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startjpw23's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
In this book, Mark Watney is an astronaut who is part of the Ares 3 mission which is the 3rd mission by NASA to land people on Mars. The year of the mission isn't stated, but the book does mention the Pathfinder vehicle being landed on Mars around 20 years ago. That puts the Ares 3 mission around 2016 which is a few years after the publication of the book. It presents a more optimistic view of how far exploration of Mars has advanced than the current reality. At the beginning of the book, a strong storm hits the area the where the crew has their station (the station they stay at is called the Hab). Watney is blown away by the storm. The remainder of the crew believes him dead and is forced to leave the surface of Mars without Watney. Watney was injured, but he didn't die. Not long after, people in Nasa discover that Watney is alive. The remainder of the book is Watney trying to survive long enough so a mission to save him can be mounted. This is a hard science Sci-Fi book. There are a lot of details about the technical things Watney and the NASA people do to try to get Watney back home. Watney is a mechanical engineer and a botanist so the technical things he does are believable. Although I found the detailed explanations mostly interesting to read, there were points I found them tedious. There were some off-color jokes and statements made by people in the book that some may find a little offensive. As I worked in technical fields, I found these jokes and statements realistic. Many of us who work in those areas are a little awkward. We deal better with things than people. The book was very thrilling. I recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a problem with the hard science parts of it (there are a lot of these) and the off-color jokes and statements (there aren't that many of these).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexism
bubblegum268's review
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Sexism
nilsnoether73's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
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
3.75
M'ha agradat, però ha sigut massa detallat en algunes parts. Entenc que en Mark és un científic i que sap moltes coses però el seu coneixement sense haver de consultar res era un pèl massa. Els personatges en general són bastant plans i no canvien gaire al llarg de la novel·la. A part d'en Watney, els personatges semblen més aviat caricatures amb un tret distintiu que els diferencia de la resta. Tanmateix, la història té molt bon ritme i el realisme afegeix un munt a la tensió de la trama. El Mark és un personatge molt afable i carismàtic, exceptuant alguns comentaris sobre dones que es nota que han estat escrits per un home.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Eating disorder, and Misogyny
creepypiespice's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Excrement, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Grief, and Medical content
Minor: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Cannibalism
greatsilverini's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Confinement
Minor: Racism, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
mariebrunelm's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Sweet Eru, this book was *good*. I was a little wary going in since, you know, reading about an astronaut stranded on Mars and living in a confined space wasn't exactly the type of escapist literature I was craving, but I had a good feeling about it, and Andy Weir flew by my expectations. This is a story of hope. Defiant hope despite the odds. Yes, the hero can't go out - at least not without the proper suit. Yes, he faces death on an almost daily basis while being away from his friends and family. But there is so much hope, with a dash of humour, that I felt energised rather than anxious. I even laughed out loud at one of his jokes, and let me tell you it had been a long time I hadn't laughed out loud while reading. Mark Watney isn't perfect. He's human. And while some characters have internalized sexism, the book in itself isn't sexist in my opinion - looking at you The Grace of Kings. If you're in need of a pick-me-up, let me suggest this story of a man doing his best not to die.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Confinement
Minor: Excrement, Medical content, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
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