Book Review: A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga

A Rover’s Story

by Jasmine Warga (j Warga)

I was unprepared for the emotional journey that this middle-grade novel took me on. I initially checked it out based solely on the charming cover image, and the jacket blurb description: “Meet Resilience, a Mars rover determined to live up to his name. Res was built to explore Mars. He was not built to have human emotions. But as he learns new things from the NASA scientists who assemble him, be begins to develop human-like feelings. Maybe there’s a problem with his programming…”

 

This story, told from the point of view of Resilience (“Res”), goes from his first moments of awareness as computer software, to the assembly of his highly mobile body, to his journey to Mars, in the company of a flying drove he nicknames “Fly”, and ultimately back to Earth. The characters range from Res, Fly and Guardian (a satellite in orbit around Mars that assists in Res’ mission), to the team of scientists responsible for designed and building Res, which includes music-loving and joke-telling Xander, and super-serious Arabic-speaking Rania. Interspersed among Res’ regular “diary-like” updates are letters written to Resilience by Rania’s young daughter, Sophia.

 

Though Resilience, Fly, Guardian (and Res’ twin Journey) don’t actually exist, they are so similar to real-life Martian rovers such as Curiosity, Perseverance, Opportunity, Spirit and the Chinese rover Zhurong that the reader really feels the “reality” of Res and its mission. The fact that Res has developed elementary human characteristics and feelings (and doesn’t understand them very well, and is led by other mechanical devices to believe these are flaws), leads to both humor and highly-emotional moments in this story. To say more would be to spoil the reading experience.

 

Suffice it to say, this was an excellent story, told well, and would be a great addition to a middle schooler’s STEM readings. But even I, an adult nearing 60, enjoyed the storytelling. Of particular note: An author’s afterword talks about the real-life science that inspired this fictional story.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the animated film WALL-E and the live-action film Silent Running (not in library collection…try InterLibrary Loan).)

 

( official A Rover’s Story page on the official Jasmine Warga web site )

 

Postscript: I also recommend the documentary "Good Night Oppy", which played in theaters for one week in early November 2022, and will be available on Amazon Prime (which produced the film) by the end of the November. This is a documentary about the real-life Mars Rovers Opportunity and Spirit, which inspired author Warga to write the story of Resilience.

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

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