Pricing
Hardcover $18.99
Paperback $10.99
Description
In 1916, Emma O’Neill is frozen in time. After sampling an experimental polio vaccine brewed on a remote island off St. Augustine, Florida, she and her family stop aging—as do the Ryans, her family’s business partners. In a way, this suits Emma fine because she’s in love with Charlie Ryan. Being seventeen forever with him is a dre...
In 1916, Emma O’Neill is frozen in time. After sampling an experimental polio vaccine brewed on a remote island off St. Augustine, Florida, she and her family stop aging—as do the Ryans, her family’s business partners. In a way, this suits Emma fine because she’s in love with Charlie Ryan. Being seventeen forever with him is a dream. But soon a group of religious fanatics, the Church of Light, takes note. Drinking the elixir has made the O’Neills and Ryans impervious to aging, but not to murder—Emma and Charlie are the only ones who escape with their lives. On the run, Emma is tragically separated from Charlie. For the next hundred years, she plays a cat-and-mouse game with the founding members of the Church of Light and their descendants. Over the years, a series of murders—whose victims all bear more than a passing resemblance to her—indicate that her enemies are closing in. Yet as the danger grows, so does Emma’s hope for finding the boy she’s certain is still out there . .
Media
“Epic and addictive—a story with the soul of a romance and the pacing of a thriller. ”
—Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures
“Not since Veronica Mars has there been such a wry and captivating teen detective. This wonderful novel is fun, romantic, and impossible to put down. Joy Preble has crafted a mesmerizing story that will thrill you while it melts your heart. ”
—Margo Rabb, bestselling author of Kissing in America and Cures for Heartbreak
“A high-speed love story with an electric mystery at its center. Immortality hasn't been this haunting, romantic, and thrilling in a long time. ”
—Adam Silvera, New York Times bestselling author of More Happy Than Not
“A captivating plot with some twists, an aura of time travel, and an array of vivid settings ... [Readers] who relished the classic Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt will revel in this tale.”
–School Library Journal on It Wasn't Always Like This
“With its exciting plot and well-wrought characters, this novel emerges as a suspenseful treat with a gooey romantic center. The narrative alternates between scenes of Emma’s distant past with Charlie and her murder-mystery present, building to a final showdown that is both surprising and satisfying.”
–The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books on It Wasn't Always Like This
“Preble adeptly weaves together snippets of Emma's past and present, gradually outlining her transformation from an optimistic, winsome teen to a hardened, lone-wolf type, albeit one whose heart still flutters for a certain eternal boy... [readers] will be equally charmed by Emma's noir-inflected narrative and her decades-long romance.”
–Booklist on It Wasn't Always Like This
“While the murder mystery keeps readers hooked, the longing and heartache of Emma’s circumstances makes the fantasy feel very realistic, and together, these elements weave a strikingly gripping and enjoyable tale.”