Young People fear The Call, when they get transported, and must spend 3 minutes and 40 seconds in the nightmarish Grey Lands. Any second, they could wake up in the land alone, hunted by its infamous, terrifying inhabitants – all the while attempting to evade the world’s own horrors, and stay alive – with the knowledge that in all probability, there won’t even be enough of their body to bury when their time is up and they return home.

The Call by Peadar O’Guilin is a benchmark of outstanding, suspenseful fantasy in the young adult genre, and it simply demands to be read. Every new chapter weaves another intricate thread into the overall fantastical plot, which coupled with the great writing leads you to in the grips of a heart-stopping fear that literally any character you love can be ‘Called’ and face death at any time. In all honesty, even out of either fascination or horror, you will be not wanting to stop reading The Call until you reach the last page, the plot and writing is so enthralling. Nessa is without doubt the standout character, with her wit and survival instinct leading to you practically praying for her survival by the end of the first chapter. Having a girl with a disability being one the most courageous, talented, and fearless out of her peers – let alone the protagonist of the novel, was also very refreshing – as no one can now argue that people with disabilities would be unfit or unable to keep up with the intricacies of danger or a fantasy world! With The Call, O’Guilin manages to craft a book that introduces you to captivating Irish folklore, while simultaneously creating a diverse and realistic cast of teenage characters, and due to the depth and realism that O’Guilin gives them through his writing – you will definitely shed a tear when some of them don’t return from their Call alive. Not only that, but the world of The Call is incredibly real, that in some instances you feel almost as if you are living through your Call along with the characters, the bleak world just appears alive and pulsing, in front of your eyes. That, and O’Guilin seems to inject adrenaline into the very words on the page. This book will be like nothing you’ve ever read before, your heart will race, your hands will shake, but you will love every second. It feels as if The Call is a book that has lightning embedded in its pages – it’s absolutely electrifying.

THE CALL / AUTHOR: PEADAR O’GUILIN / PUBLISHER: DAVID FICKLING BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 1ST