The Martian (Classroom Edition)

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. 

“Brilliant... a celebration of human ingenuity [and] the purest example of real-science sci-fi for many years... utterly compelling.”  -  The Wall Street Journal 

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. 

“A hugely entertaining novel [that] reads like a rocket ship afire... Weir has fashioned in Mark Watney one of the most appealing, funny, and resourceful characters in recent fiction.”  -  Chicago Tribune 

"As gripping as they come... You’ll be rooting for Watney the whole way, groaning at every setback and laughing at his pitch-black humour. Utterly nail-biting and memorable.”  -  Financial Times