Stew. >:C so cannot stand those.
I think my one issue with the story itself was at times it could get sort a preachy. I think it could've been toned down a bit. but over all we get a good adventure story. some interesting characters, even the supporting characters were good. I loved Scratch the rat. (and that bear was like a damned energizer bunny!) a good climatic, animal rebellion battle at the end. and in the end the mission was complete but with a hopeful outlook for their future adventures. :)
I'd suggest it to fans of books with animals characters like the "Warrior cats" and "Seekers" and "Firebringer". or someone who just really loves foxes and wolves.
May 1, 2013
Like other readers here, "The Hunt for Elsewhere" came as a pleasant surprise to me despite deviating from my normal reading material. It took me on an exciting journey across several states through the eyes of various animals. The pacing was solid and kept me enthralled so I finished it quickly. The story teaches that sometimes the best relationships form between the most unlikely of creatures, and thus we should always be willing to explore and seriously consider the opinions and lifestyles of others.
Sometimes the story could be pleasant and sentimental, reminding me of my fond feelings the delightful "Fox and the Hound" cartoon. But the author was not afraid to occasionally venture into darker territory in order to demonstrate that some questions have no right or wrong answer, and that the path to our goals is rarely a straight road--nor should it be. Sometimes warm and happy, other times serious and surprisingly mature, this novel has a great deal to offer to kids and adults alike.
Sometimes the story could be pleasant and sentimental, reminding me of my fond feelings the delightful "Fox and the Hound" cartoon. But the author was not afraid to occasionally venture into darker territory in order to demonstrate that some questions have no right or wrong answer, and that the path to our goals is rarely a straight road--nor should it be. Sometimes warm and happy, other times serious and surprisingly mature, this novel has a great deal to offer to kids and adults alike.
August 18, 2013
Saxton certainly is no ordinary fox... Never have I been more taken by a creature so small.
This story had more sadness and growth than I was ever able to anticipate, but along with Saxton and Dante I feel I learned so much on their journey. Not only were Quill's stories and nuggets of wisdom enlightening, but each character had a lesson to learn from and words to share.
I'm happy for them that they made it to the end of that rough trek, but at the same time I'll miss Saxton's innate curiosity and Dante's adorable impatience with that same quality of his foxy friend. Now it's a matter of finding that next chapter of their stories, and I hope for the best for them.
I absolutely love this story, and I can't wait for children of my own to share this with.
This story had more sadness and growth than I was ever able to anticipate, but along with Saxton and Dante I feel I learned so much on their journey. Not only were Quill's stories and nuggets of wisdom enlightening, but each character had a lesson to learn from and words to share.
I'm happy for them that they made it to the end of that rough trek, but at the same time I'll miss Saxton's innate curiosity and Dante's adorable impatience with that same quality of his foxy friend. Now it's a matter of finding that next chapter of their stories, and I hope for the best for them.
I absolutely love this story, and I can't wait for children of my own to share this with.
August 3, 2013
This is a charming story, but it is not overly sweet. It is the tale of a young fox who must learn to make his own way in the world. He comes across two unlikely companions in his travels: a crow and a wolf. From them, he learns new perspectives, discovering himself in the process. There are many lessons to be learned within the pages of this book. Life is what we make it, but some decisions have no clear cut right or wrong. Though the main characters are animals, this novel is not just a fable for children. There are dark messages here that would probably be lost on most young readers. This is certainly a book worthy of an adult audience. Fans of Erin Hunter (Warriors series, etc) will definitely enjoy this book.
January 11, 2016
If you are looking for a sweet animal themed story, then you may enjoy this. It follows a young fox who is separated from his family and ends up on his own journey as he meets and make friends and family along the way. While seeing both the beauty and cruelness of the world.
However if you are looking for a story that is realistic, this is probably not for you. The characters are very human like in the way they speak and act, and the animals behavior generally is not portrayed very accurately to their real counterparts.
But for what it was, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. If you do not mind the animals being rather human like in nature, then you will probably enjoy this fun, yet touching little adventure.
However if you are looking for a story that is realistic, this is probably not for you. The characters are very human like in the way they speak and act, and the animals behavior generally is not portrayed very accurately to their real counterparts.
But for what it was, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. If you do not mind the animals being rather human like in nature, then you will probably enjoy this fun, yet touching little adventure.
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September 24, 2017'It was strange to want to be good, yet be forced to make terrible choices. He wasn't sure what kind of creature this made him.'
The Hunt For Elsewhere is an interesting, and at times truly moving story about friendship and forgiveness. A young fox named Saxton is separated from his family and raised by a crow named Quill. He goes on a journey with a wolf named Dante to find the rest of his surrogate father's family.
I definitely enjoyed this, although I liked the first half more than the second half. Still, the world was unique and there were a lot of interesting characters along the way.
The Hunt For Elsewhere is an interesting, and at times truly moving story about friendship and forgiveness. A young fox named Saxton is separated from his family and raised by a crow named Quill. He goes on a journey with a wolf named Dante to find the rest of his surrogate father's family.
I definitely enjoyed this, although I liked the first half more than the second half. Still, the world was unique and there were a lot of interesting characters along the way.
February 17, 2014
I found this quite enjoyable, with engaging characters and a clear plot. The journey taken is very much a bildungsroman--at least the second part, with Saxton and Dante. I loved the discussions of family and friendship, and honor and justice.
January 1, 2014
Everything good that can be said about this book has already been said.
I can only wish for a series about Saxton and Dante.
Job very wekk done.
I can only wish for a series about Saxton and Dante.
Job very wekk done.
April 10, 2020
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