Reviews

Before the movie and the hype, this book was recommended to me (and a bunch of other people) at a meeting. The recommendation came from a very enthusiastic science teacher who claimed that it was "great" and "full of practical science!" At the moment I was intrigued by the concept of a man on mars and also wondered what "practical science" meant. I gotta say that he was definitely half right--just not the right half. "Practical science" in this case meant explaining every single detail about what you (might) need to do to survive on mars with step by step instructions. This isn't a story, it's a How to Survive Mars for DUMMIES--which probably would have been a better format.

Unless you're truly a science nerd and love the idea of being told how to modify hydrogen to make water, the (theoretical) practice of growing ~~stuff~~ potatoes on mars, and endless calculations of everything, you'll probably be as bored as I was. The first fifth of the novel is just figures and chemistry and just-make-it-stop.

Overall, the book lacks any real story and apart from the "practical science" has little to offer. Eventually

Spoiler

you'll realize that the book is just leading up to the inevitable rescue

and you're just sitting through the really boring process.

popsiwinkle's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

4.0

bookswithlydscl's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

4.25*-4.5* - really enjoyed this and for a debut is truly an astounding novel. Loved the humour, tension, and world that is built through Mark's narrative. Read Project Hail Mary before this and I think overall I preferred the story and characters in that novel which is why this didn't hit 4.5 or 5* as I didn't quite connect with Mark as much. Overall though, really enjoyed it and thought the audiobook experience really did make it even better.