4 out of 5 stars
“My asshole is doing as much to keep me alive as my brain.”
Mark Watney has just been accidentally abandoned by his crew on Mars. The next mission to Mars won’t happen for another four years. It’s either find a clever way to survive until then or give up.
If that were me, I would have just shit my spacesuit.
But I’m not an astronaut, botanist or on my way to Mars for any reason, so for now spacesuits are safe from me.
At first, I was worried that I would get bored with the style of this book. It begins as a journal of Watney realizing he’s been left behind and trying to find a way to survive. A diary style novel is hit or miss with me. That protagonist better be damn entertaining if I’m going to read their every thought. Thankfully, Watney is sarcastic and humorous. Had the author written him any other way, I don’t think I would have kept on. It then shuttles back to Earth and gives us the point of view of NASA scientists doing everything they can to bring an abandoned astronaut home. And for a little extra space love, it also tunes you into Watney’s crew mates, who think they’ve left a team member dead on Mars.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the best science fiction has actual science in it. This has butt-tons. Metric butt-tons of science. So not only was this an enjoyable escape to read, I also learned more about rocket science and potatoes than I ever thought I would know.
cupcakesandmachetes 