The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm (review)

Holm, Jennifer L. The Lion of Mars. Random House, 2021 [272p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593121818 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593121832 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-6

Eleven-year-old Bell is part of the first generation of humans to grow up on Mars—or more specifically, a settlement beneath the surface of Mars. Rules are important for the safety of Bell's small group, and the two most important are "Do not go beyond the boundaries of the American territory" and "Do not make contact with other foreign nations." Bell and his pals break both rules spectacularly when they take a joyride on a rover, leading to what they perceive as a hostile encounter with neighboring France and reinforcing the isolationist tendencies of Sai, the cohort's leader. When all of the adults in the settlement come down with a terrible virus, however, the kids are left to fend for themselves, and they are soon forced to reach out to potential enemies for help. As in Rodkey's thought-provoking We're Not From Here (BCCB 2/19), it's clear here that any blank slate offered by Mars to humanity will quickly be made messy by the nature of humanity and that political strife often has its origins in very personal conflicts. There's genuine warmth among the crew, with the kids very much rebellious teens and tweens and the adults their exasperated but loving guardians, and as much as Bell begins to resent the idea of staying in one place for the rest his life, he understands Sai's need to protect the group. While the ending dismisses some of the genuine themes of conflict touched on earlier, readers will nonetheless be intrigued by Bell's life on the red planet and the way it's dramatically different from and very much the same as life on Earth.