Genre: YA, Horror
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis: 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.
In this chilling adventure set in
the most brutal landscape known to man, highly acclaimed Norwegian novelist
Johan Harstad creates a vivid and frightening world of possibilities we can
only hope never come true.
Review:
Thoughts on the Overall Book: Not
my normal sort of read, but this was recommended to me by a friend and I am
glad she did because I was not disappointed. This was one of the creepiest
books I have read in a long time.
Cover--Yea or Nay: Love the cover,
it's so creepy and makes you wonder what's what. I also love how it's in black
and white. For some reason I pictured most of the book in Black and white while
I was reading it.
Characters: This is the kind of
book where it's not necessary to like the characters, it's more plot driven. I
didn't hate any of the characters, but I didn't really form any attachments to
them either. Mia was probably the one I liked most, though I didn't mind Midori
either. Antoine, I was indifferent about. The character I felt most sorry for
probably was Dr. Coleman, he just seemed like a sort of tragic character to me.
I actually did really like Mia's little brother though, and the homeless man,
Murray, that she met in Central Park. Overall, the cast served their purpose,
which is how these kinds of books usually are.
The Romance: There is a little
romance between Mia and Antoine, but it really doesn't have anything to do with
the plot and it's hardly there anyway.
Writing Style: This is the selling
point for the book. I know it's translated, but I think the translator did a
really good job doing it. Obviously, I didn't read the original, but just the
way the prose holds onto the creepy feel, that's actually rather understated
(which in my opinion only makes it more creepy) and the suspense of the horror
makes me believe this is how the author originally wrote it. It's a very fast
read, and it is genuinely creepy. I was surprised, actually, because I don't
scare easily, though because I actually personally hate the thought of being
stuck in space, I did know this was probably going to creep me out. But I loved
how the monster was actually genuinely frightening and threatening. There was
no lame reveal at the end, this book was scary all the way through, with a sort
of Twilight Zone feel to it. I can't really say that much for fear of spoiling
it, but the suspense the the foreshadowing worked really well together, and the
descriptions are very vivid and only add to the chills.
Accuracy/ Believability: Not really
applicable. Thank heavens!
Problems/What bothered me: Nothing
really to report here.
Conclusion: 4 stars. This book was
creepy, enough said. I loved it. The end will make you scream, but it's also
really awesome. You just end up with a really sort of creeped out feel and I
love that in this sort of book. It's actually just as much a psychological
thriller as a horror.
Recommended Audience: If you like
psychological horror this will fit the bill. Definitely horror, not sic-fi, as
the setting would lead you to believe. Girl or guy read ages 17 and up.
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