JR Creaden’s debut novel, Moon Dust in My Hairnet, is a diverse cozy sci-fi tale filled with themes of hope, grief, community, and finding one’s inner voice amid adversity and the backdrop of impending war. You might wonder how a book steeped in grief and war could be cozy, but that’s exactly the vibe Creaden has created. This was such an enjoyable read.
~ Special thanks to NetGalley, Mythic Roads Press, and JR Creaden for the opportunity to read and review Moon Dust in my Hairnet in exchange for an honest review. Moon Dust in My Hairnet releases April 19, 2024 ~
Affiliate Disclaimer: I participate in the Amazon Affiliate Program. As such, if you make a purchase through one of my links below, I’ll earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Moon Dust in My Hairnet by JR Creaden
🥭🥭🥭🥭.5
🌶️🌶️
(you can find my rating and spice system here)
POV & Tense: Single POV, first person, past tense
Genre: Science Fiction, LGBTQ+
Tropes/Themes: Cozy Sci-Fi, Space Colonization, Grief, Polyamory, Autistic FMC, Disability Rep, Mystery, War, Forced Proximity, Found Family, FF Enemies to Friends to Lovers
Location: The Moon
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 put their differences aside and work together to save their home.
My Review:
There are so many things to love about this book. I love the beautiful cover, the departmental memos at the start of each chapter, and the crescent moon scene dividers. But what I really loved most was the portrayal of grief, the diversity of characters, and the exploration of polyamory, all overlaying a mystery that threatens the very existence of humanity.
Diversity
Moon Dust in My Hairnet does an excellent job portraying diversity with tenderness and empathy. People from all over the world have come together to colonize Lunar Trust One, so we have many ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and backgrounds coming together—both working well together and clashing. I love seeing disability representation in novels. Lane’s boyfriend Andrek has a prosthetic limb, and other characters use wheelchairs. I loved how people with disabilities were considered during the planning of Faraday’s memorial to ensure it was an inclusive event.
Grief
The opening scene sucked me in and got me invested. It’s a video of a young Faraday Tanner explaining her latest invention and you can’t help but be captivated by the energy of the precocious young girl. But what struck me most was her kindness toward her baby sister. Most kids would be annoyed if a sibling disrupted their video recording, but Faraday showed tremendous patience and love—the world could wait; her sister needed her.
I became completely invested in Faraday as a main character (I did read the blurb first, but I have a tendency to promptly forget blurbs when I dive into the main novel), so when chapter one began and I found out Faraday was dead, I grieved her. Not on the same level as an “in real life” death, but I could easily connect with Lane and the other characters who were grieving Faraday’s loss. I saw such potential in that little girl and it was so sad she didn’t get to live out a full life.
I loved the way the author depicted Lane’s grieving—as a process that’s up and down and doesn’t always make sense, but eventually starts to ease—as well as those around her. There’s so much love, support, and community as the characters open up and reveal their emotional wounds.
Autistic FMC
Lane is a character you can’t help but cheer for, and I love the way she’s portrayed. Dealing with tremendous loss, she’s passionate about honoring her sister and her legacy, and aims to do the best she can as a lunch lady. She’s twenty and determined to stand on her own two feet despite her parents’ constant coddling. It took me a moment to get a feel for her and understand her thoughts and feelings, but once I did, I felt connected to her. At first, I was tempted to label her as a semi-unreliable narrator because my perceptions of her parents changed multiple times based on their interactions and her emotions. But as the novel progressed, and I got to know and care deeply for Lane, I concluded she sees things very clearly even if she can’t always express her feelings the way she means to (and who doesn’t have their emotions and perception clouded by mommy and daddy issues?). Her character growth is amazing, and her culinary creations are a delight throughout the story.
Exploration of Polyamory
Another thing I enjoyed immensely was the exploration of polyamory. I mostly read about poly relationships in romance novels and they are usually of the Why Choose?/Reverse Harem variety, where everybody is involved with everybody. But polyamory is diverse and there are many ways to be in a polyamorous relationship. I love how that’s shown in this book, with Lane and Andrek in a relationship but looking to add a third—and possibly a fourth. Viveca and Joule are in a relationship, and Andrek and Joule are instantly drawn to one another while Viveca and Lane can’t stand each other. Viveca also has another relationship with Halle, who is monogamous. I enjoyed how these dynamics evolved along with the communication—and sometimes lack thereof—that’s necessary to ensure everyone is comfortable and on the same page.
Mystery
And of course, underlying it all, is a central mystery involving megalomaniac Brand Masters (isn’t that such a great villain name?) and his desire to take over everything—including Lunar Trust One. There’s a traitor within their midst helping Brand gain a foothold within the compound and Lane and her crew must work together to ensure Faraday’s dreams live on. The course of relationships isn’t smooth—Lane and Viveca are initially at odds, and Vivica and Andrek are deeply suspicious of one another—but they need to find common ground to get to the bottom of things.
Moon Dust in My Hairnet by JR Creaden
Final Thoughts:
Moon Dust in My Hairnet is a heartfelt journey that has left me feeling enriched and hopeful. It’s the type of quirky novel I love and the world needs more of this. I’ll be keeping my eye out for more from JR Creaden.
Author Stalking (but not in a creepy way):
Moon Dust in My Hairnet is JR Creaden’s debut novel
Website
Instagram
Goodreads
Banner Image Credit: Space Galaxy Cosmos
Leave a Reply