A review by lovelymisanthrope
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

I have had this on my TBR for years, and finally got a chance to read it. 
“Project Hail Mary” follows Ryland, the only survivor on a mission to save all of humanity. When Ryland wakes up disorientated and confused, it does not take him long to realize he is on a spaceship, floating somewhere in space. He does not remember his own name, let alone how he got to space, but he knows he has to work quickly to puzzle out what is going on. If he does not figure it out, he might not ever make it home. 
I absolutely devoured this book. I am normally not one to really enjoy Sci-fi as a genre, but this novel goes way beyond just some space story and explores what it means to be a human. I think this story at its core is about someone with a good heart who is just trying to figure out their purpose in life. 
I really appreciated the formatting and timeline of this story. The novel begins with Ryland waking up onboard a spaceship, and as he starts to remember what happened and how he got there, we get flashbacks to his life before. This type of storytelling was highly effective because it kept me guessing what was actually going on. We did not get the whole “before” story until almost the end of the novel, which was great for me. Additionally, this way of storytelling made me feel like I was on the mission with Ryland. 
I loved Ryland as a character and a point of view to read from. He is so intelligent and I feel like people underestimated him. But, my favorite part about reading from him was that he had such an empathetic heart. He uses his intelligence for good, and he really genuinely cares about what happens to everyone. He is more than willing to sacrifice himself to help save the greater good (in some capacity). Additionally, it was inspiring to see how his mind worked, and how he was able to sort out challenges and difficulties.
There is a character introduced in the novel that Ryland really bonds with, and I was so invested in their story. I think this is exactly who Ryland needed at that time, and I could not be happier with how they helped one another and how their story ended up playing out. 
I think Andy Weir is an immensely talented author, and I cannot wait to read more from him in the future. 
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