Mars Awakens by H.M. Waugh

Mars Awakens is the first book in a middle grade/younger YA sci-fi adventure duology. Dee and Holt have both been raised on the Martian surface in two different camps. Each camp has different beliefs and a different way of surviving on the red planet, and most importantly, they avoid one another. That is, until an object crash lands on the planet and Dee and Holt race to find out what it is, only to run into each other. They have to overcome their pre-conceived notions of each other and learn to work together to find the truth about the planet they’re living on.

This is a fascinating sci-fi story, and a great introduction to the genre to younger readers who may never have read a science-fiction book before. It’s adventurous, fast-paced, with a fun cast of characters that will invite readers in.

I loved that each ‘camp’ of humans who’ve settled into Mars have found different ways to adapt to living in the hostile environment of the planet. There’s a genuine mistrust of ‘Earth’ humans who haven’t set foot on the planet since the initial colonisation and there’s very much an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ feel – even if Holt and Dee (who are our main protagonists) don’t really understand what that means initially.

Mars is a popular topic, being our closest neighbour, so this book would be great for anyone who enjoys space science. If you’re using it in a classroom setting, it’s sure to spark conversations about Mars and what it might take to colonise the planet.

Most importantly though, this book has a great mystery running through it, that’s a little bit spooky, a little bit creepy, and very engaging.