THE MARTIAN BY ANDY WEIR
Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
“Yes, of course duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.”
― Andy Weir, The Martian
Source: Blogging For Books in return for an honest review
Synopsis:
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first man to die there.
It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he’s stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive–and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to get him first.
But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills–and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit–he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
*I would like to thank Blogging For Books for a copy of this book in return for an honest review*
The Martian is an intense thrill ride that causes you to develop an attachment to the main character, Mark Watney. You are rooting for him the whole time and become emotionally invested in his survival. A gripping survival story showcasing humor, ingenuity and resilience of one man that is left behind on a mission to Mars.
I haven’t read much science fiction and have wanted to explore the genre more. After hearing superb reviews and praise for The Martian and finding out it was being turned into a movie. I had to pick it up and see what it was all about. This book completely blew me out of the water by this book. I don’t think I can express my feelings and thoughts about this book without raving, fangirling and rambling. So bare with me.
Weir’s writing did so many things and his writing style was so unique. It worked so well in creating a story that sucked me in completely. The story made me feel like I was one of those people sitting at home glued to the television, keeping up with “Watney Watch”. The book is written in journal entries from Mark Watney, who was left behind and now trying to survive all on his own on Mars. Watney has such a smart-ass humor that makes you forget at times that he might die at any moment. He is a kickass scientist! His ability to problem solve and survive situations that I would definitely never make it through, is absolutely amazing. There are emotions that come through while reading his entries. You begin to realize that he is doing this to try and maintain his sanity.
Weir incorporates a lot of science (chemistry, physics etc) into the story (I mean it is a science fiction novel) But it is done is such a fantastic way that I actually understood what was going on.
(I am not scientifically inclined at all). Everything is explained and it helps you realize how long Watney has to survive or how important a certain thing is to his survival.
Of course we also get some of the story from the crew members that left Watney behind. Also from the people at NASA back home. I thought that this added information and perspective really rounded out the story. It added to the suspense and created a situation much like that of Apollo 11. (have you ever seen the movie? This book has that kind of feel). Although Watney was the main character and one I extremely enjoyed, especially with his smart-ass attitude. I enjoyed the other characters and the development that happened with them.
Overall, I do not know if I could recommend this enough. I believe everyone could find aspects of this book they enjoy and it could appeal to all ages. At its core it is a Mars survival story, but it explores the human psyche, the coming together of the human race, sacrifice and the scientific field.
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