Matcha & Motifs Book Review 4/5 

Mark Watney finds himself stranded on Mars after a tremendous dust storm forces his crew to evacuate. Now, he must face this barren wasteland alone and find his way home. 

This is actually my first purely science fiction book, not YA sci-fi, and surprisingly, I found it digestible and intriguing. There’s a beautiful blend of math and science that adds to the story instead of making it too dense to comprehend. The whole premise of the novel is otherworldly. How does one get home after being left on Mars? How did humanity even make its way to Mars? I think the beauty of science fiction is that it stretches the facts and imagines a world that could actually exist one day. We have robots on Mars, so this doesn’t sound too far from reality, but what’s cool is that science fiction shows us a world where this is the norm. I think I’m going on a little tangent about science fiction in general, but as a girl who loves science, I find this so interesting. Despite my interest, I don’t feel as well-versed in this genre to really review this book, so I guess this review is more of a first impression. Here is a review from a girl’s first science fiction book. Enjoy! 

***CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!***

Plot 

The pacing and perspectives create a fluid plotline. I like how it starts smack dab in the action, and we slowly make our way back, recalling what happened to get Mark here. This plot placement allows for an introduction of Mark and shares the near-death predicament he’s in. Additionally, I think the scientific incorporation of logs was a genius touch because it gives us a glimpse of Mark’s first-person thoughts. It made me care more about him because I felt like I was there with him. Overall, the writing is so smooth. IS THIS WHAT SCI-FI IS??? 

When we made it past immediate danger, we shifted our lens onto Earth. The story told in the third person allows us to see the situation from different angles and get to know the relevant parties. From a single person discovering that Mark was alive to NASA establishing a plan to bring him home, all while the press was releasing news. All of this story-building was important to Mark’s survival and emphasizes the notion that it takes a village to do any tremendous feat. This feels so realistic and I think this lends itself to empathy more easily. I enjoy how this book shows us that it takes everyone to progress in science by exemplifying that it takes everyone to bring Mark home.

Furthermore, this book does a good job of creating tension and delays. Not everything goes right, and it even gives me moments of doubt that maybe this is one of those stories where our main character doesn’t survive. That is probably the higher probability, and I like this. Obviously, I want him to survive, and that would be the ideal ending, but I like that there were moments where that might not be the case. Hey, too much plot armor ruins things; you gotta throw in some realism. Like when the Iris Space Probe failed to launch due to a lack of quality checks because we were running out of time, I liked that. This is science; things go wrong more often than not. But more so, I was stressed. I was worried. I was on an adventure. 

There is something about this novel that gives me the “wow” feeling. It’s like when you finish a movie, and it leaves you feeling inspired and that things work out in the end. For this book, I think it’s the tenacity. Over and over, they kept tackling and solving the problems that arose. They kept looking for solutions. I’m not sure if this is a niche for science and math, but it feels very inspiring. Additionally, I think what made it touching was the faith. Even after the Iris Probe failed its launch and they were put in a serious predicament, they still chose to take risks. They chose to use the Chinese probe to deliver food to the Ares 3 crew, who then returned to pick up Mark on Mars. It was a huge gamble, risking six lives instead of one. In the literal sense, it was go big or go home. The fact that all it took was one person to believe and be willing to convince the others feels so human. Sometimes, in science, there is an emphasis on doing multiple trials and double-checking your work. Although that is super important, I felt that this moment was more than just science. It was seeing the value of a life and doing everything in their power to save it, even though NASA’s reputation was on the line. Even though everyone’s eyes were on them. You would want someone like that if you were Mark. It made me feel significant enough to be saved. This novel shows that it’s human ingenuity and intelligence that progresses exploration and science, but ultimately, it’s humans’ perseverance and faith, something hard to quantify or rationalize, that saves him.

Character

I think what makes this book so unique is that our main character is Mark Watney. What a guy. I think this is one of the best parts about the book. Not only was the author successful in making me care about him, but I also genuinely liked him. I would be friends with someone like him. His humor and perseverance make him so likable, and these attributes might just be the thing that keeps him alive and sane.

There were so many moments in this book that made me laugh audibly. Mostly Mark’s dialogue in his logs. Some of his exclamations sound like me, a regular person who boos at things going wrong without a filter. 

Side note: I have yet to see the movie, but I wonder how they create this sense of intimacy with Mark Watney. Does his humor translate in film? Is this even something they keep? 

I can’t believe how smart some people are. I can’t believe Mark was able to use math and science to get off Mars. That is insane. There was problem after problem, and each time he did the mental and physical labor for it. From making soil to making water to patching up the Hab when it blew up. It’s truly astonishing how incredible the human brain can be. I wonder if Mark survived because he’s Mark. What if it was someone else? Someone more susceptible to dejection. I think it would’ve been a more inspiring and touching story if Mark himself had experienced a loss of hope and then regained it. It would’ve been cool to explore human nature a bit more in this novel. I feel that any human in that situation would, at some point, feel at a loss. Loneliness, insanity, depression- all things that could come easily in this dire situation. I can understand that sometimes when there is so much going on, creating plans, being on a time crunch, overall, surviving, could’ve stifled any feelings of discouragement. But still, we’re humans. How strong does one’s humor and innovation have to be to not succumb to despair?

Overall, this was a great read! Let me know if you’ve seen the movie and how it compares to the book. Did you like one more than the other? This book reads very movie-like; I can see visuals now: a pan of space and the brilliant red planet Mars. The screen changes to the midst of the dust storm; the lack of visibility and cut-off comms create drama until it’s all quiet and we are left with the lone astronaut. The screen changes, and we hear the chaos at NASA headquarters first; then we see scientists running, coffee mugs strewn, and papers scattered, all while the press shakes their microphones and flashes their cameras. Mark Watney appears on TV while children pray for him to come home. Did I get any of it right?