The Martian - Book Review

The book I read for this month is The Martian. Now, you will NEVER hear me say what I am about to say again: I’m so glad that I watched the movie first. Whew! I am glad I got that off my chest.

I actually got this book years ago for my husband thinking he might enjoy reading it. How wrong I was! My husband does not read. He really just does not enjoy it like I do. However, when the movie came out, he was all for watching it and we both loved it. I recently picked the book up, since neither of us had read it, thinking I needed to give it a try. This is where I’m glad I watched the movie first. Not only is it really entertaining to picture Matt Damon as the main character, but with all the technical, engineering, and NASA terms that were thrown out at me, it would have taken me a lot longer to get through this book if I had not watched it first.

I can sum this book up in two sentences (which I don’t think I’ve really ever been able to do before). Mark, an astronaut, gets left behind on Mars when his crew mistakenly thinks he is dead. The story that ensues is the journey to rescue Mark after the crew realizes their mistake. You go through all these struggles with Mark’s character, while he figures out how to stay alive. Though Mark’s perspective dominates most of the book, the reader also gets some insight into the thoughts and feelings of different NASA employees and the crew on the space ship. Also, there is a lot of humor snuck into this book, which I really enjoyed.

Let’s dive right in to my takeaways:

1.       Again, as I said before, I’m really glad I watched the movie first. Matt Damon did such a great job playing Mark, and I could picture him the whole time I was reading. Mark is a really funny character and is able to handle being on a deserted planet by himself for such a long time like a champ. Yeah, he has his low moments, which you would expect, but I don’t know that it would have been as good of a read if it was any other character.

2.       I definitely have a higher appreciation for engineers, botanists, technicians, scientists, and all space people in general. I, myself, am terrified of space, but the fact that there are people in the real world who are able to come up with these amazing ideas and brave space is mind boggling. Way to go guys and gals!

3.       It was nice to read a book without any romance. I know, shocking from me. I love a good “will they get together” relationship, but it would have been inappropriate in this book. This was simply about a man’s survival and the science behind his mission. The only relationship you really get is the bonds of friendship and commitment the crew has for their lost member.

4.       I don’t want to spoil it, but I did tear up at the end a little bit. That’s all I’ll say here.

I’m going to keep this review a little short today because I have something special in store for you guys! For this spring post, I’m sharing some new releases that I’m excited to read. All of these books will be coming out sometime within the next couple of months.

1.       A Court of Frost and Starlight (#3.1) by Sarah J. Maas.

I don’t think anyone should be surprised that this is number one of my list because I did a review for the first book a few issues back. I absolutely love this series and these characters. I’m glad she is writing a novella to complete the series. The novel releases in May.

2.       The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy.

I’ve heard a lot of things about this book, and there is a lot of anticipation surrounding it. I don’t know much about it except for the description on Goodreads, but it sounds like a fun thriller. A group of mothers all have kids around the same time and then one mysteriously disappears. Uh oh! It releases in May.

3.       The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw.

This is a modern take on a classic siren novel. A coven of witches, who were killed by drowning several centuries ago, return from the sea to exact their revenge. The novel releases in March.

4.       To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo.

I’m actually really excited about this one. A couple of my book-loving friends are too. It is also sea-themed (maybe because it’s almost summer?), but this time it’s more like a modern Little Mermaid. The main character is actually a siren but is punished and turned into a human. She and this prince (again, Little Mermaid) are united on this hunting adventure to kill all the sirens. But can she go through with it? Hmm… we’ll find out this March!

5.       Dread Nation (#1) by Justina Ireland.

This is a black zombie hunter novel set right after the American Civil War with a female protagonist … um yes! It releases in April.

6.       Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake.

This one is a little more sensitive to today’s issues. It is about a set of twins, Mara and Owen, who are super close. Then, one day, Owen is accused of raping Mara’s best friend. Mara doesn’t believe it, because her brother would never do such a thing, but her best friend has never lied before. So, what happened? The novel releases in May. 

written by: Katie Kendrick

photography by: Katie Kendrick