Mary A. Turzillo

I wavered between 3 and 4 stars but I ultimately went with 4 because this book does something that, unfortunately, is very rare.

It tells the story of girls having adventures WITHOUT MEN.

Sure, there are men in the story. But they are incredibly incidental. The story is truly focused on Nanoannie and Kapera and the relationship between them is very well-written. There's an older/younger sister dynamic present which is played up hilariously. But there's also a deeper current of understanding between two girls who are very much isolated in their day-to-day lives and come to rely on one another in the face of overwhelming odds.

I loved both Kapera and Nanoannie. They compliment one another as far as their personalities are concerned and their characters are incredibly well-defined. They act like you'd expect kids their age to act; they can be annoying and imprudent and spoiled and bratty but they are also brave and kind and committed and strong.

The plot is good! Very pulpy, very hard sci-fi stuff but it's done in a very lighthearted way so it never comes across as overwritten. I loved the slang used throughout the book, I loved how the author trusts her readers to understand what she meant without bogging the book down with worldbuilding infodumps. The pacing was uneven...in fact, that was probably one of my biggest issues with the book...there was a portion of maybe the last third of the story that I felt kind of dragged a bit.

There were also some racially insensitive statements in the book unfortunately, but as I'm a white woman I don't think I'm equipped to offer that sort of critique. Things like rape and assault were mentioned but never actually occurred--in fact, there was very little male-driven violence directed at the girls, which is something else I appreciated.

Overall, this is a great book for fans of pulpy sci-fi adventures and/or readers who want more stories where girls and their friendships are put up front and center.… (mehr)

This turned out to be a great airplane read, fast-paced, imaginative, and pungent in its commentary about the workings of colonial politics and corporate clashes from the point of view of a starry-eyed teenager. I was especially amused by the Facer cult described here, in which an entire semi-secret society has been built around the so-called Face on Mars and the whacked out interstellar ambitions of its leaders. The detailed description of various transportation modes, farming techniques, and medical realities kept it all from sliding right over the edge into farce, however, and the friendship between two Mars girls turned out to be both gripping and crucial to the plot's resolution. My only suggestion? It could have used a little more proof-reading.… (mehr)

I won an e-copy through a LibraryThing Giveaway.

Basically: cool and different world-building and style, but wasn't engaging and I DNF it.

I was really excited for Mars Girls after reading Books, Bones & Buffy's 4 star review. However, I couldn't finish reading it. I found it dull and didn't care about the characters.

I made it to page 70 and put it down, and didn't want to go back. I have no desire or need to find out what happens next.

It's written from the POV of both girls, with the slang (mears instead years, etc.), and technology. However, that authentic voice and style might be a turn off for people, including me. At first, it seems cool, but annoying and a barrier, TBH.

The L.D.S Jesuit religious temple and devotees were interesting and I'm happy to see authors exploring religion evolution in the future. It was very weird and I had no idea what was going on with them, besides the creepy cult feeling.

I'm sad I didn't enjoy this one. but...*shrug*… (mehr)