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adeliepenguin's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
jhstack's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
shirleytupperfreeman's review
The title and cover might put off the non-science-fiction reader, but don't let them fool you. I loved this clever, funny, and dare I say, human book. Destination Mars! has arranged for a one-way trip to Mars for 6 people. Trixie, Roger, Nicole, Stefan, Josh and Jenny won the opportunity of a lifetime when they were chosen by the audience of the Destination Mars! reality TV show. One of the 'rules' they agree to is to get sterilized and to not have sex. In the opening pages of the book, after 2 years on Mars, Jenny is telling Josh she is pregnant. A laugh-out-loud witty and tenderly philosophical story about re-inventing lives. Coming in May 2021
uppermost's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
jlamb's review against another edition
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kdzu's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
katiesendlesstbr's review
3.0
If you're here for sci-fi, look elsewhere.
Yes, this novel is about 6 people to be the first to settle on Mars, but the science is mostly sidelined. It really is about one of those "Marstronauts" getting pregnant and how each character deals with that, along with an unprofessionally written handbook insisting not to have sex and a weird, hand-wavy inclusion of aliens. I really resent the comparison to The Martian, which had such a strong focus on the scientific aspects of being on Mars and made me expect the same. I guess there were inclusions of 'scientific reports', but these were also not very professionally written, sacrificing some realness to insert poetic writing and the emotional processing of the character. As someone in the astronomical field, I was distracted from the writing whenever the handbook or field reports came up, because I couldn't stop thinking about how none of this would fly in a professional setting.
This all being said, it was an interesting book and I liked the reading experience. The characters all eventually grew on me and I liked where and how the story went. I bet if I didn't have the impression that I would be getting a more science-y story, I think I would be rating this higher. If you're into a semi-character study of people dealing with this situation, I would recommend it!
3.5 stars.
Yes, this novel is about 6 people to be the first to settle on Mars, but the science is mostly sidelined. It really is about one of those "Marstronauts" getting pregnant and how each character deals with that, along with an unprofessionally written handbook insisting not to have sex and a weird, hand-wavy inclusion of aliens. I really resent the comparison to The Martian, which had such a strong focus on the scientific aspects of being on Mars and made me expect the same. I guess there were inclusions of 'scientific reports', but these were also not very professionally written, sacrificing some realness to insert poetic writing and the emotional processing of the character. As someone in the astronomical field, I was distracted from the writing whenever the handbook or field reports came up, because I couldn't stop thinking about how none of this would fly in a professional setting.
This all being said, it was an interesting book and I liked the reading experience. The characters all eventually grew on me and I liked where and how the story went
Spoiler
aside from the aliens. I think the ending could have been just as effective if Stefan was just in his head about wanting to be alone and resenting his coworkers. Since he already had a violent outburst without aliens telling him to do it, it would have been a natural progression and made more sense. There still could have been things going wrong with the dome, especially if Stefan bolted, since there's only one engineer3.5 stars.
zellm's review
2.0
Cheesy and pretty plot-less, with interesting ideas that turn out to be nothing or explained away. Just way too many loose ends.
allimae's review
4.0
This story follows a group of scientists from Earth on a one-way trip to colonize and study Mars. It is quirky, but has a surprising amount of heart. I was very impressed with the character development, and how clear each character’s motives were. It even strays into the realm of philosophy throughout, reminiscent of Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles. The book was enjoyable, especially the refreshingly happy ending that makes the universe seem, overall, more friendly than it usually does.
beccakmo's review
5.0
Absolutely adored this novel from new-to-me author David Ebenbach! The character narratives and storytelling are akin to Fredrik Backman's work in "Anxious People"; a blend of laugh-out-loud honesty about human nature and the poignancy of each character's vulnerable backstory. Mix that with scientific accounts that are reminiscent of Andy Weir's "The Martian" and you've got a glorious tale of what keeps us human, wherever we land.