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Genre: Fiction

MacGyver on Mars

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The Martian, by Andy Weir, is an entertaining page-turner with an inherently interesting premise and a well-executed plot. Aside from entertainment, the novel’s chief value lies in its celebration of cheerful resourcefulness, and its appreciation of the worth of a single human life. Good in several important ways, the book also lacked some of the depth that its premise might have supported. In a near-future mission to Mars, an accident forces the astronaut crew of the Hermes to leave behind an apparently dead colleague, Mark Watney. As it happens, Mark…

Inside the Outsiders

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The Outsiders is a great opportunity for parents and teachers to begin discussions on a myriad of moral questions, from prejudice to friendship.

The Unwanteds

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This fictional, conflicted world provides little merit for readers of any age. I recommend passing on The Unwanteds series in favor of others.

The Bad and the Ugly of YA Lit

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“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” has a little bit of the good of contemporary young adult fiction, but way more of the bad and the flat out ugly.

Close Encounters of the Medieval Kind

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“Eifelheim” is a very fine science fiction novel, and should be on the reading list of everyone interested in the interaction of medieval and modern philosophy, science, and even politics.

Scythe

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Dignity and gravitas sound together to form the deep chords of this piece, and author Neal Shusterman is a somber organist.