⭐️3.75⭐️

What do you think would happen if the moon turned into an actual wheel of cheese? In this unique speculative sci-fi novel, this ‘what if?’ scenario comes to fruition, and we follow multiple characters as they adapt to this new world.

I find this book hard to rate because I knew it was going to be an outlandishly crazy ride given the premise, and for the most part, it was. I enjoyed the bizarre humor that I’ve come to expect with a Scalzi book, but I didn’t expect this story to showcase such an emotional view of humanity.

Each chapter represents a day in the lunar cycle and follows the story of a different character impacted by the moon suddenly turning to cheese. The pacing took a while for me to understand, but once I realized this story wasn’t entirely linear, I began to enjoy it to its fullest. Every chapter felt like a unique short story and even though the chapters weren’t too long, every character presented was perfectly fleshed out and believable.

I loved how this book pokes fun at our current political climate by using characters that mirror real people in ridiculous scenarios that unfortunately feel very believable. A billionaire overriding NASA and all safety procedures to be the first one to fly to the cheese moon? Yeah, painfully realistic.

My only real complaint with this book is that the ‘why’ behind the moon’s transformation was never explained. I think this is an element that is meant to make the book magical, but I was left feeling a lack of closure when I finished. I wasn’t a fan of how the ending didn’t really resolve any particular story either.

Overall, I enjoyed this read for its funny and hopeful view of humanity during the state of sudden chaos. I don’t think everyone will enjoy this read though due to how ridiculous it is. If you enjoyed any of Scalzi’s previous books, then you’d probably enjoy this one too.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

“When the Moon Hits Your Eye” by John Scalzi is the story of a crazy month on planet Earth (each chapter representing one day in that lunar cycle) in which the moon turns into cheese.

Don’t be scared off by this if you don’t like SciFi or speculative fiction. As hard as it may be to believe, the book isn’t really about the moon itself as much as it is the way people on earth react to this unexplained phenomenon.

It’s a quick and easy read that will pretty much grip you from page one and is funny, touching, whimsical and absurdist, and thought provoking. Each chapter/vignette features different characters and a different tone. This book really is unlike anything I’ve read before but I’ll say it feels most similar to “Nothing to See Here” by Kevin Wilson, “A Visit from the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan, and George Saunders’ “Liberation Day”. I heartily recommend this book to all kinds of readers. What an unusual and delightful read.

I was thrilled to get an early read of this novel—I’ve devoured almost everything Scalzi has written. He’s a versatile and consistently entertaining writer, whether he’s tackling serious stories like the Old Man’s War and Interdependency series or exploring the delightful absurdity of Starter Villain.

Scalzi has never let me down. So despite a premise that made Kaiju Preservation Society sound like hard science fiction, I dove in. Earth’s moon has… turned into cheese? Potential snarky comments about Scalzi’s writing curdling in a similar fashion are so obvious that I’d be milking a cheap joke by making them—so I’ll grate-fully refrain before things get whey out of hand. And to my pleasant surprise, I loved this book.

I went in knowing nothing about When the Moon Hits Your Eye beyond a premise so ridiculous it felt like Scalzi had written it on a dare. What I got was a roller coaster of young love, existential dread, writer’s block, last chances, and the terrifying realization that the universe has suddenly stopped playing by the rules. (Oh, and a thin slice of billionaire karma.)

Each chapter unfolds over a different day, starting with the moon’s sudden dairy-based transformation and spiraling from there. You’ll meet fantastic characters, encounter surprisingly poignant explorations of reality and mortality, and find a bit of painfully observant commentary on how society reacts to the inexplicable.

All in a book about the moon turning into cheese.

Make no mistake—this novel does not take itself seriously. If you’re here for cheese puns, you will leave deeply satisfied.

If I have one complaint, it’s that some characters were so compelling I felt a little robbed getting only a single chapter with them, with maybe a supporting appearance in a later chapter. I’m not saying I want an Old Man’s War-length saga about celestial bodies turning into various foodstuffs, but I would love to spend more time with Lessa Sarah and Nelson, the cheese shop kids, or the Oklahoma guys.

But when a plate of just cheese leaves you wanting more after you’ve cleaned it off—that’s some damn good cheese. And this is a damn entertaining book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for the advance copy of this delightful novel!

A funny yet thought-provoking science-fiction novel about the moon turning into cheese. Told from the perspectives of multiple characters, When the Moon Hits Your Eye opens with the moon transforming into a cheese-like substance, throwing the world into chaos. What follows is a series of loosely interconnected vignettes that portray how different people are affected by the moon. From the astronauts preparing to set foot on the moon to a decades-long feud between cheese shops in Wisconsin to a nonfiction author who suddenly finds himself in the global spotlight, these stories reveal the humanity—both good and bad—within us.

Scalzi has crafted a delightful, multi-point-of-view narrative about humanity and how we might react when the unthinkable occurs. At times funny and hopeful, yet sometimes depressingly sobering and too close to home, this cheeseful adventure is one you won’t want to miss!

If you liked Starter Villian, this one is wackier but just as fun and out there.
For fans of Hitchhikers Guide.

One of my favorite books I read last year- and I immediately bought it for our library's Great Reads section! Hopeful, fun, and lighthearted in the way only Scalzi can do, the premise is fun and the characters are even better. Each chapter feels like a complete arc, and you're rooting for characters and science each step of the way. I laughed out loud at multiple points, and can't wait to recommend it to readers (I already told my entire family they need to get ready to read it!).

I love Scalzi's humor, there aren't enough funny sci-fi books and his are my go-to.

With that said, while this was a good attempt at making this premise interesting... this wasn't my favorite book by him.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye is a perfect example of what Diane Callahan termed curio fiction. This book (like Starter Villain before it) is the link between the zany-but-just-this-side-of-believable satire of Christopher Buckley and the screwball fantasy of Jasper Fforde. Highly enjoyable, and an excellent escapist read.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this as an eGalley from NetGalley to review..

Thoughts: DNF'd at 50% of the way through. I am generally a big fan of Scalzi's stories; I like his humor and off-the-wall premises. I really tried to finish this but realized I was completely ambivalent about the story. The premise is a bit too far-fetched, and the book was just too disjointed.

The moon turns to cheese and humanity has to deal with this now. What follows are looks into the lives of various people at how they react to this. One theme that does continue to throughout this story is billionaires trying to take advantage of this strange occurrence.

The first part of the story seems like it is ridiculous but also sort of funny in a goofy way. Then we start jumping from sector to sector and hearing how everyone is affected by the moon being cheese. It was really disjointed. We rarely see the same characters twice, and I struggled to follow how anything was related to anything else. I think Scalzi is trying to make some social commentaries around billionaires here but I am struggling to figure out what they are (aside from the most basic billionaires are unrealistic, wasteful, and have huge egos).

This went quickly from potentially entertaining to flat out boring and ridiculous. I kept sticking with it, hoping that the story would come together at some point. Then I realized I was avoiding picking up my Kindle because I didn't want to struggle through more of this....so, it was time to stop.

As I said, I am a huge Scalzi fan, but this was just a miss for me. It doesn't come off as clever or even intriguing and definitely not as funny.

My Summary (2/5): Overall I found this disappointing. The premise is far-fetched but seemed like it might work for the story. However, things just get sillier and sillier and more disjointed as the story continues. We hop between many different people and how the moon being cheese affects them. Unfortunately, their stories never really came together with the main story. This started to feel like a bunch of random silly thoughts and maybe an effort at some political statement that I didn't quite grasp. I am a huge Scalzi fan, but this was a miss for me

I haven’t been a John Scalzi fan for long, having only first read The Kaiju Preservation Society in September 2024. That was enough to make me fall in love with his writing, though. I promptly read Redshirts (review of that is on my TikTok) in November and then Starter Villain in December of the same year. So when I saw I could get an ARC of his next book, When the Moon Hits Your Eye, I knew I had to try.

It’s a science fiction novel about Earth’s moon turning into a giant ball of cheese. That’s what it’s about on the surface, at least. It’s outrageous and highly unlikely to ever happen (science says to never discredit the improbable). Underneath, however, it’s a lot deeper.

Each chapter of the book explores a different character or group of characters, showing how they react to such an unbelievable event. Unfortunately, because the story unfolds this way, it’s difficult to get attached to any of them. You can argue that’s not what it’s about (and it’s not) but it made the story feel disjointed. I struggled picking up the book a few times because of a lack of interest in what was happening. It doesn’t need to be a character driven story, but I do want something more than what this was.

I don’t know if it was intentional or I was simply reading too much into it, but it seemed like the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) were explored throughout. Granted, it would take a the most well-adjusted human on the planet to not be in disbelief after learning the moon turned into cheese, so experiencing denial initially is to be expected. But the other stages are displayed by riots (anger) chanting “Fuck the moon,” a woman refusing to get out of her bed (depression) with the curtains closed in her resort suite, and more. Whether intentional or not, it was fascinating, regardless.

The ending was uninspiring and too simple, as well. Could I have done better? Most likely not. I guess I expected more.

Overall, it was a decent novel. I think it was a realistic look at how different people around the world would react to such a life-changing event and everything that comes along with it. Billionaires would still be greedy, people would express regret, others would try to rationalize it all, and chaos would gradually envelope the entire world.

I don’t think When the Moon Hits Your Eye is Scalzi’s best work. Granted, this is only the fourth book of his I’ve read. I would rank it 3rd or 4th, depending on my mood. Like I said, I found myself struggling to even care about picking it up again and the only reason I finished it was because I was so damn curious how it would end. Sure, it got me to read the book, but I wish there was a little more to it than that.

Scalzi always makes me wonder where we are heading, leaving me a bit confused for a bit, but when it comes together, it's a homerun. This book was no different. Even with a book about something as silly as the moon turning into cheese, he makes you think about social and economic issues.

I read this book in two sittings. One of the sitting was about an hour. The second sitting was most of today....

The premise of this book- the moon suddenly turns into cheese and everyone has to just kinda deal with that- lends itself well to the way the story is told; as a series of vignettes, some of which continue, many of which are one time looks at characters. The book is full of humor, warmth, and the occasional very serious depth.

This is a great book. I loved the patchwork view of the world and the different lenses Scalzi examined his premise through. It's a tough story to end...he very nearly wrote himself into a corner. But the ending worked.

Another good read from Scalzi!

4.5 rounded up!
WHEN THE MOON HITS YOUR EYE is a story that only John Scalzi could think up. The premise? What happens when the Moon becomes an "organic matrix" aka cheese. How would the world respond in the digital age? Filled with humor, contemplation, and, honestly, scarily accurate responses, this book is one that is an interesting read and is a unique story.

The blend of a number of things made this story one that has stuck with me in the few days since I've read it. The concept is one that seems so outrageous it could never work. But it does. I enjoyed all the facets of such a strange idea come to life and how the moon turning into cheese would impact the way people live in 2025. Touching on very real topics, through this satirical approach and such an idea was an extremely clever way to tell this story. One that I think speaks to how skillful the author is as a writer. I even had to put it down a few times because the situations and reactions felt too REAL, even for a fictional story about moon cheese. And that says a lot about the author's talent.

The reason this isn't a five star read for me is because of the organization of the story. This is told vignette style, with the moon turning to cheese being the central thread holding the narrative together. There is no true main character, though the characters appear in each other's stories. This wasn't what I was expecting and, while narratively interesting, I wanted a main character and a central conflict beyond just a new character's reactions to the premise. 

Overall, this was a really complex and engaging story. While the narrative style might not have been fully for me, it was an incredibly written book that I think is worth the read, especially if you liked Don't Look Up or other stories of that genre. To me, I think this book is a masterclass in writing.
Thank you to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi isn’t structured like a traditional novel. Instead, each chapter is a character vignette, offering glimpses into how different people react when the moon suddenly turns into cheese—and how society as a whole handles this bizarre event. Through these snapshots, we see a wide range of human responses, from the practical to the absurd, all tied together by an overarching narrative.

This book is both humorous and deeply philosophical. Scalzi does a fantastic job exploring the many ways people might react to such an impossible situation, highlighting the quirks and resilience of humanity. His writing is smooth and engaging, making for an easy yet thought-provoking read. I laughed, I cried, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

The author even acknowledges in the afterword that the science here is loosey-goosey —so don’t go in expecting scientific accuracy. Instead, just suspend disbelief and embrace the ride. If you’re looking for a poignant, funny, and insightful take on human nature in the face of the absurd, this book is for you.

Thanks to TOR publishing and NetGalley for the gifted ARC

When the Moon Hits Your Eye releases on March 25, 2025, make sure to check it!

One day, without warning or cause, the Moon turns into an organic matrix that appears to be… cheese. For the length of a lunar cycle, we hop between multiple POVs as humanity grapples with this new reality.

It’s a credit to Scalzi that such a ridiculous concept is successfully stretched into a full-length novel that’s enjoyable. Scalzi himself describes the book as the third in a loose, unconnected trilogy of books about regular humans thrust into high-concept situations. (The other books are Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain.)

The different POVs are a pretty interesting approach. It means, fundamentally, there isn’t a true main character (or characters) in the book, though several POVs are repeated. Instead, it shows a cross-section of American citizens and shows how, no matter what happens, people are going to people in both the best and worst ways– create interesting things, fall in love, make money, cheat one another, and so on. I prefer character driven books myself, but I think I still got the main message.

This tactic also partially ameliorates what I think of as the biggest flaw in Scalzi’s writing: every smart character is just Scalzi. Female character? Scalzi in a wig. Child character? Scalzi walking on his knees. Only spending a bit of time with most of the characters in the book gave me less time to picture each one of them as Scalzi himself.

Throughout the book, I couldn’t help but wish, despite the looming apocalypse, that we lived in a world where our biggest problem was the Moon turning into cheese.

I’m in a quandary of how to rate this. I think I enjoyed it at about a three-star level, in part because of the lack of satisfaction on certain matters, but the book did make me reflect more than I expected on the nature of humanity, so I’m rounding this up to 4-stars.

"When the Moon Hits Your Eye" had the same lighthearted, fun approach as John Scalzi's last two books. The premise of this one - what if the moon turned to cheese - was utterly ridiculous, but fascinating when taken seriously, as Scalzi does. The book danced between a few too many viewpoints for me, but each was a well-developed character you rooted for (or against). And the responses from the media, the government (especially NASA) and everyday citizens were wonderful. I would definitely recommend!

My thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an advanced copy of novel of speculative fiction dealing with one constant in the night sky changing from rock to edible food, and the way the world deals with the repercussions both good bad and uniquely human.

When the Moon hits your eye like a cheese in the sky, that a Scalzi. My apologies to Dean Martin but this refrain ran through my head constantly while reading this novel. Very few authors could come up with an idea so strange, one used by, Wallace and Gromit creators for a cartoon, which I recommend, and create something that at the end makes one both think, and feel maudlin. Like something is in one's eye. When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi is a story about what happens to the world when something that is taken for granted, suddenly is different, and how people accept and deal with the new normal, something we are all dealing with today.

Virgil Augustine is thinking only of date night with his wife, when he receives a call advising him that their workplace, the Armstrong Air and Space Museum, has just had a robbery. Somehow a master thief has taken a moon rock from a sealed display, and replaced it with something that looks completely different. All without setting off an alarm, of seemingly opening the case. Upon opening, the moon rock turns out not to be a moon rock anymore, but a chunk of cheese. What is at first thought of as a joke, turns out to be shockingly real. All the moon rocks on Earth have turned into cheese. As has the Moon itself, suddenly closer to Earth, and brighter in the sky. As soon as the secret escapes the Earth is suddenly at a loss. How can rock turn to cheese? Why would this happen? Who could have done this? Soon lunar missions are planned, ideas are developed, love is found, human act like humans, and many bad decisions are made. All under the light of slightly cheesy, once silvery Moon.

I have read most of John Scalzi's works, Red Shirts and a few novellas, I believe are the ones I still need to catch up on. To see this author's progression is really amazing. From militaristic stories, toe space empires, to the stories he writes today, one can't help but be impressed. Scalzi no matter the idea, real Kaiju, Super villains, makes one care about what is going on, no matter the unreality presented. The characters are real, reacting like humans both good and bad. Reading this story I did not expect to care as much as I did. There are real emotional moments here. Characters feeling lost, finding each other, sharing deep thoughts, and reminding us all that we can share a world together, though it might be hard. Scalzi also makes one not even notice the odd plot, throwing readers right in, giving a quick chance to acclimate, than pushing the pedal to Muenster, and never letting up.

I think it was Scalzi's book on Kaiju were he talked about how his writing changed after the 2016 election, and COVID. One can see that. Though I am finding these stories to be of great comfort, and something to look forward too, until we declare war on the Moon, or something weird. Another great book by an author who lets his mind roam, and has the skill to make readers follow along, quite happily.

Another hit by Scalzi. What would happen if the moon turned to cheese? This story explores that through various chapters, following a main cast of characters (like the president of the US and a billionaire who wants to land on the cheese moon) as well as chapters that are one off viewpoints. The book never talks about the why of how the moon turned to cheese, but rather explores different aspects of humanity when something seemingly impossible happens. Be aware, some of the last few chapters can be rough, with very heavy existential dread.
I do feel as if the ending was a bit rushed. Suddenly, during an eclipse, the moon is back to normal. But I do love the chapters after where people point to it all as a hoax.

This lands in one of Scalzi's "fun" books. He's written some serious hard sci-fi and then he'll do a book like "Redshirts" or the villain one he wrote. This one has a cool premise and is in the fun category. I liked it a lot and will keep buying Scalzi.

An emotional rollercoaster about the moon turning into cheese

Why am I crying? I know why I'm laughing (which I did many times), but I wasn't expecting the tears.

The premise is classic Scalzi, and only he could pull this off. The moon suddenly turns into cheese. Now what? I loved each chapter that explores a sequential day after that fateful event. Some characters are recurring; some are not. But each chapter balances the physics, philosophy, political, pop culture, financial, macro behavioral sciences, etc. on forever, potential impacts such an event would have on earth. Each chapter poses a different idea and explores it in short story fashion. Scalzi is light on descriptions and heavy on witty dialogue. The dialogue and fun characters will keep you reading, as with every Scalzi book.

The breakout stars are the starcrossed Cheese Shop workers Felix and Annette. I want an entire book of their romance. John Scalzi, I think you may have missed your calling as a romance novelist. You can easily remedy that by giving us a full, expanded version of Felix and Annette's love. Please?

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Story: 5 ridiculous cheese-filled stars
Character Development: 3 stars (there's not much since characters change each chapter)
Writing: 5 cheese-filled pun stars