Marianna S. (Angeloudi) reviewed on 9/18/2015 + 160 more book reviews

Wow! An unstoppable roller coaster of a book! My son in law downloaded The Martian to my Kindle, and told me, "You have to read this book...you will love it!" My reaction at first was- but I dislike science fiction as a genre. Why? So glad I read this book, which is literally unable to be put down. Mark Watney's desperate struggle to survive, alone, on Mars, after the crew of Ares 3 departs, leaving him for dead after a sandstorm, really tugs at one's emotions. The book is narrated in Sols (Martian days) by this former botanist/physicist who is stranded on the Red Planet. In spite of the endless scientific jargon, calculations, ratios and, let's face it, astrophysics lessons, Watney's will to live and ingenuity makes us truly care about the outcome. My only criticism was the endless catastrophes that keep befalling our intrepid protagonist. As soon as something hopeful happens, immediately it is negated by yet another life-threatening peril or miscalculation. I was so invested in the story that I actually cried for a moment towards the end. An unbelievable story of survival against all odds.

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