I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Before Mars by Emma Newman Series: Planetfall #3
Published by Ace on April 17 2018
Genres: Science fiction
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
The nitty-gritty: Newman’s series doesn’t slow down at all in this latest installment, which combines mystery, suspense and plenty of raw emotions.
I’ve enjoyed this series so much, and it’s not over yet, thank goodness! All of Emma Newman’s Planetfall books can be read as standalones, although Before Mars does reference events in the previous books, so my recommendation would be to read them in order. I think of the first three books, Before Mars is my second favorite. (After Atlas is still my favorite and Planetfall my least favorite, although “least favorite” doesn’t mean much when the series is so good!) Once again, Newman deals with mental health in various ways—she’s tackled things such as hoarding and addiction, and this time around it’s postpartum depression, although it goes much deeper than that (I’ll get more into that later). This is also a cracking mystery set in space, and Newman is brilliant at slowly revealing her mysteries, leaving the reader frantically turning pages to find out what’s really going on.
When the story opens, scientist and artist Dr. Anna Kubrin is on a ship travelling to Mars, having been hired by billionaire Stefan Gabor to paint Mars landscapes and broadcast her progress back home via a satellite TV show popular on Earth that brings the science and awe of Mars into people’s living rooms. Anna has left her husband Charlie and their young daughter Mia behind, having convinced herself that the fame and fortune of being one of the lucky few to visit Mars will ultimately help her family. When Anna finally arrives, she’s greeted by the crew she’ll be spending the next six months with on Mars Principia: the base therapist, Dr. Amalfi, the medic, Dr. Elvan, Dr. Banks, the star of the TV show Anna will be joining, and another scientist named Patrenek. But right away, Anna notices some very odd things. She finds a note in her luggage, written in her own handwriting, that says DON’T TRUST AMALFI! And when she goes to put her wedding ring back on, it isn’t hers, but a replica without the personal engraving inside the band.
When she meets Dr. Banks for the first time, she’s shocked at how antagonistic he is toward her, and Dr. Amalfi is convinced that Anna is a prime candidate for something called immersion psychosis, an illness befalling people who spend too much time immersed in digitally stored memories. And even odder, Anna finds herself drawn to Dr. Elvan, who she’s never met before, although they both feel completely comfortable around each other. Anna is also dealing with guilt over leaving her family, her true feelings toward Charlie, and some difficult unresolved issues with her father. And things just aren’t adding up. Anna discovers a shocking secret, but no one will believe her. What’s really going on? Anna is determined to find out, even if discovering the truth puts her in danger.
What makes this story so much fun are all the secrets the characters are trying to hide from one another, which is pretty hard to do when you live on a small base in close confines with only a few people. What makes it even harder is that the resident AI, who goes by Principia (“the Prince” for short) has access to everyone’s chips (implants that help access unlimited information, among other things) and even worse, knows exactly where everyone is at all times. When Anna makes a discovery while outside roaming the surface of the planet, she has to figure out whether to tell anyone and how to keep the information from Principia. The AI is also able to restrict access to certain areas and can even create “fake” storms to keep the crew from going where they shouldn’t be going. Newman did a great job of keeping the tension high, and she had plenty of twists that I honestly didn’t see coming. There were a couple of things that I had a hard time believing, especially when Anna, newly arrived on Mars and a civilian to boot, manages to leave the base by herself and go exploring in a Mars Rover (without so much as a driving lesson), but these events didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the story.
I’ve always loved the unique world building that Newman incorporates into this series, and Before Mars manages to bring new things to the table. I especially loved when Anna reminisces about the AI bear she had as a child, which recorded all of her childhood experiences in preparation for having a chip installed when she reached her teens. The bear reminded me so much of Teddy from the movie A.I. (one of my favorite movies!) that I almost wish it had been a bigger part of the story. I also loved little details like how the crew puts on their space suits in order to leave the base (seriously cool!), and the fact that you can go into “mersives” which are crystal clear memories of happier times.
And while all the sci-fi stuff and the mysteries are a lot of fun, at its heart this book deals with some very serious subjects. The most important one highlights Anna’s feelings about motherhood, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen postpartum depression dealt with in quite this way. She describes the way she was basically tricked by her husband into getting pregnant, her fears about becoming a mother and losing her identity as a woman, and the ultimately disappointing lack of emotion she feels when her daughter is born. Rarely do you see a story about a woman who has very little interest in becoming a mother, and not even seeing her newborn daughter brings those feelings of motherly love to the surface. I thought it was an extremely honest and brave thing to write about, and whether it’s autobiographical or not, it added a beautiful and emotional layer to the story.
Before Mars has so many layers that it’s impossible to touch on everything in this review. If you’ve read all three books, you’ll start to see the connections among them, even though the characters, locations and time frames are all different. Before Mars has a truly shocking ending, but the events at the end clearly show us where the next book is headed. There is at least one more book in the series, although it remains “untitled” on Goodreads, and I’ll be waiting anxiously for the next chapter!
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
I feel like I remember seeing this somewhere! Perhaps it was your blog, for a Waiting on Wednesday post. 😀 One thing from your review that struck me was the part about the heroine having a lock of “motherly nature” or whatever – that’s so rare to see, in books and movies and life. I wish it weren’t. Becoming a mother/mom isn’t easy for everyone and some people don’t slip into the role seamlessly. The honesty is good here!
Wonderful review, Tammy! Have a great day. =)
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
Alyssa Susanna (The Eater of Books!) recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday (14)
The part about motherhood was so well done, and I think it’s important to show all sides of the emotional toll that giving birth and raising a child can take.
So you know I am a sci-fi newbie but that I loved Outpost. This series sounds really good. Would you recommend it to someone who doesn’t read a lot of the genre and is just dipping her feet in? (AKA – I really want to meet the bear toy).
Yes, I think you might enjoy these books. Newman is really good with character development and all the sci fi elements are really interesting and not brain numbing, if you know what I mean:-)
I was so curious about this series! So happy to hear book 3 is still is this good! yay I AM SO READING THIS SERIES! I love stories of people trying to get alone when in confinement, and AIs, and other planets and unique world-building and… omg this sounds so good!
Daniela Ark recently posted…Do we have a seasonal slump bug?
It’s so good, Daniela, you should definitely consider reading these books. There are so many great mysteries in space these days and this is a really good one:-)
Alright, it’s official: despite my general ambivalence towards most sci-fi, I need to read this series. Three books and still going strong is a great sign, and I’ve loved what I’ve read of Newman’s writing so far. It’s heartening to hear that on top of a solid plot there’s also some serious emotional depth here, too!
Danya @ Fine Print recently posted…More of My Favourite (Underrated) Booktubers
Yes, one of my favorite combinations is great action and mystery along with the emotional punch. It’s well done indeed:-)
What a layered and complex story this seems to be! I’m very intrigued, and after reading so many positive reviews about this author and this series, I need to add it to my reading queue. Not to mention that I’m also curious about the base’s A.I., that for some reason makes me think of Hal 9000 from 2001… Not exactly a comforting thought! 🙂
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…Short Story Review: JUST DO IT, by Heather Lindsley
Yes, the AI was a little frightening at how much he controlled them:-/
I’m really glad to hear you enjoyed this one. I loved After Atlas, have purchased but not yet read Planetfall, and was hoping Before Mars would keep the quality entertainment going so I can add that to my list, as well. I also really enjoy how these can be read standalone. I love a good series, but sometimes it’s nice to read a complete self-contained story. And what better than a story with enough references to the others to add depth if you’ve read them but not detract if you haven’t? Thanks for the review!
I’m glad you’re reading this series, Todd, it is one of my favorites. And it’s fun to see the little things that are mentioned in each book that relate back to other books:-)
This seems like a great series. The thing about the main character and her lack of maternal feelings is intriguing to me, I feel like I’d be able to relate. I’ve been looking for some more scifi, I’ll have to put this series on my list!
I sort of related to the MC as well, I was a reluctant mother in the beginning:-)
I think I’m going to have to start in on this series!
Great review. 🙂
Thanks Lauren, it’s so good, do it:-)
I recently read another great review of this book and series. It sounds like one I really need to give a shot. Those covers are stunning too!
The covers are great, and I’m so happy the publisher is keeping the style the same each time!
I just finished this too! It really does give you a sense that some of the emotions the character felt was the author speaking from her own heart, doesn’t it? And Newman’s acknowledgement section does make me think that some of it was in part her own experiences.
Ugh, the ending revelations about all her family back on earth was kind of a gut-punch though, she really knows how to go for the throat!
Yes the ending!! Ugh. But I think the series needed something like that, heading into the fourth book (and maybe the final one?)
Oh wow, this series sounds VERY cool. I’m always on the lookout for SFF books that explore mental health issues in engaging ways and this sounds perfect! Am also very intrigued by the worldbuilding. 🙂
She really incorporates the mental health aspect so well, but doesn’t make it fell like an “issue.”
This was my first Newman but I suspect it won’t be my last! I loved the mysteriousness of the base on Mars and the paranoia feeling that pervaded everything. That was really well done, and I thought the mersive concept was awesome too. I know I complained a bit in my review about the angst she felt, but honestly as time has passed and I’ve thought about the book, I’ve changed my view a bit? For me it was more an issue of how MUCH of the story was about the issues (I wanted t get on with the mystery) but in retrospect I think her examination of post partum depression was really well done and probably resonates with a lot of readers. I know people in my family who’ve suffered from it too, and that’s been on my mind a bit since I’ve read it. So my opinion of this book has only gone up.
Nice review Tammy!
Greg recently posted…Do You Search For Books?
There were a few sections that I felt went on too long with her explaining her feelings about motherhood, but I really did love that element so I didn’t really mind.
I’m happy to see some praise for Planetfall. I’ve eyeing it for awhile after discovering the synopsis for Before Mars, so I’ll definitely be picking up Planetfall as soon as I can.
I hope you enjoy it! Her stories are really unique.
I still have to read After Atlas one of these days, I loved Planetfall. Glad to hear the series is still going strong
Lisa @TenaciousReader recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – Dark Age by Pierce Brown
I loved After Atlas even more, I hope you get to it sometime:-)
Sounds like a truly awesome series to pick up. I’m glad to see that the third book didn’t disappoint you at all, Tammy. The fact that there’s a mystery, that it’s sci-fi and that it touches upon some really fascinating subjects has me super intrigued. And we sooooooo need to invest mersives! Although Facebook/Instagram seems to be the closest thing to that for so many people hahahah Great review as always!
These stories have a little of everything, I think that’s why I love them:-)
Absolutely fantastic review of this book. This post seems to have truly captured not only the feelings of the book but the series as a whole. I only wish I could write half as well! I hear she may be writing a fourth book. If so I want it now!
x The Captain
She is writing a fourth book! I’m so excited. Especially after the ending I can’t wait to see where the story goes:-)
I really liked the first book so will definitely continue – such a great review.
Very encouraging.
Lynn 😀