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You may be thinking, hasn’t this novel been out for like a really long time? Why are we still reviewing it? They made a movie, why do we still need to read it? WELL, probably because it is the best book I have read in a long time, and I do not read SciFi. The Martian by Andy Weir has the longevity to be a classic, which makes it even more astonishing that the bestseller is his debut novel.
The story follows astronaut, mechanical engineer, and botanist Mark Watney who is stranded on Mars. Surprise NASA! He’s not dead. The following four hundred pages find Watney logging his crazy science experiments in an effort to survive. He has to grow food on an uninhabitable planet, find a way to communicate with Earth, and somehow get the hell off of Mars. Watney’s logs are both hilarious and devastating at times and the amount of near death encounters he survives makes for a harrowing read.
The book also follows the NASA employees trying to get him home. Earth’s part of the story is full of government red tape, hope, and frustration as they try every possible avenue to bring Watney home.
The highlight of The Martian is clearly the character of Mark Watney. Yeah he is the guy stranded on Mars, of course he stands out, but it is actually his personality that makes the book so enjoyable, not necessarily his plights. I have never read a character that makes me genuinely laugh out loud. You are also so invested, because he is so likable, that his high and lows feel like your highs and lows.
Other than the fantastic Watney, the way Weir weaves the plot hooks you in from the moment you open the book. He perfectly balances the hope filled successes with the devastating failures and mishaps. You just have to keep going because you are as invested to see Watney rescued as he is. Sometimes the science jargon gets a bit in the way, but it is totally skimmable.
All in all, I cannot recommend this book enough. It is delightfully surprising and I can’t wait to dive into more of Weir’s novels.