Luni327: The Journey Begins by Dan Eaton

Life on Earth is inevitably going to change in the coming decades, and in Dan Eaton’s Luni327: The Journey Begins, one of the more popular ideas of a lunar colony takes center stage in this suspense-filled YA novel.

Couched within the perspective of a 13-year-old boy, the story comes with a natural innocence to it, but Bryce also grows immensely over the course of the novel, and the adventures he experiences on his journey effortlessly drive this exciting tale. Additionally, the novel’s futuristic vision of the moon doesn’t stretch too far into the realm of science fiction, considering that much of the narrative is backed up with fascinating technical details and a significant amount of research by the author, including specs on the base and other technological advances necessary for life on an orbiting rock with no atmosphere.

While the writing is targeted at a younger audience, the author is still quite heavy-handed with plot development and dialogue that is too on the nose. From the very first chapter, readers are given large information dumps to get them up to speed with the plot, which can come across as patronizing, or overly convenient. This is in addition to occasional editing errors, awkward syntax, and abrupt endings to scenes or conversations.

Overall, Luni327 is a promising start to the Lunar Age Series with a strong premise and a central character who is engaging throughout. However, a bit more attention to making the progression of the plot more believable would go a long way towards making this book shine.