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sunshine169's review
5.0
I'm a space nerd. Love it. I hope to see someone on Mars in my lifetime. This book made me feel like it is a pipe dream but I learned so much. Also Eleanor has the patience of a saint. Nadia was snarky with her the whole book!
sternenstaub's review against another edition
3.0
This title gives a very detailed scientific exploration of the challenges facing any potential manned mission to Mars, from launching astronauts into space and landing on Mars to bringing them back home.
The central focus of the story is a dialogue that takes place between a mission control officer, Ellie, and a teenage girl, Nadia, who hopes to someday be an astronaut on a Mars mission. The characters build a decent rapport, mixing in humor and banter among what can often be tough to understand concepts.
The illustrations are helpful in visualizing the different tech and conceptual physics involved in spaceflight, and in case you forget any of the many acronyms and scientific terms, a glossary is included in the back of the volume. It is the graphic nature of this title that makes or breaks it - the format is just more accessible than reading the same material in a textbook style.
Not every reader will have the patience to see this graphic novel through, but those who want to understand the real-world science behind some of their favorite science fiction will find this title extremely informative.
There is nothing to keep this book out of the hands of a middle school reader other than the density of information presented. It's a lot to handle in one sitting, even for an adult.
Digital ARC provided by Netgalley.
The central focus of the story is a dialogue that takes place between a mission control officer, Ellie, and a teenage girl, Nadia, who hopes to someday be an astronaut on a Mars mission. The characters build a decent rapport, mixing in humor and banter among what can often be tough to understand concepts.
The illustrations are helpful in visualizing the different tech and conceptual physics involved in spaceflight, and in case you forget any of the many acronyms and scientific terms, a glossary is included in the back of the volume. It is the graphic nature of this title that makes or breaks it - the format is just more accessible than reading the same material in a textbook style.
Not every reader will have the patience to see this graphic novel through, but those who want to understand the real-world science behind some of their favorite science fiction will find this title extremely informative.
There is nothing to keep this book out of the hands of a middle school reader other than the density of information presented. It's a lot to handle in one sitting, even for an adult.
Digital ARC provided by Netgalley.
calamitywindpetal's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Cancer
saramarie08's review against another edition
3.0
Join ambitious high schooler Nadia and her mentor, ISS Pilot Eleanor, as they discuss the main problems that are face us today in getting a manned mission to Mars. The topic is presented as a conversation between the two with various diagrams and “trips” to the International Space Station, Mars, and others as Eleanor describes the hurdles scientists and engineers have to overcome. Some of the issues include the Rocket Equation, the formula for calculating how much fuel you will need to get the mass of your rocket off the ground, how to keep humans alive in space, how to safely land on Mars, and how to return home, among others.
This is probably one of the most thorough telling of the exact problems stopping us from launching a manned mission to Mars. I learned an incredible amount from this title, and I have a passable knowledge of space flight. However, this was difficult to get through in one sitting because of the density of information. Do not approach this as a normal graphic novel that is consumed all at once. The chapters are broken up into specifics problems and it is highly advised to actually pause for a day or two at each chapter and let your brain digest the information from the previous chapter. It would also be more engaging if it wasn’t just Nadia and Eleanor talking. A lot of concepts are “told” instead of “shown”. The second half of the book has more trips and hands-on things for the characters to do, but I could have used a lot more illustration on the concepts being discussed and less focus on the faces of the characters. The art is less detailed than I would have liked for complicated concepts, leaning a little more cartoony than illustrative.
Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12
This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Net Galley.
This is probably one of the most thorough telling of the exact problems stopping us from launching a manned mission to Mars. I learned an incredible amount from this title, and I have a passable knowledge of space flight. However, this was difficult to get through in one sitting because of the density of information. Do not approach this as a normal graphic novel that is consumed all at once. The chapters are broken up into specifics problems and it is highly advised to actually pause for a day or two at each chapter and let your brain digest the information from the previous chapter. It would also be more engaging if it wasn’t just Nadia and Eleanor talking. A lot of concepts are “told” instead of “shown”. The second half of the book has more trips and hands-on things for the characters to do, but I could have used a lot more illustration on the concepts being discussed and less focus on the faces of the characters. The art is less detailed than I would have liked for complicated concepts, leaning a little more cartoony than illustrative.
Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12
This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Net Galley.
suspiciouspinecone's review against another edition
4.0
Ok, so when I picked this up, I thought it was going to be a story about people going into space.
It's not.
It's about what it would take to get people into space.
And it somehow isn't boring.
It's not.
It's about what it would take to get people into space.
And it somehow isn't boring.
justanothergirlreads's review against another edition
Just not for me. There was no story
fell4's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
2.75
It was so boring for the most part BUT interesting and also the ending made me tear up. If it hadn't been in graphic novel form, I know I couldn't have absorbed/understood this information. Thank you for making this for people like me because this topic is so cool!!!