Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be one of the first people to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded alone with no way to signal Earth that he’s alive. Even if he could, his supplies would be gone long before the rescue arrived. Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death–so many other things are likely to kill him first. But Mark isn’t ready to give up just yet.

When I read the first few chapters, I was really into the astronomical plot, and how Earth and Mars really connected with each other. As for being a science-lover, the science in “The Martian” is very riveting, making me want to keep turning the pages. Everything in “The Martian” was so realistic. In fact, according to the Slate Book Reviews, Weir wanted everything to be accurate as possible, so Weir read several books just on Mars.

Another thing I loved about “The Martian” is that Mark Watney is very smart and conservative. Mark grows potato farms, turns his wastes into beneficial needs, turns rocket fuel into hundreds of liters of water, etc. Readers have to solve some mysteries scientifically in order to understand the story, like when Mark drives hundreds upon hundreds of miles to get to a destination that could communicate with NASA. My favorite part is what Mark said to NASA when he was told that he was being broadcasted across the whole world.

Weir makes the reader have to translate short-term words (like iwllbbaksnn) when Mark talks to NASA from the old rover Pathfinder, sent to Mars in 1997. Weir really balances the humour with the science. Weir’s purpose was to not make the reader bored by only science.

I think Weir’s writing is phenomenal. He especially worked so hard on keeping the story realistic, in a fictional way. He was creative on how the science worked, and the characters’ personality and actions. “‘The Martian’ was truly an inspiration. Thanks to this book, it has gave me a thirst for the knowledge of science,” says 7th grader Raymond Sun. I recommend this book to everyone, especially people who are enthusiastic about science, and for readers searching for a great book to think about.