RAVE!

Rave rave rave, rave rave, RAVE!

YA/NA has been super hit or miss for me lately and I've been convinced I'm slowly going off of it but I LOVED this book. Oh it was amazing, character driven, DIVERSE, sensitive topics handled with grace and care.

Lane was a gorgeous character, so relatable and I felt her grief, it was on every page without being smoothering.

The Lunar V Earth conflict gave the story drive while the characters gave it heart. There was tension but it was balanced, secrets without miscommunication and it wrapped up flawlessly.

All and all I will be recommending this to everyone!

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of the audiobook & book for an honest review

I started reading this book today and it took me reading throughout the day to finish it (When I normally can listen to an audiobook in one go), but with this book, I found myself drifting in and out of interest for the story so had to take time away every few chapters.

In this story, we are following the main character who has Autism and how they see, feel and deal with things differently a lot of people do not understand them... but also they are dealing with grieving the death of their beloved sister who was loved by so many people as well as living on the moon. In this book, the autism representation I thought was OK but not brilliantly done and I feel a little more could have been explored in explaining it 🤔 since you are told a few times the main character has autism ( I am a person who would rather see what ur saying in the words rather than just saying the description or word to explain it).

This book was interesting in places but couldn't hold my full interest, but I do see others enjoying this book I was just not the target audience unfortunately but still enjoyed it in places

Being autistic and asexual, I really looked forward to reading a story with a queer autistic FMC.

Sadly, the dialogue just wasn't for me - I found it very cringey and I didn't like the bit about having sex or commiting suicide. I get that it's meant to be sex positive and in favour of polysmorous relationships, but as an asexual individual I just couldn't relate.

Overall, it was amazing to see so much representation, but the book itself didn't work for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ALC

Moon Dust in My Hairnet follows Lane, an autistic lunch lady on Lunar Trust One, a new home designed by her sister as a safe place following the destruction of their home planet. However, Lane's sister is murdered before traveling to the new colony. Now, Lane is trying to juggle her grief, newly formed relationships, and life on Lunar Trust One. But when this life is threatened by corporate overloards and secret spies, Lane will find herself and her friends trying to unveil and overcome these issues to restore peace to her sister's vision.

After being burned by several books with this much representation, I found this book refreshing and satisfying in its realistic portrayal of queer, neurodivergent, POC, and poly characters. There wasn't a reliance on stereotypes or stale tropes. And it made this book wonderfully understanding and sensitive in its handling of minority identities. Additionally, the main characters were all treated as individuals rather than a tool to assist Lane through her character arc. All in all, very well done.

I also liked the crew announcements. I thought it was well implemented, especially as a world building aspect. They made understanding the set up of how everyone's new life worked easy. In regards to the world building in general, the building's layout and individual rooms were easy to visualize.

With that being said, the pacing of this book did not work for me. The beginning was good. I was engaged at page one. The ending was great, with plot twists that were surprising and held me on the edge of my seat. But the in between was all over the place in terms of pacing. Some parts seemed rushed, especially as we approached the ending. Some seemed too slow, as the book seemed to favor the world building and character development with a bit too much of a heavy hand at times.

Final Thoughts: A great new voice in the hope punk speculative fiction genre wrapped into a book with good representation, surprising twists, and an interesting world worth diving into. I'm really looking forward to what Creaden comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mythic Roads Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lane and her parents move to the moon without her sister, whose dreams are being realised there. We follow her as she struggles with her grief, the fact that her parents may have pulled some strings to get her her lunch lady job and her autism and the way that impacts her experiences. Oh, and worse? There is a spy (or spies) leading the very people who killed her sister (and have negatively touched the lives of many of those living on the moon) to the moon, threatening their way of life and safety. And Lane and her newfound friends want to try find a way to stop them, ideally without being found skirting the rules by those in power.

This is one of those books I loved in a way that's difficult to put into words. I related a lot to Lane outside of all the romance stuff (as an ace (and probably aro) person I am pretty much the opposite of her in that regard!). But there was a lot going on outside of the romance. I'm so glad she found her people. Seeing struggles presented in such an authentic way was incredibly refreshing, especially since things were portrayed as something to learn to cope with rather than something that needs to be fixed. I also loved all the announcements at the start of each chapter (especially the running theme about the state of the towels!). It gave an idea of some of what was happening in the broader colony while letting us continue to focus on Lane.

The book is marketed as cozy scifi, but I would say it's more cozyish or cozy adjacent because although the book has a lot of themes around acceptance and love, it does also have a higher stakes plot although maybe it is a bit vaguer than it would be in less cozy novels. While I prefer that (pure cozy scifi and fantasy often don't do it for me because I get bored) I think it is important to know before going in depending on what your preferred brand of cozy spec fic is. I do think the pacing could have been a little better. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved all the worldbuilding and character development! I just wish that the action at the end had been given a little more time, even if it meant a longer book (and I don't mean even in a bad way!).

If you like cozyish stories exploring diverse characters and their struggles then I can definitely recommend this book! While cozy, it still hit hard in so many ways and I would love to read more from this author or about these characters.

I really did like this book, the whole idea of earth needing a place for its habitants to live elsewhere because of the destruction of our homeland could very well be a possibility. It was a nice touch that the person who invented the means for this to happen was basically a kid. There has always been the need for us humans to take over other lands to claim as our own, so its not surprising the same happens on the moon in this story. I loved that the underdog, Lane, who had so much to live up to with her sister being the savior, finds her way from obscurity in the kitchens, to being part of the next round that saves those on the moon. Many times those who go unrecognized have the potential to be beyond amazing, if only given the confidence to reach their potential.

The part of this book I really did not like was how many people fell in love, had sex with multiple partners. It kind of cheapened the value of the relationships. No one knew where they stood with each other, and I think that took away from the whole story line than added to it. I may be old fashioned but clear lines of friendships and romance are preferable to me, than the many different tendrils that seemed to be weakend by the multitude.

2.5 rounding up to 3. I had the opportunity to listen to an advanced audiobook of Moon Dust in My Hairnet by JR Creaden, narrated by Sarah Kisko. I love the idea of a “hopepunk” genre, but ultimately I found that I couldn’t quite get into this book.

Lane’s sister, Farraday, was supposed to be humanity’s savior, working diligently to make sure people could thrive on the moon, but ever since she was killed in a terrorist attack, Lane feels like everyone expects too much of her. She’s gotten a gig as a lunch lady on the moon colony, and she doesn’t hate it. Plus, her boyfriend is supportive, they are dating some new crushes and Lane even feels up to helping plan her sister’s memorial. But when goods start going missing and vital equipment gets tampered with, Lane has to team up with new and old friends to find out what’s going on, and save the colony from invasion.

I loved both the autism rep and polyamorous characters in this book. It was a solid scifi space opera with mystery, political intrigue, and solid character arcs. The plot moved quickly and kept me engaged, and the twists and turns were satisfying. It was a fun read all the way round.

A tender, lunar hopepunk, near-future sci-fi story about cultivating community on a newly-constructed moon base. It features queer, disabled, autistic, and poly characters navigating the excitements of building new lives together while dealing with the challenges of survivor’s guilt and sabotage from an evil capitalist, all with a care and tenderness for each other that will warm your heart. Highly recommend, especially for fans of Becky Chambers!

I absolutely adored this story and devoured it entirely in two sittings. A queer, autistic, polyamorous main character? Sign me up immediately. I loved Lane more than I've loved any character in a long, long time and having a multitude of queer, neurodivergent, and POC secondary characters felt gratifying and almost revolutionary to read! The plot was incredible and unique and the ending could not have been more perfect. Seeing Lane's struggle and her journey through therapy and the various stages of grief was also like nothing I've ever read before and it was liberating to see. The futuristic world that Creaden created was incredibly well-developed and surprisingly, and somewhat worryingly, realistic (I really hope that humanity isn't heading in that direction, but with the way things are going...) Although I guessed who one of the spies was early on, I was still excited to continue reading to find out their motives because I just knew that it wouldn't be so straight-forward given how expertly crafted the rest of this book is. I cannot even begin to express how satisfying the ending of this book was as well. There was no "one hero who saves the day" - it was a group effort and that is more gratifying than I can say. Lane doesn't suddenly become this fearless powerful leader who saves everyone, she's just the same Lane she's always been (although with marginally better mental health after a few months of therapy) and I appreciated that immensely. This was the easiest five-star rating I've given this year, and I cannot wait to purchase the physical book to reread again!

In “Moondust In My Hairnet”, Lane is the younger sister of an extraordinary scientist who has created a gravity drive that has revolutionized space travel. We meet Lane as she and her family arrive on the lunar colony that her sister created before her murder. Lane works in the cafeteria but soon gets wrapped up in some things she wasn't expecting when she starts collaborating with V on a memorial.

Some books may call themselves diverse and only have one character that falls out of the typical cast. This was not one of those. I was pleasantly surprised with the breadth of diversity: neurodiversity, LGBT+, disability, and more. I also found the inclusion of polyamory to be interesting.

This novel held lots of promise, but I ended up being slightly disappointed with the overall pacing and character development. I listened to the book and often found myself zoning out or questioning if I accidentally skipped ahead. This might have been better to physically read instead.

Despite not quite hitting the mark for me, the universe that Creaden imagined has me looking forward to seeing what they come up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mythic Roads Press for the ARC. My review is honest and voluntary.

Hope Punk Speculative Fiction - I like it!
What a wee marvel of a book. Even though it slowed towards the end, this hit just the right sweet spot to be exciting and cute at the same time.
My reservations would be: the insinuation that all polyamorous relationships are bisexual(?); and that the narrator, whilst perfectly plausible with voices in an American accent, any (and I mean ANY!) non-American accent is truly dreadful. Really, really awful! I would not listen to this narrator again. So many characters were undermined and made farcical by her woeful attempts to vary their accents.

I love the audiobook narrator selected for this. The writing style was amazing, and I loved the flow of the story. This is one of my favorite genres, and I loved the twists they put into this book. The representation was amazing as well!

Queer, autistic space politics, intrigue and hope, normalized polamory.

I love everything.

Proper review to follow, after my exams.

Rating: 3.25/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Mythic Roads Press for allowing me a copy of this audio book in return for an honest review.

Set in the not too distant future, but after the fall of the U.S. and the U.N. the moon’s first independent colony has just opened up. Lane, a 20 year old autistic lunch lady, and sister of the recently assassinated woman whose invention of the Gravdrive made moon living possible, is attempting to settle into her new life, whilst dealing with her grief and her overprotective parents. Risking the potential of overextending herself she gets involved with her sister's public memorial project run by her new nemesis V, whose boyfriend and Lane’s have just started dating. Soon it becomes clear that the new colony is being sabotaged and Lane and her friends must band together to save her sister’s legacy.

Sarah Kisko did a great job of separating all the characters with unique voices. She kept the pace going well, though I did speed the narration up when I started to lose interest.

What I liked: I loved the crew announcements at the beginning of each chapter documenting the gradual collapse of the colony. I found the scenario and plot interesting, and the inclusivity of different relationships types and abilities was refreshing to see. I really liked the concept of the younger generation having more open polyamorous relationships. The fall out from climate change was well examined. I also liked the technology that was introduced as part of the story. Additionally I found the therapy sessions insightful.

What didn’t work for me: I didn’t connect very well with the characters so found my brain wondering quite a bit. Some of the plot points and situation solutions were too simplistic. I think I loved the title so much I didn’t read the synopsis carefully enough before I picked this book so in places it was a bit too teen melodrama for me.

Final thoughts: An enlightened sci fi adventure told through the eyes of an autistic young woman.

Who would enjoy this book: Fans of Young adult novels and soft science fiction.

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

I absolutely adored this audiobook. It was novel, scary, exciting, and I truly loved following along with the characters. Ended was good though I’d also love more story. Thanks for the read.

Been waiting in a decent sci-fi forever, not many coming through recently I don’t thing, loved this listen. All the basics were there, good plot, great character development, premise was fantastic. Have reccomend to the girls in my book club and looking forward to more from the author. Loved the cover art

This is a fantasy audiobook which covers/offers so much.
How do you deal with the death of your world sister, when the world seems to have more hold on her memory than you do. A sister’s life cut down in a space war, stirred up by a despot. A despot who continues to threaten everything you hold dear.
An easy listen story. Young adult life, friendships and relationships; acceptance of choices of partners without bias. Family. Space station life. Finding a place where you can be proud of yourself. Forgiveness. Comfort cooking. Mental stress, wellbeing and recovery.
The timings of events is a little suspect, but I forgave that issue and enjoyed the whole. Thank you to Mythic Roads Press and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Thank you to NetGalley for an audioARC!

DNF @ 64%

So... A lot of mixed feelings about this book.

My first mistake was consuming this as an audiobook; audiobooks are pretty hit or miss for me, and this definitely did not hit. A big audiobook ick for me is when the narrator puts on different voices for different characters, and in this case, there are a LOT of different side characters, and they are all read with different voices. Aside from that, the narration is fine, and I quite enjoyed the MC's, Lane's, internal dialogue.

I also feel kind of tricked by the synopsis/title; it makes the book sound like a cute, cozy space story, so I went into the book thinking that, only to find out that it is NOT. Sure, there are a few fun, lighthearted moments, but for the most part, it's a lot heavier than I was expecting. Lane's relationship with her mother was especially hard for me to read; I hadn't expected their conflict to be such a prominent part of the story, given that it's not mentioned at all in the synopsis. Not that it's badly portrayed; the author does a really good job at portraying their dynamic, except that it hit a bit (wayyy) too close to home for me. Honestly, if I had known beforehand I might not have picked this book up.

Moving on to some positives. I think the author does an excellent job of writing Lane's character and her struggles. I found her really relatable, in the way that she struggles in her new environment to fit in as well as prove that she can be useful. The way her grief was written felt realistic to me, and I appreciate how it plays a constant role throughout the book. Her autism also plays a large role in how she interacts with people, and I'm not in a position to judge, but I think the author did a good job; there are a few moments where it's mentioned how Lane pays attention to people's facial expressions and memorises them so that she knows what feelings different expressions mean, which I thought was interesting and not something I've read about an autistic character before.

There are two main reasons that made me DNF. Firstly, I found the author's depiction of the little people to be weird as hell. Lane meets a crew of little people who work in the engineering department, and all of them are portrayed as quirky goofy characters. Like, they all name themselves after different kinds of food, and collectively burst into song/laughter randomly. I appreciate the the diversity this book includes; I have come across very few books with little people, but portraying all of them as quirky and silly is just odd to me. Not that little people have to or are obliged to act normal, but having all the little people collectively behave over-the-top like that just doesn't sit right with me. I'm not a little person, so I can't fully judge if this portrayal is disrespectful so do feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Another reason I decided to DNF is because of Lane's romance with V. I liked it at first; the enemies/rivals to lovers dynamic, Lane feeling conflicted by her attraction to her, the way they grew to understand each other, how they both try their best to communicate and be open with one another, and I love when characters have to deliberately put in effort to get to know each other. However, Lane is OBSESSED with how V looks. Which is to be expected, like, of course she's attracted to V, she's Lane's love interest. BUT. Lane mentions V's attractiveness literally everytime she sees her, even during intense emotional moments. Like when V is telling Lane about her past, (which gets pretty dark and intense), Lane is still busy noticing her lips and her legs and her skin and her clothes and her long straight hair. Which is really just not the right moment for it, ya know?

There's also a really weird bit in the book that sort of came out of nowhere, where Lane explains how society had become chill with polyamory, I don't have the exact quote, but basically young people were becoming depressed because the world sucks, so they started having sex more to deal with it, and in turn polyamory became normalised because society had bigger things to worry about. And, the polyamory and casual sex being normalised bit, I can understand. But it's also sort of implied that young people were killing themselves because they weren't getting it on. I think maybe the author meant that the pressures to conform to society's standard of monogamous relationships + purity culture was killing people, but honestly, the way it's put sounds more like "you have two options: have sex or kill yourself". And with how diverse and inclusive this book is, it's kind of surprising that the author doesn't take people who don't want to have sex or romantic relationships into consideration.

Anyway, I don't necessarily not recommend this book; I think I could have pushed through and finished this if I really tried, but at this point I don't think my impression of this book would improve. There are some aspects that are well-written/portrayed, but overall I just found this frustrating to read.

There are a lot of reasons why I like this book.
1. This is about a neurodivergent girl! She has autism and it was great to see how her mind worked with her and against her. How frustrating it can be sometimes and how it can make social experiences a bit harder. For example, the feeling like you don’t deserve things. The thoughts about what people think of you. Etc.
2. I enjoyed the relationships in this book a lot. I loved how it wasn’t just the main character and her boyfriend. There were many people that can be involved in a relationship. The author explains it very well and I found that it was a really cool premise.
3. The issues and the conflicts were very believable. The relationship with parents. The dealings with grief. Trusting others. It was great
4. The overall story was pretty good. I’d give this book a 4.5. (Since we don’t have a .5 option, I rounded up)

This book was about a girl who was the sister of a major figure in this groups’ lives. The sister paved the way for advancement and growth but was unfortunately killed. Now the main character has to figure out how to live without her rockstar sister and morn her with everyone else.
Overall I think the story was good. I can’t figure out how to put it into words.
Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this, it was great.