Skipshock
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4.0 • 3 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Set in a universe where time is key to power and privilege, this dazzlingly inventive, genre-defying fantasy romance is the first in a duology by best-selling author Caroline O’Donoghue. Margo is a troubled schoolgirl. After the death of her father, she’s on her way to a new boarding school in a new city. Moon is a salesman. He makes his living traveling through a series of interconnected worlds on a network of barely used train lines. They never should have met. But when Margo suddenly appears one day on Moon’s train, their fates become inextricably linked. If Margo wants to survive, she has to pass as a traveling salesman, too—except it’s not that easy. Move north on the train line and time speeds up, a day passing in mere hours. Move south and time slows down—a day can last several weeks. Slow worlds are the richest ones: you live longer, your youth lasting decades. Fast worlds are sharp, cruel, and don’t have time for pleasantries. Death is frequent. Salesmen die young of skipshock. That is, if they’re not shot down by the Southern Guard first. As Margo moves between worlds and her attachment to Moon intensifies, she feels her youth start to slip between her fingers. But is Moon everything he seems? Is Margo? Told through the eyes of both naive Margo and desperate Moon, the unforgettable realm of Skipshock will shake the way you think about love, time, and the fabric of the universe. The first in a planned duology from the best-selling author of the Gifts series, this utterly original epic is a must-read.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Teenage Margo is en route to boarding school in Dublin when her otherwise empty train stops inside a tunnel, triggering a panic attack. When Margo recovers, she notices that the train's trappings have changed and she's been joined by passenger Moon, who has never heard of Ireland. Confused and terrified, Margo disembarks with Moon in New Davia—one of several worlds connected by a strictly regulated railroad. Margo learns that each world experiences time differently: as one ventures further north, the days—and the residents' lifespans—grow shorter. Traveling salesmen like Moon often die of "skipshock" from frequent time-speed shifts. Moon could avoid that entirely and retire early using the money that rebels would pay him for delivering Margo, whose sudden arrival suggests there are alternate, unregulated means of interworld travel. But with authorities investigating Margo's appearance, such a deal could doom them both. In this dazzling duology opener, O'Donoghue (Every Gift a Curse) deploys inventive worldbuilding that complements an intricate plot advocating social justice and immigration reform. Moon's first-person narration alternates with third-person chapters following Margo; their witty banter and burgeoning romance buoys the tone amid constant danger and high-stakes action sequences. Characters are racially diverse. Ages 14–up.
