The Safe Pages Rating
Romance
There were no real descriptions of romance. There was a couple that was on the Mars mission that shared a room, but nothing was in the book outside of one kiss.
Violence
There is no violence between characters, but there are a few scenes where the main character is injured due to the harsh Mars conditions. The injuries are not descriptive and more suspenseful than triggering.
Language
The book had a multitude of swear words since most of it was from the point of view of the main character’s personal log. There were many instances of “F***, “S***”, and other swear words. They were not necessary in conversation but in reflection. If swear words is a sensitive area for you, I would recommend not reading this book.
Drugs and Alcohol
The book did not have much drugs or alcohol outside of caffeine and a few instances of the main character taking some sort of drug for their injuries.
Diversity
There was some diversity of race in the characters.
Demographic
The audience for The Martian is most likely geared for men as it is an adventure survival novel without much personal drama or relationships. I would recommend it for anyone over the age of 16 because of the language used in the book, including the scientific terminology and calculations that someone younger may not understand.
The style of the book was easy to read. Most of the book was written as a journal, which resulted in an informal style of writing.
Although there were plenty of swear words throughout the book, the storyline was impactful. On the surface it is an adventure novel about a man surviving on Mars, but on a deeper level it is about friends and humanity pulling together to save someone in danger.
I enjoyed the science in the book. Because I am not a scientist, I am not sure how realistic everything was, but it fooled me! I thought the main character was clever and he knew his stuff. I think I learned a thing or two about science when I read it.
Overall, I would recommend The Martian to someone. It had a solid storyline and outside of the swear words, it was a good read.
The Safe Pages Rating System
Content Unsuitable
Read at your own discretion
Safe Pages Approved!