Mars awakens by H.M. Waugh

This is a joy to read – a sci-fi drama for young teens with daring acts and thrilling adventure, all set on colonised Mars.

Dee and Aram are young ‘farmers’ on Mars - girls trying desperately to overcome the natural difficulties of their harsh environment and uncertain future to provide food and create a healthy place for their colony. Waiting for an Earthen support mission for too long has left them feeling that the whole community has been forgotten and that their personal future is fraught and tenuous. When a craft crashes near Dee’s far-flung field, her search finds others from a rival but unknown colony. Are the strangers, Holt (a rare ‘Y’ – male colonist) and Chayse, friend or foe? The complex environment then seems to press in on them all and adds an almost lethal threat to their progress. Will there be a future for all the colonists and can the opposing communities connect in a meaningful way?

This is a wonderful dramatic tale with scientific threads and potentially ‘alien’ threats, but also some lighter moments. The central characters are feisty, fun and adventurous teens and so the book will connect to ‘Earth-based’ readers with a preference for coming-of-age stories. It is also going to hit the mark for those who enjoy contemplating a future that might involve space travel and extra-terrestrial colonisation, as well as the environmental considerations for the future. Many leaps over reality concerns must be made, but the author has not burdened the reader with too many scientific explanations or details, so the book is almost a fantasy scenario as a consequence.  The action and adventure required in the Martian environs is compelling and as this is the first book in a planned duology I will be keen to continue the series. Teacher's tips are available.

Themes: Sci-Fi, Mars, Adventure, Environmental Science, Farming, Coming-of-age.

Carolyn Hull