John Boyne · novella-sequence
The Elements books in order
A complete sequence of four separately published novellas, each presenting an interconnected story about responsibility, guilt, trauma, and redemption.
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Reading order
Only reading orders present in the catalog are shown. Optional novellas and companion works can be hidden without changing the underlying sequence.
Publication order
- 1 Water
Book 1 · novella · 2023
The first thing Vanessa Carvin does when she arrives on the island is change her name. To the locals, she is Willow Hale, a solitary outsider escaping Dublin to live a hermetic existence in a small cottage, not a notorious woman on the…
- 2 Earth
Book 2 · novella · 2024
From million-copy-bestselling author John Boyne, an inescapably gritty story about one young man whose direction in life takes a vastly different turn than what he expected. It’s the tabloid sensation of the two well-known footballers…
- 3 Fire
Book 3 · novella · 2024
On the face of it, Freya lives a gilded existence, dancing solely to her own tune. She has all the trappings of wealth and privilege, a responsible job as a surgeon specialising in skin grafts, a beautiful flat in a sought-after…
- 4 Air
Book 4 · novella · 2025
From internationally bestselling author John Boyne, a contemplative story about one man trying to move forward from the trauma of his youth to become a better father to his son. Being in limbo, 30,000 feet in the air, offers time to…
