172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad YP FIC HARSTAD

Mia, Antoine, and Midori have won the ultimate vacation: an all-expenses-paid trip to the moon! They will train with NASA, explore the moon, and come back world famous.  But not really.  There is something very dark hiding on the dark side of the moon and there is nothing that can prepare them for it, no one to save them from it, and if they don’t make it back no one will ever even know what killed them.

This book is tense, creepy, scary, eerie, and all sorts of other things that will keep you up late at night.  What works so well is that it’s a really slow burn.  We get to know all that characters with chapters from their perspective and learn about their hopes and dreams before they are thrust into mortal danger.  This makes for a slow start, but it makes the horror of the later chapters really pay off. The use of photos and diagrams also was a very smart touch by Harstad.  It helps establish a layer of believability and adds a nice variety to boot.  It’s one of those “will ANYONE survive” type of horror books that really pushes you to the edge of your seat.  It was the rare book, where I didn’t see the final twist coming at all.  So if you want a genuinely creepy book, this is a sure fire scarer. 

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Twin Spica by Kou Yaginuma YP FIC YAGINUMA

Thirteen year old Asumi Kamogawa dreams of the stars.  Now that she has applied to the first class of the Tokyo Space School she feels like her dreams may actually be in reach, but it’s hard to defeat gravity.  All around her are memories and ghosts of the suffering caused by a rocket ship tragedy that deeply marked her home town and family. If she can escape the Earth will she escape its ghosts?  Does she really want to?

This could very well be a new classic in manga.  It even has a timeless art style that looks as much like an 80s manga as a modern book.  What makes the book stand out is a mix of melancholy, hope, wonder, and whimsy, so it probably isn’t going to compete with Naruto. Asumi is like many quiet and shy manga protagonists with painful pasts.  I think what made me respond to her over the multitude of others is that her sense of earnestness and wanderlust is tied to a very well realized tragic past.  Just about everything dealing with plot and character is well realized.  All the supporting characters have their own stories and drives and Asumi’s ability to look closer at people allows them to be uncovered. This is a wonderful love letter to friendship, hope, family, exploration, and dreams that never becomes sappy or sentimental.  Manga fans looking for something original and heartfelt should give this gem a chance.

Laika by Nick Abadzis YP FIC ABADZIS

This graphic novel by Nick Abadzis mixes fact and fiction to tell the true story about the first creature to travel in space. The world’s first cosmonaut (Soviet astronaut) was a tiny dog named Laika. The story of one dog’s birth, life, and voyage beyond the reaches of the Earth is mirrored in the people that surround him. Laika is not just a story about a dog; it is also a fascinating history of space exploration, Soviet politics, and the value of a single life versus the costs of ambition.

Laika is drawn with a simple and rough style that really draws you in after a few pages. The characters and story feel real and alive. You might have a tough time putting this one down and you may want to have some tissues ready. SPOILER ALERT: This story has a tearjerker ending.