Wow. I dare to compare this to the classic Heinlein juveniles. This novel is very good.
I recommend this for teens and precocious preteens. I'm very picky concerning language and content and I have no qualms in recommending this. Some young readers might find it slow moving at first, but the excitement does grow exponentially and smarty kids would love the martian knowledge shared as the story builds and that knowledge does become important. Eventually, the excitement will make it hard for kids to put it down. The protagonist is a good model but (like all teens) makes mistakes.
I also recommend this for adults. Some of us have gotten caught up in work, maybe a focus on the bottom line, and have forgotten other things that we enjoy, such as a sunrise or just noticing an interesting stone. That sense of wonder is regained for some characters and, perhaps, for the reader.
The novel has a liberty theme, and it even was nominated for the 2012 Prometheus award for best novel. The preaching is short and is there as part of the plot, quite consistent with the characters and important to the story. Some notions explored in the novel are "state is as state does" and "my ideas". A freedom thinker will find food for thought. The bad guys are the usual controlling stereotypes, and it adds to the humor of the novel. (Perhaps this is a gentle introduction to freedom oriented SF.)
The science looks good to me; I learned a lot, too. And the future technology is believable and quite accessible. Both are important to the tale. This is excellent SF.
The look at a Mars culture in the transition period of early colonization is excellent. The social and linguistic development is interesting, but it does not interfere with the story and it is easy to grasp. Nothing gets in the way of a good read.
I found the book to be funny, but the humor does not get in the way of the adventure and nor does it belittle the peril. It is more of an enjoyment of life and the enjoyment of the quirks of those around us, including loved ones and machines.
The Kindle edition has some very rare, very minor paragraph formatting issues. All content is there and the novel is quite readable. Do not pass this up because I mention some tiny flaws. Also, the Kindle edition was handy in my looking up the few science words that were new to me such as "yardang".
The book is suitable for reading aloud. In only very rare cases does helmet display text intrude on narration.
I look forward to sequels. I crave for them. Give them to me! I want a sequel, now!! Arrrrrr!!!!
Um. Highly recommended.
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