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The Top Ten Books with Amazing Settings

I did my own take on this prompt this week. Rather than settle for just one type of setting, I'm going with allllll of the amazing settings we're offered in the genres we read...and there are a lot. So, without further ado. Here are my favourite books with absolutely epic settings.

1. The Harry Potter Series - Let's be really, really honest here, guys. Does it get better than Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, The Burrow, the Ministry of Magic, The Forbidden Forest...yeah, the list goes on. Let me answer you. No, it doesn't get better.

2. The Raft - It takes a really, really strong novel to have a book with one main setting and one sole character on said setting to make it work so well. The raft and the island were terrifyingly realistic - and awesome - places to be.

3. The Lightning Thief - Despite my initial hesitance to become invested in this series, I couldn't help but fall in love with it. I really would give my right leg to go to Camp Half-Blood.

4. Across the Universe - There's something about a novel set in space that makes it a zillion times more awesome. That's not even an approximate. That's just a real number, my friends. Plus, the good ship Godspeed is both awesome and scary. Love.

5. The Diviners - New York City? Check. The roaring 20's? Check. Really wish I had a time machine? Yeah, check, check, check. Seriously, how awesome would it be to experience the amazing backdrop of this book in person?

6. Graceling - Well, technically, there are seven different kingdoms in this novel, which gives us a whole lot to choose from in terms of settings. I loved the Middluns though. It was very medieval, and it was totally alive.

7. Raw Blue - Who doesn't want to read about life on a beach in Australia? Carly's world is one of breaking waves, sunshine and sand, and it's our immersion in her world that brings light into her very dark and painful past.

8. 172 Hours on the Moon - But really, like I said before, guys. Space. It's vast, it's empty, and it's a whole lot of nothingness filled with incredible mystery and terror. Give me that any day, and I'm sold.

9. The Forest of Hands and Teeth - In a very character-driven novel, the Forest of Hands and Teeth actually feels like a character in its own right in this novel. It's a terrifying possibility, and the probability is even that much better.

10. Carnival of Souls - Though I wasn't the biggest fan of this book, I have to say that Melissa Marr succeeded in bringing the City of Daimons alive. Dang, that place is brutal. I don't know that I'd want to go, but it's sure awesome to explore through the pages.

Title: 172 Hours on the Moon
Author: Johan Harstand
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Publish Date: April 17, 2012
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi
Page: 355
Source: Publisher

It's been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA's unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space--and change their lives forever.

Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band's ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it's her way out of her restrained life in Japan. Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.

It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space... no one is coming to save them.

NASA has decided to re-open its space exploration program. This time, it's different though. It's been a long time since anyone has visited the moon, and NASA has opened a worldwide lottery for teens and children to experience space firsthand. Mia is certain that her place is in punk rock, but her parents have other ideas. Midori wants freedom and believes a taste of fame will get her to America. Antoine wants nothing more to disappear and get away from his ex. It's the perfect chance to reinvent themselves and have a one in a million experience. The opportunity is so amazing, it might just be to die for.

I'm a sucker for horror, but allow me to delve a little deeper into that statement, please. I'm the girl that sat through Paranormal Activity after pushing to have it released in Utah, only to watch the entire movie through my fingers with my ears plugged THEN "sleep" with the light on for three days straight. Yes, I'm a hero. Well, needless to say, when I saw the reviews for 172 Hours on the Moon were mentioning an eerie, creepy and altogether horrific vibe, I obviously had to read it. Johan Harstad has crafted an ingenious blend of action, suspense, mystery, sci-fi and a touch of horror - just frightening enough to keep you awake at night wondering...what if? With a rich, vivid cast of characters and an explosive plot, it's sure to meet readers of a host of different genres.

172 Hours on the Moon is a bit of a different novel for me in that it was first published in the author's native Norway. Now, this can often lead to plot complications, mild language/content relationship and meaning mishaps, or in severe cases, an actual failure in story execution. This novel, however, didn't fall prey to these common ailments. There was something so eerily fantastic about the plot of the book that kept me riveted. While, at times, there was a touch of predictability in what was to come, the foreboding and foreshadowing was just strong enough to keep me tangled in the web of the story. Mia, Midori and Antoine were all fantastic characters. The fact that they were so vastly different from one another really enhanced the plot because we get to see the actions from three distinct viewpoints, which is a true asset. I loved that the three teenagers added just enough naivety to offset the distinct and tangible tension surrounding the veteran astronauts and the mission, furthering that horror-like feel for when the action really took off. While yes, parts were a bit too convenient or predictable, I'll bet that 172 Hours on the Moon will have you in its vice-like grip, too.

Overall, despite its flaws, 172 Hours on the Moon was a solid, engaging read. I think it's one that I'll let stew for awhile then read again, and I hope that readers will give it a chance. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy sci-fi and horror.

I received this book free of charge from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for...

Title: 172 Hours on the Moon
Author: Johan Harstad, Tara Chace
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Publish Date: April 12, 2012
Genre: YA, Thriller, Sci-Fi
Pages: 355

Three teenagers are going on the trip of a lifetime. Only one is coming back. It's been more than forty years since NASA sent the first men to the moon, and to grab some much-needed funding and attention, they decide to launch an historic international lottery in which three lucky teenagers can win a week-long trip to moon base DARLAH 2 - a place that no one but top government officials even knew existed until now.

The three winners, Antoine, Midori, and Mia, come from all over the world. But just before the scheduled launch, the teenagers each experience strange, inexplicable events. Little do they know that there was a reason NASA never sent anyone back there until now - a sinister reason. But the countdown has already begun...

There are three ways I would absolutely hate to die. The first would be drowning because, heck, I'm a swimmer. That would blow. The second would be fire because, frankly, it's not like freezing to death, where you just go to sleep. The third would be to die all alone in an endless vacuum like space. 172 Hours on the Moon sounds ridiculously creepy, a touch sadistic and like it might just have that horror element I'm loving so much lately. From what I can tell, it's a translated/edited version in English, and I'm certainly thrilled to get lost in this one. That cover, alone, is eerie! What do you think, and what are you waiting on this week?