Marsmädchen

by Tamara Bach

Miriam ist fünfzehn. Manchmal findet sie sich gut, so wie sie ist. Aber manchmal findet sie alles nur zum Davonlaufen. Sie wäre gern so wie Laura, die neu in ihrer Klasse ist und genau zu wissen scheint, was sie will. Als Miriam und Laura sich anfreunden, merkt Miriam bald, dass sie Laura amliebsten ganz für sich allein hätte. Aber Laura hängt immer öfter mit Philipp rum - ist er wirklich nur Lauras "guter Freund"?

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Lesbian, Fiction, Queer, Germany, German Literature

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2003

About the author

Tamara Bach has been writing since she was sixteen. She spent her teen years living in Oppenheim -- a small town very much like Miriam's -- and, like Miriam, wishing she lived in a big city. Today she lives and writes in Berlin, where she also works in young people's television and theater.

Reviews

[♑︎♑︎♑︎ ♑︎♑︎♑︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the original German and found it remarkable, and then I ordered the English translation for my teen, and read it again myself in English, and disliked it intensely. The English narrator sounded like a whiner, and the German one sounded, well, echt. The translation was quite close to the original so I can't really tell you what was going on in my head, only that this was a much better German book than English one.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, was ein tolles Buch. Ich habe es heute früh angefangen und nun beendet. Es war wieder unheimlich packend und echt und obwohl ich Mausmeer von der Autorin schon perfekt fand, wird es vom Marsmädchen ein wenig vom Thron gestoßen. Mittlerweile kann ich Tamara Bach wohl zu meinen Lieblingsautorinnen zählen.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty awesome. Origianlly written in German, it comes without a lot of that stupid baggage about "omgi'mgay!whatwillidonow?howwillilive?" etc. i mean, that's a valid experience, certainly, but not every queer young adult book has to be about that.

ANYWAY. What I liked most about this book was actually not at all related to it being a queer book (which is, of course, how it should be, and therefore makes this book so much better). My favorite parts were the really great descriptions of feeling like you're going out of your mind being bored by yourself and too big for silent places and just needing to get the fuck out. E.G:

"Sometimes it can be really quiet all around but inside everything starts screaming very loud, and you just want to scream yourself or kick something or spit or bounce off the walls or something.

Sometimes I feel so big inside that I don't seem to fit."

Also:

"I have to go out. I have to do something, right now. My room is too small. It's afternoon again, and it's always the same. Too much the same, too small. Not just my room but this whole house, this town. I can't breathe here any more.

I get on my bike and ride -- away from our house, fast, down the streets, away, faster, right out to the country roads. I ride and the cold rips my skin off with its claws. I get a cramp in my side. That's good. I'm freezing my ass off. That's good, too, because I can feel it all. I'm not hibernating like the other marmots any more. My heart is beating faster as I pump my way up the hill."

And:

"I imagine what it would be like to just stand up, maybe grab my coat. Walk past the other desks, chairs, idiots who I've never exchanged so much as tow words with... Stand up and use my legs. Look, outside, there's a world that exists between 8am and noon. Outside there's life to taste and smell, and in winter it's cold. Then i just keep going. Leave this small town and go out through the fields and through one small village after another, even farther than I've gone on my bike. And maybe then I'll get on a train and keep going even farther. And maybe I'll get to some place that looks nice and I'll get off. And then maybe I'll stay there."

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!!

[Bellsss · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jetzt habe ich mein erstes Buch am Deutsch gelesen. Ich weiß gar nicht genau, wie ich das Buch finde.

Der kurze Roman handelt von Miriam, die sich mit der neuen Mitschüler Laura anfreundet. Laura ist irgendwie anders, als die anderen Mitschüler- authentischer. Das findet Miriam, die ständig mit sich selbst hadert, interessant. Und durch Laura lernt sie mehr Übersicht selbst. Fast immer dabei, wenn Laura und Miriam sich treffen, ist Philipp, dessen genaue Beziehung zu Laura für Miriam nicht ganz klar ist.

Dazu eine durchgehend seltsam deprimierende Grundstimmung, so als wäre das Leben mit 15 Jahren schon vorbei, und ständiges Rauchen der Protagonisten. Die traurige Grundstimmung macht das Buch ein bischen unmotiviert.

Wahrscheinlich habe ich viele gute Details im Buch übersehen, weil meine Wortkenntnisse fehlen, und deshalb bekam ich nur einen Überblick aus der Handlung des Buch.

Das Ende war unzufriedenstellend, es war merkwürdigen und viel zu Kurtz.


Utläst 6/9-22

[Jordi Fierro Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miriam es una adolescente que va al instituto cómo cualquiera, pero que al conocer a Laura su mundo comienza a cambiar. Una novela juvenil con muchas preguntas sobre el crecimiento, las amistades, la sexualidad y el amor. Este tipo de "literatura juvenil" si que me gusta. Super recomendada.

[Gordon Ambos · Rating 4 out of 5]

"»Er meint, Laura sei«, er sucht nach einem Wort, »anders.«
Klar ist Laura anders. Laura ist anders als alles, was ich je kennen gelernt habe. Laura ist anders und das ist gut, weil hier alles so gleich ist."

[Alva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gillade det personliga språket och alla beskrivningar. Huvudpersonen Miriam är en väldigt relaterar person, det märks att hon är femton. Vissa karaktärer hade ingen mening i historien, de var liksom bara där för att. Slutet kändes stressat, inte riktigt helt uttänkt.

[sequoia gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

why can’t we let lesbians be happy???


John green meets but I’m a cheerleader I loved it

[Anna]

Girl from Mars, written by Tamara Bach, was originally published in German, but it doesn't lose anything in translation. It's a slim book (which only took me about two hours to read) told in the first person voice of fifteen-year old Miriam, who is suffering from intense ennui.

"When you live in a city, life must be different. Different from here. In this small town, every day is the same. I get up but I'm not awake. I eat but I don't know if I'm hungry. I drink but my mouth stays dry. It's winter but I'm still asleep. Every day the same."

Miriam's parents are affectionately disinterested, and her older brother lives in the basement. Enter Laura, the new girl in school, who kisses Miriam and then pretends nothing happened, leading to a crisis in the teenager's life. What I liked about this book, as opposed to other GLBT "first time" stories, was its bits of stream-of-consciousness narration. Miriam's commentary is not italicized as "thoughts" as it might be in other contemporary works, but instead flows organically.

"Laura pulls her legs onto the couch and clinks my glass with hers. "Cheers!"

Maybe we're drinking too much.

I want to kiss you.

I shouldn't drink so much. I should have eaten something.

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that it's making me completely sad."

Bach (or her translator) does an excellent job of conveying the angst, the confusion, and the joy of falling in love with someone who is completely opaque to you.

[Samantha C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miriam is a 15 year old girl, bored with the town she lives in and almost all the people in it. Almost. There's a girl named Laura. Different from everyone else, Miriam finds Laura to be the most interesting and beautiful person she's ever seen. As Miriam dreams of living in a big city, she finds love thrown at her out of no where.

Girl From Mars is a look into the life of an average teen who dreams big. It's slow-moving but engaging at the same time. Interesting details and commentary are everywhere, and leaves you wanting to see more. in general, I loved the book a lot. Miriam is a relatable character with all the usual quirks, but also unexpected at times. Either way, this is a good book with hints of wisdom hidden between the lines.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 star book. It was rather uneventful for the most part - just a nice, peaceful read without too much excitement. Might have been a 4 except the ending really sucked. :( I'd like to read the original text (in German) one day because this translation really felt like a translation.

[Shawnta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfect recommendation for a young person coming out and feeling the need for internal community. It may have moved a bit slowly for an advanced reader.

[Yeliz Elze · Rating 4 out of 5]

painfully relatable

[Cristina Boncea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romanian review: https://cristinaboncea.com/2024/06/20...

I really enjoyed this short book that I discovered during an online shopping session. The cover excellently describes the main subject of Girl from Mars – the connection between two teenage girls, and it captivated me because I resonated incredibly strongly with this story written by Tamara Bach.

What is Girl from Mars by Tamara Bach about?

Miriam feels suffocated by the small German town she lives in, where nothing interesting ever happens. She is 15 years old, has two classmates with whom she smokes in the bathroom before classes start, and a normal family. Things change when Laura becomes her classmate, and the relationship between the two grows increasingly close. Experiencing everything from the protagonist's perspective, we are reminded of the thoughts and searches of adolescence, the aspirations we had then, and all the worries about the future.
In the 160 pages, we go from school to home and, occasionally, to other people's houses and parties with these teenagers, each on their own search. The reading could be finished in a few tens of minutes and does not represent a literary titan, but it does its job very well through its simplicity – that of painting a very clear picture of the inner world of a teenager who does not feel at home among those around her.

Why read Girl from Mars by Tamara Bach

If I hadn't almost completely identified with the story, I would probably declare that this is a very bad, childish book that brings nothing special to the literary world. The translation from German to English makes it sound even more puerile, almost what could be called "trash." However, if you secretly fell in love with your best friend in high school and didn't know what to do with all those feelings, Girl from Mars can be the most healing thing you can read.
Even though it is written in an extremely simplistic way, so much so that it can be offered to a person who has just reached A2 level in English, the scenes evoked are absolutely perfect – clear and to the point; anyone who grew up in a small town will share Miriam's frustrations, who imagines a grandiose life in a big city after graduating from high school. The same goes for all the other first teenage experiences she goes through: the first time going to a club, the first joint, the first crush. Everything about this book screams "nostalgia," and for this reason, it is very dear to me.
Honestly, I don't know if the novella would be a good experience for someone who 1) was not born in a small town they dreamed of escaping from 2) does not identify on the LGBTQ+ spectrum or 3) has not experienced a homoromantic attraction to their best friend. Additionally, we can add 4) didn't care at all about what was studied in high school and maybe also 5) didn't have a good relationship with their mother during adolescence. Also, that "someone" should be female. It is hard for me to be objective when Girl from Mars seems to be written for me.

Final thoughts on Girl from Mars by Tamara Bach

The book could be written in the same words by a child who has never written anything before, but this absolute simplicity in expression gives it a special charm; it is also possible that the fact that I have not read many German authors contributes to this perspective.
If you want to read a story that perfectly captures the experience of adolescence, especially from a female perspective, read it!
Most of the time, the right books find us at the right moment. For me, Girl from Mars is a treasure, a gift from the universe meant to bring me comfort. Separated from personal experiences (something almost impossible to do), it is a banality that you might better avoid than let it stir up frustration.

[Alica · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Marsmädchen" war mein bereits 4. Buch von Tamara Bach, die sich stets durch eine spezielle Erzählweise auszeichnen. Doch es war das - wie ich finde - bisher schlechteste.

Der kurze Roman handelt von Miriam, die sich mit der neuen Mitschülerin Laura anfreundet. Laura ist irgendwie anders, als die anderen Mitschüler*innen - authentischer. Das findet Miriam, die ständig mit sich selbst hadert und nicht weiß, wer sie ist oder sein sollte, interessant.
Und durch Laura lernt sie mehr über sich selbst.
Fast immer dabei, wenn Laura und Miriam sich treffen, ist Philipp, dessen genaue Beziehung zu Laura für Miriam nicht ganz klar ist. Anfangs ist Miriam daher Philipp gegenüber misstrauisch bis unfreundlich, was sich aber allmählich wandelt.

Ich weiß gar nicht genau, wie ich das Buch finde. Es wirkte irgendwie unvollständig, besonders das Ende war mehr als unzufriedenstellend, da unerwartet, plötzlich und offen. Die Liebe, die sich zwischen Laura und Miriam entwickelt, konnte ich zwar nachvollziehen, da die beiden viel zusammen unternehmen und besonders Miriam fast schon abhängig von Laura wird, sich durch sie endlich wie ein richtiger Mensch fühlt, aber emotional kam sie bei mir überhaupt nicht an. Dazu eine durchgehend seltsam deprimierende Grundstimmung, so als wäre das Leben mit 15 Jahren schon vorbei, und ständiges Rauchen der Protagonisten. Vielleicht fühlen sich manche Jugendliche tatsächlich so verloren und sinnlos, aber verstehen konnte ich es nicht so richtig.
Die wirklich spannenden Fragen rund um ein mögliches Outing kamen aufgrund des merkwürdigen Endes auch viel zu kurz.

Alles in Allem hat mich "Marsmädchen" mehr irritiert als alles andere und mit dem enttäuschenden Ende auch noch doppelt unzufrieden zurückgelassen.

[Elliot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Genre: realistic fiction, YA
2 LGBTQ main characters: lesbian

Importance of identities to plot: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Coming out: yes

Notes: I didn’t really like this book. It was an easy read, but not much happened and the ending sucked.

[Mastah Rifu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and cosy read until the blue-ball ending. Wish I had a celestial hilltop date in the middle of nowhere too *sigh* Also, reading the word Waldschlösschen instantly hit me with the smell of sausages (I don't know why but it was very nice).

[Ilse Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un libro ligero, romántico, nos muestra el romance entre dos mujeres, lésbico, y las dudas, el miedo a ser rechazada por serlo. Empieza muy lento y la forma en que está escrita no me encanta, pero aun así se puede disfrutar

[Maya Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

War ein nettes Buch, ich fand nur das es plötzlich zu Ende war bevor die Geschichte erst richtig angefangen hat.

[Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apsolutely love it, so accurate and i fell in love with this book!

[Luphmus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ending wasn't the best, still enjoyed it though

[Wilmer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Scheisse und nichts mehr, so langweilig

[Lea Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

My older cousin gave me this book when I was 13 because she thought I might like it… well, I guess she knew I was queer before I did

[Hanna Bergquist · Rating 2 out of 5]

är säkert bättre om man pratar flytande tyska

[annika]

noch ein gutes buch im seminar?? wir haben echt einen lauf

[Gwyn Margareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

let the lesbians be happy

[J E R S O N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parece pinta de un libro Tumblr al mas estilo aesthetic sáfico con vibras de MTV (no es un insulto)

[Ruth W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich hab das Buch richtig gerne gelesen. Es liest sich leicht und die handelnden Personen kann man sich gut vorstellen. Auch das Ende war für mich richtig stimmig

[Larry Stylinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

i kind of liked it. it was very depressing :( the ending was shit and offered no closure. i felt like the translation was a little iffy. it was okay. finished it in one day tho! easy read