I switched to infrared vision. As with the last time I was in the greenhouse, I saw the different shades of orange that reflected the slight heat of the plants and soil. Unlike the time I’d rescued Timothy, however, I saw shapes of deep red, the shapes of something alive.
Aliens!
Dozens of them!
Closing in on me from all directions!
Death Trap by Sigmund Brouwer follows the fictional first colony on Mars. It contains two tales from the colony, exploring conflicts that could arise, and teaching some lessons along the way.
Table of Contents
Plot
In the year 2039, 200 of the world’s brightest minds live in a small colony on Mars. Within a sheltered dome, they eat, sleep, and study the planet. However, one colony member is out of place—14-year-old Tyce, the only kid in the base.
In the first story, the scientists’ lives are threatened when oxygen levels inside the base decline rapidly. Numerous tests reveal nothing wrong with the oxygen-generating solar panels, and hours of work uncover no solutions. Their supply spaceship is still days away from arrival.
The situation worsens by the day, with some reserve oxygen tanks being stolen. The crisis forces the question—should they all die together, or sacrifice a few so the rest can live?
Tyce is unwilling to accept either fate. But minds smarter than his have already considered every possibility. How can he possibly save everyone?
In the second story, Tyce rescues a scientist from the brink of death. The man’s space suit bears rips that could have only come from a wild animal. Claw marks, paired with an audio recording from the moment of the attack, allow only one conclusion. The Mars base has a serious alien problem.
But just as Tyce discovers concrete evidence of these creatures, the rest of the colony suddenly forgets that they exist. His friends ignore him and the rescued scientist has no recollection of an alien attack. Something’s up, and Tyce intends to keep digging until he finds the answer, no matter what corrupt leaders stand in his way.
I enjoyed the first story more than the second. The looming dread of depleting oxygen hangs over the entire story, and it keeps the pages turning; the several twists caught me off guard in the best way. Until the last second, it’s unclear whether the colony will survive. The second story is much the same in quality, and it’s far from bad, but the lack of impending doom reduced the tension.
My only critique of the story is petty. It doesn’t ruin the book, and most readers probably won’t care, but it bugs me. Parts of the book are pages from Tyce’s journal, and two of them have dates. This means I can track exactly what date things occurred and spot any timeline inconsistencies. And guess what? I found one. (Feel free to skip the following rant. It’s not very important.)
In the first story, the colonists only need to stretch the oxygen out long enough for the supply ship to arrive. One journal entry puts a number on this—the ship will arrive five days from June 20. Depending on your reckoning, this could be counted as either June 25 or June 26. For the sake of argument, I’m going to say it’s June 25.
Later in the book, the ship arrives. A journal entry places this arrival on June 26. For some unknown reason, the ship is a day late and nobody seems to notice. Either June 20 is supposed to be excluded from the five days, or the author lost track of the story timeline.
This dating problem applies generally, too. Story two takes place only a day or two after story one, but a larger time gap is implied. The new project director has barely had enough time to settle into his new office, yet he already has information on top-secret projects within the base.
Again, none of this is actually a major problem. The plot is still engaging despite the small inconsistencies. But these sorts of details annoy me greatly.
Characters
Tyce displays some excellent character development from the author. He’s crippled, meaning he spends the entire book in a wheelchair. There are doubtless other books with disabled characters, but this is the first one I’ve read.
He also has taken up juggling as a hobby and uses it to relax and clear his mind. Again, this is the first time I’ve seen this. Plenty of characters have hobbies, but I thought this was quite a unique one.
Personality-wise, Tyce is stubborn and assertive. Growing up around hundreds of scientists means he must look out for himself. His father, a spaceship pilot, is never around; he’s close to his mother, but she’s often busy.
His surroundings also cause him to love science, and he frequently uses the large telescope at the dome’s peak. He can use lingo and talk about complex concepts with the scientists all day.
The side characters didn’t stand out. They may become more developed as the series progresses, but in this book alone, they get little attention.
Theme & Content Warnings
In the first story, Tyce is strongly against the existence of God. He claims to only believe in things he can see and measure. This burdens his mother, who is a strong Christian, and it is a topic of argument between them. In the end, certain heroic actions of his mother convince him that God is truly real.
Throughout their discussion, Tyce and his mom never mention salvation or even Jesus’ name. God’s existence reassures Tyce while he’s facing death, not a hope of heaven. This isn’t false doctrine, per se, but it’s not wholly accurate. The author may have been trying to please all religious readers, instead of advocating for the truth.
Story two is less theme-driven. A brief discussion explores the implications of alien life to the Biblical worldview. Tyce prays when he’s worried. But beyond that, the story doesn’t feature a central message.
There are no content warnings for either story.
Overall
Death Trap is a fun and easy read. With a unique protagonist and suspenseful plot, I could pull myself away. It’s not the best book out there, as the characters are a bit shallow, but if you’re looking for two clean, entertaining stories with a Christian perspective, this might be your book. As long as incongruent dates don’t bother you.
Thanks for reading!
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