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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
This series of books continues to blow me away. I love how intricate the plots are, and how everything ties together from previous novels in the series - even though they aren't direct sequels.
This novel explores motherhood, and postpartum depression. It discusses so many different things really, but these two are at the forefront. We follow Anna Kubrin, a geologist and artist who is sent to Mars to paint its landscape. We follow her as she interacts with the team there and starts to uncover secrets. We journey with her as she explores her feelings of leaving her husband and daughter and her history of emotional trauma and mental illness. I found this was really well done, and discussed in length. It's easy to assume everyone loves motherhood, but we don't consider what happens when women just can't cope with these huge changes in their lives and need help, but feel too ashamed to reach out. I'm not a mother, but I still felt like this did a really good job shedding light on this issue.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and exploring more in the Planetfall universe. Definitely recommend this series!
This novel explores motherhood, and postpartum depression. It discusses so many different things really, but these two are at the forefront. We follow Anna Kubrin, a geologist and artist who is sent to Mars to paint its landscape. We follow her as she interacts with the team there and starts to uncover secrets. We journey with her as she explores her feelings of leaving her husband and daughter and her history of emotional trauma and mental illness. I found this was really well done, and discussed in length. It's easy to assume everyone loves motherhood, but we don't consider what happens when women just can't cope with these huge changes in their lives and need help, but feel too ashamed to reach out. I'm not a mother, but I still felt like this did a really good job shedding light on this issue.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and exploring more in the Planetfall universe. Definitely recommend this series!
Before Mars by Emma Newman is the third stand-alone book in the Planetfall series. So far, all three books can be read in any order, but I have been reading them in publication order as they were released: first Planetfall, then After Atlas and now Before Mars. I have greatly enjoyed the entire series, and Before Mars is my new favourite.
This was a gripping story about geologist-painter Anna and her arrival on Mars. It's set roughly simultaneously to the other two books (I would have to reread the first one to double check) except mostly on Mars. The title, I think, comes from the large number of flashbacks and memories which inform Anna's character and her place in the story. I very much enjoyed the way the book alluded to a dark past before revealing the focal incident from her past surprisingly far into the book. It was brilliant.
I think the book also has slightly different impact depending on which, if any, of the other books have been read before. And how many details from the earlier books a particular reader remembers (not many, in my case, until I had been well and truely reminded). Unfortunately I can't elaborate on that further because spoilers. Suffice it to say it would be very interesting to be able to rewind time and experience them in a different order... but I suppose I will have to settle for rereading the series when it's finished.
Before Mars is an excellent read exploring a corporation-run dystopian future in which not much exploration of Mars is happening because it's not profitable. It also explores a range of mental health issues, in large part centred on the ubiquitous computer brain implants. The approach taken is also different to the other books.
Before Mars is my favourite of the Planetfall books so far, and since I hold the others in high esteem, that's really saying something. I see there's another book in the series coming next year (don't read the blurb if you haven't read the other books!) and I am very much looking forward to reading it. I highly recommend the series to fans of science fiction and/or the earlier books.
5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on
This was a gripping story about geologist-painter Anna and her arrival on Mars. It's set roughly simultaneously to the other two books (I would have to reread the first one to double check) except mostly on Mars. The title, I think, comes from the large number of flashbacks and memories which inform Anna's character and her place in the story. I very much enjoyed the way the book alluded to a dark past before revealing the focal incident from her past surprisingly far into the book. It was brilliant.
I think the book also has slightly different impact depending on which, if any, of the other books have been read before. And how many details from the earlier books a particular reader remembers (not many, in my case, until I had been well and truely reminded). Unfortunately I can't elaborate on that further because spoilers. Suffice it to say it would be very interesting to be able to rewind time and experience them in a different order... but I suppose I will have to settle for rereading the series when it's finished.
Before Mars is an excellent read exploring a corporation-run dystopian future in which not much exploration of Mars is happening because it's not profitable. It also explores a range of mental health issues, in large part centred on the ubiquitous computer brain implants. The approach taken is also different to the other books.
Before Mars is my favourite of the Planetfall books so far, and since I hold the others in high esteem, that's really saying something. I see there's another book in the series coming next year (don't read the blurb if you haven't read the other books!) and I am very much looking forward to reading it. I highly recommend the series to fans of science fiction and/or the earlier books.
5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on
4.5/5
I had some hard time connecting with the story during the first couple hundred pages but the mystery and that ending made it all worth it
I had some hard time connecting with the story during the first couple hundred pages but the mystery and that ending made it all worth it
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The opening reminded me of Moon, the movie by Duncan Jones, but the similarities are more in tone than plot. There was a lot of thriller style tension that started with the note Anna found, but I still found it an easier read than After Atlas, which was very grim for me. The big news at the end of Before Mars was still sad, but I was expecting it the whole time, since it was also the finale of After Atlas.
Speaking of which, while the Planetfall books can be considered standalone in that you don't need to have read the previous volumes to understand the current one since any relevant details are reiterated, they are interconnected and so far written in chronological order. In my opinion, Before Mars #3 contains some big spoilers for After Atlas #2, but Planetfall #1 can be read out of order without spoilers (so far! Possibly it has spoilers for Atlas Alone #4).
Speaking of which, while the Planetfall books can be considered standalone in that you don't need to have read the previous volumes to understand the current one since any relevant details are reiterated, they are interconnected and so far written in chronological order. In my opinion, Before Mars #3 contains some big spoilers for After Atlas #2, but Planetfall #1 can be read out of order without spoilers (so far! Possibly it has spoilers for Atlas Alone #4).