A big thanks to NetGalley and Edelweiss and Walker Books for providing an eARC, and YABC for providing a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know why, but going into this book I felt like it was going to be BIG Addie LaRue vibes, and it kinda was. But not in the way you're expecting.

Skipshock by Caroline O'Donoghue is a YA fantasy novel that follows the unexpectedly intertwining lives of Margo and Moon. 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?

What I loved most about this book was it's writing style. O'Donoghue sets ups the world of Moon and Margo with sweeping language that transports the reader further into the story. In that the reader is almost another character in O'Donoghue's world. And the details are nothing short of amazing, in that every little piece O'Donoghue shares is important.

One thing I did have a problem with, was the romance. Which I know is something I always have a problem with, given I'm not much of an avid romance reader (main or sub plot wise). Margo and Moon's budding relationship was indeed sweet and sweeping, but I thought it almost seemed instant-lovey, in the sense that they could have used a few more in-depth conversations before fully committing. But hey, that's probably just a me thing.

Overall, I have never read a book quite like Skipshock, and I cannot wait to read the sequel. And I will be wallowing until it eventually comes out. Curse you O'Donoghue for leaving it at THAT ending!

This is going to win prizes. I forgot about time and and I forgot to eat for 5 hours straight. This book ruined me in the best possible way and I am so glad I got the chance to read it. These characters became real to me, and I had so many moments where I either laughed out loud or tried to talk to the book. I love it when I can feel the joy the author has writing it, and this was no exception. Wonderful read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this eARC.

This book has cemented itself as one of my new favourite reads, by far. Currently at the top of my ranking list for the year, and I won't be surprised if it holds that place through to the end.

Caroline O'Donoghue is a true master of worldbuilding. Everything about Skipshock is interesting and well thought-out, from the concept of worlds with differing day-lengths to the intricacies of individual cultures. The plot is riveting, the writing is engaging, and the characters are an absolute delight.

If I could rate this higher, I would. Five stars feels meager for such a brilliant read. The official publication date can't come soon enough, and I will be eagerly counting down the months until the next book is announced. With any luck, I'd adore reading an ARC for that as well.

A brilliant novel. Could not put it down. The world is so intricately crafted, yet so appealing and digestible despite complexity. The tension between characters is great. The plot moves at a great pace and is engaging throughout. All plot points are relevant and not a word is wasted.
Cannot get over the world building and how interesting it is. Absolutely adored it and cannot wait for the second one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, in return for an unbiased review.

I loved O'Donoghue's 2023 novel "The Rachel Incident," so I was excited to read her newest book. However, "Rachel" is a fiction novel for adults, which is a genre far outside O'Donoghue's typical genre- YA sci-fi/romantasy. Which is what "Skipshock" is. This is not my genre.

So my 3-star review is a reflection of my overall dislike of this genre- in other words, "it's not you, it's me." I am not the target reader of this book. But if you enjoy YA, sci-fi/alternate worlds, and a bit of romance, this is a well-written, engaging book with vivid worldbuilding and characters. It just wasn't for me!

A side note- this ARC was incredibly hard to read because it was in .pdf format only,

Oh this was GOOD!! I've never read anything by Caroline O'Donoghue, but I've heard great things.

Margo is on a train to Dublin, until all of a sudden she's not. This is where she meets Moon, a traveling salesman who travels between worlds. Without giving anything away, ill just say this is SO interesting and kept me interested the entire time. Full of adventure, tender moments, and extremely well executed magic system, and a lovely romance I would highly recommend this to both teens and adults!

Skipshock is a captivating and innovative fantasy novel that offers both emotional depth and thrilling intrigue. Caroline O'Donoghue’s fresh take on time, grief, and connection will appeal to readers who enjoy complex, character-driven stories with a touch of the mystical. This book sets the stage for what promises to be an exciting continuation in the duology, and fans of O'Donoghue’s work will not be disappointed.

The synopsis was better than what I read. I think the idea was phenomenal but when it came to execution, this is where the book suffered the most.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

First off, thanks to author Caroline O'Donoghue for this fantastic book. For real. I fell in love with this and need the next please ma'am (please please please I need the ARC for the second before I get skipshock). Also, yes, this book ends on a cliffhanger, and that's ok, because it is WORTH IT. When this comes out in June 2025, I'm getting a physical copy for keepsies.

Ok I am done fangirling and now for reviewing. This lovely fast-paced Romantasy is about a teen girl named Margo who honestly seems a bit troubled and, on her way to school in Ireland she takes a train and magically ends up in a different world of worlds and meets handsome Moon, a Lunati salesman. Margo finds out she's not even in her own world and this world of worlds that is connected by a (it seems magical) train system. Margo wants to go home but that is difficult because the Southern worlds are trying to shut down the ability to travel for the Northern Worlds. Also, all these worlds have different lengths of days, so time is VERY important.

The writing style in this novel is phenomenal and it's told between Margo's and Moon's switching POV's which I love because getting different perspectives from different characters and this story being a shining example, it adds so much depth to the story itself. I fell in love with every (almost, because some you love to hate) character in this book because they have depth, they grow, friendships and relations between characters bloom and they draw you in.
The world(s) of this story are intricate, and each have personalities of their own which makes reading this book so much more engaging. Also, the explanations were enough to build these worlds, without taking away from the plot, characters or the pace of the story. The romantic part of this book was a slow burn but not slow enough to get fed up with it. The action and adventure were perfectly paced as well.

If you made it here...this book is 5 stars for a reason and that should be reason enough to buy this book and devour and love it as much as I did. I'm so grateful I got to review this ARC and to immerse myself in this story.

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 Skipshock
✒️ Caroline O'Donoghue
🗓 3rd June 2025
💫💫💫💫💫

Thank you @netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a masterpiece!

Skipshock is a tale of two people, Margo; a school girl struggling with the loss of her father and Moon; a travelling salesman. They experience a chance encounter on a train where Margo needs to assume the identity of a salesman but not everything is as it seems. If you move forward on the train you experience life in a rush a day passes in a few hours and its a harsh life. Whereas if you move backwards on the train you live longer, life is easier.
I have never read a book with a class divide like this! It was riveting how Caroline created this world.
The character develop is parallel to the romance of this book. It is slow, nurturing and tender. Both Margo and Moon are flawed and both have their own struggles. I especially appreciated the open discussion of anxiety and their coping mechanisms. Margo and Moon grew so much in such a short time but none of it felt rushed, and they grew together. I felt like I was living through everything with them and it was amazing.

I cannot wait for the sequel, to see more of this world and because that ending made me happy and sad in the same moment. But in a good way, I promise.

3.5 Stars

I think this book has a really interesting premise and characters, the first half was good but for me the second half was even better. The Lunati start as a small worldbuilding detail but I feel like they will be very important to the plot in the second book (which btw I'm dying to read).

I love the world that Caroline O'Donoghue has created; I know we've seen other movies and stories where time is used as a social standard, but I feel like this is a very unique approach to it and I think it has SO much potential and I'm very intrigued and excited to learn more. I have to say, one thing I didn't love was that we didn't get to really explore that much the repercussions of the world being the way it is, but I am convinced that we will get to see this in the sequel.

Finally I have to acknowledge the fact that I loved how the targeted-main-character storyline was done!! I feel like it's a breath of fresh air from the chosen-one-trope we've heard of time and time again.

Full review (with censored spoilers) on my Storygraph profile! Please be mindful when unveiling the content :)

Character: 7
Atmosphere: 10
Writing: 7.5
Plot: 7
Intrigue: 7
Logic: 6.5
Enjoyment: 7
CAWPILE: 7.43

I am not normally a fan of time travel, however I need more of this type of time travel. I love the twist of the phrase "time zones" The idea of multiple worlds/land having different speeds of time was fascinating, though like Margo, I sometimes had a hard time wrapping my head around it. I had a hard time picturing what Moon looked like. He's roughly 19 but his organs are older. Margo visibly goes through some aging process, so what does that mean for Moon? Does he look like a young adult or does he look older like in his 30s or 40s? Either way, once I made the connection in my head that one world is like the lifetime of ants while another is like the lifetime of turtles, I really got into the book.

It took me a while (at least for my normal reading pace) to get into the book) but then once I hit around the 65% mark, I couldn't put it down. I teared up during Moon's breakdown though for some reason I wasn't very emotionally connected to Taiyo's story. Not sure why.

To me, Margo's father was predictable. Not bad, but not surprising. I am looking forward to the next book to learn more about him though.

One thing I thought was weird was the first person perspective for Moon and the third person perspective for Margo. Why? I guess it could be to highlight the outsiderness of Margo but it didn't really enhance that feeling for me. It just sometimes pulled me out of reading.

To explain my lowest score (Logic: 6.5). My definition of a 6 in that category is "Mostly explained but a few holes" and a 7 is "No holes but I have questions." Halvpas felt too deux ex machina for me. He always showed up. To me, logically he should not have known that Margo and Moon travelled back to New Davina and yet there he was. Maybe that will be explained how he always knew where Margo was in the next book but right now, it felt weird to me and a bit like a hole. I don't consider the train system a hole but I do have questions about it. I couldn't picture it in my head on how it is constructed. The stations fall apart but do the bits between worlds break too? Do the trains have windows/what does it look like as you travel from world to world? What's going on outside? What happens if the train breaks down between worlds?

Overall, I am really glad I read this. I hesitated at the concept of time travel but this goes beyond what "traditional" time travel is. Thank you for writing this and I fully look forward to the next book

I absolutely love the premise of this book—it’s both compelling and refreshingly original. The world-building is rich, immersive, and thoughtfully crafted, making it easy to get lost in the setting. The author also got me hooked within the first chapter as the story unfolds right when Margo was on the train and entering Moon's world. The way the two connected at first made you question more.

The character development is another standout aspect—the two main characters feel genuine and multidimensional, with realistic growth and emotional depth throughout the story. They aren’t just static figures; instead, they evolve in meaningful ways that make them even more engaging. I found myself growing attached to them over the many chapters, invested in their journeys and understanding their personal struggles.

I can't wait for the second book to continue this journey, and I’ll definitely be looking forward to getting a physical copy when it comes out! This is a story I want to have on my shelf.

“And there we were. A salesman, a smuggler, and a schoolgirl, standing at the edge of history, our backs to the sea.”

5 stars and i will not be budging on that 🤗 i was absolutely lost to this story and thoroughly enjoyed it! its the coolest blend of sci-fi and fantasy.

Margo gets on the train one day to go to school and accidentally slips out of her world and into another.. it happens to the best of us, really. she finds herself in an odd world that's unlike anything she’s ever known, blindly trusting a boy she just met who goes by the name of Moon. she quickly realizes time moves differently here, everyone has strange tattoos/body modifications, and for some reason, she’s being hunted.

i loved how we got to explore this strange new place with Margo and Moon. everything about it is entertaining, from the way they travel to the markets they visit. i can't wait to see what this pair does next.

the romance is absolutely adorable, but i would say that it’s more of a subplot! at least it is in this first book. you’re reading this for the trains that take you to different worlds, the revolution that’s slowly building around them, and the beautiful bonds that are made when everyone realizes just how precious life is. their evolving relationship is just a definite plus :)

huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

Shipshock by Caroline O’Donoghue is a wildly imaginative and adventurous story that blends fantasy, romance and the complexities of grief in a world where time itself is malleable. O’Donoghue’s world-building is creative, immersing you in a universe full of alternate dimensions and shifting timelines. The story is unique with a plot that constantly keeps you on your toes.

The character development is relatable and offers a depth that anchors the fantastical. The pacing might be unpredictable but the book’s rich ideas and sense of wonder more than make up for it.

I don't read a lot of YA anymore, even "older" YA, because I'm too old, my bones creak, my hip hurts etc etc but I enjoyed this so much and I can't wait until it comes out so I can buy it and press it into my niece's hands like hello sweetheart yes your Auntie Ruth has a present for you read it talk to me and then we can gather like some kind of mixed age book club while she has to listen to me talk. I can see it and I know it'll be great.

This is wildly inventive, with some really wonderful world building. I was SUPER intrigued by the premise when I read it the first time -- essentially, Margo finds herself on a train originally headed to Dublin and now heading to an entirely unknown place and ends up travelling with a boy through different worlds, each marked out by the different hours that exist within their days. I really loved how this was treated: it allowed this vv interesting exploration of how Time Itself affects our perception of ourselves and the world and what would be important if your whole life would be passing days which were over in a matter of hours. (I had a fucking blast reading about how each world was affected for e.g. with trades, what they could grow. Didn't think I would care about that stuff. I did!)

The antagonist in this is almost shadowy, an encroaching figure of tyrannical government, looking to oppress those who they clearly view as too different and too other. Moon, the other primary character, belongs to a race of people who have been scapegoated, hounded, and barely exist any longer. I thought one of the best, most memorable chapters for me was chapter 32, which was a really emotional, really well-written moment of return and catharsis for this character especially, who has often been sharp and defensive. I loved him because I love those things ://. Moon's POV and Margo's trade off, moving from first to third person, and I found both of them convincing, believable and enjoyable.

As the book progressed as well, I think the feeling of impending dread got bigger and bigger and, tbh, I cackled w/ glee at the ending because I love a cliffhanger and I love a rug being tugged out from beneath a character. I ate it up.

Like I said, I don't tend to read a lot of YA so some things that held me back from loving this with my whole heart are more just features of it fitting that broad definition in and of itself so they're not really worth mentioning. But: I thought this plot was really fun, the world building was so good, and I really loved the characters. I also just think the writing was great: it always felt pointed and clean, but there were some really lovely sentences. I tried to ctrl + f some of them I remembered to accurately copy them here but this is impossible to do in a netgalley file and gonna be honest I'm not brilliant at remembering page numbers so you gotta trust me. but you should! This is like the third book I've read from Caroline O'Donoghue and she always has lovely writing.

Also not related to my feelings on the book but it does have a banging cover

anyway I got this as an arc from netgalley!

I think I give this a 3.5 overall and I'll round up because I really enjoy Caroline O'Donoghue's writing. 'm conflicted and I'm not sure if I'll read the second book. That said, I think some of my gripes are personal preference and I would probably recommend this to others.

Things I liked:
-The world building. I've never seen first vs third POV used in a dual setup for world building but I enjoyed this aspect and thought it was really creative. I the use of first person POV with the "insider" and third person POV with the "outsider".
-The world and magic system. I've seen time travel and space travel done before but this was a unique take on the methods. The visuals were striking and I felt like I was experiencing these places and events with Margot.
-Social commentary. Framing the worlds as north vs. south / short days vs. long days through the lens of colonialism was an excellent way to explore this topic in a YA fantasy. At times, this setup reminded me of Blood Over Brighthaven.
-The writing. Caroline O'Donoghue is a magnificent writer, which is why I requested this ARC in the first place. Sometimes I feel so seen within her sentences.

Things I didn't like:
-The romance. Unfortunately for me, the romance is a main aspect of this book which is why I knocked so many stars off. I was never invested in their relationship and the pacing of their relationship development didn't make a lot of sense to me and sometimes threw me off. The tone of Moon's monologue also completely changed in a way I didn't like.
-Some of the sci-fi. I struggled to conceptualize two-hour days - obviously Margot also struggled with this, but I would've liked more info or detail on how this worked.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was my first book to read by Caroline O’Donoghue and I have since added several of her books to my TBR shelf. I know they always say don’t judge a book by its cover, but I was instantly drawn to the gorgeous cover art. The premise for this book was also really exciting, Margo, a teenager from Dublin is on a train on her way to boarding school when she meets the enigmatic Moon and drops from her world into New Devia. Here Margo learns that different territories have different length of days. She is thrust into a world of conflict, uprising and injustice. She quickly learns along the way that friends are the family you choose for yourself. She begins a journey to fight for her new friends’ freedoms and quest to return home. As the story progresses Margo and Moon become closer, both fighting an internal battle and we wonder, if Margo gets the change to choose – will she choose her home in Dublin or the new home she is making for herself?

I really enjoyed the pace of this book at the start, I felt we were dropped straight into the action, and like Margo, we had to find our feet and go with it. However, there were sections of the book that felt a little rushed. A big defining scene happened, and we were straight onto the next big scene. I feel that the characters could have benefited with a little more exposition, but I got the sense they were just being propelled along with plot. At times this became a confusing read as I thought, hang on a minute – how did they get from this scene to this scene?

I was hoping this book could be a contender for my early teenage book club – however, there are mature references and some mature scenes that would lead me to recommended to older Teenagers, 15+. Despite me calling these ‘mature’ references, I felt they were dealt with immaturely. For example, when Margo is feeling jealous about Moon’s past ‘trysts’ and he wonders ‘why is she being a little bitch about this’.

Overall, I though the world building was excellent, really enjoyed the idea of travelling between worlds and implications that shorter/longer days meant for the inhabitants of these worlds. I think the author gives very vivid and visual descriptions of these worlds and presents them uniquely. I particularly enjoyed learning about Moon’s Lunati heritage and could see perhaps some nods to old Irish Traditions and ways of life.

When I first started this book, I thought it was going to be my favorite Netgalley ARC ever and one of the best stories I've read in a while. THIS IS EVERYTHING I WANT FROM A BOOK!

The story is so original and imaginative and beautifully written! The blurb doesn't do it justice. This is not a time traveling fiction. You do not travel through time, past and future -- you travel through different time worlds that exist simultaneously like different time zones of one huge world. It might sound complicated but it is perfectly explained in the book and there is no way you do not understand everything that is going on.

There are two POVs, Moon's and Margo's. What I find interesting is that Moon's POV is 1st-person and Margo's 3rd-person narrated. Moon is one of the rare Lunatis that survived, the race that followed full moons when the traveling between worlds was allowed. Life made him a salesman. He travels around suffering from skipshock that happens when you change time zones too quickly and too often. On one of his trips, he meets a lost girl Margo who comes from a world he has never heard of and he takes her with him. The adventure that follows is breathtaking and I was absolutely invested. The fact that for the first time in years I had no idea what was going to happen in a book made me love it even more. The characters are, like every other aspect of the storytelling, wonderfully described and introduced. Yes, the author might not have intended that someone over 30 read this, but I think it is perfect for every age.

But the ending? The ending ruined me. I was so angry, but I admit that the ending, almost the only thing I predicted, is very poetic and it makes the story even better. A masterpiece! ✨👏🏻

I loved this book so much that I preordered the hardback 70% in and I am very glad this is a duology with that excruciating cliffhanger ending. I need more of this fun and refreshing universe. Time travel fantasies are a hard sell for me because I often find them repetitive, but this one was a fast-paced, inventive world and compelling characters that kept me at the edge of my seat.

Skipshock is a combination portal and time travel YA fantasy romance. In this world, the portals open to various pocket universes, but the catch is that some universes only have four hours in their days and are measured by the number of hours their days have. Salesmen travel between the worlds on a tightly restructed visa system, but it shortens their lives and gives them skipshock, a more awful form of jetlag. Margo is an ordinary, depressed teenager on the train from Cork to Dublin to attend boarding school, when she falls out of her world and into that of Moon's.

He's a broody, grumpy traveling salesman who both looks too old and too young in a frightening and fractured universe where age really is just a number because they have so little time. He's also part of the Lunati, a hunted race of magical humans who used to travel freely between the worlds in family groups, following the full moon. He takes in Margo, and the two have a tender slow burn friends to lovers romance amid a revolution. Margo's only possession, a watch from her father, at first seems like a useless object from a complicated, distant father, but soon holds secrets.

I loved Margo and Moon and was rooting for their romance the whole time. The worldbuilding in this book was fresh and original. The rapid aging element was also a fascinating choice for a YA novel and allowed the story to explore deeper themes while on a rollicking adventure.

Moon's chapters being in the first person and Margo's chapters being in the third was a bit of a confusing choice for me; I got the idea that Margo was seeing this universe with a foreigner's eyes but I wish her POV had been in first. The POV switches were kind of abrupt.

As an aside, and this doesn't factor into my rating because this is an uncorrected proof and errors often happen, I found my copy had so many formatting errors that it made it hard to read in parts. I expect a more polished product from a publisher with an in-house creative team, even for an ARC. But the story was so strong and the characters so fun that I pushed through anyway, but that might have caused me to DNF a few times and it doesn't do justice to a great story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.