I absolutely adored this book! It was a huge amount of riotous fun and my favourite part of the story was the treasure hunting. Full of magic and a cast of strong female characters this was great fun.

I was in the mood for a magical adventure story and Tourmaline and the Island of Elsewhere absolutely fit the bill!

Tourmaline’s mother is an artefact hunter who has gone missing but no one at the university she works for is looking for her so Tourmaline takes it upon herself to go and find her accompanied by her two friends George and Mai. Together they encounter a brilliant band of female pirates (who both help and hinder them) and explore a magical mysterious island.

The characters were the best part of the story - I loved anxious George who constantly put all of his worries to one side to do more and more dangerous things. He was such a loveable character, a really loyal friend and I thought it was lovely to see how Mai and Tourmaline knew him so well, they recognised his feelings and helped him to become braver.

Throughout the book there was a subtle, but cleverly done, discussion of who owns historical artefacts and where they should be kept - it was a great link to so many current discussions in a different context.

Overall, a really fun adventure story with strong female characters and great themes of friendship, bravery and integrity.

A strange boarding school, a missing parent and a mystery to solve in a beautifully described fantasy world, rooted in reality by the totally plausible behaviour of the protagonists are at the heart of this entertaining novel. Feisty, decisive Tourmaline's rivalry and distrust of the competent, confident new girl Mai and their more timid, placid friend George's attempts to placate the pair of them and keep the peace create humour and draw empathy and recognition from the reader, while the mystery of the whereabouts of Tourmaline's thrill-seeking mother drives the narrative. A thoroughly engrossing read.

Not quite the book I had anticipated and I may well have taken the mix of archaeologist and artefact hunter too seriously as a qualified archaeologist who worked in the field for several years. However, the life lessons and foods for thought sprinkled throughout the book were great and definitely aspects of life I'd want my child to reflect upon. I particularly enjoyed the Captain's dig of who stole it first and the one about free education.

Hmmm… Not a failure by any means, but it was too easy to imagine an improved version of this book. It's a fantasy world where our very human characters are living, and Tourmaline Grey and friends are children of people working at a fancy and very successful university. Tourmaline is a go-getter that would have needed to be called a tomboy back in the day, who has discovered all the behind-the-panelling corridors, priest-holes and so on, and is first seen here overhearing that her explorer mother has gone missing. Naturally she expects a rescue mission, but when none seems forthcoming, she has to take matters into her own twelve-year-old hands and make sure the trio do it for themselves.

The whole has a Harry Potteresque romp feel, but it really needed to be crisper. The blurb is insistent on us knowing female pirates are included in the adventure, but the structure here means they barely turn up before the halfway mark. Before then the university is an enjoyable setting (especially one freaky library kind of place), but it all feels over-written. Many scenes would have survived perfectly well as the dialogue, but no, we get much more as well. References to George, Tourmaline's oldest friend, being nervous, squeaky of voice or averse to anything like confrontation, seem to come along on every page at times.

Oh, and AICMA is a daft acronym.

What we end with is a lively, but over-egged, pudding – fun to some extent, inventive to a fault at times, and with promises of more trips to this world. I don't wish the author ill, but I doubt I'd rush to return.

I loved Tourmaline and the Island of Elsewhere! A thrilling tale of magic and treasure hunting, friends and family, full of wonderful female characters, moral dilemmas, puzzles and humour.

There are hints of Pullman's Northern Lights at the start. Tourmaline lives in a large university, where her mother is a faculty member, and has a mix of lessons and free time to look for trouble. Her mother is often away treasure hunting, and Tourmaline picks up hints and whispers that something has happened to her. She then decides that the only sensible course of action is to investigate it herself, whatever that takes. She sneaks away with two friends, boards a ship in the harbour and heads off for adventure.

The Pullman similarities really begin and end with the university setting, the missing parent and the curious, inquisitive young heroine. Tourmaline is a very different character to Lyra, and she is responsible for driving a lot more of the action than I feel Lyra is. I love Tourmaline sneaking through weird interdimensional spaces between university rooms just to eavesdrop on her professors, barely thinking to question why a cupboard in one room might emerge in a wardrobe in another.

The dynamic between the main characters is fantastic. Tourmaline is definitely the trouble maker, the rule breaker. George, on the other hand, likes to play everything by the rules, and Mai starts out as a rival. All three have wonderfully interconnected character arcs as they develop and grow, and I really enjoyed watching them together. Tourmaline's confidence is a joy, brazenly blagging her way through everything that's thrown at her as if it's all part of some great plan. And I thought the pirates, led by Captain Violet, were just superb!

The magical elements are all wondrous and exciting. The living archive is mysterious and awe inspiring, and the actual island is just incredible. It all feels suitable fantastical and brilliant. The puzzles and problems are clever and fun, and there's plenty in there to leave you thinking.

A wonderful tale that introduces an unforgettable new heroine to the world of children's literature.

A really fun adventure book, the young characters all very likeable but still with realistic flaws, and a great strong female lead. I enjoyed the world building and it was very imaginative. The plot slows a little in the centre part of the book, but otherwise an all round enjoyable read. Looking forward to what trouble they all get into in the 2nd book.

My 10 year old daughter and I both read the book and really enjoyed it. As it was definitely her niche reading genre, I'll give some of her feedback ;)
I would rate this book 8.5 out of 10.. I really loved the character of Tourmaline and the fact that she needed to save her mother. Not many kids would be in a position to save one of their parents and I really enjoyed looking at an adventure story from this angle. The author's characters are really believable and I especially liked the brilliant and fiery Tourmaline and the relationship with her friend George, who is a bit shy and sometimes holds her back - sometimes this is good and sometimes it isn't! I also thought the character of Mai was a good addition to the book.

There is a twist that comes three quarters of the way through the book was good but I did see it coming as the author left a trail of breadcrumbs for the reader to work it out!

Overall this was a really good adventure story and I would recommend to anyone who likes female heroines and a twisting plot!

I Always like a Good Adventure story series & This one was No Exception, Superb Writing All Round, A Maximum 5-Stars!
(Thanks to Net Galley for this 1st of an Amazing Adventure Book Series).

This book was such a bit with the grandchildren over the half term holidays. They identified with the children are were rooting for them right throughout the book. Pirates and magic, what more could you want in an adventure book ?

Tourmaline has a habit of sneaking into people's places and taking shiny objects from them like a magpie. It is when she is in the middle of doing just that that she hears about her mother, Persephone, an archaeologist, has gone missing in one of her mission to dig out artefacts. There is something mysterious about that mission though. The two professors are set to hide the real situation from Tourmaline and are not going to search for her mother. Head-strong, Tourmaline, is determined to set off to rescue her mother.

The opening chapter pulls the readers into the mystery surrounding Persephone's disappearance right away. The characters are both believable and likeable.

It is a very engrossing read and I would highly recommend this to Sci-Fi mystery fans. I can almost picture this being remade into a movie -- an Artemis Fowl meets Indiana Jones kind of movie, maybe?

Tourmaline lives a the university where her mother works. Her mother is often away collecting artefacts and when she disappears on one such trip, the adults around her refuse to tell Tourmaline where her mother had gone. Tourmaline therefore decides that she must find her mother herself and sets off with her best friend, George, and new arrival Mai in tow.
Tourmaline is quick in decision making, which means her choices are not always the best. As the story progresses, Tourmaline finds she needs her friends, George and Mai to keep her grounded as they search for Tourmaline's mother and try to outwit the adults trying to stop them. This is a wonderfully imaginative adventure with some larger than life characters and magical elements thrown in for good measure.
I found it hard to put down and thoroughly enjoyed going along with Tourmaline for the ride!
I would love to meet her again in a future story.

What a great book! I loved the whole thing! The characters are fantastic, each believeable and flawed. The storyline is really engaging and exciting, with lots to discover about the world and the characters. I finished this book desperately hoping there will be more in the series, because I enjoyed reading about the characters and world so much.

Tourmaline lives in the university where her mother works, along with her best friend George (son of the Dean) and a new girl, Mai, whose mother recently joined the faculty. Tourmaline is a bit of a troublemaker, she doesn't mean to be, but she loves exploring and that often gets her into trouble. George is a stickler for the rules, but an incredible friend who would do anything if it meant helping Tourmaline (and later Mai) out. Mai is an outsider, she's new and isn't sure if she fits in with Tourmaline and George yet, and they aren't sure about her either. But they all end up swept off on an adventure to find the Island of Elsewhere, where Tourmaline is sure her missing mother is trapped.
they travel with some fantastic female pirates and meet a mysterious man who seems to want to cause a lot of trouble. they discover that there is real magic in the world, and not everyone wants to use it responsibly.

Like i said, I really enjoyed this book. it was a great adventure story, relitively fast paced, so i never felt like it was dragging on at any point. highly recommended!

A brand new series from Ruth Lauren perfect for middle-grade readers. The book launches straight into the story as Tourmaline overhears a conversation and discovers her mother has gone missing. Upon realising no-one at Pellavere university will attempt to find her, she decides she must rescue her mother herself, and together with her best friend George and a new friend Mai, they set off on an adventure.
And what an adventure! The eery Living Archives, 'borrowing' a motorbike, a crew of fierce female pirates, a floating island, talking trees and missing memories - all these add up to make a fantastical adventure that I know young readers (8-12) would love. Lots of themes of friendship and the importance of facing your fears, being brave and so on. Highly recommend for this age group.

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

Myself and my 8 year old are always on the lookout for new books that we can read together so I decided to start requesting some new titles via @netgalley and was delighted to get receive this new book from Ruth Lauren called Tourmaline and the Island and the Island of Elsewhere which is the first in a new series from her.

Tourmaline is a young student in Pellavere University who uncovers that her archeologist mother Persephone Grey has gone missing on an expedition looking for magical artifacts and no one is looking for her! She decides to take matters into her own hand and go rescue her with best friend George and maybe, friend Mai and her side.

What ensues is a fantastical adventure involving female pirates - Captain Violet and her crew, missing islands, talking trees, magical artifacts and enormous spiders! Well, to say we couldn't put it down at night would be an understatement, the story absolutely captured her imagination. Every evening she begged for another chapter of this fantastical adventure with such great characters, timid George is my favourite 💞

Perfect for middle-year children (8-12 year olds) who love fun fantasy adventure stories with strong female lead characters. The book finished on the perfect note leaving us wanting more when the next book gets published.

I'll definitely be getting a physical copy of this when it comes out so we can read it again. Huge thanks to @littletigerbooks and @netgalley who gave me an ARC in return for an honest review. It is published March 2nd

Tourmaline and The Island of Elsewhere is a book about a girl who’s looking for her mother that suddenly disappeared.
First of all, the book didn’t captivate me from the start. Tourmaline character is a bit annoying imo, like bossy and too curious for something that’s not her business that mostly lead to trouble. George is too timid, but i kinda like him because he’s selfless, and Mai, not much someone to remember.
I feel the plot is too exaggerated, like stealing a motorbike!
I think this book can be better by exploring more of the magic, and the characters.
But anyway, i think it will be an enjoyable book for young readers!

Thank you Netgalley for approving my request for this book!

#tourmalineandtheislandofelsewhere #netgalley

Tourmaline mother has gone missing there is no one better than herself and   her best friends George and Mai to accomplished her.
All three break into Tourmaline  mums office office, who we learn is called Persephone Grey.

The children see the office has  een tashed like someone has been looking for something or broken inlto. When sooneone comes into the office a E.C. handkerchief in front of where Tourmaline was hiding under a desk, hiding out  of sight. Was this on purpose?

What are they looking for nw?
'Artefacts... ownership is a much trickier concept than one might think
Do they know where mother island is? What has an Evelyn Coltssbody got to do with it?

On a later part of this novel we are part or the journey they are on board a  ship 'the hunter'.
Captain states 'your mother is a hunter'

 Now some artefacts are precious because they're old  because they tell us about our history,  about where we came from and how we lived in ancient times' 'some are just beautiful they've downright magical'. 

is thesource of all magic comes from this island 
Emiko Cravenswood is my mother Tourmaline, E.C handkerchief?!
Who is this 'Shadowy figure who 'wants to use maguire to control the whole world"

Tourmaline mother at the center of island oak 🌳 tell them. During  the the talking tree session

The source will not let her leave and never will Tourmaline, pond in living archives themselves ' 'the professor and the students, they all use the books and that's knowledge and -that's why the university is the best in the country.


There are some great characters and many layers to this book and you can see how it a great start to a  series of books.

That's to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a complementary digital copy of this ebook in exchange for a honest review 😀

As 2022 draws to a close, for many of us in the children’s book reading community thoughts of new titles are very much focussed on 2023. My list of must-haves for next year is already racing away with me but this is a title which might have escaped me were it not for a couple of friends on Twitter recommending it. Expected in the spring, this is the first in a brand new series, packed with adventure and magic, which will captivate young readers and leave them desperate for more.

It is with shades of the Philip Pullman classic Northern Lights that we first meet Tourmaline, sneaking through the hidden spaces of the space-between within Pellavere University as she tracks down Professor Aladeus with the sole intention of spying on him. Reaching her intended destination, she crouches uncomfortably within the confines of a magician’s disappearing box and listens in as the academic speaks with his colleague, Professor Sharma. Having missed the start of the conversation, Tourmaline wonders who they are discussing – someone who has evidently gone missing and after whom Aladeus is reluctant to send a rescue party.

Discovering that the missing person is in fact her mother Persephone, who has been away on an archaeological dig, Tourmaline is unimpressed with Aladeus’s plans for her and rushes back to where she should have been to await his breaking the news to her. Taking Tourmaline to Professor Sharma’s office, Aladeus tells her that her mother is missing and reassures her that the university is doing its utmost to track her down, not knowing that Tourmaline is only too aware of the truth of the situation. Telling best friend George what she has learned, Tourmaline vows to make the university find Persephone and listens as he suggests that they speak to his mother, who is dean, not realising that George’s friend Mai – for whom she has a deep dislike – is in the room and has overheard everything.

When it becomes clear that the dean is not prepared to do anything to help, Tourmaline takes matters into her own hands and decides that she will take charge of the rescue herself. Together with George and Mai, she breaks into her mother’s lab to look for clues and is shocked to discover that someone has clearly been there before her but finds a note referring to the Living Archives. After visiting them, Tourmaline sets out to track down her mother and together with George, finds herself hiding on board what she believes to be a passenger ship. But the ship is anything but what it first appears to be and when it sets sail before Tourmaline and George can leave they find themselves at the start of an incredible adventure…

Although anyone who has read Northern Lights will be instantly reminded of the start of that story when they pick this up, this is a brand new adventure and one where the world of Lyra will soon become a distant memory. Yes, there are some similarities between Lyra and Tourmaline but Tourmaline’s focus on finding her mother is what draws her into her adventure, rather than the series of events that lead Lyra to hers. Bold, brave and determined not to let her age or inexperience hold her back, Tourmaline is a brilliant protagonist who will delight readers as they follow her exploits.

Perfect for Year 4 readers – either as a shared read or to be savoured solo under the bedclothes after hours – the book finishes on the type of cliffhanger that ties everything up in the story that you need to be tied up yet dangles the carrot of further excitement to come and I for one cannot wait to see what comes next. Publishing 2nd March, Tourmaline and the Island of Elsewhere is definitely one to pre-order as a gift to your future self. My enormous thanks go to publisher Little Tiger and to Net Galley for my virtual advance read.