A review by gaylandtoo
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

challenging dark reflective sad slow-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

2.75

there were some parts of this book i thoroughly enjoyed, but i found that some storylines were distracting from the main one: romy's story of her time in prison and her motherhood. i also found the ordering of events to be deterring from the purpose of the novel; i often found myself wondering why i was learning about this character. i loved romy and her love for her son, and i believe her story is powerful. unfortunately for me, the execution of this novel falls flat.