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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
funny
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I LOVED THIS! All of the technicalities were so well explored and explained I was so hooked. Kind of a thriller honestly. Didn’t want to put it down. Side note I did read the classroom version and it was squeaky clean- not sure how the regular version is different. SO GOOD
Okay, so confession time: I did not hear about this book until the movie came out. I'm sure I saw it on the shelf before but didn't give it much thought. I haven't seen the movie, either, but it got a lot of buzz so I decided to go ahead and check this out.
At first I thought this was going to be a survival novel in a similar vein to Island of the Blue Dolphins, Robinson Crusoe and so forth. I admit I wasn't even sure what was going on at first when the book switched perspectives and then quickly became disappointed once i realized it wasn't all going to be first POV. Once I got used to it, the way the story was told felt so much like a screenplay asking to be written. I felt like I was reading Apollo 13 except it focused so much more on the science than the people.
Focusing on the science can be good if it's done right. Jules Verne did this in From the Earth to the Moon, and I feel like the author was channeling that when doing all the science for this book. And while I like reading the science, it doesn't make sense for Mark to be explaining all of it out while doing his logs. One assumes the logs are for scientifically-minded people so why does he have to go into so much detail? And if you are going to do first person, show a bit more of his mental state changing the longer he's there alone. I get why he uses humor and sarcasm but he doesn't really break down much or for very long.
I guess it's just me loving psychology and getting into people's minds, but I feel like so much was unfulfilled in this book. While I did like it, I still left the book feeling unsatisfied.
At first I thought this was going to be a survival novel in a similar vein to Island of the Blue Dolphins, Robinson Crusoe and so forth. I admit I wasn't even sure what was going on at first when the book switched perspectives and then quickly became disappointed once i realized it wasn't all going to be first POV. Once I got used to it, the way the story was told felt so much like a screenplay asking to be written. I felt like I was reading Apollo 13 except it focused so much more on the science than the people.
Focusing on the science can be good if it's done right. Jules Verne did this in From the Earth to the Moon, and I feel like the author was channeling that when doing all the science for this book. And while I like reading the science, it doesn't make sense for Mark to be explaining all of it out while doing his logs. One assumes the logs are for scientifically-minded people so why does he have to go into so much detail? And if you are going to do first person, show a bit more of his mental state changing the longer he's there alone. I get why he uses humor and sarcasm but he doesn't really break down much or for very long.
I guess it's just me loving psychology and getting into people's minds, but I feel like so much was unfulfilled in this book. While I did like it, I still left the book feeling unsatisfied.
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
loved this but the ending was so abrupt I thought something was wrong with my ebook app 😭😭 how could they leave us like that???
I loved this book. Looking forward to the movie. One of my favorite lines among the many: "duct tape is magic and should be worshipped".
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Short Take: Let me just first say that Weir is masterful at writing with super technical detail without it being completely out of reach for most readers. This is my second book by Weir - Project Hail Mary being the first, and it now holds a place on my top ten list - and it did not disappoint. In the Martian, Mark Watney walks on Mars, and then is caught up in a dust storm that forces his crew to evacuate. Leaving him alone ... on Mars. Weir chronicles Watney's daily routine of trying to stay alive, communicate with Earth, and amuse himself without going mad in a way that made even reading about growing potatoes interesting. At times heartbreaking, at times humorous, and at times reminding me a little bit of Tom Hanks in Castaway, this is book is one not to miss.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Awesome book that's realistically and compellingly written. Whenever something goes wrong and protag finds a solution its just so awesome. Goooood stuff
funny
informative
medium-paced