Description: "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. 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?"--Provided by publisher.
Review Quotes: 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)
--Publishers Weekly (starred review) Caroline O'Donoghue (All Our Hidden Gifts) has built a remarkable and complex series of worlds in which two people from extravagantly different backgrounds collide. Alternating chapters represent Margo's voice (in third person) and Moon's (first person), pulling the reader along on a harrowing, heartbreaking, life-or-death campaign to bring balance back to the worlds. Breathtaking and relevant.
--Shelf Awareness (starred review) Vast worldbuilding, distinct characters, and gripping action propel the narrative and underpin the astute commentary on privilege, wealth, and colonialism in this power struggle where time is everything. This deeply romantic duology starts as fast as a two-hour day on Khaise and never lets up.
--School Library Journal (starred review) O'Donoghue, best known for her All Our Hidden Gifts trilogy, skips into sf here and has great and intriguing ideas for magic and tech. This will hook readers fast, and they will be ready for the planned sequel.
--Booklist Skipshock isn't just a book. It is, literally, a new world to dive into, and one so exquisitely conjured that you feel you live there for a while. A suspenseful, romantic, charming, and really unique tale. Will make you hungry for the next one. Strongly recommended.
--Matt Haig, best-selling author of The Midnight Library