The Martian by Andy Weir
Reviewed by: Sylvia Shults, Circulation Assistant
Genre: Science Fiction
Suggested Age: Adult
What is the book about?: This book could easily be described as “Robinson Crusoe on Mars”, but it’s so much more than that. The hero, one of the astronauts on a six-person mission to Mars, gets left behind on the Red Planet during a ferocious dust storm. His crewmates, thinking Mark is dead, have no choice but to leave without him. When he wakes up, he finds himself a very, very, very long way from home. Luckily, the crew had left behind a survival module, and there is another module several hundred kilometers away — the landing base for the next Mars mission, due to arrive at the planet in four years. So if Mark can stay alive that long … he just might make it home.
My review: I hugely enjoyed this book. The science was just complex enough to make me feel smart reading it, but not at all overwhelming. Mark is the perfect hero: he faces unimaginable odds, but he finds a way to survive, and he’s got a great sense of humor while doing it. I really recommend this to anyone, not just people who normally read science fiction.
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each Tuesday at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!