{"id":27296,"date":"2015-04-15T23:25:27","date_gmt":"2015-04-16T03:25:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=27296"},"modified":"2015-04-15T23:25:27","modified_gmt":"2015-04-16T03:25:27","slug":"review-of-the-martian-by-andy-weir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=27296","title":{"rendered":"Review of The Martian, by Andy Weir"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"martian_large\"<\/a>The Martian<\/em><\/p>\n

by Andy Weir
\nperformed by R. C. Bray<\/p>\n

Brilliance Audio, 2014. 11 hours on 9 discs.
\n2015 Alex Award Winner
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

This audiobook was too good. Every time I stopped my car, I didn\u2019t want to turn off the CD player and get out. Finally, when it was down to the last half-hour, I brought the final CD into my house to finish listening \u2013 even though I was already coming home late after playing games after work. The entire book was tough to shut off at any time, but a half-hour from the end, it was impossible.<\/p>\n

This book is set in the near future, on NASA\u2019s third mission to Mars. A freak accident has happened, and Mark Watney was left behind, since all his crewmates thought he was dead.<\/p>\n

The book is about his struggle to survive. Using what he has (their mission was cut short), he works to figure out how to survive long enough to last four years until the next scheduled mission to Mars.<\/p>\n

And that’s not easy. He doesn’t have enough food. He doesn’t have enough water. He has no way to contact earth. He is miles away from the planned landing of the next Mars mission.<\/p>\n

Mark is a botanist and an engineer \u2013 and his ingenuity and resourcefulness are incredible. Everything he does to survive \u2013 to make plants grow in Mars, to make water out of rocket fuel, for example \u2013 at least sounds like plausible science. And enough things go wrong to be completely believable. Just when you think he\u2019s finally got it made, something new almost kills him, and new plans must be made. The description of the mission to Mars and the equipment sent is told in such a way, I caught myself thinking it\u2019s already been done.<\/p>\n

A friend complained that the book doesn\u2019t really explore the psychological aspects of being thousands of miles from any other human. You do have to enjoy hearing about someone messing around with science and solving one life-or-death problem after another. I was so absorbed in this, I\u2019m disappointed when the book is done to realize none of it is real. (And I\u2019m used to reading \u2013 this doesn\u2019t happen to me often.) <\/p>\n

The tension is gripping, and the science is fascinating, and you grow to really like this guy who doesn\u2019t give up even when abandoned on Mars.<\/p>\n

If NASA ever does send humans to Mars, I think they should read this book first. Just in case.<\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Fiction\/martian.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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