Description
In 2019, teens Mia, Antoine, and Midori are selected by lottery to join experienced astronauts on a NASA mission to the once top-secret moon base, DARLAH 2, while in a Florida nursing home, a former astronaut struggles to warn someone of the terrible danger there.
Publication
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2012), Edition: 1, 368 pages
Media reviews
Biblion
Het verhaal begint in februari 2000. NASA-medewerkers hebben een gesprek over de vorige maanlanding. Op een pas ontdekte landkaart heeft een van hen gezien dat in 1974 op de maan een onderzoeksstation is gebouwd. Er was daar iets ontdekt wat maar beter direct vergeten kon worden. In 2012
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organiseert NASA een wereldwijde loterij onder jongeren tussen 14 en 18 jaar. Drie van hen mogen mee naar de maan. De publiciteit levert geld op. Mia uit Oslo, Midori uit Tokyo en Antoine uit Parijs winnen de ruimtereis (172 uur) naar maanstation Darlah2. De drie pubers met heel verschillende karakters komen voor hete vuren te staan, zeker als blijkt dat er ook nog een Darlah1 bestaat. De enige mens op aarde die weet dat de reis fataal kan aflopen, is dementerend en woont in een bejaardentehuis. Hij was vroeger conciërge bij NASA. Hij wil de wereld waarschuwen, maar zijn woorden worden niet begrepen. Het boek is bijzonder goed geschreven en vertaald. De filmrechten zijn verkocht aan Hollywood. Heerlijk spannend boek voor jong en oud. Vanaf ca. 15 jaar. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member Liyanna
OMG! is what I thought when I finished it.
This book has gotten very good reviews in newspapers, so I wanted to give it a shot. At first I had trouble getting into it, because I didn't like the personal stories of the three teenagers who would eventually be chosen to travel to the moon.
But after 70
This book has gotten very good reviews in newspapers, so I wanted to give it a shot. At first I had trouble getting into it, because I didn't like the personal stories of the three teenagers who would eventually be chosen to travel to the moon.
But after 70
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pages or so, the story comes to life. And OMG is the only thing I'm going to say about the rest of the story, because I don't want to give anything away. It is absolutely thrilling and scary. Show Less
LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
This book is a crazy sci-fi romp that I would have eaten with a spoon when I was 13. It's not great literature, but it is unputdownable and thrilling. Reminded me of my childhood favorite, Christopher Pike.
LibraryThing member jlbattis2
Exciting conceptually, but lacking in execution. If the plot hadn't devolved into absurdity in the last chapter this would be a favorite of mine, reflecting my belief in government complicity in all facets of our lives..
LibraryThing member Amsa1959
A wonderful novel! Philosophical, exciting, fun and a tribute to this genre. Lots of references with a nice afterword with goodie suggestions (at least in the swedish edition)
LibraryThing member FireStarBooks
I love the concept! The prologue of the book reminded me of the typical government secret meeting. So secretive and amazing!
The characters had their pros and cons. Mia seems like an actually normal teen. She had real teenager emotions. She acts kind of like me, a little hot headed. I also love
The first three chapters or so were pretty good, but as the story went on, it got boring. The first half of the book basically talked about the teens getting picked. Everything basically repeated 3 times. Mia gets the letter, Midori gets it, then Antoine gets it. It got real boring fast. The first part of the story didn't provide a lot of descriptions and that meant it didn't provoke emotions within me. BUT!
Everything got more exciting when they arrive in the moon base (as expected). There were moments that made my heart beat faster but it didn't made me go breathless, (not sure if you know what I mean).
It was nice to see how the teenagers stood up for themselves. As the story "leak" out more secrets, the more you want to see how the book end. It became a book that was hard to put down! And for that reason, I am giving this book 4 fires out of 5. Great job Johan!
PS: I love the pictures in the book! I wish it was more drawing though. Sketches make me squeal more, especially when I see "rough" sketches. Okay, yeah, you might think I am weird. :P
The characters had their pros and cons. Mia seems like an actually normal teen. She had real teenager emotions. She acts kind of like me, a little hot headed. I also love
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Midori! There is something about her that I just cannot hate. and as for Antoine, he is smart, and thoughtful. I love how Johan wrote the characters. Each one if them are unique and none of them made me hate them. No particular character got a spotlight. That is basically their pros but for some reason, the characters seemed to dull as the book went on. It seemed their colours faded. That is the completely opposite to the plot, as I kind of expected.The first three chapters or so were pretty good, but as the story went on, it got boring. The first half of the book basically talked about the teens getting picked. Everything basically repeated 3 times. Mia gets the letter, Midori gets it, then Antoine gets it. It got real boring fast. The first part of the story didn't provide a lot of descriptions and that meant it didn't provoke emotions within me. BUT!
Everything got more exciting when they arrive in the moon base (as expected). There were moments that made my heart beat faster but it didn't made me go breathless, (not sure if you know what I mean).
It was nice to see how the teenagers stood up for themselves. As the story "leak" out more secrets, the more you want to see how the book end. It became a book that was hard to put down! And for that reason, I am giving this book 4 fires out of 5. Great job Johan!
PS: I love the pictures in the book! I wish it was more drawing though. Sketches make me squeal more, especially when I see "rough" sketches. Okay, yeah, you might think I am weird. :P
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LibraryThing member PrettyDeadlyReviews
Well, that was one of the most horrifying things I've ever been through.
Review to come.
Review to come.
LibraryThing member kayceel
Definitely spooky and unsettling, though the ending was...weird - I feel like I missed something, as it didn't quite makes sense, but that could have been me.
Mia and two other teens are chosen for a trip of a lifetime: they get to go to the Moon for 7 days, experiencing life as astronauts do. But
While not literary excellence (though I got the impression that this won some awards in the original language), it is VERY scary and will terrify your teens looking for a space-themed horror story!
Mia and two other teens are chosen for a trip of a lifetime: they get to go to the Moon for 7 days, experiencing life as astronauts do. But
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when they get there, they discover something terrifying...that doesn't want anyone one there.While not literary excellence (though I got the impression that this won some awards in the original language), it is VERY scary and will terrify your teens looking for a space-themed horror story!
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LibraryThing member RBeffa
This is a translated novel, in english from the original norwegian. Horror is a genre I very rarely read, and usually only when done by an author I already like. I happened upon this book by chance when I was looking for something else and it looked interesting enough to give it a try. I didn't
The payoff for the story is pretty good, tho it is a bit of a slog getting there. Some slightly creepy stuff is thrown in along the way, but it gets quite scary for the final third of the novel. To the credit of the author the three chosen teenagers came across very much like teenagers, but each fairly unique, although I did mix the girls up a couple times.
All in all the second half of the book redeems some of the shortcomings and I found myself enjoying this well enough.
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realize it was a horror story and it reads like a rather young adult science fiction adventure novel about a new expedition to the moon for the first half, although we are telegraphed some clues that there is a big danger lurking on the moon. That isn't the problem though. The horror part is actually pretty good. Unfortunately it takes half the book before much of anything happens. The story idea is also a little (a lot?) lame - three teenagers get picked in a lottery to go to the moon nearly 50 years after the last moon mission. In theory this is supposed to inspire a new generation of space age supporters and dreamers. However, knowing what the big whigs know, it is an astoundingly stupid idea. At a minimum I'd say they should be deploying some starship troopers and who knows what else.The payoff for the story is pretty good, tho it is a bit of a slog getting there. Some slightly creepy stuff is thrown in along the way, but it gets quite scary for the final third of the novel. To the credit of the author the three chosen teenagers came across very much like teenagers, but each fairly unique, although I did mix the girls up a couple times.
All in all the second half of the book redeems some of the shortcomings and I found myself enjoying this well enough.
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LibraryThing member jmbalfe
Fifty years after the first man walked on the moon, we’re going back. What’s more, in honour of the occasion three teenagers will be chosen in a lottery to accompany the astronauts and become the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth people to set foot on the moon’s surface. Norwegian Mia, the
This incredible mission has the world in a frenzy of excitement, patriotism and optimism about man’s future. Everyone is watching to see the teenagers prepare and to see the trip come together. In what feels like no time at all to Mia, Midori and Antoine, they’ve blasted off and are on the moon, to spend 172 hours making history.
Mia isn’t as giddy with excitement about the opportunity as the whole world seems to expect. There are too many questions that haven’t been answered. Why wait so long to go back? Why send teenagers along; just for the press coverage? What is this base that no-one has ever heard of since it was built in the ’70s, DARLAH 2? And, since it’s DARLAH 2, what happened to DARLAH 1, and why won’t anyone talk about it?
This novel started off as a bit of an adventure story; three kids from different backgrounds finding themselves a part of a worldwide historical moment. But when the action moves to the moon, the tone abruptly became menacing, sinister – because those on the mission aren’t alone on the moon. The entire second half of the story is more horror than adventure, as it quickly becomes apparent that not everyone will make it safely back to Earth, and less clear what exactly they’ll be if they do.
I read this book feeling like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book, because like a sci fi movie the novel focused more on the plot than the characters, leaving me disconnected. I also experienced Hunger Games deja vu; once people started dying those watching from Earth felt a lot like the masses tuning into the spectacle of the Capitol’s Hunger Games. The world was just waiting to see who would make it home.
Creepy, atmospheric, and cinematic, an okay action novel, but not for people holding out for any happy ending.
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Japanese Midori and Antoine, from France are three of millions of teens worldwide to register for the lottery, and chance or fate steps in – they’re going to be a part of man’s return to the moon!This incredible mission has the world in a frenzy of excitement, patriotism and optimism about man’s future. Everyone is watching to see the teenagers prepare and to see the trip come together. In what feels like no time at all to Mia, Midori and Antoine, they’ve blasted off and are on the moon, to spend 172 hours making history.
Mia isn’t as giddy with excitement about the opportunity as the whole world seems to expect. There are too many questions that haven’t been answered. Why wait so long to go back? Why send teenagers along; just for the press coverage? What is this base that no-one has ever heard of since it was built in the ’70s, DARLAH 2? And, since it’s DARLAH 2, what happened to DARLAH 1, and why won’t anyone talk about it?
This novel started off as a bit of an adventure story; three kids from different backgrounds finding themselves a part of a worldwide historical moment. But when the action moves to the moon, the tone abruptly became menacing, sinister – because those on the mission aren’t alone on the moon. The entire second half of the story is more horror than adventure, as it quickly becomes apparent that not everyone will make it safely back to Earth, and less clear what exactly they’ll be if they do.
I read this book feeling like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book, because like a sci fi movie the novel focused more on the plot than the characters, leaving me disconnected. I also experienced Hunger Games deja vu; once people started dying those watching from Earth felt a lot like the masses tuning into the spectacle of the Capitol’s Hunger Games. The world was just waiting to see who would make it home.
Creepy, atmospheric, and cinematic, an okay action novel, but not for people holding out for any happy ending.
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LibraryThing member JenneB
Oh my god what.
I think maybe this was actually written by an alien rather than a Norwegian. At first I just assumed the peculiarly flavorless dialogue was a result of the translation process, but the way that no character at any time behaves the way an actual human would--there's just no other
Alien wrote this.
The end.
(the end, by the way, I did enjoy sinceeveryone dies . Yay!)
I think maybe this was actually written by an alien rather than a Norwegian. At first I just assumed the peculiarly flavorless dialogue was a result of the translation process, but the way that no character at any time behaves the way an actual human would--there's just no other
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explanation. Alien wrote this.
The end.
(the end, by the way, I did enjoy since
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LibraryThing member PrettyDeadly
Well, that was one of the most horrifying things I've ever been through.
Review to come.
Review to come.
LibraryThing member kcarrigan
Review from ARC from publisher
Predictable, and yet they completely leave out a huge chunk of the ending so it's a surprise later on? Huh? Plus, the translater missed changing a year or age with one of the characters at one point. It's noticable if you do the math.
Predictable, and yet they completely leave out a huge chunk of the ending so it's a surprise later on? Huh? Plus, the translater missed changing a year or age with one of the characters at one point. It's noticable if you do the math.
LibraryThing member lizziewrites
Oh my god. How incredible. Scary. Creepy. Fantastic. Sad. Review coming soon.
LibraryThing member 26kathryn
This book really creeped me out. The author builds up the tension really well when the characters are on the moon. Once I'd finished the book I was scared to look out of the window or in the mirror at night.
Although as I was reading the book I thought it was fantastic, a day later I'm still
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes creepy stories. It doesn't matter if you're not interested in the sci-fi genre (I'm not) the book is still enjoyable regardless.
Although as I was reading the book I thought it was fantastic, a day later I'm still
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thinking about it and I still have questions. I like endings that tie up all the loose ends, but this one didn't. There were things mentioned early on in the book that didn't really contribute anything later on. One example is when Mia's little brother writes her a letter which she promises to read once she's on the moon. Later in the book she looks for it in her bag and realises that she left it behind on Earth so we never find out what it said. Not sure if I'm missing something there but it seemed kind of pointless to include that in the story. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes creepy stories. It doesn't matter if you're not interested in the sci-fi genre (I'm not) the book is still enjoyable regardless.
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LibraryThing member DarkFaerieTales
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: Creepy! A science fiction novel turned horror film with stereotypical, helpless characters, incomplete plot development, and long dry spells, but some pulse-pounding action that still makes it a worthwhile read for the horror fan.
Opening Sentence:
The Review:
This book totally freaked me out while reading it, perhaps because I read it on a windy, creepy night when I couldn’t sleep because there just happened to be a full moon shining through my window! If that was the goal of the author, than he succeeded, however, I feel the intention was more of a science fiction novel and I feel that it missed the mark entirely in that regard. I could go on and on with the problematic elements of this book, but I will try to list the things that I liked about the book as well, because there may be an audience for it that can appreciate the horror elements without relying so much on the characters or if everything makes sense as a whole. This seemed like a pretty cool idea for a plot, which is the reason I picked it up in the first place. If the author would have veered toward the science fiction side of things and made the book a little more believable, it would have made 172 Hours on the Moon both more enjoyable, and yes, even scarier as well.
This book starts out well, building suspense for the first chapter, and then nothing happens for the first half of the book, except some character introduction and development. The book is not too long, and the fast-paced second half of the book almost makes up for the first half, so it is still worth reading if you like to get goosebumps. The characters aren’t especially engaging in any way, they are more teen stereotypes trying to be individuals and not really succeeding. Mia is a Norwegian creative band type who cares more about music than anything, but whose band could live with or without her, Antoine is a heart-broken French teen who spies on his ex-girlfriend, and Midori is a Japanese teen who shops a lot for accessories to impress her new individualist friends. There is hope that with such a huge amount of the book devoted to character development, all of that will be important later in the story, but it turns out that nothing comes of it and a short chapter on each one would have been sufficient. The most interesting character, Mia’s little brother, could be used much more effectively. Like the rest of the characters, he is introduced and built up, and then underutilized.
There are some ominous happenings about halfway through the story, which are totally awesome and dramatic, and then we have another long lag before any action begins. These happenings are never really explained adequately, and as the most interesting part of the book, there would have been benefit to building them up even more throughout the novel. The adult characters that are introduced at this point are not even fully introduced, and turn out to be not just underwhelming, but as astronauts, completely helpless, which makes them totally unbelievable. The training and selection that an astronaut must go through does not make for an adult that just would give up at the first sign of defeat. We don’t just have one weak character, we have a full rocket of them.
Usually science fiction novels seem to have a superior grasp of science and fact. Although many elements are imagined, they still seem somewhat plausible with the setting, characters, time period etc. This novel has far too many totally unlikely events to keep up with the few facts that try to hold it all together. Without the plot or characters being somewhat believable, we are left with a horror element that is definitely creepy and even well thought out, but with no base to support it. Not only are minor details explained inadequately, but huge elements of the plot are just never explained enough to make the book realistic enough to be as scary as it could be. As a short read, despite the drawbacks, this book still has some value just because of its thought-provoking, what’s hiding in the shadows somewhat redeeming qualities.
Notable Scene:
“Are you dreading it?” Midori asked.
Mia paused. “I’m not really sure. Are you?”
“I think so. How about you, Antoine?”
Antoine nodded his head slowly a few times. “Yes. A lot.”
“Look at it this way,” Mia began. “We go. We hang out for a little while. We come back again. That’s all it is. The only difference is we’re going a little farther than usual.”
FTC Advisory: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers/Hachette provided me with a copy of 172 Hours on the Moon. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Creepy! A science fiction novel turned horror film with stereotypical, helpless characters, incomplete plot development, and long dry spells, but some pulse-pounding action that still makes it a worthwhile read for the horror fan.
Opening Sentence:
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“Gentlemen, it’s time,” Dr. _______ said, eyeing the seven men in suits sitting around the large conference table.The Review:
This book totally freaked me out while reading it, perhaps because I read it on a windy, creepy night when I couldn’t sleep because there just happened to be a full moon shining through my window! If that was the goal of the author, than he succeeded, however, I feel the intention was more of a science fiction novel and I feel that it missed the mark entirely in that regard. I could go on and on with the problematic elements of this book, but I will try to list the things that I liked about the book as well, because there may be an audience for it that can appreciate the horror elements without relying so much on the characters or if everything makes sense as a whole. This seemed like a pretty cool idea for a plot, which is the reason I picked it up in the first place. If the author would have veered toward the science fiction side of things and made the book a little more believable, it would have made 172 Hours on the Moon both more enjoyable, and yes, even scarier as well.
This book starts out well, building suspense for the first chapter, and then nothing happens for the first half of the book, except some character introduction and development. The book is not too long, and the fast-paced second half of the book almost makes up for the first half, so it is still worth reading if you like to get goosebumps. The characters aren’t especially engaging in any way, they are more teen stereotypes trying to be individuals and not really succeeding. Mia is a Norwegian creative band type who cares more about music than anything, but whose band could live with or without her, Antoine is a heart-broken French teen who spies on his ex-girlfriend, and Midori is a Japanese teen who shops a lot for accessories to impress her new individualist friends. There is hope that with such a huge amount of the book devoted to character development, all of that will be important later in the story, but it turns out that nothing comes of it and a short chapter on each one would have been sufficient. The most interesting character, Mia’s little brother, could be used much more effectively. Like the rest of the characters, he is introduced and built up, and then underutilized.
There are some ominous happenings about halfway through the story, which are totally awesome and dramatic, and then we have another long lag before any action begins. These happenings are never really explained adequately, and as the most interesting part of the book, there would have been benefit to building them up even more throughout the novel. The adult characters that are introduced at this point are not even fully introduced, and turn out to be not just underwhelming, but as astronauts, completely helpless, which makes them totally unbelievable. The training and selection that an astronaut must go through does not make for an adult that just would give up at the first sign of defeat. We don’t just have one weak character, we have a full rocket of them.
Usually science fiction novels seem to have a superior grasp of science and fact. Although many elements are imagined, they still seem somewhat plausible with the setting, characters, time period etc. This novel has far too many totally unlikely events to keep up with the few facts that try to hold it all together. Without the plot or characters being somewhat believable, we are left with a horror element that is definitely creepy and even well thought out, but with no base to support it. Not only are minor details explained inadequately, but huge elements of the plot are just never explained enough to make the book realistic enough to be as scary as it could be. As a short read, despite the drawbacks, this book still has some value just because of its thought-provoking, what’s hiding in the shadows somewhat redeeming qualities.
Notable Scene:
“Are you dreading it?” Midori asked.
Mia paused. “I’m not really sure. Are you?”
“I think so. How about you, Antoine?”
Antoine nodded his head slowly a few times. “Yes. A lot.”
“Look at it this way,” Mia began. “We go. We hang out for a little while. We come back again. That’s all it is. The only difference is we’re going a little farther than usual.”
FTC Advisory: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers/Hachette provided me with a copy of 172 Hours on the Moon. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
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LibraryThing member SpockMonkeys
I was hoping for an interesting sci-fi, but it turned out to be badly written horror.
LibraryThing member sunset_x_cocktail
That was...intense!
Not normally a scifi reader but I saw the book recommended on a few blogs Halloween scary reads recs last year so I got it from iBooks.
Stated off kind of slow, but interesting enough even with NASA and space jargon to keep going and a few unsettling incidents happening to the
Once they got too the Moon was when the plot really picked up. Not going into details as it would be really spoilery but it got almost claustrophobic and intensely freaky.
Left at an extremely unsettling ending. I'm a horror fan but not much freaks me out anymore but this book was out if my comfort zone and left
me with a chill.
Highly recommended for at atmospheric horror with a difference.
Not normally a scifi reader but I saw the book recommended on a few blogs Halloween scary reads recs last year so I got it from iBooks.
Stated off kind of slow, but interesting enough even with NASA and space jargon to keep going and a few unsettling incidents happening to the
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teens before they arrived together. Once they got too the Moon was when the plot really picked up. Not going into details as it would be really spoilery but it got almost claustrophobic and intensely freaky.
Left at an extremely unsettling ending. I'm a horror fan but not much freaks me out anymore but this book was out if my comfort zone and left
me with a chill.
Highly recommended for at atmospheric horror with a difference.
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LibraryThing member Mirandalg14
3.5 stars. it started out with a lot of details about each of the MCs and then jumped forward to the launch. I was expecting a little more of a happy ending, or at least one not as disturbing. It would make an excellent horror movie.
LibraryThing member lkmuir
In 2019, teens Mia, Antoine, and Midori are selected by lottery to join experienced astronauts on a NASA mission to the once top-secret moon base, DARLAH 2, while in a Florida nursing home, a former astronaut struggles to warn someone of the terrible danger there.
LibraryThing member Floratina
READ IN DUTCH
I wanted to read this book for ages. The story seemed so promising, but for me it was a big disappointment. Really, I wanted to like it, but I couldn’t. For multiple reasons. It may contains spoilers from here on.
First, and there is unfortunately no chance for me to check out the
Second, the story is weak. Okay, they decide to send CHILDREN to the moon without any realistic or simply good reason. I don’t mind, I’m willing to go along with that. After all, people do stupid things and I don’t mind a little mad/dystopian twist. Then the children who – surprise, surprise – happen to be the chosen ones, although it is obvious from the start that Norwegian Mia is the most important of the three. Just before take-off, she asks her parents not to come and look when they send her into space, while at first her parents were the ones who wanted her to go… (And wouldn’t you mind the fact that you hadn’t seen your 16-years-old child for 3 months by then?) And last, when ‘Mia’ returns, why is she doing it? There hasn’t been a reason why the doppelgängers would like to take over the world or anything? I don’t need a story to answer all the questions but now it just looked like a bad horror movie I once saw but can’t remember what it was called. Anyways, in the end, all the characters had died and the doppelgängers were ready to take over planet Earth. Sounds familiar, huh?
I wanted to read this book for ages. The story seemed so promising, but for me it was a big disappointment. Really, I wanted to like it, but I couldn’t. For multiple reasons. It may contains spoilers from here on.
First, and there is unfortunately no chance for me to check out the
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original Norwegian book, but the Dutch translation was just rubbish. Seldom I’ve seen books with more grammatical errors, sentences even an 8-year-old would not construct (because he would know it wasn’t correct) and sometimes words or even verbs were missing. Besides all things that were obviously wrong and really annoying, the correct sentences tended to be staccato, which I don’t really like to read either. But I know that that is more personal. Second, the story is weak. Okay, they decide to send CHILDREN to the moon without any realistic or simply good reason. I don’t mind, I’m willing to go along with that. After all, people do stupid things and I don’t mind a little mad/dystopian twist. Then the children who – surprise, surprise – happen to be the chosen ones, although it is obvious from the start that Norwegian Mia is the most important of the three. Just before take-off, she asks her parents not to come and look when they send her into space, while at first her parents were the ones who wanted her to go… (And wouldn’t you mind the fact that you hadn’t seen your 16-years-old child for 3 months by then?) And last, when ‘Mia’ returns, why is she doing it? There hasn’t been a reason why the doppelgängers would like to take over the world or anything? I don’t need a story to answer all the questions but now it just looked like a bad horror movie I once saw but can’t remember what it was called. Anyways, in the end, all the characters had died and the doppelgängers were ready to take over planet Earth. Sounds familiar, huh?
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LibraryThing member mamzel
It had been 50 years since someone walked on the moon. Time to get people excited and interested in returning. So what better way to pump up the excitement than to include three teenagers, chosen by lottery, to be part of the crew. Mia, a girl from Norway, Midori, from Japan, and Antoine, a young
The story opened with a sinister chapter of the planning meeting of this mission. The idea to incorporate teenagers on a mission ostensibly to search for rare minerals, apparently disguised a more dangerous mission to try and solve a mystery from the first landing.
Half of the book was for introducing the teens and depicting their being chosen and their training at NASA. The rest of the book took place on their trip to the moon and events that happened there. Lots of excitement!
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man from France were the 'lucky' winners. After some intensive training they were off. The story opened with a sinister chapter of the planning meeting of this mission. The idea to incorporate teenagers on a mission ostensibly to search for rare minerals, apparently disguised a more dangerous mission to try and solve a mystery from the first landing.
Half of the book was for introducing the teens and depicting their being chosen and their training at NASA. The rest of the book took place on their trip to the moon and events that happened there. Lots of excitement!
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LibraryThing member sensitivemuse
I only grabbed this book because I thought cover looked interesting. I didn’t put two and two together until I finished the book. Creepy and at the same time a good horror sci fi in the YA section.
To be fair, the pace of the book starts off a little slow at first. Think of it as a very slow
Then hell breaks loose when they’re on the moon
And wow, the pace picks up considerably and it instantly becomes a page turner. Now I understand there needs to be a mystery aspect to the novel - whether that’s necessary to establish the plot or not, that I’m not too sure. I welcomed it regardless because everything starting coming together and you find yourself racing through the novel to find out what’s going to happen next.
Considering this is a YA sci fi novel, you’re not going to come across anything astronomically complicated when it comes to the science aspect of it all. No physics lessons or rocket science (literally.) It’s not meant to be a complex read so it’s ideal when one doesn’t want to bother with NASA lingo.
Be prepared for a twist at the end. I was completely floored and it made the read incredibly enjoyable.
Greatly recommended and well worth the read. We need more like this in the YA section! (and if you do find one, please let me know! I’m open to reading more of this!)
To be fair, the pace of the book starts off a little slow at first. Think of it as a very slow
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introduction to the characters and establishing the setting, and where they’re going to be headed to on their space journey. Then hell breaks loose when they’re on the moon
And wow, the pace picks up considerably and it instantly becomes a page turner. Now I understand there needs to be a mystery aspect to the novel - whether that’s necessary to establish the plot or not, that I’m not too sure. I welcomed it regardless because everything starting coming together and you find yourself racing through the novel to find out what’s going to happen next.
Considering this is a YA sci fi novel, you’re not going to come across anything astronomically complicated when it comes to the science aspect of it all. No physics lessons or rocket science (literally.) It’s not meant to be a complex read so it’s ideal when one doesn’t want to bother with NASA lingo.
Be prepared for a twist at the end. I was completely floored and it made the read incredibly enjoyable.
Greatly recommended and well worth the read. We need more like this in the YA section! (and if you do find one, please let me know! I’m open to reading more of this!)
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LibraryThing member TheTreeReader
I’ve been hearing a lot of people talking about how scary this book is since it came out. I hate to say it, but I was pretty disappointed. I think that’s why I felt like I couldn’t give it five stars. It’s a super good book and I can see how it could creep some people out but I didn’t
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find it creepy at all. I actually held off reading it until I was home alone at night. It still didn’t freak me out which made me a bit sad. Other than it not being scary, this book was great. I really enjoyed it. Maybe if you get scared real easy you will enjoy it even more than I did. Show Less
LibraryThing member mutantpudding
Im a little confused by some of the goings on in this book, but it was very effective as a horror story. Creepy AF. I listened to it while staying somewhere with a full length mirror in the hall opposite the bedroom door and would freak myself out whenever I walked out into the hall and saw myself
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standing there in the dark. Show Less
LibraryThing member Treebeard_404
Ugh. The only reason I finished this was to see if the ending would make some kind of sense. It really didn't. So many plot holes, so much bad science, so much narrative discontinuity, too many characters whose reaction to their situation made no sense. Honestly, three teens out of millions of
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entrants are to be chosen to go to the moon, and not one of them really wants to go? The whole thing was just one disappointing page after another. Show Less
Awards
IBBY Honour Book (Writing — 2010)
Brage Prize (2008)
Language
Original language
Norwegian (Bokmål)
Original publication date
2008
ISBN
9780316182881