As with many of the books that land on my hold shelf or in the digital queue on my phone, I'm not sure where I heard about this charming, heartwarming, a little heartbreaking, gem of a book. Wherever it was or whoever it was who suggested it? Thank you.
A Rover's Story is a fictionalized account of what a Mars rover experiences as it's "brain" is brought on line and it's built, tested and then launched to explore space. The rover here is Resilience (Res) and the story is told from their viewpoint and through the letters written to them by a twelve-year-old girl, Sophie, whose mother is a lead scientist on the team that will send Res to Mars. As Res comes to life they learn who they are and can hear and see all that goes on around them. But though they can talk to the other machines, chiefly a fellow rover named Journey and a drone named Fly, the only way they can communicate with the humans who have built them is by responding to commands. As Res learns more about their surroundings and the task that lies ahead, they begin to develop sentience. And when they finally make the trip to Mars and experience all the adventure and danger that entails, the reader gets to go along for the thrilling ride.
Res is a charming narrator for sure, but it's Sophie's letters and journal entries that allow the reader into the wider physical and emotional world surrounding the Mars Rover project. As Res learns and grows, so too does Sophie. And each will have their challenges and heartbreaks to survive.
A lovely book written for middle grade readers and appealing to all ages.