A review by allymute
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The Mars Room will be a frustrating read for those who seek answers. Kushner sits in the discomfort and moral ambiguity of her characters. She examines the violence built into the penal system, and the violence incites women’s everyday life in and out of incarceration. I appreciated the novel being set in 2003, as militaristic violence incites the rampant growth of mass incarceration.