LitPick Review
"The New Mars" by John L. Manning Jr. is science fiction. It encapsulates what life would be like if Mars were colonized. First in the series of several Mars books, this details the beginning stages of civilization. Malls,condos, entertainment facilities, and other structures are built towards the very end of the novel. The bulk of the plot focuses on NASA workers building racing vehicles dubbed Pods. While working on several machines, the workers find that they have many left over parts. Thus, they begin to build their Pods and race them. A good 200 pages repeats the building, repairing, racing, and promoting process.
Opinion:
This novel does not go much further beyond what the back of the book suggests. The workers races as described on the back is detailed and mentioned over and over. The story then gets a little boring and redundant, only inserting a bit of suspense in the last twenty pages. Additionally, there are some grammatical errors in the book. For young readers just learning their syntax, they should not pick up this book. Also, there are some drug associations and explicit content. While nothing is graphic, its mere mention may be disturbing to some readers.
