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.

"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

Shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Awards
Shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards
Shortlisted for the Children's Books Ireland Awards
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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?

Prizes

Short-listed for The Irish Book Awards 2025 (UK),Short-listed for Books Are My Bag Readers Awards 2025 (UK)

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 *
In Skipshock she [Caroline O'Donoghue] has created a magical world with detailed architecture, geography, races and climate. * The Sunday Times *

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. She has written for The Times and The Guardian, and is the host of an award-winning podcast, Sentimental Garbage. She was born in Ireland and lives in London.