This book is so good. I truly enjoyed reading an advanced readers copy. Thanks TOR and Netgalley. Yeah it has a kind of silly premise, and utilizes seemingly unrelated characters in telling a story, but raises so many questions. Stick with it - look for the connective tissue and know you will be rewarded at the end. John Scalzi does a wonderful job of wrapping it up (or maybe I should say folding the cheese) at the end of the book. Raises a lot of questions to just go hmmm... A perfect companion (even though really un-related) to Starter Villain.

I've read all of John Scalzi's books -- loved most, found a few just "good" -- but I'm afraid this one was too stupid to be redeemed. I ended up skimming a lot. It's humorous in places, has some semi-interesting characters, but was really just a set of character sketches of people and their reactions when they find out the moon has suddenly turned into an expanding blob of ... cheese. Very disappointing.

One fine day, when NASA is in preparing for early tests of the new moon lander for the Diana missions to return to the Moon, the NASA director gets word of an emergency with the lunar samples brought back from the Apollo missions.

Have they been stolen? No. Have they been destroyed? Not exactly.

They've turned to cheese.

The Moon itself, right now at quarter phase, is also looking mighty strange, with a much higher albedo than the gray, rocky world should have. Almost as if...it's also now made of cheese.

It's also quickly determined to be larger, at least in diameter. Large enough that even with the lower density of cheese, it's still the same mass. So, no immediate disruptive effects on Earth, as tides and other effects remain unchanged. Although, the upcoming annular eclipse of the Sun will now be a total eclipse of the Sun.

Over the next month, we follow a variety of small groups, reacting to and coping with the sudden and inexplicable change in their own ways.

NASA has to decide what to do about the test flight of the new Mars lander. Should the unmanned flight go all the way to the Moon and return, as planned, or only to low earth orbit, instead?

The billionaire whose company designed and built the new Moon lander decides to exploit the confusion to fulfill his own lifetime dream. (Jody Bannon is not Musk; we know he's not Musk because he hates Musk and Bezos both.)

A science writer whose first book has, well, flopped, is looking for a chance to recover from that, writes a book about the sudden change in the Moon and its possible scientific impact.

A minister at a small Evangelical church in the Midwest has to guide his flock through what this means for their faith--and reaches into unsuspected depths in himself.

Two rival cheese shops in Madison, Wisconsin, find themselves confronting, together, a mob that tips from shouting their confusion, fear, and anger at the Moon, to turning it on a more accessible form of cheese.

A variety of small stories, some funny, some charming, play out over the next month.

It's a good little book, not up there with Scalzi's best, but an enjoyable read nevertheless.

Saw this on NetGalley and thought it sounded fun, so I’m coming back from a multi-year review hiatus to say a few things about this book!

“Moon” (as Scalzi abbreviated the book in his afterword) is what you would get if Don’t Look Up didn’t take itself so seriously. The premise of the moon turning to cheese is absolutely goofy but made for some interesting questions about what motivates us when we know “the end” has a specific date and time. This isn’t a unique theme, and none of the insights about it were particularly unique either, but the weird setting made for some comical situations that were well done.

Each chapter depicted a day in the lunar cycle from a different character’s point of view, but generally revolved around the same few stories. There were a couple one-offs that were super enjoyable and managed to build a convincing vignette in just a few pages, while some of the chapters were a bit too on the nose. Despite the few parts I didn’t love, I can acknowledge that Scalzi knows how to write.

Overall, it was fast and light and entertaining. A nice break from other things I’ve been reading. and 3 stars is a good rating for me!!

By now, I've read a number of books by John Scalzi, and in every single one of them, he is able to take an absurd idea and turn it into a great story. Whether it's old people being turned into galactic super soldiers or kaiju being real and needing the help of humanity to survive, it seems the sillier the story's premise the better Scalzi's story will be. When the Moon Hits Your Eye is no exception to this in my observation.

Almost everyone raised in Western society has heard the old folktale about the moon being made of cheese. As children we are told this story because it's fantastical and children enjoy those types of stories. How ridiculous would it be if the moon really were made of cheese? Well, that's exactly what happens in When the Moon Hits Your Eye. One second the moon is made of rock and dust and craters just as it should be, but the next, it's made entirely out of what appears to be cheese.

If this sounds crazy, well everyone in this book would certainly agree with you. The structure of the story is told through a series of vignettes describing the sometimes related experiences of people across the United States. Everything starts when the curator for the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio, notices something is very wrong with their small sample of moon rock on display. At first, they think someone has managed to steal the moon rock and replace it. The rock is certainly no longer rock It takes dismantling the display to discover the moon rock hasn't been stolen. It's been turned to cheese.

It doesn't take long for the rest of the world to discover that every moon rock sample on Earth has also turned to cheese, right along with the entire moon itself. Thus begins a world-wide effort to understand, scientifically, how this will affect the Earth, and how in the world did the moon turn to cheese anyway? This is where this story shines, in my opinion.

John Scalzi takes this entirely ridiculous situation and approaches it as realistically as possible. The vignettes throughout the story illustrate how people and governments and scientific entities would react to the moon turning to cheese without warning or reason. Governments try to control the information to keep from panicking the populace. Scientists try to understand why the moon is now made of "organic seeming material" and not rocks and dust. Everyone in Hollywood tries to make a movie or tv show about it, while everyday people look up at the too-bright, too-round moon and wonder if this could mean the end of the world.

It's not all gloom and doom, though. That's another thing I enjoy about Scalzi's writing. He always manages to inject sarcastic humor into a story, especially when it's needed to relieve some of the more emotionally charged moments. There are three characters in particular that have a habit of meeting in a diner that had me literally laughing out loud while I was reading. There are also a few characters that obviously poke fun at certain billionaires and political figures. Meanwhile, other characters managed to tug on my heartstrings and left me hoping they had every success in life.

The only issue I had with the book, and it's very minor, was how rushed the ending felt. There was a lot of emotional build up over the course of 30 days just for it to end in a series of time jumps. That's not to say the ending wasn't good. It absolutely makes sense, and I don't see any other way it could have ended without diving off into being truly farcical. The last chapter was certainly believable enough. I guess it's just a testament to Scalzi's ability to characterize that the ending left me wishing I could learn more about these people I just spent the last 300 pages with. I was ready for it to be over yet.

I will say this as well: after reading five books by Johns Scalzi, including his three most recent publications, I am definitely a fan. Check out my reviews of The Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain if you're interested in learning more about his recent releases. I plan to read the rest of his backlist over the course of next year, and I am so excited we are pretty much guaranteed more of the same in the future thanks to his recent deal with Tor.

I gave When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi four out of five stars. On the surface, the premise of this book is entirely silly. Yet somehow John Scalzi manages to craft realistic characters living in this new reality. The story has laughter, but it also has rage and love and friendship and so many other emotions. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a quick sci-fi read with heart and humor.

When The Moon Hits Your Eye by Joh Scalzi is fun and light reading. Maybe a little too light, but it's still a very engaging way to spend a couple of evenings. Yes, the moon turning to literal cheese is silly, but a lot of the chapters had a lot of depth and humor. The number of characters didn't really work for me (each chapter was practically a new cast dealing with the news0, and I really wish the novel had just focused on 3-4 of the mini-stories, making a more cohesive novel.

In the end notes of this book, he says that he thinks of this one, Starter Villain, and The Kaiju Preservation Society as their own sub-set of semi-related novels (not so much in topic but in the way ordinary characters deal with extraordinary things), and of the three this is probably my least favorite. But...

That said, it's a very fun and entertaining read! Scalzi's comic timing and dialogue is, as usual, absolute perfection.

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!!

After reading and loving Starter Villain earlier this year, I have been excited to pick up more of John Scalzi's work. When the Moon Hits Your Eye was not quite as successful for me, but I did still have a really good time reading it. The premise (the moon suddenly turning into literal cheese) is of course ridiculous and hilarious, and led to some quite funny romp-esque moments, but overall the story was more reflective and serious than I expected. The cheese moon does usher in a very real possibility of the end of the world, which led to some serious moments and real contemplation from our wild cast of characters. As the book cycles through different characters and anecdotes, some perspectives dragged on a bit for me, but just when I thought I was losing interest, Scalzi always snapped me right back with a hilarious or endearing moment. If the premise appeals to you as a funny yet contemplative quick read, it's worth picking up.

This was such a fun concept and enjoyed how well it worked in the genre. The concept worked well and I was engaged with what was happening in this story. The characters had that feel that I was looking for and really enjoyed getting through this story. John Scalzi always does a great job wiritng this and can’t wait for more.

The premise of this book is absurd- one day the moon and all of Earth’s old moon rocks turn to… cheese. Through a series of characters we find out how humans start to deal with their immanent cheesy death. Cheese puns abound. I laughed out loud. Great book- thanks Netgalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the moon turned to cheese? If so, definitely give this book a read because it's a hoot. I mean, maybe don't trust the science-y bits because Scalzi admits in the afterword that his science is “extremely loosey-goosey,” but overall it's an entertaining look at how Americans from all over the country might react to such an unexpected phenomenon.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye is basically made up of a series of interconnected short stories and the point of view changes with every chapter. The characters come from all walks of life, from a billionaire CEO of an aerospace company to high school social outcasts. There are cheese shop owners and NASA astronauts and government leaders. There's a washed out rock star and a non-fiction author who suddenly finds himself thrust into the spotlight. While some of their stories are more exciting than others, they're all written with Scalzi's trademark humor and wit and I can honestly say that there wasn't a single one that I didn't enjoy.

And, yeah. I really don't know what else to say about this book. It's funny. It's heartwarming. It's unique. It's about the moon turning to cheese. If you've enjoyed Scalzi's previous novels, there's a good chance that you'll enjoy this one too.

My overall rating: 4.2 stars, rounded down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is March 25, 2025.

I received this title as an ARC via NetGalley.

Strongly recommended. [4 stars].

This is another delightful standalone novel from John Scalzi.

Initially, this book does exactly what it says on the tin: the moon turns to cheese. The rest of the novel is about humanity's numerous responses to dealing with the fact that the moon turned to cheese. Structurally, this is a kaleidescope novel--there isn't one protagonist, there are several dozen characters who are all having different responses to the experience, from the highest levels of government to the outcasts table in the junior-high cafeteria. Human frailty in all its messy glory is on display.

The human reactions are spot-on in their glorious variations, especially when the laws of physics begin to take their toll on an enormous mass made of cheese existing in space, and the end of the world is predicted. In the context of certain death by (hot) cheese, Scalzi sketches dozens of fallible, understandable, and engaging characters across the novel, piecing together a modern-day world that feels nuanced and real-esque. The science is (as the author admits in the acknowledgements) made up in some places, and the science is not the point.

Scalzi takes an incredibly silly concept, and creates a world that feels sincere and honest and real with it. Fans of his work will still find the snappy dialogue, tight pacing, humorous (and often profane) moments, and heart they are expecting and hoping for. The occasional moments of philosphical clarity about what it truly means to be human are a decided bonus.

You'll never look at the moon the same way again.

This was a wonderful, funny book. Scalzi set himself a huge task not only setting each chapter in a different day but also from different character point of views. It was really fun and interesting to see a huge event like the moon turning to cheese reflected in so many people's perspectives. It also perfectly shows Scalzi's blend of funny and poignant, with a great read on modern events showing up in how the plot is resolved. A great read for Scalzi fans, though maybe not the best entry point to his canon

John Scalzi has this space thing going for him! What a fun and ironic romp through the what if's of our thinking. The nod to certain people in our media was well appreciated. I really enjoy Scalzi's take on the weird and unusual things that could happen if the moon really did turn to cheese (although the popular saying does have to come from somewhere?). If you are in a not so serious mood and need something fun and enjoyable and have loved his other books, pick it up. It's good for a few days of utter enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and especially John Scalzi for this eARC of When the Moon Hits Your Eye.
At first glance, this has been done before. An examination of a sudden, earth shaking, unexplained event and it's possible impact on humanity. What's novel, and what Scalzi excels so well at here, is digging deeply into the ramifications across so many different sectors, factions, cultures, and social circles within the US. A delight to read and quite thought provoking. If you've enjoyed any of Scalzi's work in the past, you'll like this one!

John Scalzi took a bite out of Brooks's book and wrote this from many characters, fleshing out the world.

A silly book about a serious topic? No, a serious book about a silly topic!

When The Moon Hits Your Eye is about the moon suddenly turning to cheese and how that might affect it and us (in the U.S., anyway). From a small-town sibling rivalry to a tech billionaire with an inflated ego, these vignettes show that Scalzi's true talent isn't writing fun books–that's just a bonus. His true talent is getting readers to attach to his characters quickly. Here he does it again and again with dazzling speed.

Despite my difficulty reading multiple-perspective books since 2020, I breezed through this one and enjoyed it greatly.

I didn’t expect to be given one of my most anticipated reads from Tor, and I was so excited!


So here’s my thoughts in exchange for the ARC! My first read from Scalzi being Starter Villain was definitely vastly different than this premise- and I was truly hoping to be as invested in it as Villain. Unfortunately, I’m just not the right audience for this. While I loved the hilarity of reactions from each character/perspective, I wasn’t truly interested & felt the large separation between them felt as others have noticed to call “short stories”.

I was incredibly impressed with the science and research placed in this novel, and loved the realism approach to the idea of our moon becoming a human food form. I know this book will find its readers, and I can’t wait for more from this author.

A quick, light read. While I enjoyed the absurdity of the premise, at times it was too much, and there wasn’t really a coherent thread to follow. I was hoping for something more along the lines of seven eves, or even one of Scalzi‘s other books, but this was charming for what it was .

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
--
Has the world lately been dragging you down? Just imagine if the moon was suddenly made of cheese and the end was near! Another delightfully written and unique narrative with Scalzi's crafted style of applying science and humor.

This book is absolutely ridiculous and absurd and has no right to be as good as it is. I thought I might laugh at a story about the moon turning to cheese – and I did, more than I expected to – but I didn’t think I’d CRY.

We all have those off the cuff “what would happen if” ideas, but Scalzi has gone and turned one into a book that is fabulous in its complete wackiness. This isn’t really about people trying to save humanity, or figuring out HOW the moon has turned to cheese and WHY. You get this insane thing that happens and then take a look at the reactions of people, which are very genuine and the whole time you’re nodding your head like “yeah, yep, that’s what I’d say too.”

Each chapter is one day in the lunar cycle, and follows the story of a different person or group as their lives go on. Under a moon of cheese. I thought they were all great, although my personal favorite might have been the one with a group of friends chatting on slack.

Also I really loved the one about the Elon Musk-esque character, and the characterization of how he never actually invented anything, he just pays companies a bunch of money to become the CEO and then takes credit for everything the real engineers do. Gee, that sounds familiar.

I think this book is downright wonderful, it’s fast paced and a very quick and entertaining read. If you’ve enjoyed Scalzi’s other works, particularly Starter Villain and Kaiju Preservation Society, then you’ll really like this. But if you haven’t and you like character vignettes and slice-of-life stories, then please check this out. Whimsy and absurdism aside, it’s full of very funny and touching stories of people confronting a situation they can’t begin to understand, and how they move forward in the face of it.

I know I’ve build this up, so you might be disappointed to hear it isn’t out until March 25. (Nooooo!) But trust me and stick this one on the TBR so you don’t forget about it.


Thank you Netgalley and Tor Books for the chance to read this delightful arc in exchange for my honest review.