Scan barcode
lyndiane's review
5.0
Really good. Story written for a younger readership but immensely enjoyable for all ages.
ehparrish's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kevinhendricks's review
2.0
Ug. I never would have finished this book, but I was reading it to my kids and they loved it. The story just dragged and dragged, giving way too much unnecessary detail. At nearly 400 pages, it easily could have been cut by a third or half and been a much better story. It's basically a group of kids evacuated to Mars because aliens are attacking earth, but then the adults in charge on Mars disappear and adventure ensues. Of course it took 140+ pages to even get to that point, so you can see how slow things moved.
anatl's review
3.0
This book was a fun rollicking science fiction adventure set on Mars. There are resonances with WWII child evacuees, and Lord of the Flies before the book turns into a first contact Sci-Fi story for middle graders. There is a great cast of main characters that is also ethnically diverse and with kick ass heroines, which is always good. My only caveat was with the beginning of the book which was rather slow for my taste. And although I did enjoy the book, it is a quintessential children's book which has less to offer a adult reader who've seen it all before.
kristeo's review against another edition
4.0
3.5. So. Much. Going. On. (mild spoilers)
It took a while for me to get into this book. I was afraid it was going toward lord of the flies-style with the division of the kids on Mars at one point. I liked the story better once the small group broke away and ran into the alien. Then the story jumped full speed crazy again with the 2nd alien group. I felt the some of the story (apocalyptic kids factions) could have been cut out and yet other parts explained/expanded more (Morror race and their plight).
It took a while for me to get into this book. I was afraid it was going toward lord of the flies-style with the division of the kids on Mars at one point. I liked the story better once the small group broke away and ran into the alien. Then the story jumped full speed crazy again with the 2nd alien group. I felt the some of the story (apocalyptic kids factions) could have been cut out and yet other parts explained/expanded more (Morror race and their plight).
tome15's review against another edition
4.0
McDougall, Sophia. Mars Evacuees. Mars Evacuees No, 1, Egmont, 2014.
Mars Evacuees is a better than average older children’s story with an original, if not quite credible, premise. Aliens, called Morrors, are invading, and though we are putting up a good fight, the issue is in doubt. So, a few children are being sent to a scientific outpost on a partially terraformed Mars. Our narrator, Alice Dare (no relation to Virginia, thank goodness), has a believable voice and is not always centerstage in the narrative. Things don’t quite go as planned, and Alice and her friends are abandoned by the adults and left in the care of teaching robots that look like flying goldfish. When the kid community threatens to become a replay of Lord of the Flies, Alice and her buddies begin a trek to a distant station to find some adults. The prosocial themes are cooperation, ingenuity, and perseverance. Is it as good as my favorite Heinlein juveniles? No. But that is a high bar. 4 stars on my kid-book scale.
Mars Evacuees is a better than average older children’s story with an original, if not quite credible, premise. Aliens, called Morrors, are invading, and though we are putting up a good fight, the issue is in doubt. So, a few children are being sent to a scientific outpost on a partially terraformed Mars. Our narrator, Alice Dare (no relation to Virginia, thank goodness), has a believable voice and is not always centerstage in the narrative. Things don’t quite go as planned, and Alice and her friends are abandoned by the adults and left in the care of teaching robots that look like flying goldfish. When the kid community threatens to become a replay of Lord of the Flies, Alice and her buddies begin a trek to a distant station to find some adults. The prosocial themes are cooperation, ingenuity, and perseverance. Is it as good as my favorite Heinlein juveniles? No. But that is a high bar. 4 stars on my kid-book scale.
librarianna's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books that just got better and better and better!!!!
middlekmissie's review against another edition
4.0
An adorable ensemble middle-grade adventure. And yet, the adorable/scary Goldfish is my favorite.
thisgrrlreads's review against another edition
4.0
Alice Dare (NOT Alistair) is evacuated as Mars to be trained as a soldier in the war against the Morrors that has been going on since before she was born. Morrors are invisible aliens that want Earth to be cold again. Alice gets up to some adventures with her classmates on Mars, as they are taught by bizarre robot teachers that look like goldfish and teddy bears. I loved the fact that nowhere in this story is being a girl a problem. Alice and her friend Josephine are the catalysts to save their base on Mars--they are the ones that figure things out. hand this to any kid who likes sci-fi and adventure.