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2025 William C. Morris Award Finalist

“Cho skillfully builds a bizarre world grounded by contemporary ideals; the absurdity of Jasper working retail in dystopian circumstances serves as a piercing commentary on capitalistic values, resulting in a quickly paced, laugh-out-loud read.”
—Publishers Weekly

Aisle Nine

Written by Ian X. Cho
Published by HarperCollins

It’s Black Friday—and the apocalypse is on sale!

Ever since the world filled with portals to hell and bloodthirsty demons started popping out on the reg, Jasper’s life has gotten worse and worse. A teenage nobody with no friends or family, he is plagued by the life he can’t remember and the person he’s sure he’s supposed to be.

Jasper spends his days working as a checkout clerk at the Here for You discount mart, where a hell portal in aisle nine means danger every shift. But at least here he can be near the girl he’s crushing on—Kyle Kuan, a junior member of the monster-fighting Vanguard—who seems to hate Jasper for reasons he can’t remember or understand.

But when Jasper and Kyle learn they both share a frightening vision of the impending apocalypse, they’re forced to team up and uncover the uncomfortable truth about the hell portals and the demons that haunt the world. Because the true monsters are not always what they seem, the past is not always what we wish, and, like it or not, on Black Friday all hell will break loose, starting in aisle nine.

Primary ISBN: 9780063206809
Publication Date: September 2024
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Young Adult, Age 13 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , ,

Setting: United States

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Unknown Arrival

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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