Skipshock
A genre-blending sci-fi romantasy from the bestselling author of ALL OUR HIDDEN GIFTS and THE RACHEL INCIDENT
Will be published approx. on 2. July 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
400 pages
978-1-5295-3062-9 (ISBN)
Description
MARGO AND MOON WERE ON TWO DIFFERENT TRAINS, IN TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS.
THEY NEVER SHOULD HAVE MET - BUT THEY DID.
AND NOW THEY ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
A dazzlingly inventive sci-fi fantasy romance from the bestselling Irish author of The Rachel Incident and host of Sentimental Garbage, now available in paperback.
"Caroline O'Donoghue is one of our very best writers; wildly inventive, shockingly smart, with characters so fresh and achingly human you'll follow them anywhere." - Laura Steven, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Infinite Fates
"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." - Matt Haig
WINNER of the Children's Books Ireland Judges' Special Award
Shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Awards
Shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards
---
Margo is on a train when she slips into another dimension, passing from the height of Irish summer into the chill of an alien winter, from a 24-hour day to one that begins and ends in just six hours. From a stranger on the train - a travelling salesman by the name of Moon - she learns that New Davia is part of a world scarred by uprisings, travel bans and world sealings. Power is determined by time - who has it, who doesn't, and who has the freedom to travel between time zones.
Can Margo find a way to get back home - or will she choose to stay in a world where her youth is slipping away faster than ever before, but where she may have found the only person with whom she would choose to spend eternity?
THEY NEVER SHOULD HAVE MET - BUT THEY DID.
AND NOW THEY ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
A dazzlingly inventive sci-fi fantasy romance from the bestselling Irish author of The Rachel Incident and host of Sentimental Garbage, now available in paperback.
"Caroline O'Donoghue is one of our very best writers; wildly inventive, shockingly smart, with characters so fresh and achingly human you'll follow them anywhere." - Laura Steven, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Infinite Fates
"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." - Matt Haig
WINNER of the Children's Books Ireland Judges' Special Award
Shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Awards
Shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards
---
Margo is on a train when she slips into another dimension, passing from the height of Irish summer into the chill of an alien winter, from a 24-hour day to one that begins and ends in just six hours. From a stranger on the train - a travelling salesman by the name of Moon - she learns that New Davia is part of a world scarred by uprisings, travel bans and world sealings. Power is determined by time - who has it, who doesn't, and who has the freedom to travel between time zones.
Can Margo find a way to get back home - or will she choose to stay in a world where her youth is slipping away faster than ever before, but where she may have found the only person with whom she would choose to spend eternity?
Reviews / Votes
Caroline O'Donoghue is one of our very best writers; wildly inventive, shockingly smart, with characters so fresh and achingly human you'll follow them anywhere. -- Laura Steven * #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Infinite Fates * 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 Putting a new spin on the phrase 'a race against time', Skipshock is like no other book I have read. . . Layered, inventive, and expansive, what appears to be a complicated sci-fantasy across various worlds, time zones, and dimensions will effortlessly envelope readers imaginations and swallow them whole. A stunning read. * The Irish Examiner * An original, genre-blending YA novel, full of intricate world building and intoxicating romance. * The Guardian * A thought-provoking look at inequality, time and borders, wrapped up in a delicious romantic adventure. . . O'Donoghue is careful not to sacrifice story, or to reduce complex situations to simple binaries. Thoroughly enjoyable and intelligent. * The Irish Times *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 14 years
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
270 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5295-3062-9 (9781529530629)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Caroline O'Donoghue is the author of the New York Times bestselling YA fantasy series All Our Hidden Gifts as well as several highly-acclaimed novels for adults, including her most recent The Rachel Incident, which is being adapted for television. She has written for The Times and The Guardian, and is the host of an award-winning podcast, Sentimental Garbage.