Ghosts of Mars – The Adventures of Eva Knight | By Stuart White | Illustrated by Jennifer Jamieson

by · May 24, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BBNYA 2023 Finalist | TheWriteReads | Book Review | Science Fiction
Ghosts of Mars - The Adventures of Eva Knight
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Illustrator: Jennifer Jamieson
Published: 13th February, 2023
How would you feel if you were born on Mars, were the most famous person in the Solar System, but could never leave the Red Planet? Mars. 2045. My name's Eva, and I’m a Martian. Well, technically the first Martianborn human - I’m not, like, green or anything. So listen, we’re in trouble here; I need to steal a rover to rescue Dad, who’s stuck in a mining vent, in a planet-wide dust-storm, far from our base, or he'll die. He may even be already dead. Oh, and I’m Type 1 Diabetic with no insulin. Wish me luck. With a Type 1 Diabetic main character, Ghosts of Mars explores how life beyond Earth, and the fame and scrutiny that come with it, affects the young people involved, who didn't sign up for life on Mars. Ten percent of author profits go to Diabetes UK.   (Goodreads)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note :  If you aren’t aware of the BBNYA, it is an annual award for indie books. BBNYA is organised by TheWriteReads in association with The Folio Society. The best part of BBNYA is that it is read and scored by book bloggers from all over the world.

 

 

 

 

My thoughts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Narrative and Plot

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ghosts of Mars is all about Eva Knight, the firstborn Martian who hates that title. The story told from her perspective shows her desperation, frustration and the coming of age in this roller coaster rover ride.

The plot is quite strong and we immediately get to see what Eva’s story arc might be right from the beginning. However, it takes unexpected twists and turns at the end, all while keeping Eva’s character arc in mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Characters and Conflicts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eva, Hercus, Quasar and Jay are all the central characters in the story. And then there is Thunderchild, who stole the show. Eva gave me a Matilda vibe with her penchant to get into trouble and bring down detentions upon her. Eva is stubborn, has a problem with authority, and feels trapped within the system. To top it all off, she is type 1 diabetic.

This is one of the few books where a teen with limited vision does something reckless and fails repeatedly. Most of the stories have adults who are clueless. And for that reason, I appreciate Darshi’s character even though I wish there was a glimpse of an arc for her too.

Eva, who feels sorry for herself and always feared to let anyone near, finally learns to let go and let people in at the same time. The journey to get there is quite adventurous. However, there are a few instances where the repeated coincidences just took me out of the world and reminded me that this is fiction.

Other than that, this is a fun ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ghosts of Mars, delivers exactly what it promises. It is all about Eva’s adventures and hopefully there is more to come. If you think you would enjoy a futuristic Martian coming of age story, give this a go.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer :I received a copy of the book from TheWriteReads in exchange for an honest review. 
 This review is published in association with TheWriteReads blog tour for the BBNYA finalist 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

Get your book here : Amazon_IN Amazon_US

 

 

 

 

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