GULF WEEKLY -
DOES distance truly make the heart grow fonder and how far of a distance are we talking about? Amber Kivinen and 23 reality contestants from around the world including endearing fellow Canadian Pichu and an assortment of science experts and influencers are competing for two seats on the first human-led mission to Mars, sponsored by billionaire Geoff Task.
Kevin, Amber’s boyfriend of 14 years, was content with where he was in life until Amber left him behind. As he watches her on screen globe-trotting competition and Survivor-meets-Star Trek challenges, he notices that she might be falling for Adam.
But he can’t tell if that is real or just a tactic to keep from being voted off. And, since the technology to come home doesn’t exist yet, would Amber really leave everything behind to be a billionaire’s Martian guinea pig?
“Sometimes, a girlfriend needs space,” said The New York Times reviewer Alex Beggs about the book. “Sometimes, she goes to space. That’s the — OK, obvious — premise of Girlfriend on Mars, a novel by Canadian writer Deborah Willis, who knows what we’ve wished for from books all along, which is that they were TV instead.
“Just kidding! But Willis does know how to tell a story with the grip of a good drama series ... While the setup could have made for a breezy read, Willis cuts deep with insight that orbits the age-old question: What does it mean to be real? ... it’s our reality that Willis is playing with, and she has fun with it, especially our life on the internet, another unreal place we’ve come to accept as all too real ... Every detail is sharply placed by Willis, who has a scorching sense of humour and a soft spot for humanity down here on Earth.