Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Audiobook Review: The Martian by Andy Weir



Title: The Martian
Author:
Andy Weir
Narrator: R.C. Bray
Publisher: Crown Publishing (Random House)
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Acquired Via:
Personal Collection

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 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—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?


My Review

The Martian had been on my radar since its release last year, but I never felt too strong of an inclination to read it. It winning the Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction didn't really affect me either. It was not until The Martian stayed checked out for so long from my library that I was concerned it was lost did I finally decide to give it a shot. I already had a Kindle copy because I have no self control when it comes to Daily Deals, but per my Goodreads friend Damili's recommendation, I went for the audiobook.

I am telling you all of this because my review could be nothing but GIFs and/or emoticons otherwise.

There aren't many books or movies that have me so emotionally invested. I was thinking about Mark Watney even when I wasn't reading. I want to be friends with Venkat Kapoor, Mindy Park, and Rick Martinez. I never want to get on a spaceship or go back to a desert (which is totally like Mars, right?). This is the ultimate reading experience because everything about it is wonderful, even though it kind of sucks for Watney. It's great seeing everyone come together to try to rescue our stranded MacGyver.

As for the science fiction part of The Martian, don't go in thinking there are going to be space battles with aliens or time travel. It reads more like Michael Crichton than Robert Heinlein. The science is accessible to the average Joe (me), and it is written in such a way that I'm pretty sure that it could all happen. Seriously. Mark Watney was even written in such a way that of course all of his shenanigans were possible. OF COURSE.

And thank you, Damali, for telling me to listen to the audio version. R.C. Bray is a genius voice actor. He was able to bring every character to life, and he made each of them distinct, which is quite a feat. I liked his interpretation of Watney best, and I laughed out loud multiple times during his performance, so kudos to him as well as Andy Weir.

No matter what your genre of choice is or even if you read adult books, you need to have The Martian open and in your hands. Put everything else down. I swear you will thank me for it.

- 5/5 Stars -

Buy Links
Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Fishpond
Google Play | iTunes | Kobo




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You are going to put words in my box?! *squeezes you* Now I shall stalk YOUR blog!