A review by withlivjones
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This is such a thrilling and wholesome read with a fantastic premise and equally fantastic execution. Half of the story is science fiction, chronicling our main guy’s journey through space to save humanity after waking up with no memories, and the other half is disaster fiction as he gradually regains his memories of how he ended up in this position.
There is a lot of rather complicated science jargon in this book, from near-light-speed travel to the minute details of the biology of alien lifeforms, and this could have easily made the book dense and patronising if it were not for the fact that Ryland Grace is so likeable. As a rather unlikely candidate for saviour of humanity, he makes a perfect protagonist with a combination of awe and excitement at interstellar travel and alien communication as well as sarcasm and humour easily coming across in the narration.
The only thing preventing me from giving this book five stars is that I think the ending is a little too short and sweet, with all the loose ends wrapped up rather conveniently. Time skip endings rarely land for me, but this is a small letdown I’m willing to overlook because the rest of this book is absolutely brilliant!
There is a lot of rather complicated science jargon in this book, from near-light-speed travel to the minute details of the biology of alien lifeforms, and this could have easily made the book dense and patronising if it were not for the fact that Ryland Grace is so likeable. As a rather unlikely candidate for saviour of humanity, he makes a perfect protagonist with a combination of awe and excitement at interstellar travel and alien communication as well as sarcasm and humour easily coming across in the narration.
The only thing preventing me from giving this book five stars is that I think the ending is a little too short and sweet, with all the loose ends wrapped up rather conveniently. Time skip endings rarely land for me, but this is a small letdown I’m willing to overlook because the rest of this book is absolutely brilliant!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Drug use, and Suicide
Minor: Cannibalism