Audio/Book Review of The Martian by Andy Weir

Book Title: The Martian
Genre: Science Fiction/Thriller

Pages: 385
Audio Run Time: 10 Hrs 53 Mins

Author: Andy Weir

Date Published: 13 February 2014 (E-Book)

22 March 2013 (Audio Book)

Synopsis:

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive - and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plainold "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills - and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit - he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Review:

The Martian by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review 7*

A friend recommended this book. Although I had heard about this book being made into a movie, I was a little worried about the hype and whether it would be worth it. However, I can categorically say that I LOVED IT!

I decided to get this in audiobook format, due to time issues. R.C. Bray brought this story to life with his characterizations. I really enjoyed listening to him. His narration and diction was perfect. I would definitely consider listening to more books narrated by him.

Mark Watney is a fantastic character. I fell in love with his determination and wit when he finds himself stranded on Mars, alone, after his crew members think he is dead and evacuate due to a severe sand storm. If I had been in his shoes, I think I would have gone crazy.

I am a huge science fiction/thriller fan. I started to listen to this story and I was hooked right from the beginning. I can now understand all the hype and why this book was made into a movie (which I haven't seen yet, though I am now determined to get the DVD for it since it's no longer available in my local cinema). This is a dramatic, heartwrenching and hopefilled story. I am still slightly emotional about this book (can't you tell?).

I love how the author managed to keep the tone of the story light, considering the darkness of the subject matter. He also kept the story's intensity high with dangerous situations, though with comedic results at times. The warmth and wit that he gave his characters made them lifelike and likable. The technical aspects of the story were dumbed down slightly for the layman and, although some of it did go over my head, I mostly followed and understood it. I will say, however, mathematics was never my strong suit, so had to take the author's word for it with regards to several calculations made. Nevertheless, I found myself riveted as the tale unfolded. As I reached the end of the story, I found myself on a roller coaster ride of hope, worry, terror, joy and happiness. I did think that the author could have ended it in a different way if he wanted to. I'm not sure if that would have been as well received, but could conceivably be just as realistic. I must admit that I did prefer the ending he went with in the audiobook, which I understand to be a re-imagined ending rather than the original. However, I cannot comment further as I've not read the book, so do not know if this change was made on the Kindle and print versions too.

Andy Weir has written a fantastic space thriller. To say that this is his debut novel, it is a remarkable achievement. I love his fast paced writing style and the flow was fantastic. He's found another fan! I hope he's got something else cooking on his computer being released soon, and I can't wait to find out what it is.

Due to the frequent use of justified (in my opinion) bad language, I do not recommend this book to younger readers. However, I HIGHLY recommend this book if you love a rip roaring science fiction/action/adventure/thrillers. - Lynn Worton

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About The Author:

ANDY WEIR was first hired as a programmer for a national laboratory at age fifteen and has been working as a software engineer ever since. He is also a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects like relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. The Martian is his first novel.

Author Links:

Amazon Author Page ; Goodreads ;