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Mars Girls
"Mary Turzillo has crafted an extraordinary tale of teenaged adventure on a harsh planet. Heroines Nanoannie and Kapera use bravery and ingenuity to survive on a vividly imagined future Mars."
—Brenda Cooper, author of Edge of Dark
"Mars Girls delivers real-feeling characters in a fast-moving, exciting space adventure."
—Kij Johnson, author of The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe
Nanoannie is bored. She wants to go to clubs, wear the latest Earth fashions, and dance with nuke guys. But her life is not exciting. She lives on her family's Pharm with her parents, little sister, and a holo-cat named Fuzzbutt. The closest she gets to clubs are on the Marsnet. And her parents are pressuring her to sign her contract over to Utopia Limited Corp before she's even had a chance to live a little. When Kapera—a friend from online school—shows up at her Pharm asking for help, Nanoannie is quick to jump in the rover and take off. Finally an adventure!
What Nanoannie and Kapera find at the Smythe's Pharm is more than the girls bargained for. The hab has been trashed and there are dead bodies buried in the backyard! If that wasn't bad enough, the girls crash the rover and Kapera gets kidnapped by Facers who claim her parents are murderers! Between Renegade Nuns, Facers, and corp geeks, Nanoannie and Kapera don't know who to trust or where to go. Kapera only wants to find her parents so they can get to Earth Orbitals and she can be treated for her leukemia. Nanoannie wants to help her friend and experience a little bit of Mars before selling her contract to the first corp that offers to buy it.
Life isn't easy when you're just a couple of Mars Girls.
—Brenda Cooper, author of Edge of Dark
"Mars Girls delivers real-feeling characters in a fast-moving, exciting space adventure."
—Kij Johnson, author of The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe
Nanoannie is bored. She wants to go to clubs, wear the latest Earth fashions, and dance with nuke guys. But her life is not exciting. She lives on her family's Pharm with her parents, little sister, and a holo-cat named Fuzzbutt. The closest she gets to clubs are on the Marsnet. And her parents are pressuring her to sign her contract over to Utopia Limited Corp before she's even had a chance to live a little. When Kapera—a friend from online school—shows up at her Pharm asking for help, Nanoannie is quick to jump in the rover and take off. Finally an adventure!
What Nanoannie and Kapera find at the Smythe's Pharm is more than the girls bargained for. The hab has been trashed and there are dead bodies buried in the backyard! If that wasn't bad enough, the girls crash the rover and Kapera gets kidnapped by Facers who claim her parents are murderers! Between Renegade Nuns, Facers, and corp geeks, Nanoannie and Kapera don't know who to trust or where to go. Kapera only wants to find her parents so they can get to Earth Orbitals and she can be treated for her leukemia. Nanoannie wants to help her friend and experience a little bit of Mars before selling her contract to the first corp that offers to buy it.
Life isn't easy when you're just a couple of Mars Girls.
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Published June 13, 2017
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June 1, 2017
The nitty-gritty: A high-octane adventure tale in space, populated by some of the craziest characters you’ll ever meet.
Well, this is probably the strangest, wackiest story I’ve ever read, and that’s saying something. Being a lover of speculative fiction, “strange” is the norm and I’ve definitely read my share. Mary Turzillo takes strange to a whole new level, but she deftly combines it with humor, teenage hijinks and adventure. Mars Girls is aimed at the young adult crowd, but this story will put a smile on your face no matter what your age.
The story centers around two girls from Mars who get caught up in a conspiracy that involves a highly dangerous scientific experiment. The chapters alternate between Kapera Smythe, a young girl who (until recently) lived on her parent’s Pharm, and Nanoannie Centime, a slightly older girl who wants nothing more than to find a boyfriend. When the story begins, Kapera and her parents are all set to take the Down Escalator to Earth, where Kapera will be treated for her leukemia. But hours before the Escalator’s departure, Kapera discovers that their Pharm has been raided and her parents are missing. With mere hours to go before she misses her chance to go to Earth, Kapera contacts her friend Nanoannie for help.
But all sorts of obstacles stand in the way of these two very determined girls. Kapera is kidnapped by a group of missionaries called Facers, whose diabolical plan to colonize a new world could have devastating effects. Nanoannie steals her parents’ marsplane to rescue Kapera, but she gets caught up in the Facer’s schemes as well. All Nanoannie wants to do is meet Kapera’s brother Sekou and help her friend find her parents, but those seem like impossible tasks.
Mars Girls switches back and forth between Kapera’s and Nanoannie’s POVs, with Kapera telling her story in journal form, writing letters to her brother Sekou. Early on Nanoannie sees an old photo of Sekou and promptly declares herself in love with him. One of her biggest motivations in the story is to meet and (possibly) marry Sekou, no matter that she’s never even met the guy. Even though the story centers on both girls, for me, Nanoannie really stole the show. Her personality practically jumps off the page. She’s resourceful, brave and stubborn, but she’s fiercely loyal to her friend Kapera. Most of her chapters were hysterically funny, and I especially loved her snappy dialogue. But Kapera is the smarter, more focused of the girls, so they actually complement each other very well.
I was delighted by all the hard science references in the story, which didn’t surprise me because Mary Turzillo is married to a scientist herself. At first glance, this is a lighter adventure story with a core mystery that focuses on the day-to-day thoughts and desires of teenage girls. But there is some serious stuff going on. Kapera’s mother has just about unraveled the mystery of a project she’s been working on for years, but she’s fully aware of the dangers of setting that experiment in motion before it’s fully tested. There are also many scenes that take place outside space stations and spacecraft, and the author does a great job of painting a picture of a harsh atmosphere that is very difficult to live in. All the characters wear protective suits and gear at all times, even when that gear gets in the way of the story. These touches put the “science” in the science fiction for me, and if you enjoy this kind of verisimilitude, you’ll enjoy them as well.
Turzillo has invented her own unique slang for her story, which I have to admit took some getting used to. Words like “babehood,” “viocrypt corpgeeks” and “tanks” (breasts) caught me off guard at first. But once I got into the rhythm of the language, I realized I couldn’t imagine Mars Girls written any other way. It’s definitely a style that grew on me.
The only thing I had trouble with at first was trying to translate the ages of Kapera and Nanoannie into “Earth years.” One of the girls is described as being “eight mears old,” and I’m assuming “mears” translates as “Mars years.” It didn’t take long to realize that a day is a different length on Mars, and it was a quick jump from there to a website that told me exactly how old a sixteen-year-old Earthling would be in Mars years—just over eight years, to be exact!
Turzillo reflects on several big ideas, like what race relations will be like in the future (not much different than they are now) and the clash between religious groups. In her world, we may have made progress by expanding into the galaxy and settling on other planets, but at heart we’re still human, and we’re still facing challenges on how to get along with each other. The best science fiction uses the future as framework to examine the human condition, and Mars Girls does a great job at upholding that tradition.
Add in some emotional moments and you have a well-rounded adventure story. If you’re like me, you won’t be able to resist these Mars girls, Nanoannie in particular. Strap on your seat belt, because this is one crazy story full of non-stop action that will have your head spinning by the end.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
Big thanks to Apex Books for inviting me to participate in the Mars Girls blog tour! Stop by tomorrow for my interview with Mary Turzillo and enter to win a copy of the book!This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
Well, this is probably the strangest, wackiest story I’ve ever read, and that’s saying something. Being a lover of speculative fiction, “strange” is the norm and I’ve definitely read my share. Mary Turzillo takes strange to a whole new level, but she deftly combines it with humor, teenage hijinks and adventure. Mars Girls is aimed at the young adult crowd, but this story will put a smile on your face no matter what your age.
The story centers around two girls from Mars who get caught up in a conspiracy that involves a highly dangerous scientific experiment. The chapters alternate between Kapera Smythe, a young girl who (until recently) lived on her parent’s Pharm, and Nanoannie Centime, a slightly older girl who wants nothing more than to find a boyfriend. When the story begins, Kapera and her parents are all set to take the Down Escalator to Earth, where Kapera will be treated for her leukemia. But hours before the Escalator’s departure, Kapera discovers that their Pharm has been raided and her parents are missing. With mere hours to go before she misses her chance to go to Earth, Kapera contacts her friend Nanoannie for help.
But all sorts of obstacles stand in the way of these two very determined girls. Kapera is kidnapped by a group of missionaries called Facers, whose diabolical plan to colonize a new world could have devastating effects. Nanoannie steals her parents’ marsplane to rescue Kapera, but she gets caught up in the Facer’s schemes as well. All Nanoannie wants to do is meet Kapera’s brother Sekou and help her friend find her parents, but those seem like impossible tasks.
Mars Girls switches back and forth between Kapera’s and Nanoannie’s POVs, with Kapera telling her story in journal form, writing letters to her brother Sekou. Early on Nanoannie sees an old photo of Sekou and promptly declares herself in love with him. One of her biggest motivations in the story is to meet and (possibly) marry Sekou, no matter that she’s never even met the guy. Even though the story centers on both girls, for me, Nanoannie really stole the show. Her personality practically jumps off the page. She’s resourceful, brave and stubborn, but she’s fiercely loyal to her friend Kapera. Most of her chapters were hysterically funny, and I especially loved her snappy dialogue. But Kapera is the smarter, more focused of the girls, so they actually complement each other very well.
I was delighted by all the hard science references in the story, which didn’t surprise me because Mary Turzillo is married to a scientist herself. At first glance, this is a lighter adventure story with a core mystery that focuses on the day-to-day thoughts and desires of teenage girls. But there is some serious stuff going on. Kapera’s mother has just about unraveled the mystery of a project she’s been working on for years, but she’s fully aware of the dangers of setting that experiment in motion before it’s fully tested. There are also many scenes that take place outside space stations and spacecraft, and the author does a great job of painting a picture of a harsh atmosphere that is very difficult to live in. All the characters wear protective suits and gear at all times, even when that gear gets in the way of the story. These touches put the “science” in the science fiction for me, and if you enjoy this kind of verisimilitude, you’ll enjoy them as well.
Turzillo has invented her own unique slang for her story, which I have to admit took some getting used to. Words like “babehood,” “viocrypt corpgeeks” and “tanks” (breasts) caught me off guard at first. But once I got into the rhythm of the language, I realized I couldn’t imagine Mars Girls written any other way. It’s definitely a style that grew on me.
The only thing I had trouble with at first was trying to translate the ages of Kapera and Nanoannie into “Earth years.” One of the girls is described as being “eight mears old,” and I’m assuming “mears” translates as “Mars years.” It didn’t take long to realize that a day is a different length on Mars, and it was a quick jump from there to a website that told me exactly how old a sixteen-year-old Earthling would be in Mars years—just over eight years, to be exact!
Turzillo reflects on several big ideas, like what race relations will be like in the future (not much different than they are now) and the clash between religious groups. In her world, we may have made progress by expanding into the galaxy and settling on other planets, but at heart we’re still human, and we’re still facing challenges on how to get along with each other. The best science fiction uses the future as framework to examine the human condition, and Mars Girls does a great job at upholding that tradition.
Add in some emotional moments and you have a well-rounded adventure story. If you’re like me, you won’t be able to resist these Mars girls, Nanoannie in particular. Strap on your seat belt, because this is one crazy story full of non-stop action that will have your head spinning by the end.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
Big thanks to Apex Books for inviting me to participate in the Mars Girls blog tour! Stop by tomorrow for my interview with Mary Turzillo and enter to win a copy of the book!This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
July 12, 2017
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.
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.
August 6, 2017
Good fun novel about a couple teens from Mars saving their own lives and others too.
June 13, 2017
This book was a treat from start to finish. A fast-paced, adventure in the hard SF mould, it's pretty relentless action from the very beginning.
The two Mars Girls - Nanoannie Centime and Kapera Smythe - are a force to be reckoned with. Plunged into a world of corporate plots, deranged religionists and the unforgiving Martian terrain, their lives are in danger again and again (even leaving aside the fact that Kapera is seriously ill and needs to get to Earth for treatment). They don't even know each other that well to begin with but are forced to rely upon one another for survival.
It's certainly not clear who else they might rely on. Kapera's parents have vanished (murdered? fled?) and Nanoannie's just want her home for supper - and to stop associating with that awful Smythe girl. (Nanoannie's no stranger to trouble, having got mixed up with some dodgy types over Marsnet). The two meet a succession of ever more dodgy corpgeeks, missionaries, would-be husbands and Facers (they really have little animated faces stuck to their own faces) and discover, slowly, that they can only really trust each other. The growth of their relationship is a joy to see and in fact is a greater focus of the book than the plot itself (at the heart of which is, though, a mystery which is satisfactorily resolved by the end of the book).
Turzillo has clearly had fun inventing her own teen Mars-girl language. Good things are 'nuke'. Nanoannie, despite still more than half believing in the sand vampires from Nausica Azrael vids, is conscious of the impression her "tanks" make on the boys and wants "to dance to trendy music, try out exotic hallucinogens, buy slinky rags design on Luna". She also wants to be a commercial pilot, maybe head her own rescue agency - and get to meet Kapera's dreamy brother, Sekou (to whom Kapera's bits of the narrative are addressed, as a diary: Kapera's a bit evasive about Sekou: exactly why, we will eventually learn.)
It wouldn't do though to see life on Mars as fun, fun, fun. Danger is everywhere. Never touch the ground with anything other than your (insulated) boot. Exposure to the (lack of) atmosphere causes 'skytouch' which can lead to serious injuries. Diseases such as leaukemia, caused by the relentless cosmic ray exposure, are common. Adelaide Krintx, from Nanoannie's school, 'died in an explosive decompression accident at her parents' Pharm'. Death is everywhere, and even if friends are not supposed to die, it seems distinctly on the cards that they will.
In short, Turzillo is as good at making the girls and their lives seem real as she is at conjuring up the deadly beauty of Mars, or the orbital physics of the Up and Down 'escalators"' (to and from Earth) or the tormented yet apparently harmless belief systems of those who worship the Face on Mars. She's note perfect in catching the dichotomy between the rebellious teenager, who has important stuff going on, and the soothing parents who want her safe where they see here, and signed up to that corporate contract.
This is above all a very readable book, written in a deceptively simple style: language which seems on the surface slightly naive - 'bodacious tricknology!', 'I'm not saying I'm the nukest chick on the planet' - but which then suddenly grabs you by the throat:
"What could be better than boyfriends and money?"
"Guts".
Let Nanoannie and Kapera show you around their world - but be careful to keep your suit intact, and watch out for those sand vampires...
The two Mars Girls - Nanoannie Centime and Kapera Smythe - are a force to be reckoned with. Plunged into a world of corporate plots, deranged religionists and the unforgiving Martian terrain, their lives are in danger again and again (even leaving aside the fact that Kapera is seriously ill and needs to get to Earth for treatment). They don't even know each other that well to begin with but are forced to rely upon one another for survival.
It's certainly not clear who else they might rely on. Kapera's parents have vanished (murdered? fled?) and Nanoannie's just want her home for supper - and to stop associating with that awful Smythe girl. (Nanoannie's no stranger to trouble, having got mixed up with some dodgy types over Marsnet). The two meet a succession of ever more dodgy corpgeeks, missionaries, would-be husbands and Facers (they really have little animated faces stuck to their own faces) and discover, slowly, that they can only really trust each other. The growth of their relationship is a joy to see and in fact is a greater focus of the book than the plot itself (at the heart of which is, though, a mystery which is satisfactorily resolved by the end of the book).
Turzillo has clearly had fun inventing her own teen Mars-girl language. Good things are 'nuke'. Nanoannie, despite still more than half believing in the sand vampires from Nausica Azrael vids, is conscious of the impression her "tanks" make on the boys and wants "to dance to trendy music, try out exotic hallucinogens, buy slinky rags design on Luna". She also wants to be a commercial pilot, maybe head her own rescue agency - and get to meet Kapera's dreamy brother, Sekou (to whom Kapera's bits of the narrative are addressed, as a diary: Kapera's a bit evasive about Sekou: exactly why, we will eventually learn.)
It wouldn't do though to see life on Mars as fun, fun, fun. Danger is everywhere. Never touch the ground with anything other than your (insulated) boot. Exposure to the (lack of) atmosphere causes 'skytouch' which can lead to serious injuries. Diseases such as leaukemia, caused by the relentless cosmic ray exposure, are common. Adelaide Krintx, from Nanoannie's school, 'died in an explosive decompression accident at her parents' Pharm'. Death is everywhere, and even if friends are not supposed to die, it seems distinctly on the cards that they will.
In short, Turzillo is as good at making the girls and their lives seem real as she is at conjuring up the deadly beauty of Mars, or the orbital physics of the Up and Down 'escalators"' (to and from Earth) or the tormented yet apparently harmless belief systems of those who worship the Face on Mars. She's note perfect in catching the dichotomy between the rebellious teenager, who has important stuff going on, and the soothing parents who want her safe where they see here, and signed up to that corporate contract.
This is above all a very readable book, written in a deceptively simple style: language which seems on the surface slightly naive - 'bodacious tricknology!', 'I'm not saying I'm the nukest chick on the planet' - but which then suddenly grabs you by the throat:
"What could be better than boyfriends and money?"
"Guts".
Let Nanoannie and Kapera show you around their world - but be careful to keep your suit intact, and watch out for those sand vampires...
September 6, 2019
My feelings about this book are complex. There were parts that went by quickly and were exciting, and other parts that made me grind my teeth, particularly at some of the choices made by and for the main characters.
Things I loved about it:
1) A story about two girls. Not about two girls getting saved by other people, but about two girls who go on a wild adventure all on their own and come out okay on the other end, and a little wiser.
2) The girls are tough. They meet one challenge after another and don't need men to solve their problems. Plus, it all happens on Mars!
3) The science was very compelling. I love sci-fi where it explains enough to give you a sense the author understands the subject, but not so much that it bores the reader, and this story had a good ratio.
Things I found frustrating:
1) One of the main characters was so focused on boys that it took away from her good qualities and made her hard to relate to or even like at some points.
2) The complexities around the different religions could be confusing, and some of the references felt dated.
3) The first 200 pages were fine, and then suddenly there were enough grammar errors and typos in the last 100 pages that it felt like the copy editor didn't quite finish, enough that it detracted from my enjoyment of the story.
Bottom line:
Though I wasn't totally sold on this particular story, I like the author's thinking, and will certainly try other books by her in the future.
Possible comparisons:
If you liked Revenger (Alistair Reynolds) or Arabella of Mars (David D. Levine) this book has some similar elements that might make it worth a try.
Things I loved about it:
1) A story about two girls. Not about two girls getting saved by other people, but about two girls who go on a wild adventure all on their own and come out okay on the other end, and a little wiser.
2) The girls are tough. They meet one challenge after another and don't need men to solve their problems. Plus, it all happens on Mars!
3) The science was very compelling. I love sci-fi where it explains enough to give you a sense the author understands the subject, but not so much that it bores the reader, and this story had a good ratio.
Things I found frustrating:
1) One of the main characters was so focused on boys that it took away from her good qualities and made her hard to relate to or even like at some points.
2) The complexities around the different religions could be confusing, and some of the references felt dated.
3) The first 200 pages were fine, and then suddenly there were enough grammar errors and typos in the last 100 pages that it felt like the copy editor didn't quite finish, enough that it detracted from my enjoyment of the story.
Bottom line:
Though I wasn't totally sold on this particular story, I like the author's thinking, and will certainly try other books by her in the future.
Possible comparisons:
If you liked Revenger (Alistair Reynolds) or Arabella of Mars (David D. Levine) this book has some similar elements that might make it worth a try.
January 24, 2018
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.
April 28, 2018
This is not something I would normally read. But, I know the author and I make it a point to try to read at least one book from every author I personally know. It's geared more towards the younger crowd but that did not prevent it from keeping me entertained. As a parent, if I had kids like the two main characters in this book, they would be grounded for life and I would be questioning my parenting abilities.
September 19, 2019
The first thing I realized about this book was that the voice is much different from most of the other things I’ve read from Apex, including the majority of shorts in the couple mixed-author collections I’ve read. Don’t open this one expecting a dark, brooding tone. Despite dealing with some serious topics, the voice is surprisingly chipper. Both main characters have a certain youthful optimism that pervades the entire story in a cheeriness I hadn’t expected after selections like Sing Me Your Scars or The Kraken Sea.
But this vivaciousness is appealing in its own way and the tension of the plot will keep you turning pages. I am impressed by the variety and consistency of the world’s created vernacular and slang. The immediate understandability kept me rooted in the story and the word choices helped bring this future Mars colony to life.
Mars Girls has very much a YA feel to it. I don’t have kids myself, but I’d definitely be happy to read this one with my teen nieces and nephews. It’s probably a bit beyond what the 8-year-old would be ready for, but likely by the time she’s twelve. But don’t let the young protagonists turn you off as an adult reader either. The plot and worldbuilding was plenty strong enough to keep me enthralled.
Both main characters are extremely well-developed. They have strengths and weaknesses and progress and grow through their journey.
Only one thing about this book didn’t work well for me. And that’s on me, not the author. The one main character was extremely boy-fixated and I never connected well with that. I hated it as a teen girl myself and don’t love it now. But the attitudes of the second main character and alternating POVs kept it from being enough to put me off the book.
Overall I really enjoyed the writing. It kept me turning pages and kept my mind off my usual aches and pains exactly like I need books to do. I don’t have enough science background to comment on the viability of the tech, but it seemed credible to me and nothing ever felt off.
I’d definitely be interested in more stories from this world or other works by this author. That’s really the most telling thing of how good fiction is–whether the author has me eager to come back for more.
Overall I’d give it 4 stars, but the only negative here is personal taste. Don’t let my own teenage baggage keep you from checking out this adventure. And remember that the second MC is a very different character and provides an excellent counterpoint perspective.
The girls deserve for you to get to know them and their world yourself and make your own decision. Or for you to share them with a young adult reader. Hook that next generation of speculative fiction readers while you can!
But this vivaciousness is appealing in its own way and the tension of the plot will keep you turning pages. I am impressed by the variety and consistency of the world’s created vernacular and slang. The immediate understandability kept me rooted in the story and the word choices helped bring this future Mars colony to life.
Mars Girls has very much a YA feel to it. I don’t have kids myself, but I’d definitely be happy to read this one with my teen nieces and nephews. It’s probably a bit beyond what the 8-year-old would be ready for, but likely by the time she’s twelve. But don’t let the young protagonists turn you off as an adult reader either. The plot and worldbuilding was plenty strong enough to keep me enthralled.
Both main characters are extremely well-developed. They have strengths and weaknesses and progress and grow through their journey.
Only one thing about this book didn’t work well for me. And that’s on me, not the author. The one main character was extremely boy-fixated and I never connected well with that. I hated it as a teen girl myself and don’t love it now. But the attitudes of the second main character and alternating POVs kept it from being enough to put me off the book.
Overall I really enjoyed the writing. It kept me turning pages and kept my mind off my usual aches and pains exactly like I need books to do. I don’t have enough science background to comment on the viability of the tech, but it seemed credible to me and nothing ever felt off.
I’d definitely be interested in more stories from this world or other works by this author. That’s really the most telling thing of how good fiction is–whether the author has me eager to come back for more.
Overall I’d give it 4 stars, but the only negative here is personal taste. Don’t let my own teenage baggage keep you from checking out this adventure. And remember that the second MC is a very different character and provides an excellent counterpoint perspective.
The girls deserve for you to get to know them and their world yourself and make your own decision. Or for you to share them with a young adult reader. Hook that next generation of speculative fiction readers while you can!
November 18, 2017
Too much Jargon plus a rape plot. I got this book from Apex via their Apex Minions program in trade for an honest review Diversity: Kapera is black as is her parents. There are a few side character that are Asian? Maybe. It's hard to tell their true culture as the author seems to have mashed this culture with that culture.The first thing that put me off to this book is the piles of jargon they dump on you. We have hab-rat, mears, cuys, kweez and a ton others. While there is some explanation for some of them, you forget it by the time the next one has come up.Another thing that majorly put me off was the rape part later on in the book. It's basically "we have to rape you to repopulate stuff". This is due to the Facer religion who have "face bindis" on their heads. Not sure if it's cultural appropriation however it made me face palm. A face bindi is a tiny face on the head that usually shows the true emotions of the wearer. So these Facers basically want to go back to Earth and start some colony or something, I was confused about where they were going but it was going to take 100 years to get there.So of course Nanoannie, one of our heroes, has to be forcibly married to someone so he can rape her and she can get pregnant. Fortunately she's married to a guy that doesn't have an interest in her as she has no interest in him. However it implies both with the men leering at the unwilling women in the church and later with just mentioning the other women, that they are raped.I should mention that Nanoannie is around 14 years old. Yeah.Next is Kapera. She has leukemia so a good portion of the book she is unconscious. The only black character with a major speaking part is devoiced for a good portion of the book. I rally can't recall why she's important to the book other than having a micro disc and her relationship to her parents who are the research scientists. She's also not "African" but the jargon term "Kiafrican" which is not explained how that came about.Overall I'm not really sure what the major plot is as the duo is kidnapped and escapes capture many times. It really isn't until the middle of the book the plot seems to appear. Given the many names and corporation name drops it's really hard to follow who is with who.What really killed any final interest in this is when Nanoannie has Kapera wrist-com and types out in bad phoneticish words. It was hard to read, and with the "hic" when she has hiccups in the cuy ball every line,I just stopped caring.It doesn't really strongly establish it's characters from the start so trying to remember what's going on is hard. It also like to borrow and mash up different cultures and has a good portion that is a rape plot.
July 3, 2017
Actually 3.5 stars
Mars Girls is an entertaining read for any age and absolutely perfect for tweens and early teens.
Author Mary Turzillo's storyline skillfully combined a plot following two girls on a grave quest but riddled throughout with humor that keeps the reader amused. 16 year old, lovably rambunctious, Nanoannie and 12 year old, sweet, very astute, Kapera often reminded me of a young Lucy and Ethel. No matter how logical they thought their next step towards reaching their objective was their exploits were always met with some calamity. These tenacious girls persevered to the very end while entertaining the reader with their spunk, ingenuity and loyalty.
One thing that affected my reading, maybe because I'm older than the YA audience, but I found I couldn't take the story seriously pronouncing Nanoannie's name as the author intended, Nano-Annie. I had to read it as Na-Noan-nie otherwise in my mind it came across as a character in a children's book or a comic book superhero "here she comes to save the daaay, it's Nanooo Annneee.
I'd just like to note that the synopsis would be just fine without giving away the graves in the back yard, Kapera's being kidnapped and especially Kapera having leukemia since the storyline alludes to her being ill before it's finally revealed! These are points I think the reader would much rather discover on their own.
Overall the twists and turns in the plot, the humor throughout, combined with the dynamic characters, Truzillo created a enjoyable, entertaining book!
Mars Girls is an entertaining read for any age and absolutely perfect for tweens and early teens.
Author Mary Turzillo's storyline skillfully combined a plot following two girls on a grave quest but riddled throughout with humor that keeps the reader amused. 16 year old, lovably rambunctious, Nanoannie and 12 year old, sweet, very astute, Kapera often reminded me of a young Lucy and Ethel. No matter how logical they thought their next step towards reaching their objective was their exploits were always met with some calamity. These tenacious girls persevered to the very end while entertaining the reader with their spunk, ingenuity and loyalty.
One thing that affected my reading, maybe because I'm older than the YA audience, but I found I couldn't take the story seriously pronouncing Nanoannie's name as the author intended, Nano-Annie. I had to read it as Na-Noan-nie otherwise in my mind it came across as a character in a children's book or a comic book superhero "here she comes to save the daaay, it's Nanooo Annneee.
I'd just like to note that the synopsis would be just fine without giving away the graves in the back yard, Kapera's being kidnapped and especially Kapera having leukemia since the storyline alludes to her being ill before it's finally revealed! These are points I think the reader would much rather discover on their own.
Overall the twists and turns in the plot, the humor throughout, combined with the dynamic characters, Truzillo created a enjoyable, entertaining book!
August 9, 2022
Mars Girls turned out better than I expected. I must admit, I didn't expect much from it - both the title and the characters seemed like I'd picked up the written equivalent of some bubblegum pop song. What the hell, figured I'd blow through it in a few days and move on to what appeared to be the better choice from my library haul.
It was still a fast read, but more nuanced than I thought it would be. Not that it's *deep*, mind you. The main characters are teen/pre-teen girls, whose dialogue and concerns reflect their age. Their status as citizens of a future Mars colony is sketched out enough to create a framework for the story without losing itself in details or jargon. And in the end, the girls prove a lot more resourceful than one would anticipate.
I don't know that this is a YA novel, but it could certainly serve as one for older teens. There are a few references to sexuality (including an emphasis on potentially forced pregnancies), but nothing most people would find offensive. By most people, I should emphasize that if ANY reference to sexuality, particularly involving young people, upsets you then do us all a favor and skip this one. But if you want something featuring a plucky young woman who saves the day, you could certainly do worse.
It was still a fast read, but more nuanced than I thought it would be. Not that it's *deep*, mind you. The main characters are teen/pre-teen girls, whose dialogue and concerns reflect their age. Their status as citizens of a future Mars colony is sketched out enough to create a framework for the story without losing itself in details or jargon. And in the end, the girls prove a lot more resourceful than one would anticipate.
I don't know that this is a YA novel, but it could certainly serve as one for older teens. There are a few references to sexuality (including an emphasis on potentially forced pregnancies), but nothing most people would find offensive. By most people, I should emphasize that if ANY reference to sexuality, particularly involving young people, upsets you then do us all a favor and skip this one. But if you want something featuring a plucky young woman who saves the day, you could certainly do worse.
August 27, 2017
As someone who dreamed about going on an adventure to Mars as a child, I was excited by the premise of a world where life on Mars was not only possible, but a reality. Unfortunately, despite an intriguing premise and the potential for a new and exciting world, the book fell flat for me.
I do not read a lot of science fiction, so maybe someone more used to this type of world building would have had an easier time getting into the world, but I struggled with the world building. Instead of being captivated by the slangs and new terms, I found them to be a barrier to understanding, and the dialect made it difficult to connect with the characters.
I strongly considered DNF'ing this book, but decided to push through, and I am glad I did. As I allowed myself to just bypass words and terms that didn't make sense, and scenes that seemed to go nowhere and add nothing, I found myself enjoying the bones of the story. There were many plot points that I enjoyed and I could see the potential for an excellent story.
Some reviewers have lauded the friendship of Nanoannie and Kapera, and praised the story for demonstrating a strong female friendship where the male characters were on the sidelines, but I just couldn't see it. Almost every action Nanoannie took was motivated by her underlying desire to meet Kapera's brother - the boy she was certain would be her soulmate. Though there were hints at a solid female friendship, there were times it seemed that the reason Nanoannie cared about Kapera was that, should Kapera be lost or killed, Nanoannie would never get to meet her soulmate.
Overall, I found myself wishing that I could have enjoyed the story more. The world could have been great, the friendship could have been strong, it could have been an inspiring story about two girls overcoming all of the odds to save each other and overthrow a sinister plot.
Though I would consider reading more from Mary Turzillo in the future, I have to give this one a pass.
I gave this book a 2 star rating
I received this book for review through LibraryThing's early review program in exchange for an honest review.
Also posted on: http://megra12.com/2017/08/25/review-...
I do not read a lot of science fiction, so maybe someone more used to this type of world building would have had an easier time getting into the world, but I struggled with the world building. Instead of being captivated by the slangs and new terms, I found them to be a barrier to understanding, and the dialect made it difficult to connect with the characters.
I strongly considered DNF'ing this book, but decided to push through, and I am glad I did. As I allowed myself to just bypass words and terms that didn't make sense, and scenes that seemed to go nowhere and add nothing, I found myself enjoying the bones of the story. There were many plot points that I enjoyed and I could see the potential for an excellent story.
Some reviewers have lauded the friendship of Nanoannie and Kapera, and praised the story for demonstrating a strong female friendship where the male characters were on the sidelines, but I just couldn't see it. Almost every action Nanoannie took was motivated by her underlying desire to meet Kapera's brother - the boy she was certain would be her soulmate. Though there were hints at a solid female friendship, there were times it seemed that the reason Nanoannie cared about Kapera was that, should Kapera be lost or killed, Nanoannie would never get to meet her soulmate.
Overall, I found myself wishing that I could have enjoyed the story more. The world could have been great, the friendship could have been strong, it could have been an inspiring story about two girls overcoming all of the odds to save each other and overthrow a sinister plot.
Though I would consider reading more from Mary Turzillo in the future, I have to give this one a pass.
I gave this book a 2 star rating
I received this book for review through LibraryThing's early review program in exchange for an honest review.
Also posted on: http://megra12.com/2017/08/25/review-...
August 14, 2017
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*
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*
August 4, 2017
In the distant, but not too distant future, Mars is colonized. Emmigrants from Earth, the new Martians work for large corporations or a tenant farmers beholden to the corporations that funded their way to Mars. A few are "free holders". In this new society, two teenage girls run afoul of at least two of the large corporations, and a religious sect intent on journeying to a distant star.
With this as a basis the two seek to find the parents of one of the girls and escape the clutches of all and sundry.
The premise is not a bad one, but the execution misfires. To drive the plot along Turzillo employs so many improbable coincidences and unlikely outcomes that one eventually gives up believing anything.
The society that Turzillo has crafted is engaging, but the events and adventure stretch one credulity to the breaking point.
My copy provided by the publisher as a review copy.
With this as a basis the two seek to find the parents of one of the girls and escape the clutches of all and sundry.
The premise is not a bad one, but the execution misfires. To drive the plot along Turzillo employs so many improbable coincidences and unlikely outcomes that one eventually gives up believing anything.
The society that Turzillo has crafted is engaging, but the events and adventure stretch one credulity to the breaking point.
My copy provided by the publisher as a review copy.
September 27, 2017
* This book was given to me for an unbiased review
The story follows a preteen and her friend on the colony of Mars as they find their way through a plot shrouded in mystery and peril. I wasn't overly impressed with this book. This is a solid YA story, I think I am just not in the target audience. There are some YA books that are enjoyable for both young adults and ... old adults but there are some that are for the 10- 14 age bracket and are simply not as relatable outside of that bracket.
That said the book sets up a unique world and futuristic teenage subculture with slang and cultural norms that the reader must decipher as they go. The parallel story lines of the two girls as they get separated lend an interesting tension to the plot as it flips between narrators.
This is a coming of age tale (girls taken away from their homes and forced to take care of themselves etc) with a science fiction focus.
The story follows a preteen and her friend on the colony of Mars as they find their way through a plot shrouded in mystery and peril. I wasn't overly impressed with this book. This is a solid YA story, I think I am just not in the target audience. There are some YA books that are enjoyable for both young adults and ... old adults but there are some that are for the 10- 14 age bracket and are simply not as relatable outside of that bracket.
That said the book sets up a unique world and futuristic teenage subculture with slang and cultural norms that the reader must decipher as they go. The parallel story lines of the two girls as they get separated lend an interesting tension to the plot as it flips between narrators.
This is a coming of age tale (girls taken away from their homes and forced to take care of themselves etc) with a science fiction focus.
July 18, 2017
I truly did try to love this book, I did. But I gave up less than 100 pages in. It's a bit of a jumbled mess, as another reviewer mentioned. I do enjoy how Kapera is written, but Nannoannie got on my last freakin' nerve. She truly detracted from the story, as she comes across as super immature, even for a sixteen-year-old. Maybe I'll come back to this one and give it another go, but right now, it's not worth the read. DNF.
August 31, 2017
This is one whacky space adventure. A couple of 'Valley Girls' facing danger and intrigue on Mars. I found it fun, interesting, "out-of-this world" in many way. I've never read anything like it and found the two female characters both odd and entertaining. Great world-building with bizarre Mars beings (but, hey, it's Mars). More character development would have brought my rating up from 3 to 4. If you're looking for a fun romp with a couple of not-exactly-normal teens, give it a whirl.
October 20, 2024
I loved that this is a preteen adventure, a true girls' adventure, and not s*xualized in any way. It's
the kind of rousing story one reads around age nine or ten that shows slightly older (tween) characters who have agency even though they are still kids. It's encouraging to kids that age to see other kids doing something important. Saving the world definitely qualifies as important. A fun read and very suitable to give to a young person, especially a young girl.
the kind of rousing story one reads around age nine or ten that shows slightly older (tween) characters who have agency even though they are still kids. It's encouraging to kids that age to see other kids doing something important. Saving the world definitely qualifies as important. A fun read and very suitable to give to a young person, especially a young girl.
March 22, 2020
a good little ya adventure. I like that the girls had their foilbles and misunderstandings. unlike a lot of ya books, I feel like they got to have agency in getting themselves in and out of trouble. even if it was often for silly teenage reasons :)
May 5, 2018
Turzillo tried too hard to world-build, resulting in way too much slang that really affected the flow of the story.
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