Reviews

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

mariahhanley's review

3.0

I don’t know how to describe this book except for that it made me very uncomfortable from start to finish. Not uncomfortable in a way that I should sit with. Just purely uncomfortable.

elliedesatge's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

doomtoboggan's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.5

georgina_bawden's review against another edition

4.0

This was a fantastic book, about the life of a woman serving life in a California prison, but largely focusing on her life in San Francisco, and the lives of others dealing with similar working class poverty. It was compelling and had a host of interesting voices, and was really rooted in a sense of San Francisco.

There was something unfocused about the different narrative threads and when the spotlight slipped from Romy it felt less urgent. The passages seemingly extracted from the diaries of the unabomber were particularly confusing and failed to coalesce for me.

I am particularly keen to read more of Kushner's work after this. I listened to this on audiobook which she narrates herself and really enjoyed it. She has a kind of monotonous, weary voice that felt apt for the character of Romy. I love when authors read their own books.

jules_vp's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

catalinalao's review

1.0

Absolutely horrible

julieodette's review

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

3.5

alfait's review

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

rachymas's review

5.0

Raw, grim, yet deeply moving, the Mars Room is the more solemn book version of Orange is the New Black. Each narrative thread unfurls the complex lives of the main characters. This is a brutal observation at the stark reality of the American society and it’s depraved penal system.

nkoochou's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

annotating this book and discussing it in a class setting somehow made it all the more enjoyable. seriously, a beautiful novel about an ugly reality.