En route to a new boarding school in Dublin after she was caught trying to pawn her father’s old watch, Margo (white) finds herself traveling to a world she didn’t know existed. On the train with her is Moon, a boy Margo’s age with a crescent moon tattoo on his face. Moon is Lunati, a member of a nomadic ethnoreligious group that has mostly been killed off. He’s also a salesman—someone who travels between worlds buying and selling resources—yet has never heard of Earth. With an offer to help her find her way home, Moon takes Margo to a boarding house where she learns that time passes differently in each world, and that a wealthy world called Semper has restricted interworld travel and created a dictatorship to tamp down the other worlds’ revolt. When Moon and Margo realize that the Southern Guard of Semper is pursuing Margo, they join with members of a resistance group who believe that war is imminent and that Margo—or, perhaps, her father’s old watch—is a weapon. The first in a duology, this swiftly paced novel features outstanding, original worldbuilding; fascinating and complex characters; and a gratifying romance. Though it ends on a cliffhanger that hints at adventures and discoveries ahead, this volume feels complete and satisfying in its own right. (Age 14 and older)

"Readers will burn through the pages as they traverse gorgeous, fully realized worlds replete with their own varied dramas. . . . Incredibly immersive and utterly unique." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

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.