The Martian – Andy Weir

Title: The Martian

Author: Andy Weir

Genre: Science Fiction

Plot: Mark Watney has just woken up on Mars after being knocked uncounsious during a Martian storm. His crew left him there as they were evacuating, thinking he was dead. He had a piece of antenna in his stomach. That, with the blood that seeped into the suit, saved his life. Now he must find a way to survive on an inhospitable planet for four years. NASA notices one of the rovers moving and see that Mark Watney is still alive. But all they can do is wait and watch. They have no way to communicate until they notice Mark taking a rover away from the HAB (living place for the astronauts). That’s when they remember Pathfinder. With Pathfinder, Mark Watney and NASA start to help him find a way home. But with everything going against Watney, can he survive long enough for a rescue to reach him? NASA tries to send Watney food, but that fails as well. How will Watney survive? He has his homemade potato farm, but how long will that last? Will Watney survive long enough for a rescue to reach him? Can a rescue even be mounted to save him?

Rating: 3.5 – a very scientifically accurate book about a stranded astrounaut

Opinion: This was a new style of book for me. It was a great book and I enjoyed it plenty. It is very factual. Though it was very scientific, it was written in such a way that I could understand it. When it got super scientific, it made my brain hurt a little. But then Mark Watney would make a snarky comment and make me smile. Mark Watney is very snarky. It made the book that much better. With all of the bad luck that happened to Mark Watney, I’m glad he never really lost that sense of snark and wit. With the snark came a foul mouth. It was as bad of a foul mouth as I was expecting. It was the standard to emphasis his mood or situation. The intro of the book has become one of my favorite intros ever, and that’s saying a lot. I’ve read plenty of books. This book has also been made into a movie. The movie does a great job of representing the book. Though the movie does add a little more to the ending of this book. Which I really appreciated. I would’ve liked a little more closure from the book. The movie also used quotes from the book, which I always appreciate. It also remained fairly close to the book. Obviously, few things were left out. Some of the more technical science parts were left out, the some of the foul language, and some of the snark. If you’re looking for a good science factual book, then I recommend this book. It’s great for anyone one who loves a snarky narrator, too.