In the spirit of Stranger Than Fiction, New York Times bestselling author Barry Lyga takes the reader on a wild and surreal ride through the heart of his own creation—perfect for fans of A. S. King, Andrew Smith, and Jeff Zentner.
What starts as a love story between two teens—whose crumbling relationship coincides with a crumbling reality—ends up as a journey toward their creator, Barry Lyga, in a love story about creation itself.
This is a love story.
Mike loves Philomel. Always.
Philomel loves Mike. Sometimes.
After doing something stupid that drives away the love of his life, Mike begins to notice that the world itself seems to be suffering the aftereffects of his bad decision. Reality as he knows it has … changed. And before he can fully understand the ramifications, he’s on an odyssey unlike any other, trying to figure out how to repair the universe and return his lost Philomel to his side. It’s not time travel. It’s not dimension-hopping. It’s something deeper and more fundamental, as simple and as complex as ink on paper. And much to Mike’s surprise, this isn’t even the whole story. It’s possible that the missing pieces of Mike’s life may end up being the most important part of his world—and beyond, the solution to fixing not only his love life, but the entire universe.
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“Extremely well written…Lyga’s legions of fans will welcome his offbeat latest, which will also appeal to readers of Scott Westerfeld’s Afterworlds (2014) and teachers looking for fresh writing-workshop material.”
— Booklist
“Barry Lyga’s broken heroes blow me away.”
— Lisa McMann, New York Times bestselling author of the Unwanteds Series“A novel full of sudden twists and sharp turns, written with the boldness and confidence of a seasoned novelist who is not afraid to display real vulnerability. Truly ambitious and surprising.”
— Tom Perrotta, author of The Leftovers and Tracy Flick Can’t Win“Barry Lyga is a master storyteller capable of blending the unique with the universal…A mighty feat from a stellar writer.”
— Lamar Giles, author of The Getaway“An out-of-control hearse with one busted headlight, blood on the grille, a madman at the wheel, and laughter pouring out of the open windows…Climb in, buckle up, and go for a ride.”
— Joe Hill, New York Times bestselling author of Horns and Heart-Shaped Box, on I Hunt Killers“This is a novel about ideas, love, grief, and what hold the tricky narratives of history have on the violence of the present.”
— Walter Mosley on The HiveBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Barry Lyga is the author of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, Boy Toy, Goth Girl Rising, and the I Hunt Killers series, among others. He lives in New York City. Or Baltimore. Or New Jersey. Or, possibly, Edinburgh. Or somewhere he hasn’t imagined yet. It all depends on when you’re reading this book. In fact, he might not live in any of those places, or he could even be dead by now.
James Fouhey is an actor and narrator living in New York City. He received classical training at Boston University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He has recorded more than forty audiobooks across a variety of genres, including science fiction, romance, young adult fiction, and children’s fiction.
Tavia Gilbert is an acclaimed narrator of more than four hundred full-cast and multivoice audiobooks for virtually every publisher in the industry. Named the 2018 Voice of Choice by Booklist magazine, she is also winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She has earned numerous Earphones Awards, a Voice Arts Award, and a Listen-Up Award. Audible.com has named her a Genre-Defining Narrator: Master of Memoir. In addition to voice acting, she is an accomplished producer, singer, and theater actor. She is also a producer, singer, photographer, and a writer, as well as the cofounder of a feminist publishing company, Animal Mineral.
Bradford Hastings is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.
Keith Szarabajka has appeared in many films, including The Dark Knight, Missing, and A Perfect World, and on such television shows as The Equalizer, Angel, Cold Case, Golden Years, and Profit. Szarabajka has also appeared in several episodes of Selected Shorts for National Public Radio. He won the 2001 Audie Award for Unabridged Fiction for his reading of Tom Robbins’s Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates and has won several Earphones Awards.