27 Hours by Tristina Wright

Publication Date: October 3, 2017.

Publisher: Entangled Teen.

Genres: Young Adult and Science Fiction.

Rating: 

Purchase here: Amazon | Book Depository 

Synopsis: Rumor Mora fears two things: hellhounds too strong for him to kill, and failure. Jude Welton has two dreams: for humans to stop killing monsters, and for his strange abilities to vanish. But in no reality should a boy raised to love monsters fall for a boy raised to kill them.

Nyx Llorca keeps two secrets: the moon speaks to her, and she’s in love with Dahlia, her best friend. Braeden Tennant wants two things: to get out from his mother’s shadow, and to unlearn Epsilon’s darkest secret. They’ll both have to commit treason to find the truth.

During one twenty-seven-hour night, if they can’t stop the war between the colonies and the monsters from becoming a war of extinction, the things they wish for will never come true, and the things they fear will be all that’s left.

27 Hours is a sweeping, thrilling story featuring a stellar cast of queer teenagers battling to save their homes and possibly every human on Sahara as the clock ticks down to zero.

Thank you, Macmillan and Entangled Teen, for my ARC of 27 Hours. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review; this does not affect my opinion. Any quotes mentioned below are taken from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Before I read this book I was so intrigued by the world Tristina Wright has created in 27 Hours and I have now truly fallen in love with it. 27 Hours is an action-packed character driven story which will have you rooting for the main characters while you at the same time get to know this new world far away in outer space. There’s romance, friendship, family and so much more which are all explored through the four POVs of Rumor Mora, Jude Welton, Nyx Llorca, and Braeden Tennant. Through these four different teenagers, we are taken on a journey where everything they’ve ever believed will be challenged and thus they must fight for their survival and for what’s right.

The stories from Earth said the night sky there had been the color of the void and pricked with millions of stars. Only one moon had stamped a hole in the darkness. The sky above the colonized moon of Sahara was a jumble of blue-green nebula, Sahara’s host planet (which had some long number designation Rumor could never remember), and five other moons.

The characters in 27 Hours are all marginalized. Rumor is bisexual and multiracial; Jude is gay; Nyx is Latinx, deaf and pansexual; Braeden is asexual; Dahlia is transgender, bisexual and a dark-skinned Latinx; and lastly, Trick is a man of color and gay. However, despite the fact that a lot of on the page representation has been praised, there has also been criticism. The opinion on the racial representation has been divided. I would urge you to read reviews that bring up the topic of racism and colonization in 27 Hours before deciding to read the book since the issues with the representation and the potential harm the book may inflict is well described there. The criticism should not be taken lightly.

What made me like this book was the characters. I fell in love with every single one of them and was really invested in their journeys. The main characters are a strong cast of characters that a lot of ways remind me of the found family trope. Family doesn’t necessarily mean blood, but instead who you choose to love, to trust and to surround yourself with. I love the romance that we see developed throughout this story both between Rumor and Jude, and Nyx and Dahlia. Especially the last one killed me because it was slow-burn friends to lovers, which is my weak spot. I would have to say that Nyx is my favorite in the entire book, she is a badass who can use a sniper rifle. I love how she loves Dahlia and puts flowers in her hair at random moments. Moreover, I also love how sign language was such a big part of the story because of the fact that Nyx is deaf and that Dahlia and Braeden always thought about making sure Nyx understood what they and everyone around her were saying.

Nyx’s fingertips prickled, and her mouth went dry. Gods, crushes sucked so much. Especially ones on your best friend. Who had skin the color of deepest space and eyes like twin stars. Who preferred looser shirts that slipped off one shoulder and teased Nyx mercilessly with collarbone. Who wore a pair of green pants Nyx absolutely loved on her because they clung to her legs, her thighs, those hips. Hips made for grabbing.

If you want a book about marginalized teenagers saving their world, their moon, while exploring their feelings regarding love, lust, friendship, and loyalty then 27 Hours is for you. We are thrown right into the middle of the story and throughout the story, there is nothing but high stakes as the countdown towards dayside is ongoing. This book will make you laugh, cry and squeal. I cannot wait to see what the sequel will bring us, I have a mighty need for it. However, before you read 27 Hours, do proceed with caution and read other reviews that bring up the problematic aspects of this book.