Is This Book Even About Martians?

By Cristle C.

The Martian was written by Andy Weir, this novel is currently not only the first, but only book Weir has written. It is a Science Fiction novel full of twists and turns. When the book begins we meet the protagonist: Mark Watney. Mark's crew had to evacuate due to a turn of events, and he was left stranded because they thought he was dead. So mark is on his own, with no way of contacting home, and no way of getting help.

Mark is one of the most entertaining characters that I have ever been in the shoes of. This book does exactly that, it puts you in the shoes of Mark Watney. I was so invested in this book that I could almost feel his pain, his frustration, and fear. When he made accomplishments, I felt as though I did too. Mark is witty and skillful, he's also relentless and refuses to quit. I was on the edge of my seat, not knowing what was going to happen next drove me crazy but I enjoyed every second of it. When starting this book I didn't know a single thing about mars or astronauts, but Weir explains things in a way that makes you feel comfortable and that you know what's going on.

The Martian is one of those books where you can get different point of views. I find myself to think it's distasteful when authors do this, it can be hard to keep track of what is going on and it also can seem repetitive and unnecessary. This was not the case in Weir's work. The transitions were well written and they made sense. I could try and come up with something bad to say about this book, but I've got nothing. I was hooked right from the first line. I was also shocked that this was Weir's first book, with The Martian's success and how good it was, I expected him to have a long list of previous works.

I'd recommend this book to everyone. The only age group that I would not advise to read this is those of a very young age. Mark Watney has got quite the mouth on him, but it's entertaining and honest. If you enjoy a sarcastic, yet charming and humorous, main character, or a suspenseful survival story, you'll love The Martian. Next stop: watch the movie.

The Martian, by Andy Weir, Crown Publishing Group, 2011, 369 pages