Saving Mars (Saving Mars Series Book 1)

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Our heroine Jessamyn Jaarda wants to be a pilot more than anything, so she can fly the raiding missions to Terra and do important and adventurous things. At the start of the novel Jess is a rule-breaker, whose biggest concern is her alter-abled brother Ethan's mental comfort and getting a piece of ice for her Mom's second birthday gift (everyone has two birthdays a year due to Mars' different rotation cycle from Earth). But when she is suspended from the flight academy for disobeying a direct order and during a celebration the food supply is decimated, she fights to be allowed to go on the mission to get enough food to save the planet - especially when the government recruits her brother because of his technological genius. But when things go horribly wrong will Jess be able to find a way to rescue her brother and their other shipmates from a fate worse than death? And can she trust the help she receives from Pavel, the nephew of a corrupt Terran government official? Worst of all will Jess have to choose between saving Ethan or saving Mars and everyone they left behind?

Overall, this novel was a a very high action, suspense novel where eveything that could possibly go wrong does. The ending gave me serious chills and made me want to cry, yet cheer at the same time. I highly recommend it to fans of YA or of science-fiction in general. If you want a book that makes you laugh, grip your armrest, AND cry, this is the one for you.

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to the lovely Cidney Swanson.)
17-year-old Jessamyn Jaarda lives on Mars with her parents and older brother Ethan. It has been nearly 2 centuries since the initiative to populate Mars began, and a lot has changed in that time. The Earth has cut Mars off, and there is a treaty in place that means that Mars is to have zero contact with Earth.
The Marsians have been unable to produce an edible food source on Mars though, and with supplies running out they must journey to Earth secretly, to exchange trillium (a very expensive product found in abandon on Mars) for ration bars which the Marsians live on.

Jess has wanted all her life to be a pilot, and a trip to Earth is her ultimate dream, so when her pilot license is suspended, and her brother is going to Earth without her, she's determined to find a way to get to Earth, and also a way to help her brother who shows signs of autism, and is also a geneius with technology.
Can Jess find a way to Earth? Can she get the ration bars that Mars is so desperate for? And can she get the Marsians back safely?

Wow! This book was good! Jessamyn was such a strong character with a remarkable drive and determination to help her people. I totally loved her, and loved how she always strove to be the best at what she was doing, and never wanted to give up even when it seemed that all was lost.
Ethan (Jess' brother) showed signs of autism, but was also incredibly intelligent, I like how this was woven into the story, and how Jess took time to help her brother through difficult moments. I think it's inspiring to see an author writing characters who have `disabilities' but work with them, rather than showing people with disabilities as being worthless.
There were also a lot of wonderful ideas about the future society of both Earth and Mars which were brilliant little touches. At one point I was so into the book that I had to remind myself that no, this wasn't real, and no, I am not really a Marsian (I know - silly, but the book just had me totally hooked.)

The storyline had a bit of everything, and there was never a dull moment! There was sci-fi, dystopian societies, mystery, and even a bit of romance. I really loved the excitement and anticipation in this book! I was so on edge by the time I got towards the end of the book, and was desperate to know what would happen next!
Overall; a fantastic YA dystpian/ Sci-fi novel. Definitely one to watch out for!
9 out of 10.

When an accidental fire destroys ninety percent of their food supply, Marsians trust aspiring pilot Jessamyn, her genius brother Ethan, and a select few others to fly to Earth and smuggle out precious ration bars. However, TerraMarsian relations have been either hostile or nonexistent for over a century. When the raid goes south, Jess finds herself facing some hard choices: go with her gut or her heart with the Terran boy? Focus on saving her brother or her planet? Can she even manage to do either?

This book was written by Cidney Swanson, author of the the store bestselling Ripple trilogy and nice writer friend of mine. I raved about her previous books, hosted a guest post by her, interviewed her, and held giveaways of her books. She's one of those writers that (even though you know all writers are real people) feels true-to-life and so personal! Her books are amazing; that is fact.

Saving Mars, as I already said, is about a girl who's grown up on Mars and her genius but alter-abled (not dis-abled!) older brother. Explaining the plot would give things away, but that's not because the good parts come late - it's because the entire book is good parts! The characters are relatable. The sibling relationship is realistic and heartfelt. The whole living-on-Mars thing, which a lot of books/movies make look great but very fictional... well, it's hard to explain, but basically, after finishing the book I literally had to remind myself that it was made up. I kept thinking about TerraMarsian relations, the Marsian climate, the experiments and technology and politics - all of it was so believable!

I hadn't expected any romance when I picked up this book. I mean, Cidney is a master of teenage love (Rippler? Oh, sigh!), but Saving Mars is about siblings saving a planet. You don't miss it in the beginning; it's unnecessary, which coming from me says a lot. When a boy does slip in a little over halfway through the book, nothing feels forced or added-in. It was such a natural part of Jess's story - he belonged there, just like every other person in her life. Their relationship was part of her fate, her path in life. It was all so beautiful and natural!

With the Ripple series, I mentioned I had one problem - language. Cidney personally spoke to me about that later. Guess what? Saving Mars uses realistic dialogue, language included - but no actual language! You'd have to read the book to understand what I mean, but I was very happy. While I have no idea whether I had a part in this, I like to think I did. ^.^

The writing style in Saving Mars is so different from Rippler that a stranger to both could easily read them and not know they had the same author. Yet they're equally great, and anyone who does know of Cidney would see her in both. I don't know how she does it, but Cidney manages to give each of her characters an appropriately different voice based on their personality and background, while retaining her writing voice as author at the same time. That's the mark of a great writer.

I give Saving Mars five stars, and beg Cidney to hurry so I can get the second book!

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

What a fun ride this book was! Set in the future, the story begins on Mars where humans (and one dog) struggle to survive in between infrequent and secret raids to Earth for food rations. The government on Earth has left the Marsians (not Martians!) to die, but this intrepid population hangs on to a subsistence-type life on their frigid and inhospitable planet thanks to a brilliant woman leader and a cadre of pilots and crew who brave the route between weaponized satellites orbiting Mars for vital supplies on Earth. Jessamyn, a young Marsian pilot, dreams of being chosen to pilot the next ship. When the storehouse of stockpiled food rations is destroyed in a freak accident, the Marsians face starvation unless an immediate flight to Earth is undertaken. Jessamyn and her brilliant, autistic brother attempt the journey to Earth, which has become a dictatorial world where youth is no longer wasted upon the young and people's minds are transfered into new bodies. This fascinating premise is executed brilliantly in this well-written book. YAs will love it as will adults who love adventure, suspense, or sci fi. You don't have to be a regular reader of sci fi to love this. The characters are well-developed and the worlds are richly detailed. Lots of action in this one.

Jessamyn Jaarda biggest concern in Chapter one is her brother, Ethan, and getting a piece of ice. She disobeys orders and is disciplined when the food supply is destroyed. Honestly it's good if you ignore the fact the military would never take a rule breaker into their system as rule breakers get people killed. This isn't in most novels or movies that rogues are bad officers, so I'll leave that alone. She gets to go on the mission to save Mars, and her brother, Ethan, is recruited too. Jess is set up to rescue her brother and her shipmates. She doesn't trust everyone, and she's stuck deciding the fates of her family and the planet.

I don't read YA, though my writers friends love the genre. I said yes because it was science fiction and to check out the genre more. I had issues believing the fate of the world in a girl's hands with no experience. I'm not a fan and have massive issues of disbelief, but this isn't my genre. What I do know and enjoy is science fiction. To me the author is imaginative and did her research. I never questioned the science, well okay the rebodying thing was interesting, but I'm in. I wasn't lost. So for sci fi aspect, it's readable. Just my opinion though, and I'm not in the demographic who reads YA. I'f give 4 out of 5 stars. Science Fiction saved the read for me.

This novel was FAR out of my genre, but I was hooked on Ms. Swanson's Rippler series, so I figured I would give this a try. I AM SO GLAD I DID! This novel is intense from the very first chapter. The story continues to race forward through one tense situation to the next. It is punctuated by slower moments that are no less intense, they are simply targeting different emotions. The pacing of this novel is absolutely perfect.

I absolutely ADORED the female protag. Jess is a strong, spunky woman who learns that she can't always act on instinct simply because she feels like it. She learns to pair her strength with intelligence and the result is a character who is dynamic and loveable.

Now for the best part - the descriptions in the book. I don't know how she does it, but Ms. Swanson creates the most beautiful scenes. The reader can actually visualize the scenery on Mars thanks to poetic and creative descriptions. What blew my mind was they way she describes Earth through the eyes of someone seeing it for the first time. Her novel is like a living watercolor painting.

This book is an absolute must-read, even if Sci-Fi/Fantasy isn't your genre. You will be glad you did!

I borrowed this book through Kindle Unlimited, not expecting much but simply hoping for a little light-hearted escapism. Though the character development started slowly in this first book, it was strong and grew stronger as the book progressed. By the time I completed the first of the series, I eagerly moved on to the next, devouring all 6 books over the next few days. Watching the Ms. Swanson's development as a writer over the course of the series was a true joy.

Tackling the stack of books I was lucky enough to obtain through meeting authors - I honestly had no clue on the readability, interest and inviting nature of this choice. In the beginiong I found a few things a little juvenile for an upper school student reader but I think this just lured me in or dared me to go on. There were several events I could not, would not, and certainly did not predict occurring that worked itself out in the plot. I was pushed forward several times in the plot because of these unsuspecting events.

The plausibility of the Martian possiblity (that kind of sounds like a rap, lol) was real. Ms Swanson was able to provide quite possible ideas in the ideas of Mars, with a human reality touch when this connection between Earth and Mars occurred. I love the fact she provides possiblities at the end for further looks into a Mars happening, a true educator at heart. Nominated in 2012 by Kirkus, I can see why, there are many pluses to this read that allow it to continue towards a sequel. True, it didn't grab me by the lapels in the beginning, but plenty once the plot started kept me turning the pages rapidly to find out what happened at the end!

Saving Mars is the first book in the Saving Mars series by Cidney Swanson. Once again Cidney Swanson has shown us what a wonderful story teller she is. The main character, Jessamyn, was strong, rebellious, and fun. There were times when it felt like I was flying around right along with her and rooting for her on from the edge of my seat. I felt like I got to know each character more and more as the story progressed. The plot is building towards something big, and I'm excited to see what happens next. From someone who's not a huge fan of reading science fiction, I was completely drawn into this story. Saving Mars by Cidney Swanson was sent to me from the author for review. The opinions are my own.

I love a good story and Cidney Swanson always gives me one! I instantly cared about these characters and couldn't wait to learn more about life on Mars. I was very impressed by the depth in which we learn about Marsian culture, and equally horrified by the new Earth practice of body-swapping. This book has everything I love in a story - great characters, adventure, a loathsome antagonist, affection, affliction.....ahhhhh! It was great! I cannot wait for the next book, and I highly recommend this book for any young adult sci-fi fans. Oh and don't forget to check out the Rippler series if you aren't already familiar with Swanson's books.

I have been reading and enjoying Science Fiction for more that 40 years. I have to say that in writing "Saving Mars" Cidney Swanson has created a wonderful addition to my extensive library. Cidney creates believable fiction, with many "I never thought of it that way before" moments. Her characters come quickly to life and grow in attachment with each page. It was so great to share snippets of the storyline with my grown children, and to see their interest be sparked. Would you rather be a one body or a three body? How about a visit to the planetary Dog? Thanks Cidney for another winner!

Swanson has once again created a world that is both completely impossible while being significantly plausible. She has captured Sci-Fi without it being overly technical. With the way Swanson writes, you can see exactly what Jess' orange sari looks like. You can can feel the freezing of the ice that doesn't melt. You can hear the hmmm of Ethan. In this first book in the series she takes on a roller coaster coming of age story, while Jess figures out exactly how to be her own person. Swanson carefully crafts each and every character and concept.

61 year old male here. I loved this entire series! I guess the YA tag came because there's no sex and little true violence but this is a well written saga with a lot of scope and really well-defined characters. Pick this up now!

To me, this book could easily stand shoulder to shoulder with those on the bestseller list. It had everything you could want: Tons of action, a little romance, a solid story line, wonderfully flawed characters, and Mars! The originality the story brings to the genre is wonderfully refreshing. My only complaint was, "OMG you ended it THERE?!" Can't wait for the next one!

Life does exist on Mars, in the form of a very small colony of humans started by the citizens of the planet Terra, but believed to have failed years ago. Seventeen-year-old Jess is the best pilot Mars Colonial has ever seen, and she dreams of becoming a raider, flying missions to Terra to trade for the ration bars that keep her people alive. When a mistake in the skies leaves her suspended from flight, all seems lost. Then, the food supply is compromised and Jess' alter-abled brother, Ethan, is chosen to go on an emergency raid to get supplies. Jess finagles a way to join him, but everything that can go wrong does and, stranded on a strange planet, she faces a terrible choice: Save her brother, or save her planet? This is an excellent choice for readers who like science fiction and strong characters. Suspense and excitement abounds from the first page and the pace keeps up all the way to the cliffhanger at the end. Setting and characters spring vividly to life. I couldn't put this book down and can't wait for the sequel!

A surprisingly well-done YA sci-fi series. It's a mix of a coming-of-age, save the world, fight the power story. It's pretty well paced with a good mix of action, back story, and character development. While it doesn't really dwell on these, it raises issues about mind-body relation, differing cultural norms, security and privacy, and authority and autonomy.

It was a solidly written story. It had more character development than some of my recent fast paced covert op novels. After a while the story just did not hold my interest like it did at the beginning--this means before landing on earth, I found the story more engaging. After earth landing, there was too much focus on building a romantic relationship, etc..

I love this book! The characters are so detailed. I like how they explain bits and pieces about earth at the beginning of the chapters. I can't wait to find out what happens when Jess returns to Mars and the mission to save the hostages on earth!

I admit I was both intrigued and skeptical when I first stumbled upon this book. I am very happy that I decided to read it! It reminds me of the sort of imaginative sci-fi I read when I was a younger man still full of wonder about space and Martians be they little green men or not!

Took me back to the old days of the old Mars books of Robert H. with an upated twist and a contemporary character. Left me wanting to read the future stories in her quest to save a future for her people and her planet - Mars.

I got this book when it was a freebie, but I liked it enough that I bought the next book in the series, and plan to buy the rest as soon as I can (I'm on a very tight budget at the moment). Interesting premise, well-written, edited and using correct grammar (unlike so many other freebies I've found). I also liked the very positive portrayal of disability. Overall, just a good, solid book. I highly recommend it.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. The writing was of a good quality and the story is riveting though it gets a bit mundane at a few points. I am looking forward to reading the second one :)

Cidney Swanson has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Her patience in developing characters and locations while seamlessly moving the plotline forward is perfection! I just discovered Saving Mars this week and in just 3 days I'm on book 4 of the series. Cannot recommend this book enough!

A must-read for fans of strong characters and science fiction. Jess and her family live on Mars as part of a small human settlement started by the planet Terra, but believed to have failed years ago. When Mars' food supply is compromised, Jess and her brother, Ethan, join a raiding mission to Terra to get supplies...and everything that can go wrong, does. Outstanding characterization, a vivid setting, and stellar overall world-building make this a fabulous, fast read. Readers will laugh, cry, and cheer for Jess and will be left clamoring for the sequel.

I thought this was a very novel story. It gave a new twist on the question of humans inhabiting Mars in regards to political implications. There was also love in the story for Jess' brother and her new Earth friend, Pavel. I cannot wait for the next book to learn what happens next!

Enjoyable read with some well thought out characters. Seeing the rituals and customs of a culture left isolated and the awkward interactions between differing cultures provides a break between action scenes.