Weir, A. (2011). The martian. NY: Broadway Books. Mark Watney is the protagonist in The Martian. In the novel, during a storm while on a manned mission to Mars, Mark is lost and presumed dead by his crew. However, unbeknownst to his crew, Mark has survived the storm, but they have already left him behind. Now stranded on Mars, Mark uses his botanist skills to grow food and survive on his own. The novel ends with Mark’s crew that abandoned him rescuing him from Mars. Lewis reports that all six crew members are safe, and they prepare for the six month journey back home. I think the intended audience for The Martian might be for ages 13 and up. Recommendations for follow up reading include Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, Go See the Watchman by Harper Lee, and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I believe The Martian meets the mental and emotional developmental criteria because Mark must deal with being stranded on Mars, all the while he sits and contemplates whether he is going to be rescued and get back home, or even survive on is own. I think The Martian also meets the social developmental criteria because Mark’s crew mates feel guilty about leaving him behind, but when the opportunity arises, Mark’s five crew members jump at the chance to undo the wrong they did when they get the chance to rescue their friend, Mark, from his isolation on Mars.
