An interesting book but not as good as The Martian. Similar type of main character except this time, a bright, but more wreckless, snarkier female. This was corporate espionage and corruption...on the moon. I enjoyed the author's sense of humor.

This new book is a solid follow-up from The Martian. I enjoyed the female protagonist and her vivid internal thoughts- I'm not certain it was entirely convincing as an authentic female voice but Andy Weir is brilliant at internal monologue and capturing the nuance of the brilliant but flawed character. Jazz has a head I enjoyed being in for the space of the book, and the adventure was vivid and (as in the Martian) believable as could be for a tale of life and intrigue on the moon! The story opens with us seeing the heroine fail- what seems to be a new experience for her, and of course the event that plummets her into the escapades to follow. She is a smuggler, but she has a strict code of ethics, and that (plus the incidental and delightful coverage of nationality and sexuality in the new world of the moon) made it a compelling and fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for an e-ARC of this novel.

Honestly, I don't think I've ever been so disappointed when reading a book. Partially that has to be because I loved the previous book written by this author so much and I expected to be reading something along the same lines as that when it came to the qualities of writing, plotting and character development. No. Artemis has a main character that represents practically everything I dislike in a main character. I struggled with bringing my star rating up to 3, but if you can keep reading until approximately the last 25% of the book you will find what I did, namely a problem of catastrophic proportions which had to be solved with intelligent reasoning. Was it worth all the time I spent annoyed by it? Probably not.

Artemis is the only moon colony and it survives financially from tourist and mining revenues. There is a small permanent resident population of approximately 2,000. The main character is 26 year old Jasmine "Jazz" Bashara who has lived on the moon with her father since she was six years old. She may be 26 but she acts more like a petulant 18 year old fighting against any authority simply because it's there. She is also a smuggler, obnoxious, feckless, a smart aleck, and completely annoying throughout the entire novel. Those are all hot buttons for me and I don't read novels where that type of character holds center stage because, just like Jazz, these are characters who are always allowed to get away with any ridiculous and dangerous prank or plot or joke they come up with. Naturally Jazz is the one who takes on a job of sabotage. Having done such an incompetent job at that, she is then the one who has to go in and fix things. Hmm, wonder how that's going to turn out?

Author Andy Weir could not have gone in any different direction with this book from his first success if he had tried. Quite honestly, it felt as if I was reading the manuscript for a film coming to a movie theatre near you soon.

Jasmine Bashara is a citizen of the Moon's first city, Artemis. Raised by a hard-working welder, but independently employed as a freelance porter (aka smuggler), she finds herself at the epicenter of an elaborate conspiracy and must use her quick-thinking problem solving skills to stay alive.

Despite the inherent pressure in being the sophomore novel following an international bestseller, Artemis truly delivers as a gripping page-turner clearly cut from the same cloth, but more than able to stand up on its own. The novel is kinetic, engrossing, and an engineer's wet dream (whether you get your kicks from reading about mechanical processes or from pedantically picking them apart). My only criticism is that the characters, endearing as they were, could be a bit immature. I curse like a sailor and love witty banter as much as the next guy, but at times the dialogue felt a little under-cooked, like the sparring of teenage affectations rather than adults conversing.

Weir continues to fill that Michael-Crichton-shaped hole in my heart with his take on thrilling lab-lit, i.e. going into excruciating amounts of detail when describing scientific and chemical processes. Honestly, Artemis takes up the torch even more than The Martian as it unravels a slightly wider spread of world-creation and plot: without giving too much away, we're talking geo-political and economic maneuverings on top of all the knee-deep science jargon.

Admittedly, though, my review may be a little skewed because I went through a tumultuous time in my life while reading this novel- the first half, anyway. By the time I got to the second half my messy life had calmed down a bit and coincidentally I enjoyed the book much more than I had previously.

This book is fun and modern in its story- I love the sci-fi tech and the city on the moon. I love that the main character is a female Muslim who is sex positive and is doing less than legal things that I would more likely picture a male character doing. Jazz Bashara is an awesome character and she's strong and independent with morals and values when they matter. She's also looking out for numero uno (herself!) first and foremost. I really like Jazz, she seems mostly good natured and the the type of woman I could throw a few drinks back with.

To make a million slugs (slugs = moon money), Jazz makes a deal with a billionaire to do some destruction to help him make even more money by taking over a contract. It's a lucrative proposition that Jazz can't resist. This story is about her destruction and what comes next.

If you liked The Martian I definitely recommend Artemis as well. I just wish it didn't take me so long to find interest in this book. Halfway is just too long to have to read before a book gets exciting. Once again, however, that might just be because of my own things happening.

As a side note, I love the cover of this book.

It took me a while to warm up to Jazz Bashara, the protagonist, a young Saudi woman living in the first moon colony and working as a smuggler. But she has the same sense of humor as the hero of The Martian and the same scientific bent.

The bad news, in a way, is that there’s a lot of science in this book, too, though it’s entwined with the plot in a way that means you have to at least understand the basics in order to know why things matter. Weir’s research is fully on display here, but I felt like it was better integrated into the story—or perhaps the editor trimmed it down to the essentials.

There’s much more of a crime fiction plot here—what begins as a caper motivated by greed morphs along the way into something more meaningful and thought-provoking

I have to say I came in to this book pretty worried about Weir's 2nd book. The way The Martian came into fruition was one of those lightening in a bottle stories of blog to self publishing to publishing deal. It was interesting to see how his followup would compare.

This book is a rollicking good time. Jazz is the complete opposite of Mark Watney in most ways except that she's similarly resourceful and intelligent. She's a smuggler and petty criminal on the moon just trying to make it to the lunar upper class, hired to do some major sabotaging. It was interesting how Weir made her sympathetic as a character.

Yes, there's a great deal of science in the book. However, it flows a lot better into the narrative. In fact the book as a whole feels like it flows better than The Martian which could never escape from it's web series roots.

With the action being the draw for the book, the characters suffer. The Martian had similar problems. However, the main problem is how Jazz is clearly a female written by a male writer. It's clear that Jazz could easily have been a male character so Weir threw in "female thoughts", it's kind of weird.

I have my theories on how people who liked The Martian will like this book, especially with that recent Google letter. But for people that are interested in reading about a space heist with science details, it's worth a read.

For those of you who think this book is going to be exactly like "The Martian" you need to know that they are very different but there are some similarities. Both books have many scientific explanations so everything feels very real and both are definite page-turners. This book has a female protagonist who is in her twenties. I really wanted to like her, but her character annoyed me too much. I felt like many of the things she said were not what a woman of her age would say. Additionally, it was hard to feel the same level of tension as in "The Martian" at the beginning of this book when the main character is not trying to survive but trying to sabotage equipment. Of course things change later in the book. I loved the city Weir creates on the Moon as well as learning how it was built and how it was governed. An overall enjoyable book with a main character I had frustrations with.

Oh my, I was expecting more after THE MARTIAN which lead me back to reading science fiction again. Unfortunately I couldn't relate to the character, Jazz, she didn't come across as real. All in all it was a good read, just wasn't quite up to my expectations.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Jazz lives in Artemis, the only city on the moon. She's a courier and a smuggler, and ends up involved in a complicated plot to take over the city's oxygen business.

If you are looking for another Martian story, this isn't it. If you're looking for a story similar to The Martian, this isn't it. What this is is a mystery-thriller type story that happens to take place on the moon, so there are complications one wouldn't expect on Earth. Weir's "voice" is very clear in this book and I enjoyed it, but it is not, I repeat, another Martian story.

Recommended for: adults, teens
Red Flags: language, violence
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purposes of review.

I loved The Martian. LOVED it. So I was understandably hesitant when I began reading Artemis, because...what if it isn't as good as The Martian? And I have to be completely honest - it's not. And that's okay.

I started reading Artemis and was relieved to discover that the trademarks of The Martian are all present: Sarcastic protagonist? Check. Technobabble that is immensely readable and actually enjoyable? Check. Over-the-top space action? Check. I strapped in for an enjoyable ride. And it was enjoyable - for the most part.

The main character - Jazz Bashara - is sassy and fun, and I was rooting for her to succeed. She really reminded me of Mark Watney from The Martian. A lot. She's pretty much just a gender reversed Mark Watney. However, in The Martian, the reader's time with Watney is broken up by segments where the reader is transported back to Earth to get some outside perspective on the situation from various other characters. I found myself longing for segments like these in Artemis, because the thing about Mark Watney is that he is a great character, but a little of his personality goes a long way. And with Jazz Bashara, there is no break from the endless sarcasm and jokey inner monologues. They start out funny, and by the end they're a little grating. The supporting cast ranges from excellent (Jazz's penpal Kelvin is presented only in e-mail snippets, but I found myself looking forward to those to get a little insight into the world outside of Artemis) to painfully two-dimensional (don't get me started on quirky Ukrainian scientist Svoboda and his "project" for Jazz), but it is a diverse and mostly interesting group. I feel like the book would have benefited from multiple perspectives, even if they only switched off every few chapters.

The plot itself is a lot of fun. A heist on the moon! I went into the book skeptical of how interesting that would be, and was pleasantly surprised. The action is intense but not drawn out, and there are only a couple of instances where I had to suspend disbelief entirely (when characters are on a do-or-die time crunch and seemingly manage to do a hundred tasks in various sections of the city in ten minutes, I roll my eyes a little). The plot never lagged or felt bloated, and I kept wanting to return to the book, even if I didn't devour it nearly as quick as The Martian. As always, Andy Weir's technological know-how is presented in an interesting and accessible way, which really sells the book to readers who may want their heist story with only a light peppering of technical jargon.

All in all, this was enjoyable and it feels like a solid follow up to The Martian, even if it doesn't live up to the hype of its predecessor. It's accessible to people who are not fans of science fiction, and has the same "reading a movie" feeling that made The Martian so much fun.

Artemis by Andy Weir was my most anticipated read of 2017 and it did not disappoint! Filled with heaps of action that should be familiar to fans of The Martian, Artemis is about a roguish woman named Jazz Bashara who is cut from the same cloth as other famous sci-fi rouges. Think Han Solo, Malcolm Reynolds or even Peter Quill (AKA Star-Lord). However, while those sci-fi’s take place in the far future, Artemis could be considered near future in relation to the world of The Martian. Here’s the set-up: Artemis is a small lunar colony in which many objects, including flammable substances (such as alcohol and cigarettes) are tightly regulated or banned by Artemis’s government. Jazz is Artemis’s best smuggler with the right amount of attitude and scruples to be a good protagonist. She puts her effective, but small-scale operation at risk when one of the wealthiest businessmen on Artemis offers her the biggest contract she’s ever taken on and the action really begins.

This plot is only one aspect of what was an engaging book. I could read descriptions about the inner workings of Artemis for days on end as it is a very well imagined and fleshed out world in typical Weir style. It’s a sci-fi world (moon-city really) where the limitations and science behind it seem possible, just as they did in The Martian, although more advanced. It’s refreshing to read sci-fi novels where the problems faced by the main character need thought and planning to deal with the limitations of the environment (e.g. vacuums, no air, low-gravity etc.)

I appreciate that Weir was trying to write a more character-driven novel, as Artemis has a good supporting cast of characters and he builds interesting back-story into Jazz’s character that may have been missing (although not necessarily needed) from Mark Watney’s character in The Martian. I think that Artemis is a successful follow-up to The Martian and it is great to see that Weir is trying something new in his writing, while keeping enough of the old. It really feels like an evolutionary step. One last Artemis comparison, the city of Artemis itself reminded me a bit of the colony-ship from Ascension, a recent TV mini-series about 1960s space settlers where the culture of Earth was very much carried over to the new space locale.

I’d recommend Artemis to fans of The Martian (obviously), but also fans of space-opera, John Scalzi and to fans of any of the famous space smugglers I mentioned earlier in my review.

Note that this review is for an ARC of Artemis which I received from Crown Publishing through NetGalley.

Andy Weir, the New York Times Bestselling Author of The Martian, his debut novel, has followed up with another hard science fiction work, Artemis, probably also destined to become a movie thriller. Weir's earlier book pitted a stranded astronaut against the inimical Martian environment. The structure of the story was necessarily episodic, the reader continuing reading just to see what deadly aspect of Mars the protagonist would face next and his ingenuity in dealing with it. Artemis is much more plot-driven, more in the spirit of a classic crime story.

Jazz (Jasmine) is a sassy, very intelligent free-willed 20-something year old who lives in a small lunar colony, just squeaking by on the income from her job as a porter and boosting her savings by smuggling. She dreams of someday living in a space larger than her current “capsule domicile”, an enclosed coffin-like bunk with a door that locks, all she can currently afford. As a smuggler of cigars, electronics and other small contraband, she has developed a reputation for being honest (i.e. keeping to the agreed-upon bargain) and ethical (she will not smuggle in firearms, drugs, etc.)

A rich entrepreneur offers Jazz a fortune if she will sabotage the moon's primary industry, aluminum production, so he can take over the operation. This is way outside her comfort zone, but she is ingenious and a very fast learner, so she comes up with a plan and, needing the money, agrees to take the job. Now she has to deal with not only the moon-base security people, their alarms and processes, and the extremely harsh lunar environment she has always contended with, but also she must outwit the personnel and procedures of her target.

Andy Weir has expanded his horizons in the writing of Artemis. His talent for describing the science of running in low gravity, the danger of fire, base safety protocols, even the nitty-gritty details of welding in a vacuum, is given ample opportunity to shine, ala The Martian. However, with his new story, he has added the development of multiple characters and their interactions and has a crime-focussed plot. Survival in a hostile environment is still an important part of the story, but surviving hostile humans certainly ups the ante, making the story thrilling and, in my opinion, (and I'll probably take some heat for this) more interesting than his debut novel. The characters and plot are now intriguing as well as displaying an awesome grasp of the hard science involved. I can't wait for the movie!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I kept visualizing this book as a movie, and I feel sure it will be soon. I love the intelligence and strength of the female heroine, even though she isn't wholly "good." And the setting! So cool! I loved that I need need to be a scientist to understand the science. Weir makes it easy to understand and follow. Highly recommended!

**3 Goodreads Stars**

I really, really, REALLY wanted to love this book because the premise sounded enticing and I enjoyed the movie version of Andy Weir's prior book, The Martian. Unfortunately for Artemis, I just finished reading a 5 chapter excerpt of Annalee Newitz's sci-fi thriller Autonomous, which I could not put down. Artemis paled in comparison to Autonomous. 

Let's start with the good, which is what earned this book 3 stars. The plot was what kept me going, though a major spoiler happened fairly early in the book (which could have been drawn out much longer in my humble opinion). The book was action-packed and fast-paced. While I am not into the nitty-gritty details of how things work, the author also paid close attention to the minutiae of all the tech and gadgets in the book. Weir has built a somehwat convincing environment and world, one that I could easily imagine on the screen. 

The plot involves Jazz, a lower class employee working as a freight porter on a colony on the moon (known as "Artemis"). The moon has become habitable (though questionably so for those who have little money), and has become a popular place for wealthy tourists from Earth. Jazz aspires to become one of the elite, to enjoy the pleasures reserved for the moon's über wealthy residents, by smuggling freight deemed illegal by moon colony standards. Jazz compromises what little ethics she has by accepting an offer to engage in corporate espionage, which, if successful, will guarantee her a life of wealth and leisure. 

Now to the bad. Like Artemis, Autonomous features an enterprising young female lead in a futuristic world where corporations own nations (or in the case of Artemis, the moon) and people often engage in questionable behavior simply in order to survive. Both leads are also smart, science-oriented females who use their wits to outfox society's oppressive rules and their corporate overlords. Artemis, however, fails where Autonomous succeeds; Autonomous creates a believable character who goes by female pronouns and the name Jack, whereas Artemis trivialized the experience of rough and tough welder/smuggler named Jazz who goes by female pronouns. You can't simply write in a female smuggler/welder to be considered a progressive author; you need to understand her motivations (beyond sexuality/sex and $$, because believe it or not women are more interesting than that: for the latter issue, see below), her struggles, and her life. 

As another reviewer (https://www.goodreads.com/BookswithEmilyFox) put it, the female lead (Jazz) was sexualized to the point it felt as though the author could not possibly imagine what goes on in the mind of a savvy woman. There were numerous moments where the character mentioned how sexy she was out of the blue; in one case, Jazz discussed the possibility of a wet t-shirt contest after being splashed with a little water in what was a completely non-sexual scene. One of the scientists with whom Jazz was working also constantly asked her about her sexual behavior after devising a reusable condom that he asked her to test out (really??!). Perhaps if it was just a few isolated comments I wouldn't care, but seemingly scientific and tense scenes were constantly interrupted by awkward sexual comments and scenarios that were really out of place (and obnoxious, and, more importantly, out of character for Jazz). 

Though this is not explored in depth, Jazz and her father are from Saudi Arabia, and Jazz's father is a practicing Muslim. I felt like this was sort of an afterthought rather than something truly explored. I'd be curious to see how this element of Jazz's identity is examined if this book is turned into a film.

Finally, there were a few instances where I was left shaking my head at the language used. The author (in the voice of Jazz) used the words "whorish" and "ghetto" in different scenes. Just like the sex comments, these phrases seemed really out of character for Jazz, a young woman who is both poor and objectified by the men surrounding her.

You would think that a second book set in space might be repetitive, but Weir makes it cool to be a nerd in this lunar frontier town. Painting his main character into tight spots that require brains to get her out of trouble, he creates a diverse and engaging world that makes you care for every breath they take. Using projections of hard science and a sharp sense of humor Artemis is a great read for fans of space thrillers.

Who can resist a “near-future heist story set on the moon”? Jazz Bashara is equally as brilliant and funny as The Martian‘s Mark Watney, with a hefty dose of rebelliousness and risk-taking. The story itself is a bit predictable, but watching Jazz get out of all the predicaments she finds herself in is highly entertaining. It’s her fast-talking and fast-thinking character, and the intricate relationships with friends and family that will keep the pages turning.

Andy Weir has quickly jumped to the top of my favorite authors list. His follow up novel to his smash success The Martian, will be another runaway success! Artemis is a whirlwind sabotage/heist adventure set on the moon! At times I felt like I was reading the screen play for a movie like Oceans 11 where a cast of misfits is trying to pull off a huge heist under insane circumstances for a huge payoff. I loved the main character Jazz from the moment I "met her:. The book starts off with a bang putting Jazz immediately in a life or death situation and her intelligence and snarky sense of humor are apparent right away. She is an easy character to love and root for even when she is making incredibly risky and stupid decisions. She is a strong female lead with the male characters all falling well below her on the intelligence and charisma charts. This book will keep you on your toes from page one and keep you guessing the whole way through. Even though there is a ton of science in the book, it never makes you feel like you don't understand the content and you won't struggle to catch up with the novel when trying to figure out what they are talking about. Artemis and The Martian are similar in that they both are set in space, have fantastic main characters, they are easy to understand while being scientific, and pack a serious comedic punch. I think anyone who reads this book will love it and I can see this being a huge hit when it is released in November. Let's hope there is a movie made out of this one too! I would love to see Jazz and her colorful language on the big screen. Plus the cast of additional characters all have their own quirks and flaws that make them unique and well rounded. Cheers to Andy Weir and his latest achievement!

Weir has out done himself! His latest novel is better than The Martian. The story line and plot flows to make this a page turner. The science explanations are a wonderment. The protagonist could be an inspiration for young ladies to delve into STEM industry. Despite the foul language, this novel could be a good YA-Adult crossover.. Artemis is an absolute joy to read. A thrill ride to the moon with characters that make the trip exhilarating..

4+ Stars

Dangerous place to live......the Moon.

Andy Weir, one of my favorite authors, serves up another winner with his new sci-fi thriller ARTEMIS....and Jazz Bashara is the spirited and defiant main attraction.

Jasmine/Jazz is basically a nice person, has a smart mouth, works as a lowly Porter, and drives around in a cart she calls Trigger. AND....despite her sideline of smuggling, AND....superior IQ, she still lives in a room the size of a coffin...literally...and wants out!

SO....with an offer she can't refuse to finally make some REALLY big bucks, Jazz plots a course to accomplish her most difficult and dangerous of illegal activities that threaten not only her life, but risk exile to her homeland of Saudi Arabia.

ARTEMIS is a super fun read with some intense moments, is just a little techie and unlike THE MARTIAN has more of a young adult feel to it, BUT....no problem....there's sabotage, murder and revenge....plus a side story going on via email to earth....all wrapped up in a highly entertaining narrative depicting the extreme dangers of living on the Moon.

AND....last but not least....there's the finale when Jazz meets up with the ultimate of disasters with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide....unless she can hold her breath.

MANY THANKS to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!