REVIEW--The Martian

So I don't read adult books very often.  One, I work with teens and YA fiction, so that's naturally what I gravitate towards.  And two, I honestly just prefer YA books.  They get to the point faster and just flow well for my reading tastes.  But EVERYONE has been talking about The Martian.  And even devoted YA book fans have been proclaiming it to be their favorite book of the year.  So I had to read it.  And here's what I thought!

 

• Standalone novel
• Science Fiction

The Gist:
Mark Watney is on an astronaut crew to conduct research on Mars.  Six days after arriving on Mars, a massive storm hits the crew and almost knocks over their spaceship.  Mark is hit by a stray pole and can't be found in the crazy chaos of the dust storm.  His suit reads that he has died, and because of the urgency of the situation, the crew must leave his body behind on Mars.  Only Mark didn't die.  And now he's alone on Mars.  He has a 31-day supply of food and it will take NASA four years to get supplies to him.  Which means he has to grow food on a planet that doesn't grow anything.  And he has to make water.

What I Loved: 

• Wow this book was exciting!  Just when you think things are going well, you find out that they aren't.  Highly engrossing!
• I was worried at first that this book would be like the movie Castaway and that we would be following a solo Mark for the entirety.  But it wasn't--point of view switched to NASA, Mark's crewmates, Mark himself.  Each viewpoint was fascinating.
• From what I've read, the science in this book was pretty spot-on.  The science was so interesting, and now I know that I would never survive on Mars alone.

What I Didn't Love:

• As "correct" as the science was, it was dense.  Basically I mean that there was a lot of science with big terms in the book.  So I wasn't always following what was happening.  I'd think to myself, "Ok, I'm pretty sure this is what's happening but I don't totally understand it.  Just keep reading" at various times.  Definitely over my head (on a side note, my dad is a science whiz and the science in the book was his favorite part!). 

So I agree--this was a GREAT book.  Engrossing, exciting--I can't wait to see the movie!  But who gets to go to movies when you have two little ones at home?

Four stars for me!  Check back tomorrow for a Watney-inspired outfit!