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Moon Dust in My Hairnet
Moon Dust in My Hairnet is a fresh, hopeful, and diverse sci-fi romp following an autistic lunar lunch lady as she juggles relationships and threatening corporate overlords, all while adjusting to life on Lunar Trust One.
20-year-old Lane was perfectly happy living in her big sister's shadow. The great Faraday Tanner, who invented the gravdrive and inspired the movement to found the moon's first independent colony, was the unequaled voice of the post-melt generation. That is, until an unimaginable tragedy cut Faraday’s legacy short.
Wracked with survivor's guilt and desperate for her sister's utopian dream to succeed, Lane embraces her job on the moon: lunch lady—which is more than her parents think she can handle. Her boyfriend's supportive at least, when he's not drooling over one of the new recruits. Lane tries to put the past behind her, committed to enjoying her kitchen work and dating her boyfriend and his new crushes. She even participates in planning Faraday's memorial, forcing herself to grapple with monumental loss.
But when colony goods go missing and vital equipment gets tampered with, Lane can't accept the events as mere pranks, banding together with new and old friends to save their home.
20-year-old Lane was perfectly happy living in her big sister's shadow. The great Faraday Tanner, who invented the gravdrive and inspired the movement to found the moon's first independent colony, was the unequaled voice of the post-melt generation. That is, until an unimaginable tragedy cut Faraday’s legacy short.
Wracked with survivor's guilt and desperate for her sister's utopian dream to succeed, Lane embraces her job on the moon: lunch lady—which is more than her parents think she can handle. Her boyfriend's supportive at least, when he's not drooling over one of the new recruits. Lane tries to put the past behind her, committed to enjoying her kitchen work and dating her boyfriend and his new crushes. She even participates in planning Faraday's memorial, forcing herself to grapple with monumental loss.
But when colony goods go missing and vital equipment gets tampered with, Lane can't accept the events as mere pranks, banding together with new and old friends to save their home.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2024
11 people are currently reading
4962 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
July 5, 2025
I dragged my gloved hand over the window, wondering if I could bring myself to cover the planet just for a moment. It should be harder to erase eight billion people, a whole planet, millions of years of human history, billions of years of plates shifting, plants growing, evolution to extinction.
this book was not my cup of tea but I see how it could be someone else’s
this book was not my cup of tea but I see how it could be someone else’s
April 21, 2024
This was an entertaining post-apocalyptic, sci-fi debut set in space that features a queer autistic female lead grieving her highly esteemed sister. There was a great cast of characters, excellent neurodiversity and mental health rep and it was also very well done on audio narrated by Sarah Kisko. Recommended for fans of shows like BSG or authors like Natasha Pulley or Andy Weir. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future!!
dnf
April 22, 2024This was a DNF for me. I just couldn't seem to get into this book after 2 attempts. I can't say anything was bad other than I just couldn't connect to the mc and the internal dialogue just didn't pull me in. I may try again in the future as this seems by all accounts a good book but it may just not be for me.
January 22, 2024
A diverse cozy sci-fi novel about an autistic lunar lunch lady determined to honor her sister’s legacy.
📖 Single POV, first person, past tense
✨ Synopsis:
Lane Tanner, sister of the great scientific inventor Faraday Tanner, is the youngest member of the Lunar Trust One moon colony and the only one who’s not a genius. Grappling with survivor’s guilt, Lane is determined to do her best as a lunch lady. But when megalomaniac Brand Masters threatens Faraday’s legacy and their very existence, Lane and her new friends must work together to save their home.
✨ Review:
You may wonder how a book filled with grief and impending war is cozy, but that’s exactly the vibe JR Creaden has achieved. With themes of found family and community, it’s such a beautiful thing to witness people coming together to process grief and find their way.
I adored Lane so much—she’s a character you can’t help but cheer for. She’s portrayed with tenderness and I admire her determination. While she’s grown up satisfied with remaining in her sister’s shadow, she’s forced out into center stage and her character growth is amazing.
There’s a diverse cast including people with disabilities and several on the autism spectrum and I loved getting to know everyone. I also appreciated the exploration of polyamory. There are so many ways to be polyamorous and I love how that’s shown in this book.
The mystery element is fantastic and kept me guessing. All in all, this is a great read and not one to miss.
Overall Rating: 🥭🥭🥭🥭.5
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️
Extended review on the blog.
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✨ Special thanks to NetGalley, Mythic Roads Press, and JR Creaden for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.✨
📖 Single POV, first person, past tense
✨ Synopsis:
Lane Tanner, sister of the great scientific inventor Faraday Tanner, is the youngest member of the Lunar Trust One moon colony and the only one who’s not a genius. Grappling with survivor’s guilt, Lane is determined to do her best as a lunch lady. But when megalomaniac Brand Masters threatens Faraday’s legacy and their very existence, Lane and her new friends must work together to save their home.
✨ Review:
You may wonder how a book filled with grief and impending war is cozy, but that’s exactly the vibe JR Creaden has achieved. With themes of found family and community, it’s such a beautiful thing to witness people coming together to process grief and find their way.
I adored Lane so much—she’s a character you can’t help but cheer for. She’s portrayed with tenderness and I admire her determination. While she’s grown up satisfied with remaining in her sister’s shadow, she’s forced out into center stage and her character growth is amazing.
There’s a diverse cast including people with disabilities and several on the autism spectrum and I loved getting to know everyone. I also appreciated the exploration of polyamory. There are so many ways to be polyamorous and I love how that’s shown in this book.
The mystery element is fantastic and kept me guessing. All in all, this is a great read and not one to miss.
Overall Rating: 🥭🥭🥭🥭.5
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️
Extended review on the blog.
Follow me on Instagram
✨ Special thanks to NetGalley, Mythic Roads Press, and JR Creaden for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.✨
January 8, 2024
A refreshing, delightful sci-fi full of diversity, queer characters, and the difficult yet healing journey through grief.
Moon Dust in my Hairnet follows Lane, an autistic 20-year-old lunch lady who recently lost her sister who is the reason Lane is living in the first independent colony on the moon. Lane is the opposite of her sister and in the aftermath of her death has to navigate living up to her parents and colony members expectations of her. The new colony is her sister’s dream but things start going awry. Supplies are missing and equipment is tampered with. Lane must work together with her boyfriend and new friends to help save the colony.
The cast of characters in this book were so fun to read about. It’s incredibly diverse and full of sweet and important messages and topics. It’s definitely a perfect read for anyone struggling with feeling different as this society the author created boasts inclusivity of everyone. I felt so much for Lane and the struggles she has to go through and the grief that plagues her. But her character arc was so well done and I loved reading about her new and old friendships and relationships. And I loved reading about Lane n the kitchen! The food descriptions were mouth-watering!
The political plot was really interesting and added a layer of tense intrigue and drama to the cozy, diverse sci-fi vibe Creaden created with an action-packed, heart-warming ending. Overall, it’s a great installment to the sci-fi genre and anyone who loves sci-fi will devour this book!
Moon Dust in my Hairnet follows Lane, an autistic 20-year-old lunch lady who recently lost her sister who is the reason Lane is living in the first independent colony on the moon. Lane is the opposite of her sister and in the aftermath of her death has to navigate living up to her parents and colony members expectations of her. The new colony is her sister’s dream but things start going awry. Supplies are missing and equipment is tampered with. Lane must work together with her boyfriend and new friends to help save the colony.
The cast of characters in this book were so fun to read about. It’s incredibly diverse and full of sweet and important messages and topics. It’s definitely a perfect read for anyone struggling with feeling different as this society the author created boasts inclusivity of everyone. I felt so much for Lane and the struggles she has to go through and the grief that plagues her. But her character arc was so well done and I loved reading about her new and old friendships and relationships. And I loved reading about Lane n the kitchen! The food descriptions were mouth-watering!
The political plot was really interesting and added a layer of tense intrigue and drama to the cozy, diverse sci-fi vibe Creaden created with an action-packed, heart-warming ending. Overall, it’s a great installment to the sci-fi genre and anyone who loves sci-fi will devour this book!
February 14, 2024
This is a review of the NetGalley eARC. Thank you to the publisher for providing it to me.
This was an amazing book from both an autistic and polyamorous representation perspective. Lane grapples with disability, her parents’ need to coddle her, and feeling like she’s not worth it while those around her are viewed as smarter, more talented, and/or better able to mask. There is a host of other disability representation as well, both for physical and mental diagnoses. Characters handle therapy and choosing medication as well.
I loved reading about the mistakes the characters made on their way to forging strong and lasting relationships, and the way they jumped off the page and made you care about them even when they frustrated you. The author did a great job of showing everyone’s perspective.
Hopeful sci-fi is just the genre I needed right now. Though everyone is dealing with grief, loss, and seemingly insurmountable odds, they still do the work to try and change the world, and they do succeed in the ways they can and that I hope we can too.
This was an amazing book from both an autistic and polyamorous representation perspective. Lane grapples with disability, her parents’ need to coddle her, and feeling like she’s not worth it while those around her are viewed as smarter, more talented, and/or better able to mask. There is a host of other disability representation as well, both for physical and mental diagnoses. Characters handle therapy and choosing medication as well.
I loved reading about the mistakes the characters made on their way to forging strong and lasting relationships, and the way they jumped off the page and made you care about them even when they frustrated you. The author did a great job of showing everyone’s perspective.
Hopeful sci-fi is just the genre I needed right now. Though everyone is dealing with grief, loss, and seemingly insurmountable odds, they still do the work to try and change the world, and they do succeed in the ways they can and that I hope we can too.
July 13, 2024
A fun and fresh sci-fi adventure that takes place after “the melt” (ie irreversible damage from climate change).
Brilliant teen Faraday conceives of a lunar settlement where people of all abilities contribute to the collective good and are supported. It captures the imagination of her generation who rally behind her to make it a reality. She later invents a gravitational drive train (or something) that helps fund their lunar settlement. But just before they are set to leave there is a skirmish and Faraday is killed. Her grieving parents and younger sister, now 20, who is self-described as autistic, are part of the first lunar settlement. At this early point the story and conflicts begin in earnest.
The futuristic novel imagines the facilities of the moon are designed to accommodate all people - the physically and mentally divergent, including those with greater sensitivity to lights and noise. These ideas are woven naturally into the story, as several of the characters we encounter are autistic or have physical disabilities (although no main characters have physical issues and are all beautiful and fit….). It’s science-fiction world-building and it would make more sense if there weren’t references to people who are white-skinned as being in a more enviable position - in other words, go all-in on the utopian ideal. Include more multiracial and gender-fluid people as well as the cis-gendered bisexual polyamorous 20-somethings featured in this book.
Those nits aside, the story is interesting and the stakes are high for the settlement. To break the tension there were interstitial updates from the Sanitation department and upcoming menus. These reinforced the truths that humans can be slobs (theory of entropy, perhaps) and that vegan food can be delicious and varied. I enjoyed traveling along with the Lunars for this ride!
My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook for review purposes. This book #MoonDustinmyHairnet is now available.
Brilliant teen Faraday conceives of a lunar settlement where people of all abilities contribute to the collective good and are supported. It captures the imagination of her generation who rally behind her to make it a reality. She later invents a gravitational drive train (or something) that helps fund their lunar settlement. But just before they are set to leave there is a skirmish and Faraday is killed. Her grieving parents and younger sister, now 20, who is self-described as autistic, are part of the first lunar settlement. At this early point the story and conflicts begin in earnest.
The futuristic novel imagines the facilities of the moon are designed to accommodate all people - the physically and mentally divergent, including those with greater sensitivity to lights and noise. These ideas are woven naturally into the story, as several of the characters we encounter are autistic or have physical disabilities (although no main characters have physical issues and are all beautiful and fit….). It’s science-fiction world-building and it would make more sense if there weren’t references to people who are white-skinned as being in a more enviable position - in other words, go all-in on the utopian ideal. Include more multiracial and gender-fluid people as well as the cis-gendered bisexual polyamorous 20-somethings featured in this book.
Those nits aside, the story is interesting and the stakes are high for the settlement. To break the tension there were interstitial updates from the Sanitation department and upcoming menus. These reinforced the truths that humans can be slobs (theory of entropy, perhaps) and that vegan food can be delicious and varied. I enjoyed traveling along with the Lunars for this ride!
My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook for review purposes. This book #MoonDustinmyHairnet is now available.
February 18, 2024
"Moon Dust in My Hairnet" offers a refreshing and diverse take on the sci-fi genre, following Lane, an autistic lunar lunch lady, as she navigates relationships and confronts corporate threats on Lunar Trust One. Lane's journey is both relatable and compelling, as she grapples with survivor's guilt and embraces her role in her sister's legacy. The novel expertly balances moments of humor and heartache, capturing the complexities of Lane's experiences. With its engaging plot and well-rounded characters, "Moon Dust in My Hairnet" is a captivating read that promises both entertainment and insight into the human condition.
February 11, 2025
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via netGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lane Tanner is the youngest person currently living on the moon - recently arrived, and grieving the loss of her big sister - whose invention and leadership led to Lunar Trust One even existing - Lane throws herself into her work as a lunch lady and ignoring her crush on mean girl V. But the threat of enemy forces makes Lane look up from her work to face her sister’s legacy and save it from being destroyed, along with the help of her friends.
This is a sci-fi book for those that might find others in the genre a little bit too action packed - it’s a nice blend between The Expanse series and Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series if you ask me. I’m all here for a cosy sci-fi genre if you ask me. The range of diversity and representation in this book was wonderful, particularly for autistic/neurodivergent rep - we see numerous different representation of autism as well as characters triggers, relaxation methods, communication skills, stimming and masking/unmasking. There’s also characters with prothesis’s , disabilities and color. I also loved the poly rep as we see Lane and her boyfriend Andrea be open to dating different people, and look at becoming a ‘hand’ when they find their perfect matches in three other people already in relationships with one another, and more or less becoming a lovely family.
The book is also big on therapy and mental health - even when there is an end of the world crisis going on, therapy appointments are upheld! I loved the inclusion of a sensory bath for those who needed it as well in the doctor’s office.
The only thing I felt was a bit lacking was the military side of things. I think because the book erred on the cosier side of things, the information about who the RC was and why everyone needed to be so scared of them when they seemed to be some kind of militia led by a narcissistic man (what’s new) kind of passed me by. I would have liked more information on the technical sides of Lunar Trust One and how exactly Faraday went to inventing a gravdrive to helping build a base on the moon for hundreds of people but I guess that is her story and this one is Lane’s.
Overall, this was enjoyable and cosy and I loved all the representation. I’m not 100% sure how much it will all stick with me in terms of being super memorable but I’m glad I read it!
Lane Tanner is the youngest person currently living on the moon - recently arrived, and grieving the loss of her big sister - whose invention and leadership led to Lunar Trust One even existing - Lane throws herself into her work as a lunch lady and ignoring her crush on mean girl V. But the threat of enemy forces makes Lane look up from her work to face her sister’s legacy and save it from being destroyed, along with the help of her friends.
This is a sci-fi book for those that might find others in the genre a little bit too action packed - it’s a nice blend between The Expanse series and Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series if you ask me. I’m all here for a cosy sci-fi genre if you ask me. The range of diversity and representation in this book was wonderful, particularly for autistic/neurodivergent rep - we see numerous different representation of autism as well as characters triggers, relaxation methods, communication skills, stimming and masking/unmasking. There’s also characters with prothesis’s , disabilities and color. I also loved the poly rep as we see Lane and her boyfriend Andrea be open to dating different people, and look at becoming a ‘hand’ when they find their perfect matches in three other people already in relationships with one another, and more or less becoming a lovely family.
The book is also big on therapy and mental health - even when there is an end of the world crisis going on, therapy appointments are upheld! I loved the inclusion of a sensory bath for those who needed it as well in the doctor’s office.
The only thing I felt was a bit lacking was the military side of things. I think because the book erred on the cosier side of things, the information about who the RC was and why everyone needed to be so scared of them when they seemed to be some kind of militia led by a narcissistic man (what’s new) kind of passed me by. I would have liked more information on the technical sides of Lunar Trust One and how exactly Faraday went to inventing a gravdrive to helping build a base on the moon for hundreds of people but I guess that is her story and this one is Lane’s.
Overall, this was enjoyable and cosy and I loved all the representation. I’m not 100% sure how much it will all stick with me in terms of being super memorable but I’m glad I read it!
March 26, 2024
J.R. Creaden's Moon Dust in My Hairnet is the kind of book that challenges you to put it down—a challenge I kept losing from the first page all the way to the last, except for the brief moment when I finally managed to get some sleep. A small victory that passed quickly when my Kindle fell on my face and woke me up. Oh, I wasn’t joking about this story being gripping!
In all seriousness, I’ve never encountered a story that deals with survivor’s guilt and grief through such a unique, autistic lens that I could also call cozy. This could probably be traced back to the incredible voice Creaden gave their main character.
Speaking of which, Lane, the protagonist, was a very strong lead. She felt less like a fictional character in a story one might read and move on from, and more like a real person one might know in real life. Which is great since the entire story, from the tone to the plot, hinges on her. Fortunately, she was very much more than perfect for the task. A sentiment that is quite wholesome on a meta level now that I think about it. I very much fell in love with Lane and couldn’t help but root for her. So much so, in fact, that I found myself screaming at her a couple of times that she shouldn’t compare herself to her sister because she is great. I really can’t stress enough how much I adored Lane.
One incredibly fun thing Creaden added to their story was the epitaphs. Granted, I am a sucker for those, but I’m always annoyed by them when they don’t add much to the narrative. Here, they helped make the world feel alive. I especially loved reading the ones about the menu of the day.
All in all, Moon Dust in My Hairnet is a story that matches its protagonist; at first glance, it starts out simple, yet with each page turned, a new level of complexity is revealed that encourages the reader to think and reflect. It’s an incredible debut by J.R. Creaden, and I can’t wait to read their next work.
In all seriousness, I’ve never encountered a story that deals with survivor’s guilt and grief through such a unique, autistic lens that I could also call cozy. This could probably be traced back to the incredible voice Creaden gave their main character.
Speaking of which, Lane, the protagonist, was a very strong lead. She felt less like a fictional character in a story one might read and move on from, and more like a real person one might know in real life. Which is great since the entire story, from the tone to the plot, hinges on her. Fortunately, she was very much more than perfect for the task. A sentiment that is quite wholesome on a meta level now that I think about it. I very much fell in love with Lane and couldn’t help but root for her. So much so, in fact, that I found myself screaming at her a couple of times that she shouldn’t compare herself to her sister because she is great. I really can’t stress enough how much I adored Lane.
One incredibly fun thing Creaden added to their story was the epitaphs. Granted, I am a sucker for those, but I’m always annoyed by them when they don’t add much to the narrative. Here, they helped make the world feel alive. I especially loved reading the ones about the menu of the day.
All in all, Moon Dust in My Hairnet is a story that matches its protagonist; at first glance, it starts out simple, yet with each page turned, a new level of complexity is revealed that encourages the reader to think and reflect. It’s an incredible debut by J.R. Creaden, and I can’t wait to read their next work.
January 22, 2024
I went into this book not entirely knowing what to expect. I knew the premise, but I couldn't get a feel for what type of book it was, and while that slightly sticks with the book throughout, it doesn't stop the read being an enjoyable experience.
There's fantastic representation for the world as it might be, both good and bad, warnings and a promise. Disabilities are accommodated without a thought. Global warming has kinda mucked up the world a lot.
There was the adventure at the core, that pulled you through the book, and a cast of characters that I would have loved to learn more about. There were slight pacing issues, and a few clunky plot pieces. If anything, it tried to do too much, and perhaps needed to focus its energy in one direction.
It's a good debut, and I've rated at 3.75* rounded up, as I rarely get to see people like me in books, and it was really affirming to see them.
There's fantastic representation for the world as it might be, both good and bad, warnings and a promise. Disabilities are accommodated without a thought. Global warming has kinda mucked up the world a lot.
There was the adventure at the core, that pulled you through the book, and a cast of characters that I would have loved to learn more about. There were slight pacing issues, and a few clunky plot pieces. If anything, it tried to do too much, and perhaps needed to focus its energy in one direction.
It's a good debut, and I've rated at 3.75* rounded up, as I rarely get to see people like me in books, and it was really affirming to see them.
January 16, 2024
Lane is the younger sister of the world-famous Faraday Tanner, who was supposed to lead humanity to a whole new golden age. Except Faraday died. And no one thinks Lane is capable of very much at all. With the rest of her family, she moves to Faraday's moon settlement to begin anew. Only the problems of Earth aren't far behind.
I absolutely loved the world building in this book. And the characters were utterly engrossing. The plot felt a bit convoluted and unrealistic in places, but the characters and the world held my interest.
Hopeful, inclusive, and character-driven! Anyone who enjoyed Livid Skies by me, will love this one.
One final note… Based on the title, I expected this book to be funny. It's not. I do think that's a bit of a mismatch.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I absolutely loved the world building in this book. And the characters were utterly engrossing. The plot felt a bit convoluted and unrealistic in places, but the characters and the world held my interest.
Hopeful, inclusive, and character-driven! Anyone who enjoyed Livid Skies by me, will love this one.
One final note… Based on the title, I expected this book to be funny. It's not. I do think that's a bit of a mismatch.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 9, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I ADORED this book. It was a lovely cozy sci-fi adventure, with fantastic autistic and poly representation to boot!
While the world was wonderful and so believable, the characters were what really shone through. Even the background characters clearly had their own lives and didn't seem to exist as just a backdrop for the story to take place.
I also REALLY appreciated the truthful representation of autism, particularly with Lane's character. Her autism was not represented by the extremes of infantilization or Savantism, but as a condition that makes some things about life difficult. I particularly loved the way her sensory issues and problems with social cues were highlighted without everyone around her only feeling pity. I also thought it was excellent that she responded to people in her life that infantilized her and treated her as less-than.
I also really enjoyed the representation of poly relationships. Not being poly myself, I certainly don't know all the intricacies of poly relationships, but I enjoyed that this book didn't only focus on the positives or the negatives, but rather a more realistic portrayal of both the highs and the lows in a poly relationship (also I absolutely adore the polycule in this book because they're all so good for each other ahhhh).
Truly a joy to read, and one I will happily reread and recommend to others!
Publication date: April 19, 2024
I ADORED this book. It was a lovely cozy sci-fi adventure, with fantastic autistic and poly representation to boot!
While the world was wonderful and so believable, the characters were what really shone through. Even the background characters clearly had their own lives and didn't seem to exist as just a backdrop for the story to take place.
I also REALLY appreciated the truthful representation of autism, particularly with Lane's character. Her autism was not represented by the extremes of infantilization or Savantism, but as a condition that makes some things about life difficult. I particularly loved the way her sensory issues and problems with social cues were highlighted without everyone around her only feeling pity. I also thought it was excellent that she responded to people in her life that infantilized her and treated her as less-than.
I also really enjoyed the representation of poly relationships. Not being poly myself, I certainly don't know all the intricacies of poly relationships, but I enjoyed that this book didn't only focus on the positives or the negatives, but rather a more realistic portrayal of both the highs and the lows in a poly relationship (also I absolutely adore the polycule in this book because they're all so good for each other ahhhh).
Truly a joy to read, and one I will happily reread and recommend to others!
Publication date: April 19, 2024
July 18, 2024
Moon Dust in My Hairnet was a freaking delight. I saw the words "autistic lunch lady" and I was like "I don't know what's happening here, but I want to read it".
I do feel like reducing Lane to just 'autistic lunch lady' isn't quite accurate, though it starts off that way. Lane is dealing with grief, dating, family drama, and a new job on the freaking moon. While this book is evenly paced and mostly...cozy? for lack of a better word?, the stakes are extremely high. But the way it's written is like the author understands that their readers may be anxious squirrels (like me) and kept the book from being anxiety-inducing. And I think its because of that that I could not put this down . Seriously, I enjoyed this book more than any other books/audiobooks in the past few months, and I simply devoured it (in less than 24 hours!).
With a diverse cast and excellent neurodivergent, queer, and abilities rep, this book is absolutely a must read!
The audiobook narrator was excellent as well!
Thanks to Netgalley, JR Creaden, and Mythic Roads Press for the ALC.
I do feel like reducing Lane to just 'autistic lunch lady' isn't quite accurate, though it starts off that way. Lane is dealing with grief, dating, family drama, and a new job on the freaking moon. While this book is evenly paced and mostly...cozy? for lack of a better word?, the stakes are extremely high. But the way it's written is like the author understands that their readers may be anxious squirrels (like me) and kept the book from being anxiety-inducing. And I think its because of that that I could not put this down . Seriously, I enjoyed this book more than any other books/audiobooks in the past few months, and I simply devoured it (in less than 24 hours!).
With a diverse cast and excellent neurodivergent, queer, and abilities rep, this book is absolutely a must read!
The audiobook narrator was excellent as well!
Thanks to Netgalley, JR Creaden, and Mythic Roads Press for the ALC.
May 9, 2024
3,5+ ✨
The acknowledgments thanked someone with my last name and it really threw me off, so now I’m not sure what I was going to say about this book… anyway.
I enjoyed this a lot, but the first half definitely had the stronger writing. Towards the end, lots of story lines kind of jumbled together and the minimal world-building lead to several Dues Ex Machina moments, which was a shame. All in all, this was maybe a little too YA-leaning (although the MC is 20) for my liking. Everything resolved itself a bit too neatly, too sugary.
Still, this was a really fun read. The characters are super diverse and I loved the autism rep. The story itself is both cozy and gritty (for lack of a better word), in a mix that makes for pretty easy reading, though themes like grief, guilt, and mental health are very central to the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mythic Roads Press for the ARC.
The acknowledgments thanked someone with my last name and it really threw me off, so now I’m not sure what I was going to say about this book… anyway.
I enjoyed this a lot, but the first half definitely had the stronger writing. Towards the end, lots of story lines kind of jumbled together and the minimal world-building lead to several Dues Ex Machina moments, which was a shame. All in all, this was maybe a little too YA-leaning (although the MC is 20) for my liking. Everything resolved itself a bit too neatly, too sugary.
Still, this was a really fun read. The characters are super diverse and I loved the autism rep. The story itself is both cozy and gritty (for lack of a better word), in a mix that makes for pretty easy reading, though themes like grief, guilt, and mental health are very central to the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mythic Roads Press for the ARC.
July 30, 2024
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 audiobook 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.
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 audiobook 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.
did-not-finish
December 4, 2025DNF @ 26%
This is a really well written book about relationships on the moon. There's other stuff going on it seems, with some sort of military threat and such, but so far the emphasis has been squarely on Lane trying to work through the grief of her sister dying, navigating a relationship with her boyfriend and another guy, while also having feelings for the girl leading her sister's fanclub. I was hoping for a bit more story, and their relationship is cute, but it just wasn't my thing currently.
Lots of inclusion in here though, which is great to see. Recommend it for people looking for some cozy relationship-centric life on the moon stuff.
This is a really well written book about relationships on the moon. There's other stuff going on it seems, with some sort of military threat and such, but so far the emphasis has been squarely on Lane trying to work through the grief of her sister dying, navigating a relationship with her boyfriend and another guy, while also having feelings for the girl leading her sister's fanclub. I was hoping for a bit more story, and their relationship is cute, but it just wasn't my thing currently.
Lots of inclusion in here though, which is great to see. Recommend it for people looking for some cozy relationship-centric life on the moon stuff.
April 28, 2024
A sweet, fun cozy lunar sci-fi romp! This tells the story of 20-year old Lane, whose big sister established the first colony on the moon.
I related to Lane a lot, in being the overlooked sibling and never feeling like I could measure up. I loved the little tidbits that were at the start of each chapter, whether it was a menu (Lane is a lunch lady) or email messages and it made me feel more immersed in the world. Lane’s friendships and relationships were fun to watch unfold, as well.
There’s ND, LGBTQ+ and polyam rep here. The ending was sweet and definitely made me smile.
I related to Lane a lot, in being the overlooked sibling and never feeling like I could measure up. I loved the little tidbits that were at the start of each chapter, whether it was a menu (Lane is a lunch lady) or email messages and it made me feel more immersed in the world. Lane’s friendships and relationships were fun to watch unfold, as well.
There’s ND, LGBTQ+ and polyam rep here. The ending was sweet and definitely made me smile.
March 21, 2024
I read "Moon Dust in my Hairnet" by J.R. Creaden, her debut novel set in a dystopian version of our world.
It was so easy for me to dive into this story. The author's skill in crafting a compelling and immersive read was one of the highlights of my reading experience. I was also touched by the diverse representation in the novel, which added depth and authenticity to the narrative.
The quality of the content, the author's narrative prowess, and the emotional resonance the story managed to create were all reasons I couldn’t give this book anything but a 5-star rating. I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience of this book. I’m looking forward to adding a physical copy of this book to my collection!
It was so easy for me to dive into this story. The author's skill in crafting a compelling and immersive read was one of the highlights of my reading experience. I was also touched by the diverse representation in the novel, which added depth and authenticity to the narrative.
The quality of the content, the author's narrative prowess, and the emotional resonance the story managed to create were all reasons I couldn’t give this book anything but a 5-star rating. I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience of this book. I’m looking forward to adding a physical copy of this book to my collection!
August 26, 2024
This tale was intriguing. I'm not really sure how to put my feelings into just a few words right now though, so you're just going to have to wait for my full review after it goes live on my blog.
December 22, 2023
Moon Dust in My Hairnet is full of heart, humour, and hope. It's a feel good romp on the moon wrapped up in some social commentary and the pain of losing a loved one.
Lane is the only person in the new lunar colony who isn't a genius. Her sister Faraday was the genius, the one who came up with the technology the entire colonization program is based on, and the leader of the settlers who dream of peace and freedom. However, Faraday was murdered by the corporate interests that control Earth before her dream could be realized, and now Lane and all Faraday's genius followers must follow through on her dreams without her. However, getting the new colony up and running is proving to be a monumental task. Far from the trust filled utopia of Faraday's dreams, they are immediately targeted by sabotage from the same group that killed her, and it is up to Lane and her newly formed and still uncertain polycule to stop them. But everybody has their own secrets, trauma, and suspicions to contend with, and stopping the biggest evil in the solar system is a big ask for a 20 year old autistic lunch lady.
This book is sweet, there's no other word for it. The characters are lovable, the storyline is feel good and a bit silly, and the messages feel like a hug.
My favourite part of this book was the way it handled Lane's grief over the loss of her sister. It delves into a lot of issues, including how personal grief for a public figure can feel commodified, survivor's guilt, and how different grieving processes can come between people who have the best of intensions. Additionally, it touched on how grief can look different for autistic people, and how that can impact their healing journey.
I also generally liked the autistic representation in this book. With almost all the main characters being on the spectrum, it was interesting to see how the author represented different facets of autism coming out in different ways. I recognized pieces of myself in all the characters, in their stimms and their masks.
On the more critical end, I found that this book was a bit disjointed in some of it's arcs, especially a few of the romantic relationships. The characters would change how they felt about one another quite quickly, or changes to dynamics would come in to play without much build up. This may have been a facet of a relatively short novel trying to develop many different relationships at the same time, but it made it more difficult to be fully invested in the romances when they seemed to arbitrarily change.
Additionally, this book was trying to tackle some very heavy topics for a feel good novel. It's central conflict centres around corporate takeovers of the government and hostile invasion of an independent colony. To avoid spoilers I won't go into too much detail, but suffice to say this whole plot is wrapped up rather easily with a bow, which fits the vibe of the book, but feel a bit strange.
eARC provided by NetGalley and Mythic Roads Press in exchange for my honest review.
Lane is the only person in the new lunar colony who isn't a genius. Her sister Faraday was the genius, the one who came up with the technology the entire colonization program is based on, and the leader of the settlers who dream of peace and freedom. However, Faraday was murdered by the corporate interests that control Earth before her dream could be realized, and now Lane and all Faraday's genius followers must follow through on her dreams without her. However, getting the new colony up and running is proving to be a monumental task. Far from the trust filled utopia of Faraday's dreams, they are immediately targeted by sabotage from the same group that killed her, and it is up to Lane and her newly formed and still uncertain polycule to stop them. But everybody has their own secrets, trauma, and suspicions to contend with, and stopping the biggest evil in the solar system is a big ask for a 20 year old autistic lunch lady.
This book is sweet, there's no other word for it. The characters are lovable, the storyline is feel good and a bit silly, and the messages feel like a hug.
My favourite part of this book was the way it handled Lane's grief over the loss of her sister. It delves into a lot of issues, including how personal grief for a public figure can feel commodified, survivor's guilt, and how different grieving processes can come between people who have the best of intensions. Additionally, it touched on how grief can look different for autistic people, and how that can impact their healing journey.
I also generally liked the autistic representation in this book. With almost all the main characters being on the spectrum, it was interesting to see how the author represented different facets of autism coming out in different ways. I recognized pieces of myself in all the characters, in their stimms and their masks.
On the more critical end, I found that this book was a bit disjointed in some of it's arcs, especially a few of the romantic relationships. The characters would change how they felt about one another quite quickly, or changes to dynamics would come in to play without much build up. This may have been a facet of a relatively short novel trying to develop many different relationships at the same time, but it made it more difficult to be fully invested in the romances when they seemed to arbitrarily change.
Additionally, this book was trying to tackle some very heavy topics for a feel good novel. It's central conflict centres around corporate takeovers of the government and hostile invasion of an independent colony. To avoid spoilers I won't go into too much detail, but suffice to say this whole plot is wrapped up rather easily with a bow, which fits the vibe of the book, but feel a bit strange.
eARC provided by NetGalley and Mythic Roads Press in exchange for my honest review.
July 29, 2024
Listening to JR Creaden’s Moon Dust in My Hairnet, narrated by Sarah Kisko, was an entertaining romp through a sci-fi coming of age story. Would I have enjoyed it much more back in my early twenties? Yes, I would have been absolutely in love with it and petitioning streaming services to make an 8 episode series! Am I head over heels for it now that I’m in my late thirties? Not exactly.
But it is still an incredibly fun, very unique story that I think many young listeners and readers will devour happily! And I think we definitely need more queer, sci-fi stories!
The elements of healing from trauma, living in the shadow of a sibling, juggling the dynamics of family and new relationships, and coming into one’s own sense of self were all well written and maintained throughout the story. I found myself relating to the main character, 20-year-old Lane, even as a 38-year-old. She isn’t perfect, she has a lot on her plate, and she’s figuring it out to the best of her ability. So likable, right?
My only true frustration with this book is that I felt strangely mislead by the story’s description of Lane being an “autistic lunar lunch lady”. I got the “autistic” and “lunar” part from the story, and I understand why it technically makes sense to call her a “lunch lady”, but with the responsibility she is tasked with eventually in the story, her role transformed more into a expert fine dining caterer. Reading the “autistic lunar lunch lady” really hooked me and my desire for this vibe was the reason I requested the ARC of this audiobook. So, while I appreciated the direction the author went with the main character’s role as “lunch lady” on the moon, I am somewhat sad that I didn’t get my expected characterization of a girl dishing out ladles of a mystery vegetable and slices of subpar pizza to a chaotic cafeteria. My poor assumption got my hopes ups.
The narration by Sarah Kisko, also contributed to my enjoyment of this story. Her voices were incredibly good. I could really distinguish who was talking by each character’s unique voice and none felt over or under done. Every voice was spot on and memorable.
Overall, this was an entertaining and interesting story to listen to each evening before I went to bed. I’m just a bit sorry that I didn’t exist when I was younger so I could have experienced it through a different lens. I’ll still be recommending it to all the younger folks in my life!
A big thank you to NetGalley and Mythic Roads Press for generously allowing me the opportunity to listen this story.
Moon Dust in My Hairnet was published April 19, 2024 and is available for your reading or listening pleasure!
But it is still an incredibly fun, very unique story that I think many young listeners and readers will devour happily! And I think we definitely need more queer, sci-fi stories!
The elements of healing from trauma, living in the shadow of a sibling, juggling the dynamics of family and new relationships, and coming into one’s own sense of self were all well written and maintained throughout the story. I found myself relating to the main character, 20-year-old Lane, even as a 38-year-old. She isn’t perfect, she has a lot on her plate, and she’s figuring it out to the best of her ability. So likable, right?
My only true frustration with this book is that I felt strangely mislead by the story’s description of Lane being an “autistic lunar lunch lady”. I got the “autistic” and “lunar” part from the story, and I understand why it technically makes sense to call her a “lunch lady”, but with the responsibility she is tasked with eventually in the story, her role transformed more into a expert fine dining caterer. Reading the “autistic lunar lunch lady” really hooked me and my desire for this vibe was the reason I requested the ARC of this audiobook. So, while I appreciated the direction the author went with the main character’s role as “lunch lady” on the moon, I am somewhat sad that I didn’t get my expected characterization of a girl dishing out ladles of a mystery vegetable and slices of subpar pizza to a chaotic cafeteria. My poor assumption got my hopes ups.
The narration by Sarah Kisko, also contributed to my enjoyment of this story. Her voices were incredibly good. I could really distinguish who was talking by each character’s unique voice and none felt over or under done. Every voice was spot on and memorable.
Overall, this was an entertaining and interesting story to listen to each evening before I went to bed. I’m just a bit sorry that I didn’t exist when I was younger so I could have experienced it through a different lens. I’ll still be recommending it to all the younger folks in my life!
A big thank you to NetGalley and Mythic Roads Press for generously allowing me the opportunity to listen this story.
Moon Dust in My Hairnet was published April 19, 2024 and is available for your reading or listening pleasure!
January 20, 2024
book is a rare treasure.
It's dystopian scifi without being dreary. Is cozy scifi a thing? If so, this book should at the top of the genre list.
And Lane should be at the top of the favorite characters list in the cozy scifi genre.
She is the unassuming, spotlight shunning, and strongest main character we didn't know we needed.
"I'd been on the outside of big decisions and happenings ever since I could remember. ... As the listener, and interpreter, of those conversations, I knew my place."
But Lane, the pan autistic lunch lady with a big heart, is the hero the Lunar Trust colony gets.
(There are some heavy content warnings; please note.)
It's dystopian scifi without being dreary. Is cozy scifi a thing? If so, this book should at the top of the genre list.
And Lane should be at the top of the favorite characters list in the cozy scifi genre.
She is the unassuming, spotlight shunning, and strongest main character we didn't know we needed.
"I'd been on the outside of big decisions and happenings ever since I could remember. ... As the listener, and interpreter, of those conversations, I knew my place."
But Lane, the pan autistic lunch lady with a big heart, is the hero the Lunar Trust colony gets.
(There are some heavy content warnings; please note.)
January 10, 2024
I received an ARC for this book from BookSirens for free.
This sounded like something I would really enjoy but this never quite hit the mark for me. I really enjoyed the autistic polyamorous bi rep and how sex positive and queer the world was in this book. I found the flow of the plot little messy for my taste, and felt like it didn't quite balance itself well with it's coziness and more drama filled parts.
I also found myself loosing interest more I kept reading, but I did end up enjoying the last 40 pages so I'm glad I finished the book.
This sounded like something I would really enjoy but this never quite hit the mark for me. I really enjoyed the autistic polyamorous bi rep and how sex positive and queer the world was in this book. I found the flow of the plot little messy for my taste, and felt like it didn't quite balance itself well with it's coziness and more drama filled parts.
I also found myself loosing interest more I kept reading, but I did end up enjoying the last 40 pages so I'm glad I finished the book.
March 22, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, J.R Creaden and publisher for sending me a free ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.
4.25/5*
I loved this book. From the beginning it had me hooked, and I didnt loose interest throughout it. The plot, while being fairly predictable, was entertaining and I didn't want to stop reading.
By far my favourite part is the relationships between the different characters. I love how there's so many different types of loving relationships shown, but all being viewed as equal and worthy. The main characters are polyamarous and for me (monogamous but very pro poly) I loved how this was done. It showed how this could be done lovingly between many people, but also showed the work that's needed for it to be healthy. My only issue here is that at some points it did seem a little unicorn hunting, but this disspeared later on. I also thought the conversations that were had between them helped a lot to negate this. All the main characters are very understanding with each other, and through therapy learn how to support each other the best they can.
I also loved how it turned initial first impressions on their head, along with reasons as to why people show their selves different ways that I really connected too. An example of this is V, who is immediately seen as a stuck up bitch who turns out to be such a caring soul who uses masks to protect herself.
There is a wide range of neurodivergence shown, and I feel like a lot of people will be able to identify with at least one person in the book if not more.I really related to Lane's issues with communicating properly, knowing what you mean in your head but being unable to express it properly and how that goes onto to effect the relationships with the people around you. I also related to her initially being against therapy due to feeling like you didn't deserve it, which I feel a lot of others will too.
As a massive astrophysics/space nerd who is terrified of destruction done to our planet, I loved the Luna setting. I loved seeing scientific advances been used for genuine good, with so much hope added. It's so easy for people to use science for profit no matter what (looking at you oil company's). But the genuine love and hope given to the world by a young genius is so inspiring for me, and something I feel like we need more of. This is such a hopeful book, and I love it.
My only real negatives for this book is that the bad guys weren't properly fleshed out for me. They seemed very generic, with the only major thing being touched on is Faraday's murder. I didn't connect with the character's fear for them and felt like in the end they went down very easily. I also noticed that black was the only ethnicity that was capitalised through, eg a white person vs a Black person, which came across very weird for me in a book all about inclusion and acceptance.
Overall, I love this book. I will definitely be recommending it to anyone who loves queer, spacey, hopeful books in anyway, and shall be shouting from the rooftops about it.
Goodreads categories:
Mood of the Book:
Adventurous
Inspiring
Emotional
Hopeful
Funny
Pacing:
Medium
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Is there strong character development?:
Yes
Do you find the characters loveable?
Yes
Is there a diverse cast of characters?
Yes
Are the flaws of the main characters a part of the book?
Yes
4.25/5*
I loved this book. From the beginning it had me hooked, and I didnt loose interest throughout it. The plot, while being fairly predictable, was entertaining and I didn't want to stop reading.
By far my favourite part is the relationships between the different characters. I love how there's so many different types of loving relationships shown, but all being viewed as equal and worthy. The main characters are polyamarous and for me (monogamous but very pro poly) I loved how this was done. It showed how this could be done lovingly between many people, but also showed the work that's needed for it to be healthy. My only issue here is that at some points it did seem a little unicorn hunting, but this disspeared later on. I also thought the conversations that were had between them helped a lot to negate this. All the main characters are very understanding with each other, and through therapy learn how to support each other the best they can.
I also loved how it turned initial first impressions on their head, along with reasons as to why people show their selves different ways that I really connected too. An example of this is V, who is immediately seen as a stuck up bitch who turns out to be such a caring soul who uses masks to protect herself.
There is a wide range of neurodivergence shown, and I feel like a lot of people will be able to identify with at least one person in the book if not more.I really related to Lane's issues with communicating properly, knowing what you mean in your head but being unable to express it properly and how that goes onto to effect the relationships with the people around you. I also related to her initially being against therapy due to feeling like you didn't deserve it, which I feel a lot of others will too.
As a massive astrophysics/space nerd who is terrified of destruction done to our planet, I loved the Luna setting. I loved seeing scientific advances been used for genuine good, with so much hope added. It's so easy for people to use science for profit no matter what (looking at you oil company's). But the genuine love and hope given to the world by a young genius is so inspiring for me, and something I feel like we need more of. This is such a hopeful book, and I love it.
My only real negatives for this book is that the bad guys weren't properly fleshed out for me. They seemed very generic, with the only major thing being touched on is Faraday's murder. I didn't connect with the character's fear for them and felt like in the end they went down very easily. I also noticed that black was the only ethnicity that was capitalised through, eg a white person vs a Black person, which came across very weird for me in a book all about inclusion and acceptance.
Overall, I love this book. I will definitely be recommending it to anyone who loves queer, spacey, hopeful books in anyway, and shall be shouting from the rooftops about it.
Goodreads categories:
Mood of the Book:
Adventurous
Inspiring
Emotional
Hopeful
Funny
Pacing:
Medium
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Is there strong character development?:
Yes
Do you find the characters loveable?
Yes
Is there a diverse cast of characters?
Yes
Are the flaws of the main characters a part of the book?
Yes
August 14, 2024
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this on audiobook to review through NetGalley.
Thoughts: For the most part, I enjoyed this. I did start to find Lane's survivor guilt a bit overwhelming to the story and struggled with the immature way her parents were dealing with this. The story is slow in the beginning and then incredibly fast (almost overwhelmingly so) in the ending.
Lane is the younger sister of the great Faraday Tanner, who invented the gravdrive in her teen years and went on to become not only the founder of the moon's first independent colony but the voice of peace and innovation for a whole generation. When Faraday is killed in an attack that Lane survives, Lane is left to deal with the guilt of her survival and the world's disappointment that the "other" sister survived. Lane is autistic and her parents had to force a spot on the colony for her where she works as a lunch lady. Lane desperately wants to be involved with the Memorial for her sister but when strange "pranks" start happening in the colony her and some of her friends decide they need to do some investigating to help.
There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book. I loved the idea of the open relationships these young adults are forming and how supportive they are of each other. I loved the idea of a moon colony where people go to escape corporate overlords and start a new collective way of life. I also really enjoyed a lot of the characters and the descriptions of life on the moon. I like how open everyone is about mental health and how they accommodate each other in suppotive ways.
There were a lot of things I didn't like about this as well. There is a theme of the younger generation just assuming the older generation is stupid and not worth dealing with. Lane's parents are portrayed as always attacking Lane and she attacks back just as aggressively; this was in contrast to what this community was meant to be. Same with how far under her sister's shadow Lane continues to be. Also, the fact that Lane hasn't under gone any counseling in the time since her sister's death when the community is so open about mental health issues is weird. Then there were all the deep secrets everyone had from each other which again seemed opposite of what this community stands for. There were a lot of contradictions.
I also felt like we spend a bit too much time in Lane's head with her angsting over one thing or another; it starts to feel repetitive and gets in the way of the overall story. I did enjoy how everything wrapped up but thought in some ways it didn't feel very realistic. The "evil" guy in this book is supposed to be super smart and manipulative and to have him suddenly trust someone he's been estranged from for years felt odd and unbelievable and just way too convenient.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was very well done; I have no complaints. I would definitely recommend listening to this if you enjoy audiobooks.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I liked this but didn't love it. Some of the things in here are very cool; I loved the community formed on the moon and the openness around relationships and mental health. Other things were inconsistent. I also think we spent way too much time rehashing the main character's internal thoughts and that the ending was unbelievable. I am on the fence about whether or not I will read more books by Creaden.
Thoughts: For the most part, I enjoyed this. I did start to find Lane's survivor guilt a bit overwhelming to the story and struggled with the immature way her parents were dealing with this. The story is slow in the beginning and then incredibly fast (almost overwhelmingly so) in the ending.
Lane is the younger sister of the great Faraday Tanner, who invented the gravdrive in her teen years and went on to become not only the founder of the moon's first independent colony but the voice of peace and innovation for a whole generation. When Faraday is killed in an attack that Lane survives, Lane is left to deal with the guilt of her survival and the world's disappointment that the "other" sister survived. Lane is autistic and her parents had to force a spot on the colony for her where she works as a lunch lady. Lane desperately wants to be involved with the Memorial for her sister but when strange "pranks" start happening in the colony her and some of her friends decide they need to do some investigating to help.
There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book. I loved the idea of the open relationships these young adults are forming and how supportive they are of each other. I loved the idea of a moon colony where people go to escape corporate overlords and start a new collective way of life. I also really enjoyed a lot of the characters and the descriptions of life on the moon. I like how open everyone is about mental health and how they accommodate each other in suppotive ways.
There were a lot of things I didn't like about this as well. There is a theme of the younger generation just assuming the older generation is stupid and not worth dealing with. Lane's parents are portrayed as always attacking Lane and she attacks back just as aggressively; this was in contrast to what this community was meant to be. Same with how far under her sister's shadow Lane continues to be. Also, the fact that Lane hasn't under gone any counseling in the time since her sister's death when the community is so open about mental health issues is weird. Then there were all the deep secrets everyone had from each other which again seemed opposite of what this community stands for. There were a lot of contradictions.
I also felt like we spend a bit too much time in Lane's head with her angsting over one thing or another; it starts to feel repetitive and gets in the way of the overall story. I did enjoy how everything wrapped up but thought in some ways it didn't feel very realistic. The "evil" guy in this book is supposed to be super smart and manipulative and to have him suddenly trust someone he's been estranged from for years felt odd and unbelievable and just way too convenient.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was very well done; I have no complaints. I would definitely recommend listening to this if you enjoy audiobooks.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I liked this but didn't love it. Some of the things in here are very cool; I loved the community formed on the moon and the openness around relationships and mental health. Other things were inconsistent. I also think we spent way too much time rehashing the main character's internal thoughts and that the ending was unbelievable. I am on the fence about whether or not I will read more books by Creaden.
May 29, 2024
First of all, thank you so much to Netgalley and Mythic Roads Press for having this available in the "read now" section!
I am actually not a huge sci-fi reader, so normally I wouldn't have picked this book up. But I am trying to build a feedback ratio on netgalley and the description of the book said that the main character was autistic", so I decided to read it. And it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I should clear up that this is not the typical hard sci-fi story. It's kind of a mix between a dystopian climate fiction and a sweet YA contemporary. We follow our main character Lane, the little sister of the most famous woman on earth, who invented the gravdrive, a device that made it possible for humanity to inhabit the moon and save themselves from the climate crisis that has devastated our planet. The problem is that that woman was killed by an enourmous dictatorial empire named the melt.
The book starts when Lane arrives to the first moon colony, without the sister that started it all and the melt trying to shut them down.
The book has an overall slow pace, we know there are dangerous things happening and that the stakes have never been higher for our main characters, but we are inmersed on Lane's head, which is mainly worried about getting through her every day life. The book, at least to me, felt very warm and cozy, we followed all the mundane things that happened in the day to day of the moon colony, and watching the protagonist coming of age through her own grief and fears. It's exactly the type of story that I adore reading, and this one felt more specific to me and my taste because it existed in a world where queerness, disability and racial diversity are the norm.
Probably, my favourite thing about the whole book were the characters. Every single one of them was incredibly well though out and developped troughout the novel, and the author was careful weaving their storylines through the plot, which I also really enjoyed.
Because, don't take me wrong, the sci-fi aspect was definitely there in the form of a mystery. It was complex, but very easy to comprehend at the same time. It was completely believable in what comes to our own near future, regarding our concerns with climate change and the treath of totalitarian rule over our modern democracy systems.
I would say that Moon Dust in My Hairnet's ultimate message is of hope, hope that everything will be okay, wether with our personal struggles or the ones that concern us all, and the trust we have to have in each other to make things happen. And those are some of my favorite things, so YES, give it a try, even if you are not a sci-fi reader.
I am actually not a huge sci-fi reader, so normally I wouldn't have picked this book up. But I am trying to build a feedback ratio on netgalley and the description of the book said that the main character was autistic", so I decided to read it. And it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I should clear up that this is not the typical hard sci-fi story. It's kind of a mix between a dystopian climate fiction and a sweet YA contemporary. We follow our main character Lane, the little sister of the most famous woman on earth, who invented the gravdrive, a device that made it possible for humanity to inhabit the moon and save themselves from the climate crisis that has devastated our planet. The problem is that that woman was killed by an enourmous dictatorial empire named the melt.
The book starts when Lane arrives to the first moon colony, without the sister that started it all and the melt trying to shut them down.
The book has an overall slow pace, we know there are dangerous things happening and that the stakes have never been higher for our main characters, but we are inmersed on Lane's head, which is mainly worried about getting through her every day life. The book, at least to me, felt very warm and cozy, we followed all the mundane things that happened in the day to day of the moon colony, and watching the protagonist coming of age through her own grief and fears. It's exactly the type of story that I adore reading, and this one felt more specific to me and my taste because it existed in a world where queerness, disability and racial diversity are the norm.
Probably, my favourite thing about the whole book were the characters. Every single one of them was incredibly well though out and developped troughout the novel, and the author was careful weaving their storylines through the plot, which I also really enjoyed.
Because, don't take me wrong, the sci-fi aspect was definitely there in the form of a mystery. It was complex, but very easy to comprehend at the same time. It was completely believable in what comes to our own near future, regarding our concerns with climate change and the treath of totalitarian rule over our modern democracy systems.
I would say that Moon Dust in My Hairnet's ultimate message is of hope, hope that everything will be okay, wether with our personal struggles or the ones that concern us all, and the trust we have to have in each other to make things happen. And those are some of my favorite things, so YES, give it a try, even if you are not a sci-fi reader.
January 15, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free review copy of this book. This book being provided for free did not influence my opinion on it.
That out if the way, I'm glad this was a Netgalley book and nothing I wasted money on, only my time. If I could I would give it zero stars, or even negative stars. I cannot put in words how disappointed I was throughout the nivel and I lost count of how often I cringed.
First the good, as there was quite little of it:
The themes of grief, loss, and mental health were approached in an insightful, validating manner which is something I definitely appreciate about the book.
While I did find the representation for multiple disabilities, most prominently autism, various racial identities, and different queer identities interessting and important, there isn't really anything good to say about the book beyond that.
A lot of the dialogue felt either forced or so out there that it tossed me out of the narration a lot - while I understand that the book I read is subject to change and that an ARC is not always exactly what gets published, I can't imagine that all of the weird sentences and word choices would get removed in further editing.
The plot was incredibly predictable and the only point where I was surprised was at the 80% mark - up until then and afterwards, there was nothing that wasn't easy to guess - and that's coming from someone not too familiar with the SciFi/Space Opera genre in which this book probably fits.
The characters felt rather flat to me - more like archetypes or whatnot than wellrounded characters. While we get a bit more for some characters, it was not enough to make me root for an of them. At the best, its run-of-the-mill. The same is the bug bad guy™ didn't feel like much of a threat - we were only told about him but nothing was shown.
So, in short, I can't recommend this book, at all. Its capital B Bad.
That out if the way, I'm glad this was a Netgalley book and nothing I wasted money on, only my time. If I could I would give it zero stars, or even negative stars. I cannot put in words how disappointed I was throughout the nivel and I lost count of how often I cringed.
First the good, as there was quite little of it:
The themes of grief, loss, and mental health were approached in an insightful, validating manner which is something I definitely appreciate about the book.
While I did find the representation for multiple disabilities, most prominently autism, various racial identities, and different queer identities interessting and important, there isn't really anything good to say about the book beyond that.
A lot of the dialogue felt either forced or so out there that it tossed me out of the narration a lot - while I understand that the book I read is subject to change and that an ARC is not always exactly what gets published, I can't imagine that all of the weird sentences and word choices would get removed in further editing.
The plot was incredibly predictable and the only point where I was surprised was at the 80% mark - up until then and afterwards, there was nothing that wasn't easy to guess - and that's coming from someone not too familiar with the SciFi/Space Opera genre in which this book probably fits.
The characters felt rather flat to me - more like archetypes or whatnot than wellrounded characters. While we get a bit more for some characters, it was not enough to make me root for an of them. At the best, its run-of-the-mill. The same is the bug bad guy™ didn't feel like much of a threat - we were only told about him but nothing was shown.
So, in short, I can't recommend this book, at all. Its capital B Bad.
May 30, 2024
Moon Dust in My Hairnet ended up being a lot more than I expected. As someone who is very close to her own sister, the emotions of Lane’s grief hit me harder than expected. But not only her grief, I identified strongly with the way Lane thought of and remembered her sister. It was a beautiful and unexpected portrayal of the bond between sisters, even after death.
Being autistic myself, I felt a connection to Lane on that level, and I appreciated the author’s ability to not fall into stereotypes with Lane’s character. I’m not sure if the author is autistic or neurodivergent, but it wouldn’t surprise me with how the (several) autistic characters were approached within the novel. This kind of representation matters a lot to me, and I identified strongly with aspects of both Lane and V. Possibly V even more so.
I was looking forward to reading this book, and I’m glad I was given the opportunity to receive a free advanced review copy. This review is voluntary and consists only of my honest opinion and thoughts.
Being autistic myself, I felt a connection to Lane on that level, and I appreciated the author’s ability to not fall into stereotypes with Lane’s character. I’m not sure if the author is autistic or neurodivergent, but it wouldn’t surprise me with how the (several) autistic characters were approached within the novel. This kind of representation matters a lot to me, and I identified strongly with aspects of both Lane and V. Possibly V even more so.
I was looking forward to reading this book, and I’m glad I was given the opportunity to receive a free advanced review copy. This review is voluntary and consists only of my honest opinion and thoughts.
July 24, 2024
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.
I also got this as an arc copy with NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this, it was great.
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.
I also got this as an arc copy with NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this, it was great.
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