The Book of Love

A Novel

By: Kelly Link

Narrated by: January LaVoy

Length: 23 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In the long-awaited first novel from short story virtuoso and Pulitzer Prize finalist Kelly Link, three teenagers become pawns in a supernatural power struggle.

“A dreamlike, profoundly beautiful novel [that] pushes our understanding of what a fantasy novel can be.”—Amal El-Mohtar, The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

“Imagine a ring of David Mitchell and Stephen King books dancing around a fire until something new, brave, and wonderful rose up from the flames.”—Isaac Fitzgerald, Today (Spring Pick!)

The Book of Love showcases Kelly Link at the height of her powers, channeling potent magic and attuned to all varieties of love—from friendship to romance to abiding family ties—with her trademark compassion, wit, and literary derring-do. Listeners will find joy (and a little terror) and an affirmation that love goes on, even when we cannot.

Late one night, Laura, Daniel, and Mo find themselves beneath the fluorescent lights of a high school classroom, almost a year after disappearing from their hometown, the small seaside community of Lovesend, Massachusetts, having long been presumed dead. Which, in fact, they are.

With them in the room is their previously unremarkable high school music teacher, who seems to know something about their disappearance—and what has brought them back again. Desperate to reclaim their lives, the three agree to the terms of the bargain their music teacher proposes. They will be given a series of magical tasks; while they undertake them, they may return to their families and friends, but they can tell no one where they’ve been. In the end, there will be winners and there will be losers.

But their resurrection has attracted the notice of other supernatural figures, all with their own agendas. As Laura, Daniel, and Mo grapple with the pieces of the lives they left behind, and Laura’s sister, Susannah, attempts to reconcile what she remembers with what she fears, these mysterious others begin to arrive, engulfing their community in danger and chaos, and it becomes imperative that the teens solve the mystery of their deaths to avert a looming disaster.

Welcome to Kelly Link’s incomparable Lovesend, where you’ll encounter love and loss, laughter and dread, magic and karaoke, and some really good pizza.

©2024 Kelly Link (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“The Book of Love is an incredible achievement—a novel whose people and places feel so true to life that the magic that shimmers through the pages like grown-up fairy dust seems not just real but unquestionable.”—Cassandra Clare, author of Sword Catcher

“By turns playful and harrowing, surreal and sagacious, replete with gods and other monsters, The Book of Love is an astonishing, gorgeous novel written with Link’s unique wit, warmth and ability to get under your skin.”—Holly Black, author of Book of Night

“A supernatural story about love in all its guises bewitches. . . . The places of this novel are both glitteringly strange and so fully realized that one feels one might visit them tomorrow.”—San Francisco Chronicle

Link Brilliance

I couldn’t stop listening. Spot on humor, gifted word smithing, not a missed beat. Fans of Strangers Things will enjoy and those of us looking for unforgettable magical realism dream of more.

Just fine

This was fine. I don’t regret the time I spent with the characters, but the author might want to listen to teens talk more. I have never heard a person under 70 say “ought” instead of “should”. Or “you’re pulling my leg!” But the story was sweet, if a bit confusing and disjointed. No regrets listening to it, but not incredible either.

Got better as I got into it

Slow start—Not something I’d pick to read but I cared about characters and curiosity kept me reading

Loved everything about it!

I loved this story, but I can definitely say I loved it more because of the incredible job January LaVoy has done bringing these characters to life. Just perfect!

wild!!!

always been a fan of Kelly’s short stories and her novel did not disappoint! Great narration as well 

annoying characters, better plot

I have eight hours to go and I cant wait for these teens to get eaten already. Yes, I will stick to the end because I think the plot, the story, has a kernel of goodness in there. I am interested in the magical elements of it. Like a plot Stephen King could come up with.

But, I will consider it a satisfying ending if it ends with these teens getting eaten by the big bad. That is the problem with this book. These teen characters are so annoying that I am happy I never met anybody like them when I went to high school. I am not rooting for them, Three of them are just too shrill, while another one is so boring. If the characters had been reworked to be more likeable so that we cared about the danger they are in..., so the writer did not emulate Stephen King excellent characters.

About the sex, I am not against it in books, but does it have to be that graphic in this type of story. It did not add anything of value in my humble opinion, but that is just me, others may be OK with it.

As to the reader, Ms. LaVoy, she is great, She captured the voices of these teens too well. She was faithful to voicing what was in the book. I would listen to her again.

Amazing narration

Great story, but I was most impressed by the narration. The narrator is so talented! The variation of voices is truly incredible

Worth the Wait!!

I’ve always loved Kelly Link’s short stories, and her first novel is full of the warmth and heart and strangeness she wields so perfectly!

An experience!

This book was like nothing I have ever read. It was long, but I wish it was longer. I loved all of the journeys and the character development. I am just in love with every part of this book. This was such an entertaining experience. Thank you, Kelly.

This one has it all

Each character is so well developed by the author. The narrator performs all of the voices and dialogue superbly. The plot is incredibly engaging. I am not a big reader of fantasy. It’s just not my usual genre. But I am a huge fan of Link’s skill at capturing adolescence and teen life. Really glad that I listened.