172 Hours on the Moon

March 5, 2012
Norwegian author Harstad makes his YA debut with this chilling combination of science fiction and horror, which won that country’s Brage Award when it was first released there in 2008. A mysterious signal on the Moon prompts humanity to return there in 2019 to address unfinished business, though the true goal of the mission is obscured by a massive publicity stunt: taking three teenagers along with the regular crew. French Antoine, Japanese Midori, and Norwegian Mia are the three winners of a globe-spanning lottery, each with his or her own reasons for wanting to travel to the Moon. Unfortu­nately, their hopes and dreams mean little when inexplicable, terrifying things start happening shortly after their arrival at the long-disused DARLAH 2 base, and the trip turns into a desperate struggle for survival. Harstad effectively builds tension by moving among the perspectives of adults and teens on the Moon and on Earth; readers don’t get to know the characters terribly well, which only adds to the book’s icy remove. Creepy and bleak, Harstad’s story is both psychologically and atmospherically disturbing. Ages 12–up. Agent: Nicole James, Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency.

February 15, 2012
Three teenagers join an expedition to the Moon in 2019 and find horror there. This imaginative Norwegian science-fiction novel places more emphasis on the fiction than on the science. America finally decides to return to the Moon, but to get publicity NASA holds a worldwide lottery for three teenagers to accompany the astronauts. Mia, a Norwegian punk rocker, Midori, a Japanese girl rebelling against her restrictive culture, and Antoine, a French boy devastated by a broken romance, win. The group intends to shelter for a week in a previously secret lab that NASA had established on the Moon in the 1970s. As soon as the group arrives, however, things start to go horribly wrong. Harstad keeps the focus mostly on Mia, seemingly the only participant strong enough to keep fighting against the evil forces they encounter on the Moon. Few of the astronauts cope well, with one even resorting to drugging herself to escape emotionally. The "science" comes across with about as much plausibility as the premise of the teenagers joining the mission, but the fiction features some well-crafted suspense, and even a touch of romance. A nifty surprise ending will get readers' attention. Interesting and original. (Science fiction. 12 & up)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2012

Gr 10 Up-In 2019, three teenagers embark on the journey of a lifetime: a weeklong stay inside a space station on the Moon's Sea of Tranquility. Selected by international lottery in NASA's publicity-grabbing campaign for funding, Mia, Midori, and Antoine have relatively little training or even interest in science or the space program. As the mission quickly turns from bad to worse, the teens and astronaut crew soon realize that they are not alone. Gripping and suspenseful, 172 Hours will have readers constantly asking themselves how the characters can possibly survive. The smooth translation flows well, and, despite a somewhat slow-paced beginning, the story grabs readers and doesn't let go. The young people, initially bratty and self-serving, grow more sympathetic through their intense fear and acts of courage. A chilling final twist will make readers want to revisit certain events to see how they could have possibly missed it coming. With descriptions of the desolate, eerie lunar surface and the creepy 1970s space station, Harstad deftly enables readers to experience the otherworldly environment. An author's note describes factual events about extraterrestrial communication and the NASA space program. Several illustrations, advertisements, maps, and photographs are included, all of which enhance the story and help readers envision an environment they will likely never visit. Original, creepy, intense, and quite violent, 172 Hours is page-turning sci-fi that will stay with readers long after the shocking and heartbreaking conclusion.-Leigh Collazo, Ed Willkie Middle School, Fort Worth, TX

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2012
Grades 9-12 To generate excitement and raise money for a new mission to the moon, NASA holds a worldwide lottery to choose three teenagers to accompany the seasoned astronauts. The winners each have ulterior motives: Mia, 16, wants to use the fame to help publicize her band; Antoine, 17, is fleeing a crushing relationship; and Midori, 15, sees this as her ticket out of Japan. After three months of training, they are launched and land on the moon, where things go hideously wrongand fastas a secret lunar base built in the 1970s begins to malfunction and strange figures are seen wandering outside without space suits. This irresistible premise is often intoxicating and occasionally downright terrifying, even if some aspects (their training, certain relationships) feel rushed or absent altogether. There are plot holes aplenty, but some of them manage to work in the book's favor, giving rise to alarming senses of disorientation and paranoia. Sporadic, creepy photos help, too. Ultimately, this downbeat novel offers few answers, just the cold, unfathomable depths of spaceand that alone is pretty darn effective.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2012
When teens Mia, Midori, and Antoine win a trip to the moon as part of an international publicity campaign for NASA, they are more excited about their newfound fame than the voyage itself--until they reach their destination and the nightmare begins. Despite the bleak ending, this terrifying story will appeal to fans of horror and classic science fiction alike.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)