The Martian by Andy Weir Reviewed by Chloe Lam

  Astronaut Mark Watney was left behind on planet Mars after a sudden home base evacuation due to a fierce sandstorm. After being impaled with a sharp metal antenna and swept away by the wind, Watney was presumed dead by the rest of his crew members. Angry and distraught, his colleagues had to make the difficult decision to leave and  begin their journey back to Earth. However, little did they know, Watney actually survived the storm and was still alive! Back in Huston, a satellite specialist detects movement on Mars after the spaceship Hermes had already left the planet. Curious, they look into this. Using high tech NASA technology, it was discovered that Watney was not dead! 

Determined to save the stranded astronaut, everyone on the NASA team came together to formulate a plan to save him in the least amount of time. While waiting for his rescue, Watney had to carefully ration out his existing food as well to create a system to grow food and cultivate drinkable water. Now, the real question is, Will NASA be able to save him before time runs out?

SMUS Middle school pillars: Courage, Honesty, Respect and Service

The main character Mark Watney developed and demonstrated all the SMUS pillars in this novel. Watney showed the courage to survive in the harsh climates on Mars. He was honest with himself and his limitations with resources available. He also showed respect  for his crew members' decisions, while knowing that they were not to blame. And finally, Watney provided service to  NASA by being an Astrobotanist.

Star Rating:

 I give this book a 5 star rating for its amazing plot.

Recommendation:

  Title: Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline

If you enjoyed the book The Martian, I would recommend you reading Ready Player One.  It is another great science fiction novel that requires the main characters to solve puzzles and endure hardships. You may also be interested to know that Hollywood has made movie adaptations of both these two stories and is worth the watch!

Thanks for reading my book review!