While sadly I didn’t get a chance to finish the book before it was archived, I did really enjoy what I read and will watch for this at the library to read again.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book!
A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga. #ARoversStory #NetGalley

A great story that brought science to life via story. Students will enjoy reading the anthropomorphism of the rovers; it helps to make the science involved digestible for all.

What a surprising DELIGHT this story was for me! I knew it would follow an adorable Mars rover, but I didn't expect the humanity weaved in throughout the story. The way Jasmine Warga tied in mother and daughter dynamics, the development of emotional intelligence, and a distinct honoring of the human experience was captivating. This book is such a sweet story of resilience and found family. I couldn't recommend it more for adults or children! 5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a super sweet story—I’d say for kids 7-12–about a rover who gains consciousness and wants to better understand its surroundings and the people closest to it. It’s a novel about exploration: both self-discovery and scientific.

I plan to purchase this for my space-loving kid once it’s released.

I cannot wait to share this with my middle grade students! I will be recommending this title for consideration on our state readers' award list.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC.

A Rover's Story may be about a robot, but it's as human a tale as any other. Resilience, the Mars rover and main character of this short but poignant book, is curious. This unwavering interest in answering questions and learning new things and, especially, building relationships creates the its arc from operating primarily with its two brains to living life with its "heart" front and center. Somehow, the lonely and desolate Mars landscape make the emotional resonance of the story ring ever louder and truer. Clever secondary characters and a second through line involving the scientist who designs Res and her daughter add richness.

A Rover’s Story is the perfect read aloud for 4th grade and up. I love how the story is told in the point of view of a rover on Mars. Children and adults will fall in love with the characters.

4.5 stars

I loved this book. Like, really LOVED it. I’ve heard it compared to The Wild Robot, which I have not read, so I truly have nothing to compare it to because it is like nothing I’ve ever read before. The decision to narrate the story from the point of view of Resilience (Res, for short) was brilliant, because the reader is able to form a deep connection to him, and though he is a mechanical being, we completely understand it when he becomes sentient. I also loved the chapters in which the lead scientist’s daughter wrote letters to Res, almost like diary entries, and when things in her family life became difficult, she knew she could always turn to him for comfort. It was also clear that Warga had done her research and the science in the book was accurate and presented in such a way as to make it accessible for young readers.

My one complaint about the book was the timeline. The first 3/4 of the book took its time in really developing the story and the characters and drawing the reader into Res’ life. Then, for the last 1/4 of the book, the timeline accelerated so quickly, it was almost hard to follow, especially since very little had changed with Res, but an awful lot had changed with the human characters. I’m not sure if I would have liked a longer book, or maybe for Res’ story to develop into a series, but something about the latter part of the book left me wanting more.

Overall, however, this was a unique book and I will surely be purchasing it for my library.

A Rover's Story
By Jasmine Warga
Wow, just wow! First I want to clarify that this is marketed for middle grade but I believe teens and adults will enjoy this emotional, science fiction story. This book will stick in your hearts and minds long after reading it.
The story revolves around a Mars rover while he is being built and all the way to Mars! It's dialogue to his"team" which is other robots. Unfortunately humans can't hear him. One of the NASA scientists that is working on him has a daughter who is 12 years old when the book starts and she writes letters to the rover but he will never see them.
A lot of the story is told this way and it is unique and powerful the way the author uses it. The rover runs into extreme difficulties and on Earth the girl is growing and the family is having it's own problems. An important thing to know about the rover is that he is becoming sentient. Making decisions and disregarding command center because of feelings.
I am not ashamed to say that this author made me cry a few times and I am not one that cries easily. It was due to special moments and sad moments too. The ending was satisfying! This book touched on so much including friendship, family, perseverance, courage, facing your fears, believing in yourself, love, never giving up, death, and so much more. This is one of the BEST books I've read this year!
This book uses science facts and added terrific fiction to make an absolutely amazing experience!
I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this wise and wonderful book!

This was a lovely, touching look at what might be going on inside the mind of a Mars rover. I didn’t know I needed a book from the POV of a Mars rover, but this book showed me I actually do need one….this one.

I loved Jasmine Warga's previous book, Other Words for Home, which is why I wanted to read this one. I was unsure if I'd have the same connection, with the focus being on a robot. However, the robot begins to connect with his scientists, particularly Sophie's mom. She writes to him about her life. I love how the robot somewhat develops feelings.

Wow. I wasn’t really in the mood to read a robot story, but I should’ve known that Jasmine Warga would shape it into something phenomenal. Yes, it’s sort of Wall-E meets The Martian, but it’s also a meditation on resilience. That doesn’t sound compelling, but this is. The pacing is steady, and the characters are distinct. The emotional component is resonant without being maudlin. I did not expect to tear up reading this, and I did. A lot of kids will love this, and I hope it sparks a great deal of interest in Mars.

Loved this book. What a clever concept and I grew so attached to Resilience. Loved Res and Fly's relationship too. Overall amazing book!

This book is absolutely the cutest! 10/10 recommend!

My daughter, now 21, has always been fascinated with the Mars missions... from the grapes landing to the trials & tribulations of Spirit and Opportunity to the bravado of Perseverance.

Resilience is such a great character! I think every kid will love him!

"I do not have the information that tells me when someday will be. All I can do is wait. And listen.
"So I wait. And I listen.
"But waiting is hard.
"I'm beginning to think that I was not made for waiting."

('The Hardest Thing' chapter brought tears to my eyes.)

A Rover's Story was absolutely delightful! Warga's use of the rover's point of view gave an interesting lens through which to interpret human actions and emotion. I've always enjoyed stories told from unexpected perspectives and I really loved experiencing both Earth and Mars through Resilience's "eyes." Parts of the story were much more touching than I expected going into this novel, and I think readers who pick it up because they are interested in space might be surprised at how much they enjoy a narrative that's adventurous and also so full of feelings.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of Jasmine Warga's latest.

This book is a sharp detour from Warga's last two middle grade novels. Those are the types of books I love and crave, and this wasn't that. It was one that didn't resonate with me, but one that I know will find its audience with others who love books like The Wild Robot. I have several students that I know will love this one, and that I'll happily recommend it to.

This utterly irresistible middle-grade novel is an easy 5/5 stars for me. In general, I don't read books with non-human narrators, but Jasmine Warga does it so well. I couldn't believe I was *bawling* over a robot by the end of it. This was a joy to read. Highly recommend.

Summary from Goodreads:
"Resilience 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, he begins to develop human-like feelings. Maybe there's a problem with his programming. As he navigates Mars's difficult landscape, Res is tested in ways that go beyond space exploration. As millions of people back on Earth follow his progress, will Res have the determination, courage--and resilience--to succeed... and survive?"

This middle-grade novel caught my attention right away. I'm always intrigued when stories are told through a unique narrator, and a Mar's rover is incredibly unique! I loved journeying with Resilience as he learned about his mission and what it means to be a friend. Resilience's chapters are interspersed with narration from the daughter of one of the engineers. I loved seeing how Resilience's adventure touched all sorts of lives. Readers will immediately fall in love with Resilience and they will not be disappointed that they've gone on this journey with him.

Going into A Rover’s Story, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I found, however, was a moving middle-grade novel that I couldn’t stop thinking about.

A Rover’s Story begins at the beginning, with the creation and testing of the Mars rover that later becomes known as Res. At first, Res is straight code. But over time, he begins to adopt the human behaviors he’s observed. It starts small and grows from there.

Author Jasmine Warga’s ability to not only show readers Earth, Mars and beyond from a rover’s point of view but to make that view compelling and exciting is truly impressive. She masterfully mixes science and imagination. Her little rover has heart.

A Rover’s Story is so good that after reading a digital advanced copy, I went ahead and preordered a physical copy for my 8-year-old. It is an excellent option for future engineers, explorers and lovers of space.

This fun little chapter book imagines what it would be like if the Mars Rover could talk. What would it have to say and what kind of a personality would it have? It reminded me a little of "COG" by Greg vanEekhout, which had a similar robotic kind of voice but this one was super fun to imagine as well, thinking about what it would look like on Mars? What would it be like to be there all alone? We have a Mars Rover app on our iPads at school and I think the kids will love reading a book that gives a voice to images we can see from the app.