Shannon Turlington

The Martian by Andy Weir

A stranded astronaut must survive for over a year and a half on Mars while awaiting rescue.

While I found this to be an entertaining read, I cannot heap on it the accolades others are giving it. This book is quite flat, all plot with very little character, theme or even insight into this unique scenario that would cause it to rise about “vacation read” status. It is also quite geeky, chock-full of technical information that made my eyes glaze over (this is coming from someone who finished Cryptonomicon). I can understand why many readers enjoyed it. If what you are looking for is a puzzle-driven plot, reminiscent of MacGyver and Robinson Crusoe but in space, and you don’t mind the goofy jokes or thin characterization, this is a good read for you. If you read books for depth of character or theme, then this book is not going to satisfy you.