SHOOT THE MOON is a historical fiction novel with a sci-fi twist about Annie. We follow her throughout her life in a non-linear manner as she grows up and works toward her goal of working in NASA, but when she discovers something unusual, it threatens to upend everything she’s worked for.
I enjoyed the first half, but I wasn’t wowed. It’s a lot of set up as Annie grows up and learns about science. It was a little as you’d expect, dealing with sexism and the like, with the thread of Annie’s father having worked on the atom bomb. The second half is where everything tied together with the sci-fi element explaining why the book was written the way it was. It’s a truly impressive use of structure to tell a story. Also helping the story is the absolutely gorgeous writing throughout.
Annie’s character arc was the stand out throughout. She has a lot of baggage from her childhood that, combined with her thirst for discovery make her a compelling character. Also, as the summary doesn’t mention this, Annie is bisexual! There are a lot of casual conversations about how queer people existed in the 1960s, which was nice to see.
I rated this book 4 stars! The ending raised some questions for me, but I really enjoyed seeing this story come together in this unique way. I would recommend this book, especially for people who want to try to get into more “literary” books, but still want that speculative element.

Heartfelt and emotional, this story brought its characters to life within the moving scope of a life as seen with the angling of hindsight. I was particularly drawn to the enduring quality of love and its many forms, and the way that love can fill in the gaps of personal failings.

The sci-fi nature of the mainstay plot was a touch far fetched and bizarre for me, as it never felt totally well explained for my liking. Even so it was used effectively to tie the story together without getting lost in the fantastical elements it introduces.

This book wasn’t for me sadly ☹️ I didn’t feel engaged by the storyline or characters at all and decided to DNF by chapter 7. I thought the premise sounded interesting but it just didn’t work for me. Thanks anyway for the arc.

Shoot the Moon, was a very good read. I liked the theme of the book but did wish, the sci-fi portion was throughout the whole book. It seem liked it came in a little late. Other than that, it’s the story of Annie Fisk, she has plans to work for NASA and actually gets there. She has a theory that can’t be ignored and it makes her work super hard to compete against her male peers. In HS and College, she is one of the few ladies that can complete the course work and has the endurance to finish her degree. Once at NASA she becomes a secretary and has to forge her way to great discoveries. Space has always been in her blood, her father also was a scientific mind. Her mother was a loving mother and she was always encouraged to follow her dreams. Once the real job starts, she tries to forget her past love and the new love in her life. But they stay with her just like the pull of the moon. An anomaly is the best thing and the worst thing she has found in her scientific endeavors. She must forget all she knows and push forward to discover what it is and why..
Over all this was a very quick, interesting read. I liked the characters and the story. It was engaging and I love space too. So i was hooked. I did think the sci-fi portion could have played a larger role in the book.. but I wasn’t the author ;) this was a 4 star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley and the author, Isa Arsen, for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this story. I hope you enjoy it too..

I read this book in a day and I never looked back! The twist and the plot were pretty easy to identify but the different POV's kept me intrigued to see how everything was going to unfold. A couple of the characters were so unlikable that it made it hard to feel bad or connect with them in any way. I do wish that the ending would've given a little more, I wanted to know how the characters dealt with the aftermath.


*I received a copy of this eARC via NetGalley*

I wanted to love this book, which was the pick for Jenny Lawton’s Fantastic Stranglings book club. It was not for me. The book tells the story in a non-linear fashion of Annie Fisk at three points in her life: (1) growing up as a child in New Mexico with a father who works on the atom bomb and dies young; (2) as a college student in love with an artist Evelyn; and (3) working as a secretary at NASA where she makes an impossible discovery. I found the characters to be interchangeable and the fantastical elements were not for me.

Shoot the Moon is an excellent first novel. The main character, Annie, is a well-fleshed out character. Her science knowledge is impressive, but never unbelievable and is not chosen over her femininity. Her struggle with trauma from her childhood spills into her personal and professional relationships in ways that make perfect sense. She is also one of the few bisexual characters I’ve read that feel fully represented in their identity. The time periods, and NASA, were researched enough to feel “real,” despite liberties taken.

However, there were a few elements that didn’t sit well with me. The sci-fi element in this book, Project Aion, is under explained and overly convenient. I don’t need (or want) the depth of wormholes explained to me, but the way it’s connected to such specific locations and affects certain objects and people over others—and that it comes revealed so late in the book—just made things feel off to me. I also don’t like time travel narratives generally, so once that element became involved I was bummed. Relatedly, I hated that Annie got pregnant and the role her daughter played in the novel. It made narrative sense, but it felt like it was only there to close the plot circle rather than have any real meaning.

I fully acknowledge some of the reasons for my dislike are just personal taste, and I do think many would like the novel, even if it’s not for me. It’s still a very strong first novel, and I’d be interested to read more of Arsén’s work.

I must admit it took me way longer to read than anticipated. I had a hard time getting into the plot and to like the characters.
I kind of expected slightly different things for this book, but was pleasantly surprised I'm the end.
In the end it's a nice enjoyable read about wlw and space, so basically perfect for any spaphic "nerds".

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this arc in advance for leaving a honest review.

A book that starts off slow, but pulls you in as the tale goes on! Shoot the Moon by Isa Arsén was not what I expected. The story flits between different periods of Annie Fisk's life, culminating in a scientific discovery.
Good read for fans of Hidden Figures and Interstellar.

What a neat concept for a book!! It is unlike anything I've ever read in that it deals with physics and math and space and rocket science but reads like a good novel!
This story follows the life of Annie Fisk, daughter of a scientist, who becomes one herself. I don't want to give too much away, but she deals with love and loss as she makes her way through a man's world in the space race. She makes a very stunning discovery that carries the rest of the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and the path it took me on. I honestly didn't know where it would lead, but I was content to make my way through this book. All the little bits and pieces add up to a good read.

Do you ever have the feeling that everyone you love eventually leaves. Leaving you with so much guilt and the need to never express how you feel about others. Building up a wall to protect yourself. When it is just hurting. Shoot the Moon is about so many different topics. Family, love, wonder, imagination, need, and the drive to see your dreams come true. I cannot believe that this is a debut. I love the structure and how you can watch Annie grow from a young girl until she is an adult. She has the grit and determination to see her love for the moon come true. By getting her foot in the door at NASA. Finding two amazing loves in her life. Understanding that you can love both men and women. The beauty of love and desire comes in many forms and Annie wanted to conquer them all.

I rocketed through this book. The short chapters and the back and forth between then and now kept me at the edge of my seat. I watched Annie blossom from an unsure young girl to a woman who is determined to see her dream come true. To experience all there is available in life. To witness the unimaginable. Thank you to Isa Arsen and Putnam for this fascinating book.

Shoot the Moon is a unique read; a debut historical fiction novel mixed with a bit of science fiction. We follow Annie Fisk, whose dream is to work for NASA. The story is told in a nonlinear way and over multiple timelines. A love story with a backdrop set in space.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for this ARC.

⭐️ 4 / 5

Publication Date: October 10, 2023

I want to thank Penguin Group-Putnam, and Net Galley for allowing me to get an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The prologue did a solid job in establishing the setting for our story revolving the Apollo missions. From there we flash back and forth in Annie Fisk’s life.

One of the coolest aspects of this story, was the backdrop starting from the atomic age all the up to the lunar landing. The use of scientific terms sprinkled into the story was a joy to read as someone with a background in STEM, it added more depth to the story. After the half way point, the story has a bit of a science fiction flavor added to it which I thought was fun. There were also a few steamy scenes sprinkled in which added to both of the romantic storylines.

As for my reservations, while this was an easy and quick read, the pacing at times felt disjointed largely because of the odd flashback chapters. There were also some plot holes that weren’t fully addressed by the end of the book.

Overall, I found this to be a fun and quick read set during a time when our hopes and fears took us into uncharted territory. This is a fun historical fiction novel with some science fiction sprinkled in.

Would recommend for those who are fans of
- Historical Fiction
- Space Race setting
- Character driven stories
- Non-Linear timeline
- Bi rep

Very interesting book about anne frisk. She grew up with her mother and father in New mexico. The book goes back-and-forth in time. When she was a little girl when she was at the college. And then when she went to Houston to work.. She was also gay which was really interesting. Because her mother kept hounding her. When are you gonna get married?. She also had a friend named Dinah from outer space. Who visited in the garden? And this will play important role in the book as well. Because things would come back to her at certain points in Houston from her past. She met a woman named Evelyn who was an artist at this college in San Antonio. And she really loved her, but she wanted a different path in life. So they've spared it ways when they graduated. She was also very close to her professor at the school too. When anna was in houston working at the space center she meant A man named norman who also worked with her. She fell in love with him and decided to get married. A lot of things in this book do not turn out as you were expected. She had a lot of losses in life, but at the end of the book, it was a very happy ending

SHOOT THE MOON is the compelling debut novel by Isa Arsén. It is an intriguing story with elements of historical fiction, science fiction and romance blended together. Ever since she was a child, Annie Fisk has been drawn to space and its exploration. Having lost her father at a young age and never really connecting with her mother, Annie left everything behind to pursue her physics degree out of state. At this time in history, space exploration is entirely a male-dominated field, but Annie gets her foot in the door at NASA, landing a job as a secretary during the lead-up to the Apollo mission. While typing up notes, she notices that one of the engineers has made errors in crucial calculations. When she brings this to light, Annie is given a new position in programming. During her time there, Annie makes an astonishing discovery that will change how the world views space and time. She also falls for one of the engineers. Can she balance her intellectual pursuits with a budding romance? The story is told in a non-linear fashion, alternating between different time periods of Annie’s life – her childhood in New Mexico in the 1940s, her college years, her relationship with a woman who becomes more than a best girlfriend, and her time at NASA. Annie’s journey through loss, love and her scientific endeavors is beautifully-portrayed and heart-wrenching at times. The emotional ending brought the entire story full circle. I enjoyed this complex and unique story and I look forward to seeing what comes next from this author. Thank you to the author publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Annie Fisk, our main character, grows up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where her father is working on the atomic bomb team. Her parents seem quite distant and she appears to have an imaginary friend in her backyard to keep her company. The plot of this queer historical science fiction novel ensues from there.

I was confused at first, and then mildly distracted by the nonlinear timeline. It does work out in the end, as the author brings the plot threads together, but not every reader will enjoy the way the story unfolds. I also wished there had been more character development in those people who surrounded Annie.

The science was intriguing and the plotting held my interest to the end. I also appreciated the queer representation. However, I was not enthralled or truly engaged by the story. I thought it was an average fiction debut.

Thank you to Netgalley and GP Putnam's Sons for an EPUB copy in return for an honest review.

#NetGalley #ShootTheMoon #GPPutnamsSons

Shoot the Moon by Isa Arsén is a very enjoyable and beautifully written debut.
I really loved everything about this book.
The writing was great. The way the characters were written was engaging.
And the story was such an interesting and intriguing read.

I would like to thank NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

This moves around in time and place to tell the story of Annie Fisk, daughter of a physicist who herself become part of NASA and discovers a wormhole. Yep. This went a bit sideways for me when the wormhole appeared but Arsen does a terrific job of linking up tidbits from across time. She lost me on the science (or pseudoscience) but not on the humanity. Know that it also surprisingly (at least to me) steamy- there was just so much I didn't expect in this. The short chapters make it easy to keep reading past when you plan to put it down. Annie is great and Evelyn wonderful, as is Norman. This is one best discovered as it unfolds. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not sure where to start with my thoughts and reactions of this book. I essentially read the majority of this book sitting underneath a full moon of a campfire which feels insanely fitting.

I highly admired the mix of science / historical fiction with romance. I also loved the representation of bisexual relationships in the story.

My mind is still swirling from reading this book much like the wormhole that sits inside of it. loved the incorporation of science into this book, as a science nerd myself. I felt like the concepts were explained in a friendly, natural and digestible manner. The time jumps in the book and the interconnected of quotes, characters, names, scenes and dialogue had my own mind shaping, bending, stretching and then reshaping again just like the beautiful wormhole in this book. To some, this may be overwhelming but to me it felt like a beautiful metaphor and depiction of the book.

didn't know what to expect when I began this book- but it far exceeded my expectations. I hope upon release that this book becomes a popular sci-fi romance read because I don't think I've read something like this before.

Thanks to the author and editing team for all of your hard work sunk into this story that will linger with me for quite a while as I try to reshape my own mind about the takeaways from this book.

Annie Fisk—an only child in Los Alamos, New Mexico—spends a lot of time investigating the treasure trove of objects at the back of her garden. Her father, with whom she is close, works long hours on the nuclear bomb project, her mother seems distant and preoccupied, and Annie has trouble making friends. But she is a gifted student, and at the age of eighteen she leaves home to major in physics and astronomy at a Texas college. At around the same time, she becomes romantically involved with Evelyn, an artist.

Yet Annie’s sights are set on the stars—more specifically, NASA, where the Apollo Project is underway. She graduates in 1962 and, against Evelyn’s objections, heads for Houston, where she lands a job as a secretary—it’s the 1960s, after all, and that’s what women are expected to do. There she meets Norman Gale, a relationship that opens up her future both professionally and personally.

But it’s Annie’s past, more than her present, that holds her back. And in this beautifully written debut novel, Isa Arsén ties all the disparate threads together in a unique and surprising way.

I plan to talk with Isa Arsén on New Books in Historical Fiction (link below) in December.