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Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall
Evacuated to a half-terraformed colony during an alien war, a group of kids is supposed to be safe—until everything goes wrong. Mars Evacuees blends sharp wit, big-hearted camaraderie, and spaceborne danger into a high-velocity adventure about courage among the stars.
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In Mars Evacuees, did you enjoy ...
... the snarky, kid-smart humor that lightens an alien invasion?
The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex
If Alice Dare’s dry one-liners and the robot Goldfish’s deadpan advice kept you grinning while Mars was under siege, you’ll love the voice in The True Meaning of Smekday. Tip’s road trip with a hapless alien named J.Lo turns an occupation into a laugh-out-loud escape caper, punctuated by clever problem‑solving and heartfelt friendship—much like Alice, Josephine, and Carl cracking wise even as they improvise their way across hostile ground.
... kids-in-combat training scenes, simulators, and tactical problem-solving under adult absenteeism?
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Enjoyed the Mars base drills and simulator bouts before the adults vanished and left Alice’s cohort to think like soldiers? Ender’s Game doubles down on that—Ender is pushed through zero‑gravity battle simulations, squad leadership trials, and strategic mind games that echo the pressure-cooker feel of those Mars Evacuees training sequences, complete with ethical dilemmas about kids being asked to fight an alien war.
... kids trekking across dangerous terrain to evade alien control?
The White Mountains by John Christopher
If the desperate hike across Martian deserts—dust storms, thin air, and all—hooked you once Alice, Josephine, Carl, and the Goldfish set off to find help, The White Mountains hits the same nerve. Will flees the Tripods’ mind‑control and undertakes a perilous overland journey, surviving on wits and shaky alliances, with the same youths‑on‑their‑own tension that powered the Mars trek.
... a loyal, oddball non-human companion who upends everything you’ve been taught about the enemy?
The Last Human by Lee Bacon
If the robot Goldfish’s earnest, quirky help—and the way it redefines “ally”—was a highlight, The Last Human will click. A rule‑following robot, XR_935, discovers a human girl in a world where robots wiped out humanity, and chooses to protect her. The offbeat companionship, chase‑filled adventure, and heart that comes from befriending the supposed ‘other’ mirror Alice’s bond with her metallic mentor on Mars.
... empathetic first contact that reframes the war from the aliens’ point of view?
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Intrigued by how Alice learns the Morrors’ motives and edges toward peace rather than endless fighting? Binti centers that pivot. When Binti encounters the Meduse en route to Oomza Uni, she survives by bridging cultures—using math, tradition, and empathy to turn enemies into partners—delivering the same satisfying reframe of the ‘alien menace’ you saw emerge from the Morror revelations.
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