Sibling rivalry is hardly uncommon , but Lane was never been able to take that too seriously where her sister Faraday was concerned. For one thing , her sister was over a decade older than her. For another, Faraday was recently murdered - leaving Lane and her parents bereft.

Now they, along with hundreds of others, are living a very different version of Faraday's dream of a new start and the establishment of an egalitarian society off-planet.

Lane must adjust to this new existence on the moon, where in contrast to her beloved sister - a pioneering genius - she is autistic, socially awkward and definitely not the possessor of good grades.

But there is something decidedly sinister going on, so she must attempt to investigate however inadequate Lane feels with regard to doing so. In the process, she will discover both unexpected allies and enemies...

This is a clever, funny, rather original story, and Lane is an endearing protagonist. It does a good job of representation with respect to sexual identity and neuro diversity. A bit too long, this is nevertheless an intelligent interstellar adventure that most readers will enjoy, so it gets 3.5 stars.

I think, overall, I enjoyed this book. The narrator was pretty good at creating a different voice for all of the characters, both main and supporting, and I generally could tell who was talking by voice alone. The narrator was also pretty fantastic at accents, and jumping between those very different accents with an ease that was frankly impressive.

I think my favorite thing about this book, is the characters within, and that they are unapologetically autistic, or mentally ill, and it's treated, for the most part, as a normal part of life. Also the very queerness of the characters is refreshingly in it's normality.

I do think this book suffers from the author trying to make events towards the end of the plot surprising to the audience by making them surprising to the main character as well, although this sacrifices having certain characters stay true to their personalities. I think the plot would have benefitted from having the main character be forewarned about certain events even if we, the audience, couldn't know what the plans were for the sake of drama.

I like the idea of sci-fi meeting the mundane (which lunch lady in space fits to a tee), and this book provides that with gusto, but it's also about the grieving process, and learning how to deal with mental illness, and opening up to others. It's about perseverance and determination and hope in the face of adversary and against impossible odds. It's about not letting traits that society would deem as negative issues get in the way of living life to the fullest and fighting for what you know is right. Also it's about outer space, and that's pretty cool.

I was looking forward to an adventurous sci-fi story but this is more of a romance/drama that just happens to be set on the moon.
The main plot follows Lane, grieving from the death of her sister, Faraday, when she arrives on the moon with the first crew of Lunar Trust 1. Most of the story revolves around Lane struggling with her relationships with her parents, who seemingly want her to fill Faraday's shoes; Viv, one of Faraday's pompous fan-girls; her boyfriend's new boyfriend; and her difficulty communicating with everyone due to her autism.
There's a tiny bit of plot happening in the background regarding the RC coming to attack the moon trust, and the last hour or two it comes to the forefront of the plot, which feels rushed. Would have been better if there was a bit more action throughout the whole story, not just the end.
It was refreshing to hear from an autistic main character's POV, there were a few moments that I could relate to, and some good diverse representation which was cool.

I found the narrator hard to get used to, and many of the accents sounded similar, like the two british(?) boyfriends, and the women with southern accents.

I really enjoyed this. This was a really fun space opera with a ton of diversity. The action was great and I found myself laughing out loud in a ton of places. This was just a really fun rump.

Lane is a space traveller, living with her parents at the age of 20, she spends time indulging in her sexual desires, working as a lunar lunch lady, and trying to come to terms with the guilt she feels over the death of her sister, the golden child. Oh, and she's autistic as well. The title had a very David Bowie feel so I had to give this one a go. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC/audiobook.

Moon Dust in My Hairnet was a fun yet emotional read. I don't usually delve into the sci-fi genre for literature although I do love it for movies due to the graphics and how interesting it can be. I say this because although this is based on space and in the future, it was more focused on relationships and emotions in dealing with those relationships that I believe many people face.

I had grabbed this book because it was a "read now" option and I found the title, cover and brief description intriguing. I enjoyed how the characters evolved throughout the book and how their relationships shifted. I often get tired of the two girls battling for attention but this had a nice twist and didn't pull at that for long.

I felt the end of the book's pace went a little too fast. I would have liked to have things expanded on a bit more. Or maybe I just wasn't ready for the book to be over?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to review. I downloaded this novel because of the title and the description sounded promising. I stopped pretty early in because I had to check Goodreads to see if it was a YA or New Adult title. I am not the target audience on this one as YA and New Adult tend to devote a lot of space for crushes and new romantic relationships. I was more interested in almost anything else after a few chapters of that. The use of diverse characters was amazing and I hope this continues in publishing. I can see recommending this title to others but it wasn’t to my liking. I’ll give 4 stars here as I think this book and others like it are needed.

Lane's beloved sister always overshadowed her with her brilliance and charisma, but Lane was only ever jealous of the attention and love her sister received from their parents, not all the things she achieved.

And these achievements have led Lane and hundreds of others to be develop a colony on the moon meant to be just, and welcoming to all. But this step forward for the community is overcast as it comes following the death of Lane's sister at the hands of a corporate warlord.

We follow Lane and she tried to adjust to this new community, builds new relationships and tries to find her place in this new place. However all of that becomes back burner stuff when it becomes clear there's a spy in the midst of the community reporting back to the corporate warlord who was responsible for her sister's death. And there are far too many possibilities in Lane's new circle for who that spy might be.

I loved all the neurodivergent characters. They're relatable and add a layer to the storytelling. The ending felt a bit rushed for me in how it was resolved.

<i> Moon Dust in My Hairnet </i> 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 <i> could not put this down </i>. 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!

Thanks to Netgalley, JR Creaden, and Mythic Roads Press for the ALC.

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!

(5.0 Stars)

I find that most books about people living on The Moon fall into one of two categories. The first one is campy, humorous, and filled with puns and self-awareness. The second is more like an action-adventure where The Moon (and Laser-blasters) is nothing more than a backdrop to what could otherwise be written as a modern-day Western. I can honestly say that is book is neither of those.

What it is, is a beautifully written story of grief, loss, change... but also hope, love, and what it means to be family. I don't like repeating the book description in my reviews, but the description is completely accurate and honest. But also so much more. This book has excellent character growth and development, a "world" that is both familiar and dissimilar to the world we live in. The cast is diverse, and showcases strength because of, and not in spite of, that diversity.

I look forward to future works by this author.

3.5 stars 🌟

sci-fi read
queer & autistic FMC
polyamorous relationships
overall a very diverse cast of characters
topics of grief and mental health issues

Overall this was a fun and enjoyable read but nothing really stood out for me.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed the romance aspects of it - I never actually read one where the MC was in a polyamorous relationship but this was absolutely captivating and adorable.

The plot was moving in a ok pace, a few times I thought back and felt like nothing really happened but weirdly I wasn’t bothered by it because the setting and the characters were simply so entertaining!

The story itself while should’ve been high stakes due to the situation our characters were in, felt very chill and cozy. The danger hanging my on top of them didn’t feel at all that threatening and I actually kept forgetting about it. This can be both a good or a bad thing depending on the mood you are in, I personally wish it was a bit more exciting.

While I think there could’ve been more humor and action in the story, I still had a good time listening to it so I would definitely recommend it to anyone who’s even a bit interested!

Thank you NetGalley and Mythic Roads Press for this e-ARC audiobook! All opinions are my own.

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.

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. I enjoyed traveling along for the ride!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook for review purposes. This book #MoonDustInMyHairnet is now available.

Moon Dust in My Hairnet was an excellent read; the unexpected title (and premise) drew me in and then I was pleasantly surprised to find one of my favorite books of the year! It is sweet, serious, funny, sad, and a compelling page turner with excellent representation across the board. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone. This was overall a heartwarming and sweet novel with explorations of deeper topics such as grief and trauma for added emotional depth.

The setting: an apocalyptic (not too distant) future where the climate change, natural disasters, and political upheaval have turned the Earth into an unpleasant and unsafe place to be. The story begins at the establishment of the first (hopefully) permanent settlement on the moon designed to escape the problems of Earth and follows Lane, the younger sister of the genius Faraday who inspired a generation to reach for the stars while inventing the technology needed to do it. Initially, Lane struggles with the grief of Faraday's recent and tragic murder, settling into her new role and environment, navigating complicated new relationships, and her autism, all while being the least qualified individual in the colony. Before long things get worse as colony supplies start going missing, systems get sabotaged, and external forces threaten the colony and Faraday's legacy.

The Great Parts:
-This was a rich and believable world that felt real and lived-in. The author included just the right amount of detail to be immersive without going overboard and getting the flow of the story bogged down. This was especially true of the Sci-Fi elements as there was enough detail to make you believe they were on a lunar colony full of fancy technology, without devolving into Star Trek style technobabble.
---Continuing on: They successfully juggled a lot of elements throughout this novel, weaving together the story and struggles of the MC, the daily life in the colony, exploring the futuristic setting, explaining the history of earth and the characters, the politics, the side characters, etc..
-The plot was solid. There was the right amount of stressful suspense to keep me turning pages without too much to be off-putting. The mysteries and twists kept me guessing; not too obvious but with great foreshadowing. There was great balance between the main plotline and the side adventures of our characters, as they tried to simply live their lives in this world.
-Some of the best representation I have come across in a novel, particularly regarding the autism spectrum, with several autistic characters who all present differently, Add in a range of sexualities, disabilities, and mental health struggles, and this novel knocked it out of the park.

The Downsides (if there really were any):
-The resolution of the main plotline was a little fast and easy. Not a big complaint as sometimes important things do happen quickly, but this felt a little bit rushed. It still ultimately worked though, in the story.
-As it was so good, I wish I had more! Kind of a complaint, somewhat a compliment? I wish we had more of the main characters interacting throughout the book so we could see their relationships develop further. A few excellent characters were under-utilized and we hardly explored the colony. I would love to see how things continue to develop after the end of the book as well; both what happens to the colony as well as the characters who I grew attached to. I know that the main plotline of the story ended, however I don't want to be done with these characters and the world they live in. Even a short epilogue that gives us a snapshot down the line to see where the MC and the colony end up would be nice. I would personally read an entire sequel that was just daily life in the colony following this novel where the characters continue along their journeys.

Thank you to NetGallery for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.