How I Hacked The Moon

by R.A. Dines

At the first coding academy on the moon, constant surveillance doesn’t stop the smartest misfits from plotting their escape—even if it costs them their freedom.

Life at the Lunar Coding Complex is boring, not that thirteen-year-old Moon Girl cares. She finds comfort in its predictability—her first real friend and her love of AI coding keep her anxiety in check. When a harmless prank with her charismatic bestie attracts the attention of rebel hackers led by Moon Girl’s crush Dovrin, she’s thrilled to join their crew. But as they uncover Big Smile Corp’s dangerous secrets, Moon Girl faces impossible choices: her friendship, her crush, or everyone’s safety. Even if they crack the system, do they want to escape back to Earth? And if they fail, what will the sinister corporation do to silence them?

Fans of The Last Cuentista and His Dark Materials will enjoy How I Hacked the Moon, a thrilling adventure for ages ten to adult.

190 pages, ebook

Published September 5, 2025

About the author

Ever since she first laid her hands on a keyboard, R.A. Dines has been fascinated with the intersection of art and technology.

After spending two decades in big tech and startup, she is now in the second chapter of her career as a full-time author and creative.

These days, you can find her reading, writing, coding, and 3D printing with her family just outside Boston.

How I Hacked the Moon, an instant Amazon bestseller, is her debut middle-grade novel.

Keep up with the latest at www.racheldines.com

Reviews

[Mila_13 (11:11) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A big thanks to the author for this ARC.
It’s a great sci fi middle grade book honestly but it’s not really my style so that’s why I gave it 3 stars. But if think that for young readers who like this genre more than me it can be a great fast paced read.
Congrats to the author for her first book and I hope not her last one

[Keri Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dusted off this old Goodreads account just to post this review. This book is THAT good.

Even though it’s middle grade, How I Hacked the Moon holds up beautifully for adult readers. The isolated setting is immersive and grounded in real science, which gives the story a sharp edge.

Dines writes kids who actually sound like kids. They’re funny, flawed, and use language that feels natural. They’re not overly mature, but they’re not dumbed down either.

What really impressed me, though, was the emotional core. The story is honest about how complicated friendships can be at that age. It’s smart, heartfelt, and never talks down to its audience.

If you like intelligent, fast-paced, and surprisingly layered sci-fi with emotional depth, this book belongs on your shelf.

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“How I Hacked the Moon,” by R.A. Dines, is simply a delight. I am a fan of the Middle Grade to Adult SciFi genre primarily because it is innocent, honest, and unencumbered by adult baggage. Conflicts, romance, subterfuge, and complications are present but at a raw, palpable level. So is true with “How I Hacked the Moon.” Elements of this book are reminiscent of The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and the old Tom Swift franchise. Yet there is a warmth here that transcends even these classics. Moon Girl (finally called by her real name toward the very end of the novel) was instantly likable. From the start I was invested in her success. (No spoilers revealed in this review). The romance was so cute. The loyalty was heartwarming. The stakes were high and the Lunies impressive. There was a satisfying amount of intrigue and suspense to make the book very exciting without getting bogged down in detail.

This is a wonderful first novel by an author destined for many future successes. The character development was spot on, each main character was consistent and well developed. I cared about the characters…from the protagonist to the incidental student. The story followed a logical and satisfying path, but not without a few unexpected twists and turns along the way. I hope there will be a sequel because I really want to see what happens to these characters.

Finally, I was gratified to find an understated, non-controversial, acceptance as “normal” of alternative pronouns, and non-binary and same-sex relationships. So often in literature these social structures are hidden, whispered about, vilified, or simply don’t exist. Ignoring social change, does not make it go away. Without hesitation, I rate this book five stars.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review: An 8 year contract at STEM boarding school on the moon goes wrong when the main character accidentally uncovers corruption while trying to play a prank.

The character development is good, the plot twist actually twisted, and there is solid diversity.

The only reasons this isn’t a five star in my books is that there were a few grammar issues and the formatting wasn’t screen reader friendly. Other than that, 5 stars on the actual story.

[Saoirse · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing story of friendship, first romance, and doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Definitely having my 10yo read this one soon.

[Jamie Maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to sci-fi for the tween who’s yet not ready for Robert Heinlein, but looking for a more complex read with a lot of twists and turns.

[Eric D. Schabell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first sci-fi book by Dines is engaging and thrilling, sucking you in from the first chapter. It takes you on the rollercoaster ride that is the intrigue and adventure of the lead character.

It’s rare to find a story that grips and accelerates as it brings you along for the ride. The best of that is in this Lunies storyline, and often you’ll find yourself unable to put it down.

Suspense, adventure, drama, and tons of parallel references to youth slang that bring a healthy dose of realism to the characters. This ensures believability and connection to the characters for readers of all ages.

Love how the author has intertwined elements of the real world into the baseline narrative. Long live the Lunies (series maybe?)!!!

[Patrick D. Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored the premise of this book. The moon is full of kids! They’ve been shipped off by their families to learn coding at a massive data center that’s been banned on Earth but thrives on the lunar surface. It’s a brilliant set up, for a wonderful story, populated by young people who feel not only real but vulnerable in familiar ways. The author writes with sly humor and pithy prose, and she occasionally includes text message conversations to delightful effect, in which the characters employ their emojis like secret code. The book takes its time building up its protagonist’s inner emotional landscape, for good reason — stick with it for tons of heart and pulse-racing thrills. It’s smart sci-fi for middle school readers (and older). I’m so happy I received an advance copy so I could share my opinion early!

[Adam Lipscomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in 5th Grade at Morningside Elementary School, Wednesday was Library Day - we got to go down to the school library and check out books to read and return the next week. The librarian asked me one day, “Adam, you always check out nonfiction. Have you tried any fiction? I know you’re very interested in science, let me recommend some books.” She handed me copies of Heinlein’s _Starship Troopers_ and _Have Space Suit - Will Travel_ and I never looked back.

Why am I starting the review of a new book with a story from over 45 years ago? Because a 10-year-old me would have loved to have been handed R. A. Dines’ _How I Hacked the Moon_ by a caring librarian. It’s a mystery and an adventure, set on a server farm and code academy (the Lunar Coding Complex) - promising students are offered the opportunity to learn advanced coding while working on-site at the AI servers set on the moon by a mega-corporation that is, perhaps, rather familiar to anyone that has ever done any online shopping. The main character, Moon Girl, attempts a prank that goes awry, connecting her with other students working on an escape plan and also a teacher with unknown goals and motivations. In this mix, Moon Girl has to also navigate her friendships and come to some realizations about her family and the future she wants.

It’s a quick read, but one I enjoyed - the world-building is just detailed enough to allow the reader’s mind to extrapolate the state of the world as a whole, characters are developed but not over-detailed and their motivations are layered and clear to the reader. All in all, if you’re a fan of YA or middle-grade books - or if you know a kid that needs a relatable and thrilling read - I recommend _How I Hacked the Moon_.

[MrXDG · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free eARC of How I Hacked the Moon by R. A. Dines in exchange for an honest review.

4/5

How I Hacked the Moon was a fun little read that, while outside my usual genres, kept me entertained from start to finish. It is written for a middle grade audience, and even though that is not typically what I reach for, I found it to be a solid and well-paced story with a good mix of sci-fi, mystery, and light humor.

The story follows a teenage girl who is referred to by several different names throughout the book: “Sun” to her best friend Jo, “Moon Girl” to the new friends she makes (Dovrin, Qat, and Xan) thanks to her call sign emojis, and later “Jenny” by Dovrin. Set in a dystopian futuristic world, children are sent to the moon for eight years to learn how to code AI in exchange for a stipend that will set them up financially when they return to Earth.

It all kicks off when Moon Girl and Jo decide to prank a classmate named Ellsbeth by setting up code that will send a fake message to another student, Jonas. The prank does not go as planned and sends Moon Girl on an adventure that unravels a deeper mystery involving uncovering secrets and overthrowing the shady corporation running the moon base.

The technological and scientific elements are accessible for the intended audience and never feel bogged down in jargon. The pacing flows nicely, balancing action, explanation, and character moments. While there were not any standout quotes for me personally, the overall flow and structure worked well, and the humor felt age-appropriate without being condescending.

The ending wraps up most of the storyline in a satisfying way, with a downloadable bonus epilogue available to answer the last lingering questions. The book works perfectly as a stand-alone but could easily be expanded into a series, especially with the potential for life and adventure on the moon.

I probably would not reread it myself, but I would definitely recommend it to middle school students who enjoy light sci-fi adventures with mystery elements and an underdog hero.

[middle_schoolers_read Lindsay P · Rating 4 out of 5]

For 8 years children are sent to the moon to study and learn how to survive there. Moon Girl is one of those children sent to live on the moon and it’s there that she bonds with her best friend, Jo, and learns how to hack the systems they have in place in order to bypass some of the rules. She actually is so good at hacking the system in school that she is recruited by others who want to hack the system for their own personal reasons. Will Moon Girl help them or turn them in?

I definitely kept turning the page to see what was going to happen and I enjoyed that I wasn’t able to easily guess everything. The concept of attending school on the moon kind of gave me Ender’s Game vibes, which I was okay with because I liked that novel too. Moon Girl’s evolution from a girl with only one friend (her words) to the one she becomes in the end is so much fun to watch. I think this will be a fun read for my students when it comes out September 5th, just in time for the first week of school!

Thank you @radines_author for sharing a copy of this with me.

Who will like it?

✅ Fans of science fiction novels
✅ Fans of strong female protagonists
✅ Fans of coming-of-age stories

[Toober · Rating 4 out of 5]

How I Hacked the Moon is a dystopian sci-fi adventure for middle grade readers. A coding academy, run by Big Smile Corp, has been operating on the moon for eight years. The Lunar Coding Complex is very much like schools on earth, but they focus on computer coding and surviving on the moon. Our main character, Moon Girl, writes some code as a prank and ends up joining a group of rebels that try to take down Big Smile Corp.

As a middle school teacher, the characters are very well written and fit the attitude and actions of children their age. So often, when I read a book, kids are basically written as mini-adults and that is not the case in this book. The stakes of the book are higher than normal teen problems, but make sense due to the situation that they live in. The characters are quirky and fun to read and it was easy to root for them on their adventures.

I enjoyed the book very much and would say that it is best suited for students in 5th and 6th grade. Thank you to the author, R. A. Dines, for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in two days because it was hard to put down. A great YA story with suspense, solid characters and just the right balance of dystopian and heart warming.

[Armando Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I Hacked The Moon by R.A. Dines may be written for a younger audience, but I had such a great time reading it myself. The story is fresh, clever, and filled with imagination. It has that perfect mix of humor, adventure, and just the right amount of heart that makes it easy to get lost in.

I think middle school readers will absolutely eat this book up. It has the kind of energy and creativity that pulls you in from the very beginning and keeps you turning the pages. For a debut, Dines really nailed it. Her writing feels confident and fun, and the plot has a unique spark that sets it apart from other middle grade reads.

Even though it’s targeted for younger readers, there’s plenty here for adults to enjoy as well. I can already see this becoming a favorite for classrooms, book clubs, or even family read-alouds. All in all, a fantastic debut that deserves attention, I can’t wait to see what she does next!

[Dianna Davids · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found I could not put this book down: I was hooked very early on, and wanted to know what was going to happen next. The author artfully captures the emotional inner life of teens and while has a fair amount of tech description, keeps it at a level all will understand.
While this is aimed at YA, the plot, pace and character development will appeal to adults of all ages. I can’t wait for the next novel from RA Dines.

[Jennifer MD Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was honored to be an ARC reader for this novel.

This middle grade sci-fi novel would be a fantastic addition to the library of any youth who loves the genre. It's fast-paced enough that I read it in one sitting; the science is grounded and feels achievable; the characters are fleshed out and relatable for young readers. Overall it feels very "real." I especially admire the author's ability to write young minds in dire circumstances. Even when the stakes are life-or-death, the author never forces an "adult maturity" onto the characters, especially the POV protagonist. It always feels that we are reading from the perspective of preteens figuring themselves out in chaotic, dangerous situations.

People with more experience in the sci-fi genre might not find new or groundbreaking challenges to read here. But if you're building a collection for a middle-schooler, this is a fantastic place for them to start.

[Shana Dines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first middle grade novel I've read since I was in middle school, but even as an adult I loved it, and I think middle grade readers will, too. Dines created an immersive sci-fi world that feels exciting and plausible, I felt like I was walking the halls of the Lunar Coding Complex and gazing out the garden dome. The characters are authentic and relatable, Dines really captured those honest and complicated feelings of young friendships and first crushes. The plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, and by the ending, I couldn't wait for the sequel! I want to spend more time at the LCC and with these characters and find out what else they can accomplish.

[Ashley Mindykowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book I was not sure I was going to like it but me and my son read it together and we stuck to it. I'm glad we did because the last two-thirds of the book made it well worth it. The beginning was a little bit slow for me and my son. and then things picked up pretty quickly and there were tons of twists and turns. The ending was so surprising. We are looking forward to book two if there is going to be one and based on the ending I'm going to guess there will be.

[Shana Dines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first middle grade novel I've read since I was in middle school, but even as an adult I loved it, and I think middle grade readers will, too. Dines created an immersive sci-fi world that feels exciting and plausible, I felt like I was walking the halls of the Lunar Coding Complex and gazing out the garden dome. The characters are authentic and relatable, Dines really captured those honest and complicated feelings of young friendships and first crushes. The plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, and by the ending, I couldn't wait for the sequel! I want to spend more time at the LCC and with these characters and find out what else they can accomplish.

[Havelah McLat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review is coming soon.

[Laura Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel will take you to the moon and make you not want to leave. It’s a sci-fi tale set at a school in space with diverse characters and a plot that will keep you guessing.

What’s school like on the moon?

Why are they there?

Do they eat astronaut food?

Read How I Hacked the moon and find out.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Digital eBook

Moondance, thirteen years old and living in the first coding academy on the moon, pulls a harmless prank with her friend, Jo, and gets noticed by rebel hackers. Dovrin, the hackers’ leader, misreads her name icons and calls her Moon Girl.

When Moon Girl joins the hackers, she discovers that their claim of not being sent back to Earth at the end of their schooling is true. But there are other secrets held by the corporation running the academy.

How much danger are Moon Girl and her friends facing if they are discovered? Can they save the academy and its students?

=========

This clever middle grade science fiction thriller offers readers a strong sense of place and an intriguing premise. Well-drawn characters, who act just as middle school students are expected to act, populate the lunar academy creating an immersive tale that keeps readers involved.

With its fast pace, the unfolding story keeps the pages turning as this tale of friendship, budding romance, and drama plays out. There’s humor along with the adventure, emotions and vulnerabilities that perfectly fit the characters.

Readers who enjoy science fiction will find much to appreciate here, even if they are not middle school readers.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Readers program and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Seth Madaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful and perfect sci-fi/tech adventure for middle grade readers and those that want to enjoy a fun, fast-paced and super fun story. The FMC is relatable, vulnerable and incredibly real and you couldn't help but just place yourself right in her shoes! The techno-focused talk is enough to keep you incredibly engaged and for you to really see the world being built in the story, but it was not overbearing at all. In fact, it felt so real, it makes one wonder if we could indeed inhabit the moon like this! The side characters all are strong, especially the BFF Jo, who's spunk and "go-get 'em" attitude was super fun! I particularly liked the use of "chat" emoji's for certain convo's, as well as the very unique lingo that felt original but also perfect for the teens talking in the book. The conflict wasn't abundantly apparent at the beginning, and it unveiled itself slowly, which suited the story well, keeping the pacing fast and the writing sharp. When it does reveal itself, you quickly realize this is a much larger story than you may have thought at the beginning, and that is incredibly exciting for the series. It has a distinct ending, but with enough open doors for tons of intrigue going forward and I cannot wait for the next entry. This is a great addition to the sci-fi world of books and I highly recommend everyone (especially younger readers) give it a go!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this futuristic story, 13-year-old Moon Girl is an exceptional coder at a school run by a large corporation (BSC). What makes the plot unusual is that the school is located on the moon. There are just enough elements of today’s tech tools (AI, Pings, VR games) to make the reader eager to understand all of the less obvious acronyms (BB’s, VONN, Sol). The authors brings a richness and color to all aspects of life in the LCC: the food (grubs, eel), exercise routine (moving floors), and the kitchen (robots), while beautifully capturing the characters and essence of the relationships between the young adults. The reader is immediately hooked when a harmless prank reveals the true nature of BSC, and all the students’ lives are in danger. This first novel by R.A. Dines ends with wanting to know more about what happens to these young adults in the next segment of their lives at the Lunar Coding Complex.

[Steve Sarner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully captivating and fun, How I Hacked The Moon pulled me in from the very first page and I honestly found it hard to put down. R.A. Dines is a gifted writer who’s done a marvelous job crafting a story that's fresh, imaginative, and really enjoyable.

Admittedly, I don’t normally read too much YA or even sci-fi for that matter. However, upon a recommendation that piqued my curiosity, I gave the book a try and ended up getting totally immersed in this lunar world and creative storyline.

If you are a YA or sci-fi fan, this book is a great pick and I highly recommend. But even if it’s not your usual genre, give it a shot as like me, you might be surprised by how much you enjoy the ride.

[James McGettigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a solid read, definitely intended for a younger audience, probably around middle school. I found the content complemented the author's apt knowledge on coding, at least to the extent in how she applies some of the verbiage from that profession, and not in an overwhelming way, but it does add something to the story that I appreciated. I did find the story compelling in a way that highlights incredibly intelligent youths who are being extorted by a corporation trying to cover up their tracks in a messy program.

My only critique is that there's an exchange between the MC and Xan on page... 53 I think it is where the MC has a bit of an outburst with Xan that felt uncalled for and slightly out of character. But it doesn't affect the overall plot of the story or even the relationship between the two characters in a monumentally detrimental way.

[Janna Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

How I Hacked the Moon is a smart, heartfelt sci-fi adventure that balances high-stakes hacking with a deeply relatable emotional core. I loved how Moon Girl’s anxiety and love of routine are treated with care, making her growth feel earned as she’s pulled into rebellion, friendship, and first crushes under the constant eye of surveillance. The lunar setting and coding elements are fun and accessible, while the story quietly asks big questions about control, choice, and what freedom actually means. Some moments felt a little rushed, but the characters, tension, and moral dilemmas kept me invested from start to finish. This is a thoughtful, fast-moving story about courage, trust, and deciding who you want to be when the system is watching.

[Cate · Rating 5 out of 5]

At 8 years old “moon girl” is shipped to boarding school on the moon to learn coding. Now 13, she finds herself central in a serious hacking plot after a prank goes awry. This immersive story sensitively explores friendship, crushes, and bullying against a backdrop of corporate greed and a race for AI dominance. Younger readers will enjoy a fast-paced adventure with a strong hero who isn’t sure who she can trust. Older readers will also appreciate a critique of a world ruled by big tech firms that ignore the human costs of innovation.

It’s going to be hard to wait for the next book in this series! I am dying to know what happens next.

[A Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read for middle-grade readers and above! Blends tech into a storyline that navigates friendships and has main characters ferreting out sinister activity while at a coding academy on the moon. Moongirl's story keeps you interested in what will happen next!

[Diane Alpern · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was such a fun read! It really captures the angst and psych of adolescents, with entertaining dialogues and a clever plot, in an imaginative sci fi setting on the moon. I was turning pages unable to put it down, rooting for the heroine to save the day. It did not disappoint!