Girlfriend on Mars
by Deborah Willis
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Pub Date Jul 06 2023 | Archive Date Jul 05 2023
Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books | Serpent's Tail
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Description
Advance Praise
Energetic, wise-cracking style ... horribly convincing - Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures
How did Deborah Willis manage to write about love, grief, corporate greed, climate change, and a reality show that sends two people to Mars with such grace and humour and compassion? Girlfriend on Mars blew my mind! This is one of the most original novels I've read in a long time - Ann Hood, author of The Book that Matters Most
Girlfriend on Mars pulls off that most unusual balancing act; humour, heartbreak and biting social commentary - the writing is feather-light and scalpel-sharp. - Keiran Goddard, author of Hourglass
Witty and moving... A wild ride - Oana Aristide, author of Under the Blue
Funny, tender, bizarre in the best of ways, and as infinite as our universe itself - Amanda Leduc, author of The Centaur's Wife
Willis is an immensely talented writer... sharply observed, elegant, and incisive - Emily St John Mandel
The emotional range and depth . . . the clarity and deftness, are astonishing - Alice Munro
Willis zooms in and out on her chosen subjects, adroitly examining the physical and emotional distances that separate people from one another - and from the mysteries of their lives - New York Times Book Review
Bizarre, bleak and very funny... Fleishman is in Trouble but in space - Bobby Palmer, author of Isaac and the Egg
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781800817579 |
| PRICE | £14.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 368 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Book Trade Professional 701063
I first heard about Girlfriend on Mars in October last year when my friend raved about a new book that Serpent's Tail had recently acquired. I devoured this overnight as soon as I received my copy.
Girlfriend on Mars is, at its core, about a relationship between Amber and Kevin, who are in their early thirties, have been together since high school and grow and sell weed together. Amber is an ex-gymnast and nutritionist, obsessed with the latest fads that neoliberal environmental consumerism offers to her as the solution to the climate crisis. Kevin is passive in their relationship, stuck in the past and unable to live a fulfilling life.
One day, seemingly out of nowhere, Amber announces to Kevin that she has signed up for MarsNow, a reality TV show in which contestants compete and are eliminated by popular vote until the final two are sent on a rocket to colonise Mars. Kevin is devastated: is Amber breaking up with him?
Deborah Willis is a darkly funny, inventive new voice in contemporary Canadian fiction. Girlfriend on Mars explores our dependent consumerist relationship with reality TV and its fickle truth behind the glamour, of how it affects real world relationships.
People who don't read scifi have nothing to fear: Girlfriend on Mars barely falls into the scifi category, as the novel feels anchored in our contemporary era. It is instead a very clever, witty parody of the extremes to which our obsession with reality TV has brought our society.
With its fast pace, vivid characters and rollercoaster of emotions, it is a perfect beach read for the summer.
Thank you to Serpent's Tail and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
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