It’s been a long time since I read a book that was so suspenseful, so utterly terrifying, that I didn’t want to turn out the light when I put the book down. 172 HOURS ON THE MOON by Johan Harstad had that complete creep-out effect. It’s a true horror novel, part mystery, and with a definite element of sci fi — but at its heart it’s horror.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, April 2012.
Based on the premise that several years from now NASA is trying to reinvigorate its program by sending teenagers along with regular astronauts on a moon mission, 172 HOURS ON THE MOON is told from several points of view, primarily those of the three teenagers chosen to go on the mission: Midori from Japan, Mia from Norway, and Antoine from France. Each of these kids signed up for the moon lottery for different reasons, but when it comes down to the mission, they’ve signed up for way more than they expected. For example, there’s a base up there that NASA developed in secret. And it’s not the only secret that waits for them. That’s what’s terrifying. The great unknown of the moon, the knowing that everything is going to go wrong as you turn each page, and knowing how impossible it will be for any of these characters to survive.
172 HOURS ON THE MOON is a twisty, turny, scary book. And if you decide to read it, keep the lights on.
