Book Review | The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian by Andy Weir
Published by Crown Publishing on February 11, 2014
Genres: Adult, Science Fiction, Survival
Pages: 369
Format: Paperback
Source: Giveaway
Goodreads: ★★★★

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 & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& 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 plain-old "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—& 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

I was beyond excited when a won a giveaway for a copy of The Martian by Andy Weir. This science fiction novel has quickly been gaining recognition and gathering hype in the book community. If you haven't heard of it yet, you will soon. A movie starring Matt Damon is set to be released in November of this year. I knew I had to read this as soon as possible to avoid spoilers, and to be prepared for the film adaptation's release. 

First of all, how awesome is the premise of this book? Astronaut Mark Watney is stranded on Mars. Everyone thinks he's dead, he has no contact with Earth, and he has to figure out if there is any way possible to survive on the red planet. I was instantly sucked into this survival story, and truly amazed at Watney's ability to stay calm under dire circumstances. Plus, the guy is extremely hilarious and a lovable character. I was rooting for him from page one. Suffice it to say The Martian is an inventive and captivating story.

The writing style, however, was a bit too inventive for me. Much of the book is written by Watney in log entries detailing his days and his plans. The book starts out this way, and suddenly after fifty pages, the reader is provided with a third person narrative overlooking NASA and how they discover Watney is still alive. This jump was a bit surprising, but quite manageable. Then, things get even more unique – there are random passages that don't fit with either point-of-view. They are thrown in sporadically, and as a reader it was jarring to the cadence of the book. At times, I had to reread passages to even understand their purpose. While I can see how this experimental writing could work for some readers, I was not a fan of the passages that didn't fit within the book's writing pattern. 

In the same way, the pacing of The Martian was a bit off for me as well. At first, readers follow Watney at a steady pace. Then, all of a sudden, the story has skipped forward 150 Sols (Martian days). It was almost as if a huge chunk of the story was edited out so the publisher could shorten the book. The author does explain this time jump through Watney's log entries, but it took a bit of credibility away from the story for me – are we supposed to believe that Watney just doesn't log anything for half a year when he wrote regularly before? 

My last critique is difficult for me to even believe – I got bored. Yeah, Watney was stranded on Mars figuring out how to live and I got bored! Somewhere around the 250 page mark I was wishing the story would pick up again. I'm not sure how this happened, but for some reason the action died down in the middle. Luckily, the ending started picking up, and I raced through the last hundred pages. 

Putting those gripes aside, The Martian really is a remarkable novel. It sparks a great discussion on how far humans will go to remain alive even when things look hopeless, and how the cost of one human life is truly priceless. I loved the sappy moments throughout the story to show Watney's emotional struggle that he often tries to hide in his log entries. I also thought the ending was perfect, but you'll have to read it to see if you agree. 

In the end, I do highly recommend The Martian. Don't be afraid to pick this up if you're not a science fiction fan. I know absolutely nothing about science and found the story easy to follow even with all the technical jargon involved. In fact, I felt as if I was learning a lot while reading an entertaining book – that's a win-win right there. I look forward to more work by Weir in the future (another Watney novel would be great!). 

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Book Review | The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Published by Houghton Mifflin in 1993
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Classic, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 225
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Goodreads: ★★★★ ½

The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

 REVIEW

Growing up I remember seeing the cover of The Giver hanging on the walls in Barnes & Noble. I used to think that it was an older classic, so I was surprised to learn that The Giver was, in fact, first published during my lifetime in 1993. While The Giver was never at the top of my "to read" list, I was compelled to purchase the book when I heard a film adaptation was being released. I was also excited to hear this is a dystopian novel, as that is one of my favorite genres. 

Besides knowing that one of the characters in the book was an old man called The Giver, I knew nothing about the story whatsoever. I enjoyed discovering the new world inside the pages as I read. One of my issues with the story, however, was the world building. The Giver takes place in a future that is quite different than ours, and Lowry slowly reveals the makeup of that fictional world. While I appreciated the gradual development of the setting, I found that as I finished the book I still had a number of questions about the world. Thus, I docked half a star from my rating due to the lack of detail surrounding the book's setting.

Putting that critique aside, I greatly enjoyed the remainder of The Giver. The story follows twelve-year-old Jonas as he receives his Assignment, or the job he is to perform for the rest of his life. Jonas lives in a world of Sameness, a concept that is discussed throughout the book, and one that I found quite thought-provoking. What first might seem as a happy, organized, and simplistic life may actually be a life devoid of true feeling. Jonas begins to understand the truth about his community after receiving his special job, and he must decide what he can do, if anything, to change the future for himself and his family. 

I finished The Giver in one day, not simply due to its short length, but to its fast-paced and flowing language. I constantly wanted to know what would happen next for Jonas, and I craved to discover the secrets of his community. The ending of this novel came upon me quite quickly, and is one filled with emotion and a bit ambiguous. I closed the cover thinking "what just happened?," which gave me some time to digest this deep and meaningful story. I now understand why The Giver is a loved book, and if you have not yet read it I highly recommend doing so. Please share your thoughts on The Giver in the comments! 

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Book Review | Soulprint by Megan Miranda

I've always been interested in the idea of reincarnation, so when I discovered Soulprint by Megan Miranda on NetGalley I knew I had to request this title for review! Plus, check out how awesome this cover is! If that doesn't scream intriguing I don't know what does.

Soulprint is a young adult science fiction book that follows main character Alina Chase who has lived her seventeen years on an island. This island is not a tropical paradise, but a prison. Alina is confined because of her soul, which belonged to notorious criminal June Calahan. New technology has allowed scientists to track the life of souls from one person to another, and it is believed that personality traits transfer with souls. Thus, Alina lives a solitary life to ensure she can't continue what June started before her.

Yet Alina has been planning to escape her island for seven months ever since she received a secret message in her science homework. As the day arrives, she wonders who will help her get out, and if they will be successful. Soulprint follows Alina as she gets off the island and attempts to clear her soul's name before she is captured by authorities.

I thought Soulprint's premise was really interesting. I've never read a book in which the concept focused on the reincarnation of the soul, so I wanted to see how Miranda would develop the story. I thought the book had excellent pacing, as there was enough detail in each scene to fully play out the story but at the same time I was compelled to keep turning pages at a fast rate.

However, there were a few things that fell totally flat for me. First, there is a huge plot hole in the early half of the book that really takes a lot of creditability out of the story. In one scene, a car is pushed into the water so that it cannot be found. Yet later the characters retrieve the vehicle, which is miraculously out of the water. This seems to be an editing mistake. Second, there is major insta-love in Soulprint. In fact, I've never read a book with such instantaneous insta-love before, and it really annoyed me. Finally, the ending to the book was not believable at all. Thus, these three factors together led me to give the book a 3 out of 5 on Goodreads.

All in all, Soulprint is a fun read that I think is really unique. I do wish Miranda focused more on the main plot of discovering June's past life and left the romance behind, but I would recommend this book if you enjoy science fiction or if you're interested in exploring reincarnation in fiction. Soulprint will be released on February 3, 2015 and is available for preorder on Amazon HERE.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Trailer | Anomaly by Tonya Kuper

Anomaly by Tonya Kuper is being released by Entangled Teen on November 25, 2014. Here is everything you need to know about this new, young adult release! 

COVER & SYNOPSIS

Reality is only an illusion.

Except for those who can control it…

Worst. Birthday. Ever.

My first boyfriend dumped me—happy birthday, Josie!—my dad is who knows where, I have some weird virus that makes me want to hurl, and now my ex is licking another girl’s tonsils. Oh, and I’m officially the same age as my brother was when he died. Yeah, today is about as fun-filled as the swamps of Dagobah. But then weird things start happening…

Like I make something materialize just by thinking about it.

When hottily-hot badass Reid Wentworth shows up on a motorcycle, everything changes. Like, everything. Who I am. My family. What really happened to my brother. Existence. I am Oculi, and I have the ability to change reality with my thoughts. Now Reid, in all his hotness, is charged with guiding and protecting me as I begin learning how to bend reality. And he’s the only thing standing between me and the secret organization that wants me dead…

BOOK TRAILER

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tonya Kuper is the author of ANOMALY, the first in the Schrodinger’s Consortium Series, a young adult science fiction trilogy, releasing November 25, 2014 by Entangled Teen. She fell for Young Adult lit while earning her Master’s degree in Reading Education. She's a mom to two awesome boys, an alt music junkie, a Star Wars nerd, and in love with Sherlock.

Find Tonya online:

Website: http://tonyakuper.com/

Twitter: @TonyaKuper

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Are you excited for Anomaly?! Let me know in the comments! 

Book Review | Extraction by Stephanie Diaz

I absolutely love reading young adult dystopian books, so when I heard about Extraction by Stephanie Diaz I knew I had to add it to my list. It is the first in a new series, and was just released this past July. If you're looking for a dystopian pick with some unique science fiction elements, you'll definitely want to pick up Extraction!

Readers follow sixteen-year-old Clementine as she struggles to survive on the Surface. Because of pollution, the moon has started leaking a killer acid through the depleted ozone layer. Though scientists built a shield to keep the acid from killing the population, most people now live underground, with the Core being the desired place of residence. As the book begins, Clementine is about to take the Extraction testing. This test decides whether she will be chosen to live in the Core, or whether she will be killed at age twenty once she is no longer needed.

Clementine scores well on her test, and is given the opportunity to escape the Surface. But leaving means she will be ripped away from her best friend Logan, whom she will most likely never see again. Clementine hopes her new life in the Core will be a safe one, and that she might possess enough Promise (the score each citizen is given according to their physical and intellectual abilities) to impress the Core's commanders.

Overall, I really enjoyed Extraction, and gave it four out of five stars on Goodreads. The story is fast-paced, easy to read, and very adventurous. There were many twists and turns around the way, but they were logically written and Diaz drops subtle hints to carefully craft the story. I also really enjoyed the characters, and how I never knew who I could trust and who was a bad guy. My only critique was that there are many elements of Extraction that were very reminiscent of other dystopian novels I've read. I would have liked a bit more originality at some points, but for the most part the story is out of this world (pun intended).

While Extraction had a solid ending, I'm very much looking forward to the second book Rebellion which is scheduled to be released in February of 2015. If you love the young adult dystopian genre like I do, I highly recommend picking up this series. Extraction is available for purchase on Amazon HERE. You can also preorder Rebellion HERE to make sure you'll get the next book as soon as it's released! As always, please let me know your thoughts on Extraction in the comments below!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

I've been a huge fan of Ann Brashares since I read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series while I was growing up. I recently had the opportunity to meet her at a Barnes & Noble signing along with three other authors. It was a fantastic experience! I was able to get her latest release signed, and I read it a couple weeks back in one sitting.

The Here and Now is a young adult novel that combines the contemporary and science fiction genres. Our main character is Prenna, and the story is told from her point of view. Prenna is an immigrant, but she is an immigrant from the future. She immigrated to the present-day United States with her family and other members of her community in order to help prevent the blood plagues of her time.

Prenna must follow a number of rules to survive. We follow her as she tries to fit in at her local high school, while still keeping distance from the other students. Prenna is soon faced with the opportunity to join forces with her friend Ethan, as they try to stop a murder from happening. The Here and Now follows this young couple as they discover the truth about time travel.

While The Here and Now has received mixed reviews, I really loved the story. It is extremely fast-paced, a bit mysterious, and, of course, it tugs on the heart strings as well. Brashares' writing style is one of my all-time favorites. She has the ability to let the reader figure out part of the story, but not the big picture. I actually gasped out loud at one point during a twist I didn't see coming. My one criticism with this book is that it is too short. I feel like the book was condensed into its 242 pages, when it could be much longer. That would have left more breathing room for much of the action, and I would have more of this storyline to enjoy.

Overall, I am rating The Here and Now a 4.5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. If you like time travel books, I highly recommend this one. It made me call to action everything I knew about time travel from popular culture, even though this definitely plays by its own rules. You can purchase There Here and Now on Amazon HERE. I look forward to reading more of Brashares' books in the future! (Pun not intended.)

I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.