This book was the perfect blend of completely ridiculous, hilarious, and thought-provoking. I liked all the different, loosely-connected, characters that we were introduced to. There were a few characters that I wish we got more from... Did Lessa Sarah publish her book?! While I can understand the vague ending (the author's note said we avoided hard science for a reason), I wasn't quite satisfied with it. I feel like if you're on a literary journey where you've suspended your belief enough to accept there's a moon made of cheese, you can accept a little weird science as an explanation. The time lapses into believing its a hoax was very believable though, and I could definitely see how society would come to believe that. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book to sci-fi fans, or anyone looking for a little craziness in their stories.

I usually like John Scalzi books without reservation.
This one sounded even kookier than some of his others.
When the Moon Hits Your Eye tells the story of what happens when the moon suddenly gets turned into cheese.
It’s goofy. It’s funny. It’s absurd.
I can’t really say that I didn’t like this book.
It had its moments. It had great characters. It had a few intriguing ideas.
But what it also had was a bunch of talking heads. I know not every book needs to be a thrill ride of action moving from place to place and battle to battle. Honestly, I just need a little more action in my reads.
I debated whether to give this book 3 stars or 4. The ending did wrap things up for me satisfyingly enough to nudge it to 4 stars.

If you need quirky books, that have unique plots, then look no further than a John Scalzi book. Once I read Starter Villain, I was hooked on his book and was crazy excited to get an Advance copy from Tor books a few months ago.

The moon has literally turned to cheese and it’s melting fast. Nobody knows how or why, all they know is that the moon is cheese. Through one entire lunar cycle, we follow multiple storylines as regular people, kids, scientists, billionaires, and politicians are confronted with something completely unexplainable.

This is such an unserious premise, but it really makes you think. How do we, as a society, deal with the unexplainable? Do we lose control? Do we try to find any explanation possible? Do we rally together? I don’t know but I do know that I loved the way Scalzi gave us short stories of each character, jumping around on POVs, while trying to answer this question. I didn’t love every character’s POV, some were far more enjoyable than others, but it was interesting to see how Scalzi wrote the way different people contend with this unexplainable phenomenon.

Absurd in all the best ways, as Scalzi’s books tend to be, When the Moon Hits Your Eye is just a fun read. If you like his other works or just want something ‘different’ with some humor, highly recommend. And yes, I sang That’s Amore for a week after reading this.


When the Moon Hits Your Eye comes out March 25, 2025. Huge thank you to Tor for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my: Instagram @speakingof.books.
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Leave it to Scalzi to create the most unhinged book concepts.

How would humanity react if the moon turned to cheese? This is the main plot of When The Moon Hits Your Eye and it's handled in a very humourous but human way. I found myself laughing out loud at certain parts and shaking my head at others because Scalzi just nails human nature. We see reactions to this bizarre turn of events from all walks of life and in turn we see all different kinds of coping mechanisms.

I loved this and the ending is making me question my entire existence. Another great entry from John Scalzi!

I picked up this book because I loved Scalzi's Starter Villain. I was hoping for much more in this book. i wish Scalzi had stuck with just a few of the characters and focused in on those stories. I will still recommend the book, but I think readers would be more engaged if he had focused on LeMae, the President and the men at the diner in Oklahoma.

In John Scalzi's latest novel, When the Moon Hits Your Eye, the world is thrown into delightful chaos when, without explanation, the moon is replaced by an orb of cheese of the same mass. Told through the perspectives of various characters across a single lunar cycle, from school children to scientists and politicians, the book explores the diverse and often humorous reactions of humanity to this absurd and impossible new reality, examining how individuals and society grapple with the unbelievable and the potential ramifications of a celestial body suddenly becoming dairy. An absolute riot of a book that puts you through the full gambit of emotions, with plenty of Scalzi's famous wit and humor. Nothing short of a 5 star read and highly recommended!

I love Scalzi's lightly twisted sensibility, and this book was a lot of fun to read! I enjoyed how each chapter was from the point of view of a different character (or group of characters) and how some came back and others were one-and-done. I laughed out loud a few times! I did not care for the ending as I found it lightly depressing but also, likely very accurate as to how things would have gone.

Thanks to Netgalley for the E-ARC and to Tor for sending me a physical ARC when Netgalley changed their download options to one that I was unable to open on my Kobo.

This is my second John Scalzi book and it was so much fun! The moon turning into cheese and the hilarity of everyone's reaction from each POV made it a great, light-hearted read! It was a bit slow for the first half but finally picked up in the latter half. I would definitely recommend this book to others!

Nearing the end of the book I was really questioning if I read the description wrong. Which is on me for assuming this would be another humorous Sci-Fi outing for Scalzi. This was not a humorous, sure there were moments, outing from the author but a more realistic take. Through a cast of over twenty characters (one for almost every chapter) we see how people handle the crisis of the moon turning into cheese. Generally, there is shock, disbelief and lots of opportunity seekers. It is a look at how people would deal with this revelation, from an average citizen to astronauts to a billionaire (who really seems to be based on a specific person) each has a different outlook. The story takes place over one lunar cycle ( a month roughly) as we watch the waxing crescent moon become full and make its way toward the solar eclipse.

Overall I didn’t really enjoy this book. Part of me wants to give it the benefit of the doubt of being a good book because I went into it with the wrong expectations. I gradually understood we wouldn’t see the same characters again but sometimes would get a POV with people adjacent to them. Then we did get a second chapter from one and it was the annoying billionaire, at least he got cheesed. Also, there were some that seemed incredibly pointless except to point out how messed up a certain thing was (looking at you, Las Vegas chapter). But what really makes me feel upset about the book more than myself is the ending. Everything this book took us through just to do that. I feel like I wasted hours for no reason as we didn’t get character growth, humor, or even cheesemageddon.

I was a big fan of John Scalzi’s most recent book, Starter Villain, so I was very excited to get this ARC. Let me tell you - it did not disappoint! It was a light-hearted and fun ride that’ll keep you entertained from start to finish.

Out of seemingly nowhere, the moon turns to cheese (or an “organic matrix”). What does humanity do next? This was an interesting character study of how the world grapples with what it means for the present and future of humanity. Each day there is a new story, often from new people, which explores how to process an absurd reality and potentially life-threatening fate.

I really enjoyed this one! It was a comic reprieve from the world, with quippy dialogue and snappy characters. The characters were fun, delightful, and often, absurdist - in all the best ways. Despite the hopping around from character to character, there was a clear, cohesive narrative and throughline. I also appreciated the ending, which felt timely and relatable. Definitely pick this one up for a quick, lighter read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC!

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi is an absolutely stellar, very highly recommended science fiction satire. This will absolutely be on my list of the best books of the year.

The moon has turned into cheese. A new lunar cycle marks the moment when the moon was replaced with cheese, or an "organic matrix," as NASA prefers to put it. All the lunar rock samples on earth have also turned to cheese. One concern is that a mass of cheese sixteen hundred miles in diameter isn't likely to be stable.

Now everyone around the world is confronting and struggling with the existential questions regarding all aspects of the moon turning to cheese. These discussions include average citizens, scientists, politicians, astronauts, authors, billionaires, filmmakers, philosophers, religious leaders, students, comedians, bankers, and more.

As expected, the writing is excellent. My appreciation of When the Moon Hits Your Eye only increased while reading. The premise is introduced and then chapters are various people reacting. It covers one lunar cycle. There are no main characters, however there are several recurring characters. The narrative can be extremely humorous but also serious and touching at times.

The plot unfolds through a collection of a wide variety of people reacting to an absolutely absurd occurrence that challenges everyone's fundamental understanding of the universe. It is a satirical book about a cross section of humanity faced with a large scale crisis and how they react. The crisis here is a moon made of cheese but comparisons could be made to the varied and numerous reactions to other world wide events.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye is a perfect choice for readers who can appreciate the surface level absurd situation and understand the deeper implications it induces. Thanks to Tor/Macmillian for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

For a book the made me laugh a lot it also ended up being quite a reflective look at past and current events. The moon turning into cheese 🧀 is ridiculous but the book handled the ridiculous with what might actually happen. The more I read the more I felt the collective relatable experience of existing through several once in a lifetime events. This books draws on how life is still moves forward even when crazy things are happening. I highly recommend for anyone wanting some chuckles and needing some different insight of how to process the world right now.

The moon has turned to cheese. On the first day of the lunar cycle, the moon and all of its samples here on Earth have suddenly changed. Enter John Scalzi’s When the Moon Hits Your Eye. In this mostly absurd alternate universe, the moon has suddenly changed to cheese and this oddly captivating story follows a kaleidoscope of perspectives as Americans traverse the first lunar cycle of a cheesy moon. From NASA Scientists to small town pastors, this book includes someone we can each relate to. Some of my favorite chapters include a studio executive who has a day of appointments loaded with various screenwriters and such pitching their new film ideas, a very very unlikable billionaire involved in rocket making, and an adult worker who takes an odd job with a senator. It’s rife with perfectly placed pop Culture references and had me giggling and even crying at times. If you have read Starter Villain, this is very similar in tone.

It’s one flaw? Didn’t stick the ending but I could make a good argument on Scalzi’s behalf that this was indeed the point and very much intentional. Despite being ironically funny, it fails to leave you with the warm fuzzies and instead has you questioning what the heck you actually read.

The was 4 stars for me and would make the perfect book to read while reading a long series. Pop in for a bite size chapter every time you need a breather and I really think you will enjoy this.

I really like John Scalzi, Starter Villian has a special place in my heart. For some reason, I had a really hard time connecting with this book. The premise was interesting but didn't feel as flushed out as I would've liked. The characters are kind of lovable. Just a whole lot of "just ok". I hate saying that!

When the Moon Hits Your Eye asks the question, how would humanity respond if the moon suddenly turned to cheese? Told from the point of view of a wide variety of characters, including but not limited to the President of the United States, NASA Scientists, a table of high school students, and a discord chat group, each group/person deals with the moon changing in their own unique way.

There were points in this novel where I laughed out loud and there were points when I almost teared up as Scalzi addresses the fragility of life and what should really matter. When I read the description of this novel, I was not expecting a book with philosophical points that really made me think about life the way this book did.

If you are a fan of John Scalzi, or are looking for a great science fiction read, pick this book up!

4.5 stars. If I had gotten around to reading this a couple months earlier, I think I'd be able to round up to a full 5 stars. But, in March of 2025 some of the darker, more tragic themes in this book are a little too relevant and/or realistic to fully enjoy. Otherwise, it really is (mostly) quite funny, and I look forward to working my way through his back catalog of novels.

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

This book takes an absolutely bonkers premise, "What if the moon abruptly turned into cheese?" and runs with it. Chapters hop to different characters, most in America, but some beyond (WAY beyond) as they take in the scope of the disaster. Perspectives include astronauts who'd been preparing for a lunar mission, retirees at an Oklahoma diner, rival cheese shop employees in Wisconsin, and a very memorable bit with a down-on-her-luck real estate agent in Las Vegas (not the Brie--no, not the Brie!). Actual science is given some heed, but don't expect a firm explanation for the inciting incident or how things wrap up; this isn't a book to give deep thought. Go with the flow (like a good queso), be ready for frequent cheese puns and humor, and enjoy.

I devoured this like a wheel of Brie! (I know, pretty bad). Truly enjoyed this one with a ton of laugh out loud moments. Scalzi has a knack for taking something so preposterous and making it believable. If you enjoyed Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain, then you'll love this one. Thanks for the advance copy, I'll be recommending this one!

"New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi flies you to the moon with his most fantastic tale to date: When the Moon Hits Your Eye.

The moon has turned into cheese.

Now humanity has to deal with it.

For some it's an opportunity. For others it's a moment to question their faith: In God, in science, in everything. Still others try to keep the world running in the face of absurdity and uncertainty. And then there are the billions looking to the sky and wondering how a thing that was always just there is now... something absolutely impossible.

Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and terminal patients at the end of their lives - over the length of an entire lunar cycle, each get their moment in the moonlight. To panic, to plan, to wonder and to pray, to laugh and to grieve. All in a kaleidoscopic novel that goes all the places you'd expect, and then to so many places you wouldn't.

It's a wild moonage daydream. Ride this rocket."

Freak out. Far Out. In Out.

WOW. wow wow wow. I avoided Starter Villian as "fun" in books is not usually for me. I LOVED When the Moon Hits Your Eye. It doesn't shy away from the absurdity of the moon turning into cheese, rather, the book engages with it! Not only did I laugh aloud, somehow John Scalzi also made me shed a tear. What a book.