172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

Published Little Brown Books 2012

Genre: Young Adult Sci Fi/Horror

Format: Hardback from the library

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It's been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA's unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space--and change their lives forever. Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band's ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it's her way out of her restrained life in Japan. Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.
It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space... no one is coming to save them.

OMG THIS BOOK!!! 

I think that is the first time in a while I have thoroughly had that reaction. This book gave me so much anxiety while reading...I was crying and shaking and on the edge of my seat the entire time. Thankfully, I read this book in the daytime because I don't think I will ever be able to look at the moon the same way again. 

This book is creepy and terrifying, but it's also so good! There is always a constant fear of something happening. Harstad's writing style is a little vague and allusive, all building up to bring some major point back together in the end. It just intensified the book and their experience on the moon. I loved all the characters but I was not emotionally attached to them. Sure, I wanted them to survive, but I would never have feels over them or anything. However, this really worked in the book's favor. It kept the tone focused more on the situation they were in than on the characters themselves. I was naturally scared for their safety anyway, so it did not take a lot more for me to love them. I really liked how they all came from different parts of the world and for different reasons, although why did no one apply just to go to the moon? Well, I get that now...

The action scenes were so good and so creepy. There was always a constant feeling of warning, that something was just on the edge of happening. I really liked all the different perspectives we got of this trip, from the old man who had past experience with this mission to each of the respective astronauts going on board. The entire book was just so intense. I want this to be a movie so badly...like seriously, I would probably have a panic attack or something in the theater, but it would all be worth it. 

Okay - all of you need to read this book. It was scary and intense and one of the best things I have ever read. Like ever. Go read it.