Review: 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad
Publication Date: April 17th, 2012
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 355 pages
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Goodreads | IndieBound
* I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest 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.

When I first saw the cover for this one I knew it was going to be both creepy and thrilling, but I definitely didn't expect what I actually got. I've been getting excited about YA Sci Fi and I really thought 172 Hours was going to be a knock out, but while I did really enjoy it, it definitely fell flat in some areas. I was really hoping for a thrilling adventure filled with aliens, space ships, and maybe even a little romance! I mean come on, who wouldn't expect romance between 2 girls and a boy trapped in space for a week?! While 172 Hours on the Moon is definitely a fast-paced, science fiction thriller, I feel like it could have been better. I'm not sure what it was, but something just felt like it was missing.

There three main protagonists: Mia, Midori, and Antoine. Each chapter is from a different character's POV, which definitely made it difficult for me to connect with anyone in particular. There was nothing relateable about any of the characters. Midori is a rebel, Antoine is a creep, and Mia is just a big brat. I honestly didn't really care for any of them. Even the interactions between the characters felt forced and awkward, as if Harstad had no idea how the teenage brain works. Albeit, a lot of these flaws could have come from the fact that this is a translation, but either way they really stuck out to me. There is also a little bit of romance, but nothing big. The interaction between the "love birds" is just uncomfortable and unnatural, and the story would have been better if the romance was just left out all together.

172 Hours is plot driven all the way, making it a fast paced and exciting read. While I couldn't connect with the characters, I was immersed in the story. Harstad kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. Every situation was completely unpredictable, and no matter how hard I tried to guess what was coming next I just couldn't. There were a lot of really intese situations that had me cringing; things that would have had me covering my eyes if it were a movie. Even the ending was a total twist! If you're a big fan of plot driven stories, this is definitely one worth picking up. You'll be surprised by how crazy this story is!

I could, without a doubt, picture 172 Hours on the Moon being made into a movie. This would be one visual thrill ride, as well as a horrifying situation to watch these teenagers be put into. I did feel like the "lottery" situation in which the kids get picked for the journey was a bit over the top, almost forced into an excuse just to make teens on the moon a plausible idea, but I appreciated the outcome. While I wouldn't pick this one up again, I really did enjoy it and I would like to read more books like it. If you're a fan of Science Fiction, Thrillers, and plot driven stories this is definitely one for you!