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Skipshock
"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 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.
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 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.
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First published June 3, 2025
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About the author
Caroline O'Donoghue
9 books7,065 followersCaroline O'Donoghue is a New York Times bestselling author and host of the Sentimental Garbage podcast. She writes fiction for adults and teenagers.
I only leave five star reviews on Goodreads, and i keep two star reviews inside my horrid brain where they can’t start beef with other authors
I only leave five star reviews on Goodreads, and i keep two star reviews inside my horrid brain where they can’t start beef with other authors
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July 3, 2025I'm seated. The bookshop employees are scared and asking me to leave because it's "not June yet" but l'm simply too seated
February 10, 2025
a wildly inventive and dazzlingly haunting story in which time is the key to power and privilege, SKIPSHOCK is unlike anything i've read in recent memory. margo, an irish girl reeling from the mysterious death of her father and sent away to boarding school, is transported into another world while on the train to dublin and finds herself in the presence of moon, a traveling salesman in a realm at war with itself.
take the trains north in this world and the days can become as short as two hours long, with life coming at you blindingly and horrendously fast, entire weeks passing in a matter of hours and wrecking your body in the blink of an eye. take the trains south (if you can) and the days become longer, where days can last for weeks and the citizens have all the time in the world to remain youthful and prosperous. what happens when the south oppresses the north? how do people who are already running out of time find the hours to fight back? but, most importantly, what happens when those without hope find it again?
SKIPSHOCK is a beautiful and harrowing story of community, rebellion, time, and privilege, arranged in a way that took my breath away. reading this as someone living in a world with twenty four hours at your disposal is to rethink how you prioritize your time, rethink how you might choose to cherish those around you when time isn't a guarantee. (it isn't, with us, at any point, but it too often feels like it is.) caroline o'donoghue's latest novel is a mindbending and unforgettable story that will stick with me for a long time. i can't wait for it to be in the world, and to see how it works on those who read it in soft, minute, and gorgeous ways. may we all hold one another a little tighter in the time we have.
the sequel simply cannot come fast enough.
take the trains north in this world and the days can become as short as two hours long, with life coming at you blindingly and horrendously fast, entire weeks passing in a matter of hours and wrecking your body in the blink of an eye. take the trains south (if you can) and the days become longer, where days can last for weeks and the citizens have all the time in the world to remain youthful and prosperous. what happens when the south oppresses the north? how do people who are already running out of time find the hours to fight back? but, most importantly, what happens when those without hope find it again?
SKIPSHOCK is a beautiful and harrowing story of community, rebellion, time, and privilege, arranged in a way that took my breath away. reading this as someone living in a world with twenty four hours at your disposal is to rethink how you prioritize your time, rethink how you might choose to cherish those around you when time isn't a guarantee. (it isn't, with us, at any point, but it too often feels like it is.) caroline o'donoghue's latest novel is a mindbending and unforgettable story that will stick with me for a long time. i can't wait for it to be in the world, and to see how it works on those who read it in soft, minute, and gorgeous ways. may we all hold one another a little tighter in the time we have.
the sequel simply cannot come fast enough.
February 4, 2025
OMFG!!!
This is an absolute masterpiece! From the very start I was completely engrossed in this imaginative, deeply compelling world. The level of detail and originality in this story is unmatched—it’s terrifying yet mesmerizing, filled with elements that feel fresh and unlike anything I’ve read before. The trains, the traveling between worlds, the boardinghouses, the markets... every little aspect of this world (these worlds...) adds to the tension and intrigue, making it impossible to put down. It's also thought provoking in a way that makes you reflect on time and what little -or a lot- we have of it.
The character development is also amazing. These characters... they feel so real, so vivid, that you can’t help but grow attached to them. Their emotions, flaws, and personal journeys are written with such depth that it feels like you’re right there with them, living through every moment. I became so invested that they started to feel like my own friends.
And then there’s the romance… slow-burning, tender, and so beautifully done. The relationship between the main characters developed at the perfect pace, making it all the more satisfying. I loved watching them grow as individuals while also finding their way to each other. It was sweet, heartfelt, and incredibly rewarding.
And that ending. That. Ending!! I both loved and hated it, and I honestly don’t know how I’ll survive the wait for the sequel. I NEED it immediately!!
If you’re looking for a book that’s fresh, thrilling, so freaking unique, and brilliantly written, Skipshock is an absolute must-read. I can’t recommend it enough!
This is an absolute masterpiece! From the very start I was completely engrossed in this imaginative, deeply compelling world. The level of detail and originality in this story is unmatched—it’s terrifying yet mesmerizing, filled with elements that feel fresh and unlike anything I’ve read before. The trains, the traveling between worlds, the boardinghouses, the markets... every little aspect of this world (these worlds...) adds to the tension and intrigue, making it impossible to put down. It's also thought provoking in a way that makes you reflect on time and what little -or a lot- we have of it.
The character development is also amazing. These characters... they feel so real, so vivid, that you can’t help but grow attached to them. Their emotions, flaws, and personal journeys are written with such depth that it feels like you’re right there with them, living through every moment. I became so invested that they started to feel like my own friends.
And then there’s the romance… slow-burning, tender, and so beautifully done. The relationship between the main characters developed at the perfect pace, making it all the more satisfying. I loved watching them grow as individuals while also finding their way to each other. It was sweet, heartfelt, and incredibly rewarding.
And that ending. That. Ending!! I both loved and hated it, and I honestly don’t know how I’ll survive the wait for the sequel. I NEED it immediately!!
If you’re looking for a book that’s fresh, thrilling, so freaking unique, and brilliantly written, Skipshock is an absolute must-read. I can’t recommend it enough!
March 10, 2025
a certified banger. o’donoghue u are messy for that ending
June 22, 2025
This author has such a compelling style. As with her other books, I couldn't stop reading. This one, however, is so much more ambitious as it involves multiple, highly complex worlds which are adjacent to own world. Essentially the premise is that some parallel worlds simply contain fewer hours in a day, yet basically a day (whether 5 hours or 24hours) still counts as a day of one's life. Margo, a student on her way to school, manages to accidentally fall through to a world of fewer hours, a world of shorter time. Her home world, our world, should have been sealed off, but a passage opened. Luckily, the people she first encounters are not the repressive dictators making the inhabitants of this shorter timed world miserable. She instead meets a salesman, Moon, who right away recognizes how important the discovery of Margo could be. If Margo can slip into their world, perhaps the good people trapped there might be able to slip out.
Absolutely, I recommend this addictive novel to fantasy lovers. The colorful world building and original plot alone makes this book worth reading. The characters are also diverse and so dynamic. This is a solid beginning to O'Donoghue's new series.
Absolutely, I recommend this addictive novel to fantasy lovers. The colorful world building and original plot alone makes this book worth reading. The characters are also diverse and so dynamic. This is a solid beginning to O'Donoghue's new series.
June 23, 2025
10/10. Absolute banger. I’m skipshook.
June 24, 2025
To me, Caroline O'Donoghue has very much always been *that girl*, and SKIPSHOCK only solidifies her status as such.
While I've loved all of her previous work, this is, undeniably, in many ways, perhaps her most intricate and ambitious. SKIPSHOCK reads so easily that it seems deceptively lighthanded, which is all the more proof of O'Donoghue's skill, as it is no easy matter to make a story so intricate feel so easy-going. This is at once the kind of book that requests to be devoured in no time, keeping the reader turning page after page needing to know what happens next to our heroes, *and* the kind of book that demands you to slow down and chew on what you're reading. Underneath the deceptive light handedness, there is such depth of worldbuilding and thought behind each detail of the story.
SKIPSHOCK will take you on an adventure, but it will also force you to deconstruct and analyse the systems that hold up any world - our complex relation to privilege, time, youth, freedom of movement, and systems of power. It will force you to ponder upon whether it is possible to squeeze in or stretch out a life in as many hours as are available to you.
Breath-taking on a first read, but you know as you're flying through it that this book will offer more depth upon reread after reread.
While I've loved all of her previous work, this is, undeniably, in many ways, perhaps her most intricate and ambitious. SKIPSHOCK reads so easily that it seems deceptively lighthanded, which is all the more proof of O'Donoghue's skill, as it is no easy matter to make a story so intricate feel so easy-going. This is at once the kind of book that requests to be devoured in no time, keeping the reader turning page after page needing to know what happens next to our heroes, *and* the kind of book that demands you to slow down and chew on what you're reading. Underneath the deceptive light handedness, there is such depth of worldbuilding and thought behind each detail of the story.
SKIPSHOCK will take you on an adventure, but it will also force you to deconstruct and analyse the systems that hold up any world - our complex relation to privilege, time, youth, freedom of movement, and systems of power. It will force you to ponder upon whether it is possible to squeeze in or stretch out a life in as many hours as are available to you.
Breath-taking on a first read, but you know as you're flying through it that this book will offer more depth upon reread after reread.
February 24, 2025
To say I liked this book would feel like a completely inadequate way to describe reading something that feels this capital I Important. I spent most of the experience being quietly devastated reading what might have been accidentally the most perfect encapsulation of the current utter failure of the American Dream (in spite of the author being in fact Irish). The grief of knowing things are bad and vast systems are in place specially designed by the privileged and powerful to ensure they stay that way and yet also seeing how they’re clearly about to get worse is so perfectly depicted here that it’s like looking in a mirror even though this is also a sweeping adventure.
All that being said…Before I accidentally scare you away with doom and gloom, somehow Skipshock also manages to be profoundly hopeful. Even in the worst possible situations people are still falling in love and holding delightfully petty dislikes and striving for something better even if that striving still involves maneuvering around and through some shitty choices. In spite of the fantastic premise this might be one of the most realistic depictions of what it means to currently be human I’ve ever read.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also, I may be ever so slightly biased as I’ve been obsessed with Caroline O’Donoghue since Promising Young Women (which you absolutely should read if you haven’t!)
All that being said…Before I accidentally scare you away with doom and gloom, somehow Skipshock also manages to be profoundly hopeful. Even in the worst possible situations people are still falling in love and holding delightfully petty dislikes and striving for something better even if that striving still involves maneuvering around and through some shitty choices. In spite of the fantastic premise this might be one of the most realistic depictions of what it means to currently be human I’ve ever read.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also, I may be ever so slightly biased as I’ve been obsessed with Caroline O’Donoghue since Promising Young Women (which you absolutely should read if you haven’t!)
October 28, 2025
It's YA in many many ways - two teen main characters, each with their own PoV, an irish girl just shy of 16 ends up in a train that goes between worlds and encounters a world weary, at 19 (there are reasons, to be fair) trader between worlds. Chases, McGuffins (obvious really from the first chapter), evil guys, politics of exclusion and prejudice and whatever... First person present tense for one narrative, third person past for the other. Warning - cliffhanger-y ending though not the worst I ever seen, and I liked how it was framed. I
The worldbuilding is original and complex, but there is a reason it is original, nobody thought it was a good idea before - parallels worlds with different day lengths and day lengths affect life expectancy (timely to read it right now there is the daytime saving time weekend change). I admit I am one of those readers who picks at worldbuilding, who tries to think of the traffic jam if the book has automobiles, but it all made little sense to me as were the explanations of why the unfavored worlds were ever populated or why people would be so similar anywhere. The plot involves similar things to immigration control (visas and passports), prejudice against nomadic horse loving people and so on from the part of the antagonists. It all feels a bit basic - well intended but shallow worldbuilding and plot. Plot logic like "if it can close pathways it can open them!" (why? A hammer can close a door, but not open a locked door...). The romance plot exists, and develops but I found it boring, never really felt that attraction or love developping from either side - that might be just on me.
And that might be my problem with the book, it was competent enough, but not deep at anything, including whatever makes me care about characters. I finished it but I am not going to read the sequel.
As a remark, there is something weird in general with the age of the two main characters, their choices just feel older. Ok Moon is 19 and worldweary and has been doing very adult things and losing lifespan since he is 12, but Margo is a 15 year old irish girl with a protective mother who finds herself in strange worlds and she kind of reacts like she is 30 year old familiar with hard drinking spirits and hangovers. .
I saw a blurb with a quote from Gabrielle Zevin, and that made me consider, maybe even it was the decider for me to pick this book. And it turned out that this reminded me a bit of her mid phase YA Birth right books which I did not like nor finished (her first phase was more original YA more feeling centered than action oriented and I liked those a lot. Her newer phase the hugely popular the no-defined-genre books about bookstores and games). I might be interested in future books, or older books, by this author but this action YA was just not for me.
The worldbuilding is original and complex, but there is a reason it is original, nobody thought it was a good idea before - parallels worlds with different day lengths and day lengths affect life expectancy (timely to read it right now there is the daytime saving time weekend change). I admit I am one of those readers who picks at worldbuilding, who tries to think of the traffic jam if the book has automobiles, but it all made little sense to me as were the explanations of why the unfavored worlds were ever populated or why people would be so similar anywhere. The plot involves similar things to immigration control (visas and passports), prejudice against nomadic horse loving people and so on from the part of the antagonists. It all feels a bit basic - well intended but shallow worldbuilding and plot. Plot logic like "if it can close pathways it can open them!" (why? A hammer can close a door, but not open a locked door...). The romance plot exists, and develops but I found it boring, never really felt that attraction or love developping from either side - that might be just on me.
And that might be my problem with the book, it was competent enough, but not deep at anything, including whatever makes me care about characters. I finished it but I am not going to read the sequel.
As a remark, there is something weird in general with the age of the two main characters, their choices just feel older. Ok Moon is 19 and worldweary and has been doing very adult things and losing lifespan since he is 12, but Margo is a 15 year old irish girl with a protective mother who finds herself in strange worlds and she kind of reacts like she is 30 year old familiar with hard drinking spirits and hangovers. .
I saw a blurb with a quote from Gabrielle Zevin, and that made me consider, maybe even it was the decider for me to pick this book. And it turned out that this reminded me a bit of her mid phase YA Birth right books which I did not like nor finished (her first phase was more original YA more feeling centered than action oriented and I liked those a lot. Her newer phase the hugely popular the no-defined-genre books about bookstores and games). I might be interested in future books, or older books, by this author but this action YA was just not for me.
November 6, 2025
"ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴀʏ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴀᴅ. sᴏ ᴡʜᴏ sᴀʏs ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ? ᴀɴᴅ ғᴏʀ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴛɪᴍᴇ?"
°‧🫧⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ 𝑺𝒌𝒊𝒑𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒄𝒌 °‧🫧⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
*ੈ✩‧₊ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs:
I'm so impressed and in love with this book! I loved the world building, writing, characters and the plot. (don't even get me started on the ending, i NEED the sequel right now). I couldn't put this book down, it was so well done and felt so original. The story is dual pov and we follow the characters: Margo and Moon.
Margo is an Irish schoolgirl, who one day appears on Moon's train. She enters these fantastical worlds where time equals power. Margo is such a fun heroine to follow, she's so strong and feels relatable? I only wish that she had been a little bit older than 17, because the love interest is 19.
Speaking of the love interest, his name is Moon and he's a salesman. He travels between these worlds and for him time is constantly speeding up and slowing down (hence the name skipshock!). Moon is kind of depressed but totally obsessed with Margo. He felt real and his struggles and worries felt tangible. Their romance is a slow burn across the books. It's so cute!
I'm not going to touch the plot, needless to say I was captivated. The pacing was well done and it's probably a book that could be finished in one sitting without getting bored.
*ੈ✩‧₊ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ǫᴜᴏᴛᴇs:
"ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ɪs, ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏ. ɪᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴛʜᴇ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇᴀᴋ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇᴀᴋ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ."
"ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛ ᴄᴀɴᴅɪᴅᴀᴛᴇs, ᴍᴀʀs. ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴀɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪʟʟ."
"sʜᴇ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴏᴏᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀs ᴀ ᴡᴏʙʙʟɪɴɢ ᴛᴀʙʟᴇ, ᴀs ᴀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ-ʟᴇɢɢᴇᴅ ᴅᴏɢ. ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ ᴏғ ᴀ ʟɪᴍʙ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪᴛ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ᴍɪssɪɴɢ. ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏʟᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴜᴘ. ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡᴀʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ."
*ੈ✩‧₊ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ:
⤷ 5 stars!! ★★★★★
*ੈ✩‧₊ sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋs:
⤷ The Otherwhere Post (Emily J. Taylor)
⤷ Water Moon (Samantha Sotto Yambao)
°‧🫧⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ 𝑺𝒌𝒊𝒑𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒄𝒌 °‧🫧⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
*ੈ✩‧₊ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs:
I'm so impressed and in love with this book! I loved the world building, writing, characters and the plot. (don't even get me started on the ending, i NEED the sequel right now). I couldn't put this book down, it was so well done and felt so original. The story is dual pov and we follow the characters: Margo and Moon.
Margo is an Irish schoolgirl, who one day appears on Moon's train. She enters these fantastical worlds where time equals power. Margo is such a fun heroine to follow, she's so strong and feels relatable? I only wish that she had been a little bit older than 17, because the love interest is 19.
Speaking of the love interest, his name is Moon and he's a salesman. He travels between these worlds and for him time is constantly speeding up and slowing down (hence the name skipshock!). Moon is kind of depressed but totally obsessed with Margo. He felt real and his struggles and worries felt tangible. Their romance is a slow burn across the books. It's so cute!
I'm not going to touch the plot, needless to say I was captivated. The pacing was well done and it's probably a book that could be finished in one sitting without getting bored.
*ੈ✩‧₊ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ǫᴜᴏᴛᴇs:
"ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ɪs, ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏ. ɪᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴛʜᴇ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇᴀᴋ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇᴀᴋ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ."
"ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛ ᴄᴀɴᴅɪᴅᴀᴛᴇs, ᴍᴀʀs. ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴀɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪʟʟ."
"sʜᴇ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴏᴏᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀs ᴀ ᴡᴏʙʙʟɪɴɢ ᴛᴀʙʟᴇ, ᴀs ᴀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ-ʟᴇɢɢᴇᴅ ᴅᴏɢ. ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ ᴏғ ᴀ ʟɪᴍʙ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪᴛ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ᴍɪssɪɴɢ. ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏʟᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴜᴘ. ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡᴀʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ."
*ੈ✩‧₊ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ:
⤷ 5 stars!! ★★★★★
*ੈ✩‧₊ sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋs:
⤷ The Otherwhere Post (Emily J. Taylor)
⤷ Water Moon (Samantha Sotto Yambao)
Want to read
January 3, 2025So the bookstore opens at 10 AM, I can drive back home in twenty minutes, I’ll start this at 11 let’s say. My life will be changed by 5 PM June 3rd. I’m already sat, give me the book and a thermos of tea and you’ve got yourself the best day of the summer.
October 10, 2025
i can’t tell you how long i’ve been waiting for an epic fantasy romance from caroline o donoghue
May 26, 2025
the world building. the characters. the slow burn.
my third caroline o’donoghue novel and my third 5 star read by her.
my third caroline o’donoghue novel and my third 5 star read by her.
August 28, 2025
Wish she were 18
Not 17 felt like a pedo
Not 17 felt like a pedo
July 12, 2025
*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this to review!*
Ahhhh what an absolutely charming book. I was absolutely obsessed and immersed in this world from the very first chapter, it’s such an intriguing and original concept. I’ve never read about a fantastical world set up like this, and it felt so fresh and fun. The magic system and the science and the politics of the world(s) were all so fascinating, and it presented new information in a very easy to follow manner. I loved it from the very first page.
I think O’Donoghue has some absolutely beautiful writing, and she was particularly great at creating and maintaining an atmosphere. Her grasp of how to perfectly curate a vibe for a chapter was unmatched. Her use of imagery and metaphor, even the way she’d perfectly weaponise a short sentence to stab me in the heart. It was such a fun and joyous fantasy, but equally actually ripped me to shreds. Under the surface it got quite dark and depressing, and I loved the delicacy with which we explored all of that too. I found myself utterly engrossed in the beginning and in the end, but the middle did have a tiny lull.
Margo and Moon… my absolute cuties. I loved them, and think the dual narrative approach to the storyline worked really well. I was obsessed with them individually, and loved how as they get to know each other more, they start opening up about their past and what shaped them. I especially loved being in Margo’s head because she was just as clueless as the reader, and we were learning everything in real time with her. The side characters were also really cute, and the little sprinkle we get of found family was so wholesome.
The eventual romance between the pair was so sweet, you actually can’t help but root for them from the beginning. The relationship progression was so gradual, it really gave time for feelings to develop and for it all to feel so tender and genuine. I loved the slow burn, and I loved how delicate they were with each other. It was just adorable, and they really were so perfectly suited. I’m obsessed with them.
I really loved this! I do think I would have enjoyed it more as an adult novel, and that had it been aged up a tiny bit but it was such a minor thought.
Also the ending?!? EVIL. I need book two right now. Wtf.
Ahhhh what an absolutely charming book. I was absolutely obsessed and immersed in this world from the very first chapter, it’s such an intriguing and original concept. I’ve never read about a fantastical world set up like this, and it felt so fresh and fun. The magic system and the science and the politics of the world(s) were all so fascinating, and it presented new information in a very easy to follow manner. I loved it from the very first page.
I think O’Donoghue has some absolutely beautiful writing, and she was particularly great at creating and maintaining an atmosphere. Her grasp of how to perfectly curate a vibe for a chapter was unmatched. Her use of imagery and metaphor, even the way she’d perfectly weaponise a short sentence to stab me in the heart. It was such a fun and joyous fantasy, but equally actually ripped me to shreds. Under the surface it got quite dark and depressing, and I loved the delicacy with which we explored all of that too. I found myself utterly engrossed in the beginning and in the end, but the middle did have a tiny lull.
Margo and Moon… my absolute cuties. I loved them, and think the dual narrative approach to the storyline worked really well. I was obsessed with them individually, and loved how as they get to know each other more, they start opening up about their past and what shaped them. I especially loved being in Margo’s head because she was just as clueless as the reader, and we were learning everything in real time with her. The side characters were also really cute, and the little sprinkle we get of found family was so wholesome.
The eventual romance between the pair was so sweet, you actually can’t help but root for them from the beginning. The relationship progression was so gradual, it really gave time for feelings to develop and for it all to feel so tender and genuine. I loved the slow burn, and I loved how delicate they were with each other. It was just adorable, and they really were so perfectly suited. I’m obsessed with them.
I really loved this! I do think I would have enjoyed it more as an adult novel, and that had it been aged up a tiny bit but it was such a minor thought.
Also the ending?!? EVIL. I need book two right now. Wtf.
August 19, 2025
Fuck that was good. Like just fucking perfect in every way. Interesting plot, believable characters, perfect pacing, clever world building. I’m tempted to only give this four stars because I’m annoyed that I have to wait for the sequel, but it seems petty to punish the book for having engaged me so successfully.
October 1, 2025
NEED SEQUEL NOW PLEASEEEE 😭😭😭
July 10, 2025
Okay I am obsessed with this book. It’s a wonderful multi-world time-bending epic fantasy and made me feel so nostalgic in the best way. If you loved Howl’s Moving Castle and A Wrinkle In Time this is for you. The world building is soo imaginative and intricate and I loved the characters and their gentle romance. I need book 2 immediately!!
August 6, 2025
Loved. Adored. Wonderstruck.
Okay this was absolutely enchanting. You might know Caroline O’Donoghue as the author of adult fiction book, The Rachel Incident. Or you may be familiar with her witchy supernatural YA series, All Our Hidden Gifts, but one things for sure — Caroline should absolutely be an auto buy author!
Skipshock is a breath of fresh air bringing forth a ln inventive and dazzling setting of time and world traveling. One fateful train ride to boarding school has Margo transporting to an entirely new world where days aren’t all 24 hours and there’s a brewing tension between the mysterious central government and rebels trying to break free and regain the freedom of travel.
From the very first page this hooked me and the dual POVs between Margo and Moon, our brooding mysterious and cynical salesman, expertly kept the pace and adventures high, while also delivering a blossoming romance that will have you kicking your feet.
As Margo and Moon race against the clock, literally, and corrupt government lackeys trying to crush the rebellion, were taken through breathtaking worlds and cities that beguile the imagination while also expertly developing Margo and Moon as characters you can’t help but love and embrace.
I NEED book 2 because that ending had me gobsmacked 🥲 if this wasn’t on your radar already, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pick it up!
Okay this was absolutely enchanting. You might know Caroline O’Donoghue as the author of adult fiction book, The Rachel Incident. Or you may be familiar with her witchy supernatural YA series, All Our Hidden Gifts, but one things for sure — Caroline should absolutely be an auto buy author!
Skipshock is a breath of fresh air bringing forth a ln inventive and dazzling setting of time and world traveling. One fateful train ride to boarding school has Margo transporting to an entirely new world where days aren’t all 24 hours and there’s a brewing tension between the mysterious central government and rebels trying to break free and regain the freedom of travel.
From the very first page this hooked me and the dual POVs between Margo and Moon, our brooding mysterious and cynical salesman, expertly kept the pace and adventures high, while also delivering a blossoming romance that will have you kicking your feet.
As Margo and Moon race against the clock, literally, and corrupt government lackeys trying to crush the rebellion, were taken through breathtaking worlds and cities that beguile the imagination while also expertly developing Margo and Moon as characters you can’t help but love and embrace.
I NEED book 2 because that ending had me gobsmacked 🥲 if this wasn’t on your radar already, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pick it up!
August 31, 2025
i believe in caroline o’donoghue supremacy!! this book is a masterpiece
August 8, 2025
Oh yes!! I’m really pleased that author Caroline O’Donoghue is back with a bang, with a totally different type of genre of content a fantastic fantasy time-travel. The setting is most unique giving me the boost that I so needed. With no one on board a train apart from a travelling salesman and one other passenger young girl, heading to New Davia. When you become a salesman you quickly discern the difference between The Rules and The Law. Lying about your quantities is breaking rules… wherever she had ended up, her bags had not deigned to come with her. She had nothing except the clothes on her back. Even her phone, somehow, had stayed on the Cork train. I am a huge fan of author Caroline O’Donoghue, with reading every single book she has written, leading me to read this unputdownable, outstanding book, that should be adapted into a TV film.
June 10, 2025
Skipshock has such an imaginative, interesting premise - I'm not sure the writing was quite broad or confident enough to carry it?
The plot felt very much like a series of events, like levels in a video game, rather than a cohesive story. There are several casts of characters and they're just not given enough airtime to feel real, possibly because this is not a stand-alone and it's groundwork for future novels, but when you have little sense of a character you just don't care when they die (but I did feel the narration telling me how much I should care). The main characters didn't feel fully realised to me, either, though they did have some very cute moments. I don't think the choice to have alternating first and third person chapters massively helped.
Big plot points were rushed, the fall-out from enormous events was often recounted in a quick flashback ('she couldn't even remember how they transitioned from situation A to B'), which made me feel like the prose was not quite in control of the story. There were also many, many paragraphs telling the reader how they should interpret a character dynamic or situation, and yet such few actual scenes showing that. You want to tell me that these thinly-drawn character's budding love is now deep friendship, okay, I would actually love to draw that conclusion myself.
The writing is big-hearted and some moments are really lovely, plus I did really love the idea of the world. My issue is that the world and its characters did not feel realised, and I ended the book thinking that I did not massively care how Margo and Moon would find their way back to each other, which is extremely rare for me even with much less accomplished works of fiction.
Sad that I didn't love it because I've loved the author's previous works, including her YA trilogy (the second book was a five star for me!). This was just not immersive enough.
2.5
The plot felt very much like a series of events, like levels in a video game, rather than a cohesive story. There are several casts of characters and they're just not given enough airtime to feel real, possibly because this is not a stand-alone and it's groundwork for future novels, but when you have little sense of a character you just don't care when they die (but I did feel the narration telling me how much I should care). The main characters didn't feel fully realised to me, either, though they did have some very cute moments. I don't think the choice to have alternating first and third person chapters massively helped.
Big plot points were rushed, the fall-out from enormous events was often recounted in a quick flashback ('she couldn't even remember how they transitioned from situation A to B'), which made me feel like the prose was not quite in control of the story. There were also many, many paragraphs telling the reader how they should interpret a character dynamic or situation, and yet such few actual scenes showing that. You want to tell me that these thinly-drawn character's budding love is now deep friendship, okay, I would actually love to draw that conclusion myself.
The writing is big-hearted and some moments are really lovely, plus I did really love the idea of the world. My issue is that the world and its characters did not feel realised, and I ended the book thinking that I did not massively care how Margo and Moon would find their way back to each other, which is extremely rare for me even with much less accomplished works of fiction.
Sad that I didn't love it because I've loved the author's previous works, including her YA trilogy (the second book was a five star for me!). This was just not immersive enough.
2.5
January 31, 2025
This is a masterpiece. This is my favorite NetGalley ARC I’ve read. I…. simultaneously have no words and too many. I innocently got pulled in by the stunning cover and thought I’d give it a try.
Caroline O’Donoghue takes you on a wild ride through multiple worlds. The plot had serious potential - it had me wondering if the writing would deliver, and it ABSOLUTELY did. If you choose to follow Margo and Moon be prepared to fall in love with them both. There are so many secrets left to unravel here!
I loved the multiple POVs, but steady writing style. Nothing was flowery, but it had beautiful prose, well-placed. Meaningful language. I immediately need the physical book so I can put all my color coded notes on my favorite quotes.
I’m so thrilled to say the ending undoubtedly means there will be a book two.
Caroline O’Donoghue takes you on a wild ride through multiple worlds. The plot had serious potential - it had me wondering if the writing would deliver, and it ABSOLUTELY did. If you choose to follow Margo and Moon be prepared to fall in love with them both. There are so many secrets left to unravel here!
I loved the multiple POVs, but steady writing style. Nothing was flowery, but it had beautiful prose, well-placed. Meaningful language. I immediately need the physical book so I can put all my color coded notes on my favorite quotes.
I’m so thrilled to say the ending undoubtedly means there will be a book two.
June 14, 2025
Regret to say that this one wasn't really for me? The concept of the world(s) and how different times and communities worked was very cool and obviously deeply thought about, but getting all that across in a fairly short book didn't leave the characters (my favourite part by far of every other Caroline O'Donoghue book - well that and the banging similies) much room to breathe and I found it hard to know or invest in them. This got a bit better in the second half.
On the positives, the pace was exciting, read it very quickly, strong ending, I always love this author's voice and humour where it appears, that clockwork city was very fun to imagine...
Thinking about it, it would probably all work quite well on screen where a big conversation or set piece carries more weight, but I needed more interoirity and non-survival-logistics moments with and between characters on the page to care about it all as much as I wanted to.
On the positives, the pace was exciting, read it very quickly, strong ending, I always love this author's voice and humour where it appears, that clockwork city was very fun to imagine...
Thinking about it, it would probably all work quite well on screen where a big conversation or set piece carries more weight, but I needed more interoirity and non-survival-logistics moments with and between characters on the page to care about it all as much as I wanted to.
July 14, 2025
“Skipshock,” by Caroline O’Donoghue
I’m not a huge fan of portal fantasies but I did like Alice in Wonderland topsy turvy vibe and nonsense of the world, like 6-hour days, very interesting. The salesmen plot of the book was very unique and stand out. The book was good overall but not really my type of vibe in a book. 3 out of 5 stars.
-Portal Fantasy Sortof
-Quirky
Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.
I’m not a huge fan of portal fantasies but I did like Alice in Wonderland topsy turvy vibe and nonsense of the world, like 6-hour days, very interesting. The salesmen plot of the book was very unique and stand out. The book was good overall but not really my type of vibe in a book. 3 out of 5 stars.
-Portal Fantasy Sortof
-Quirky
Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.
June 9, 2025
‘five stars’ sounds so pedestrian talking about one of the most original books. We need a new scale. It should be train based. I’m dumbfounded. I feel sick. Gonna be stewing on this a while
April 16, 2025
Thank you NetGalley, Caroline O’Donoghue, Holiday House/Peachtree/Pixel+Ink and Walker Books US for the ARC of this novel! Ever since reading her Hidden Gifts series along with The Rachel Incident, I have become a huge fan of O’Donoghue’s writing and world-building.
Welcome to the world of Skipshock, where time has become a symbol of wealth, status, and power.
This novel follows protagonist Margo, a schoolgirl who embarks on a train from Dublin on her way to boarding school, when she meets a salesman named Moon. These two unlikely characters come together to find answers neither of them were prepared for in a race to save time (literally.)
Skipshock is another brilliant addition to O’Donoghue’s growing legacy as a bold voice in young contemporary sci-fi and fantasy. Known for crafting stories that don’t just entertain but interrogate, she once again delivers a tale that’s as intellectually provocative as it is emotionally resonant.
Themes of inequality, exploitation, and the commodification of human life run through the novel like a current. But what makes it exceptional is how O’Donoghue uses the fantastical to mirror real-world anxieties—inviting readers to reflect on how we spend our time, who controls it, and what it’s truly worth.
Welcome to the world of Skipshock, where time has become a symbol of wealth, status, and power.
This novel follows protagonist Margo, a schoolgirl who embarks on a train from Dublin on her way to boarding school, when she meets a salesman named Moon. These two unlikely characters come together to find answers neither of them were prepared for in a race to save time (literally.)
Skipshock is another brilliant addition to O’Donoghue’s growing legacy as a bold voice in young contemporary sci-fi and fantasy. Known for crafting stories that don’t just entertain but interrogate, she once again delivers a tale that’s as intellectually provocative as it is emotionally resonant.
Themes of inequality, exploitation, and the commodification of human life run through the novel like a current. But what makes it exceptional is how O’Donoghue uses the fantastical to mirror real-world anxieties—inviting readers to reflect on how we spend our time, who controls it, and what it’s truly worth.
August 12, 2025
Started it this morning, finished it today at 23:55. Could not put it down for real! The story is so incredibly creative and the world building by our girl Caroline is perfection. Her writing flows so well you just fall from page to page. I had a similar experience while reading her book ‘The Rachel Incident’. Totally different genre, but same amazing writer that knows how to tell a story you do not want to lift your eyes from. If you want a book with a really well thought out fantasy world and storytelling that will hook you from start to finish: you have found it.
September 10, 2025
So far maybe my favorite book of 2025??!!!?!!
This book is so inventive with the worlds, each one is so different from each other and also from our own and yet there are still the topics of immigration and wealth inequality and what it means to be part of a family part of a cultural history and what it means to be a kid a teenager an adult and how sometimes those life stages don’t feel linear or fixed. And the author (who also after reading The Rachel Incident a couple months ago it makes me wish we were best friends she seems so cool) has taken these extremely familiar themes and topics and incorporated them into the story in a way that feels so natural and never like she’s hitting us over the head with them. This book is fun and lovely and also haunting and sad and serious and also I love the characters so much. Ok thanks for coming to my ted talk. Caroline O’Donoghue if you want to be best friends let me know i am free next week if you want to get coffee and become best friends.
This book is so inventive with the worlds, each one is so different from each other and also from our own and yet there are still the topics of immigration and wealth inequality and what it means to be part of a family part of a cultural history and what it means to be a kid a teenager an adult and how sometimes those life stages don’t feel linear or fixed. And the author (who also after reading The Rachel Incident a couple months ago it makes me wish we were best friends she seems so cool) has taken these extremely familiar themes and topics and incorporated them into the story in a way that feels so natural and never like she’s hitting us over the head with them. This book is fun and lovely and also haunting and sad and serious and also I love the characters so much. Ok thanks for coming to my ted talk. Caroline O’Donoghue if you want to be best friends let me know i am free next week if you want to get coffee and become best friends.
February 12, 2025
Skipshock was an original and entertaining fantasy tale focused mostly on action and adventure but with some romance along the way. I loved the premise of the book, with the train lines connecting worlds, but only verified salesmen being allowed to ride them. Both Moon and Margo were interesting characters who developed and grew as the story progressed. Their relationship was believable throughout, and I liked that the romance elements were not rushed into. The plot offered twists and turns along the way that kept things interesting, and while the calculations of age and the passage of time got a bit complex as the characters moved between the different worlds, the world building was mostly nicely handled. This first volume left me keen to read on to see how things will conclude in book two, so I am giving this one 4.5 stars. Recommended for fantasy fans looking for a fresh premise who don't mind a fantasy-sci-fi blend.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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