172 Hours on the Moon

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad, 2012. 355 pages. Published by Little, Brown Books. Source: Publisher for review.

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.

First Sentence:

"Gentlemen, it's time," Dr. blankityblank said, eying the seven men in suits seated around the large conference table. 

*Note: This is another book that I read pre-move (last summer) and didn't get a chance to review till now.*

172 Hours on the Moon was one that I was extremely excited to read because it actually sounded like it would be a scary read. Yes, the whole reason I was attracted to reading this book was because I was looking for a scary read. Did it live up to my expectations, yes. Although I had to get through the first quarter of the book (till they left earth) for it to actually get to the fascinating, scary scenes.

Since the beginning is not what pulled into the book I'm going to skip it and get down to what really makes this book good. The writing. For me, the story doesn't really start till the characters land on the moon where everything goes haywire. Johan Harstad definitely knows how to pull the reader into a suspenseful world filled with drama and tension, as he shows the moon like you've never seen it before.

While I found each of the characters to be interesting, especially how they coped with the danger that they found themselves in, I was not overly sold on them individually. What really kept me from truly liking the characters was because it took them forever to get past their individual quirks and work as one to attempt to return to earth...alive. Like I said, they were interesting just not spectacular.

I cannot even put into words why 172 Hours on the Moon was such a chilling read. It could be because the way things go from stressful and challenging to perilous in a matter of hours, or it could be because the auhtor really knows how to crank up the tension as the cast of characters are forced to decide whom they can trust and who or what it is that wants none of them to leave. either way both of those things had me literally on the edge of my seat in anticipation to see who would make it back to earth and let's not forget the mysterious, sinister things that hunts the crew.

So, while the first quarter of the book was slow, what really made this such a great read is that Johan Harstad knows how to write a supremely creepy and absorbing read. Throughout the book I was literally biting my nails because the author did such a wonderful job creating a setting and story that were truly worthy of the creeptastic. I cannot remember the last time a horror novel gave me chills as I read. While 172 Hours on the Moon is a pretty creepy read, the characters and writing will pull you in so that even if you wanted you would not be able to put it down till you know the final outcome.

Even though 172 Hours on the Moon was a really good and creepy read, the first quarter of the book was extremely slow. While the first quarter of the book was slow going it wasn't bad, it just took some time to get to the truly good and creepy parts of this book. So, while I may have found this one slow to start the plot and characters are well worth waiting around for because this book will scare you silly.

Final Verdict: 172 Hours on the Moon is one chilling and unforgettable read. Scariest thing I've read in ages and absolutely addictive.

172 Hours on the Moon earns 5 out of 5 pineapples.