The Book of Love Audiobook By Kelly Link cover art

The Book of Love

A Novel

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The Book of Love

By: Kelly Link
Narrated by: January LaVoy
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About this listen

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In the acclaimed 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

ONE OF PUBLISHER WEEKLY’S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE

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
Coming of Age Contemporary Editor's Select Fantasy Fiction Occult Scary Paranormal Short Story
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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

Editorial Review

Link & LaVoy are an otherwordly pair
It feels strange to call The Book of Love a debut—Kelly Link is, after all, a highly accomplished, Pulitzer-nominated short story writer with several collections to her name. And sure enough, this ambitious fever dream of a tale demonstrates her enormous range, signature wit, and uncanny knack for illuminating truth in the magical. The shifting perspectives could have easily been a job for a multicast—and no doubt that listening experience would have been good as well—but kudos to Link and the casting team for trusting in January LaVoy’s ability to carry this performance solo. Fantastical tales like this were meant to be heard, and LaVoy absolutely enchants. — Audible Editor, Sam D.

What listeners say about The Book of Love

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Finally, more Kelly link!

I've been a fan of Kelly Link for a while and I always finish her short stories wanting more. The book of love delivers! I finally got to live in the realities she creates (well at least for 24 hours). The narrator also did an exceptional job. looking forward to her next novel!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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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.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Guess I’m a sucker for awkward teens fighting evil

I loved spending time with these characters and rooting for and against them from chapter to chapter. Narrator is excellent.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

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.

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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!

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    3 out of 5 stars

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.

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wild!!!

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

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Meh

Not a fan of YA. This one’s better than most I guess. I did read the whole thing which I don’t do if I hate the book, so it must be ok.

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Moving, inventive, poignant and magical

Loved the plot, that follows its own unfolding in surprising ways. It’s a beautiful telling of self discovery, sibling affection and competition, and sacrificial love. It’s also hilarious and totally believable, even as it’s fantastical. The performance is captivating. Loved this so much.

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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

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