I was hoping to enjoy this book more than I did. I loved The Martian and was hoping for a story that had the same momentum, but this one fell short for me. The characters were fun and there were some great lines in the book, but the plot let me down. It made me laugh, though.

*I received an advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Very well researched - I felt like I learned a lot of science without feeling overwhelmed or bored. The plot seemed a little slow at first, but once it got started, I was hooked. While there were a few scenes that felt a little repetitive, overall, it was an intriguing and entertaining read. I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy high stakes adventure in space.

This book was a bit of a disappointment, especially since Weir's first book was such a fun read. Hey, sophomore slumps happen, so hopefully we'll get more food from him in the future.
The strengths of this book are the worldbuilding and how grounded everything feels in terms of science, economics, and the like. Artemis feels like a very real place in many ways.
The weaknesses are the characters. Jazz was largely disinteresting, feeling more like an amalgam of attributes the author is turned on by than an actual person. The rest of the cast is pretty flat, generally having one or two defining characteristics and that's about it. The plot also got way too murky in terms of politics and economics and inconsistent concepts of personal morality, making what should have been a fun sci-fi heist into something that regularly made my eyes glaze over a chapter at a time.

I honestly do not understand how a book that not only stereotypes women, but also stereotypes several ethnicities went past an editor unnoticed. I could not finish reading this book because of the several cultural microaggressions via Jazz I was forced to read in just the initial chapters. What a travesty. Not to mention the plot is pretty basic, and the female protagonist clearly written via the lens of a white dude. Either Mr. Weir needs to do his research, definitely hire some sensitivity readers/have editors of color when writing a non-white protagonist, or stick to writing white dudes. I don't like trashing books publicly so I will not be posting this review on any other review platform.

The protagonist in Weir's newest witty science fiction suspense is a brazen, profane woman named Jazz. She's known for hustling in ways only one can do inside the exclusive city on the moon, which is accomplished under the guise of her job as an on-demand delivery person. This front fools no one, however, and her subversive ways keep her under constant scrutiny by law enforcement, the government and even her own father.

Surprisingly, it is her particular brand of delinquency that brings her to the doorstep of Trond Landvik, local billionaire, and sets into motion a scheme that could mean big things for Jazz— if only she can get past the nagging feeling that this proposal is too good to be true.

"No. I was a smuggler, not a saboteur. And something smelled off about the whole thing. "I'm sorry, but this isn't my thing." I said. "You'll have to find someone else." "I'll give you a million slugs." "Deal.""

The story is interspersed with letters between Jazz and an Earth bound pen pal named Kelvin and it is through these letters we get a fuller sense of Jazz- her past, her vulnerability and the reasons behind her criminal activity. Underneath her tough exterior lies the insecurity and hurt that drives her to self-destruction.

It is due in part to this guilt that Jazz willingly takes on such a risky and potentially fatal assignment—forcing herself beyond reasonable expectation to make amends for her past transgressions. What Jazz ultimately uncovers leads to a surprising revelation as well as a potentially life-threatening accident.

"Dear Jazz,

According to the news, something's very wrong with Artemis. They say the whole city went offline. There's been no contact at all. I don't know why my email would be the exception but I have to try. Are you there? Are you okay? What happened?"

In a style all his own, Weir brings yet another facetious character to the world of science fiction. Though not quite as easily likable as Mark Watney from his first novel, The Martian, Jazz Bashara is equally quick on her feet and full of unpredictability. Artemis exceeds in the basics of science fiction, but if you are looking for another charming protagonist, you won't find that here.

I was really excited about this when I heard it was coming out. Unfortunately it was a bit of a let down compared to The Martian. I had a hard time being invested in the characters. The worldbuilding was enjoyable.

3.7 - sometimes felt that Jazz was a little too contrived; but entertaining tale

Artemis is a civilization based on the moon. The Kenyan Space Center has created a vacation destination for earth, but it’s very expensive. Jazz and her father immigrated to Artemis in the early years as part of the work force. Jazz is extremely bright with the whole future ahead of her. But with some bad decisions under her belt, Jazz works as a lowly porter, delivering goods and smuggled items throughout Artemis.

One of Jazz’s wealthy clients has a job for her, a dangerous one that could get her deported to Earth if she’s not careful. The cost is one million slugs (Artemis currency). Jazz is low on funds and she immediately accepts. The heist creates even more dangers, and Jazz finds herself mixed up in murder, space dangers, and the mob.

I think I use the word ‘interesting’ too much to describe some of the books I read. But Artemis was an interesting and engaging read. It’s a whole civilization on the moon and the technology and science behind it is in perfect Andy Weir style. Every detail is thought out, the hull of the structures, the way oxygen is produced, space exploration, gravity transportation, it’s all phenomenal.

The beginning started a little slow for me, but as it progressed and I understood Jazz more it began to pick up. Jazz is just your lowly criminal trying to make up for all the mistakes she’s made in the past, but she has a snarky way of doing it.

My issue with Jazz’s character is that she is so smart and brilliant at everything she does. But she doesn’t put it good use to make an honest, reliable living. She relies on illegal smuggling and dangerous tasks.

So with a page-turning heist, government conspiracy, and a family bond Artemis by Andy Weir gets 4 stars.

I actually received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review... but then I found out Rosario Dawson was narrating it and I stopped reading it halfway through because I really wanted to listen to it. Don't get me wrong, the written form is amazing and I loved it. But I just have a weakness for Rosario Dawson... and it was worth waiting a bit longer to finish it that way.

There is something about Andy Weir's ability to make a science fiction story accessible to people who wouldn't normally read the genre. I really appreciate that, especially because it got so many people at the old-people book club I attend to start looking more into the genre. Also, he's freaking hilarious. And I love that about his stuff.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this one. I wasn't sure if I would, because I thought I'd compare it to The Martian too much - but they're really different but with the same writing style. And I freaking appreciated that so much.

I am surprised to say this, but I liked this one more than his other book. I think it's because it does a lot of relationship building. And although the drama is very much the same level, if not more, of life threatening, I just felt that Jazz was more of someone that I could relate to.

​This is one book that I absolutely highly mega super recommend to everyone who likes reading. Give in to my whims!

#Artemis by Andy Weir suffers perhaps from the resounding success of Andy Weir's first book The Martian. Artemis, while an entertaining story, does not quite measure up to The Martian. It does not have the same drama, intensity, or compelling main character. The book is, however, a very quick, rather light read. Although not enamored of this book, I will likely read what Andy Weir comes up with next.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/01/artemis.html

Reviewed for #NetGalley

I was so excited to read this book. I loved The Martian! So after finishing it, I liked it, but it certainly was not as good as the first.

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

I've got to start by telling y'all that I was super excited to get approved for this book because I absolutely loved Weir's The Martian. I didn't enjoy this story quite as much as his previous work, but it was definitely an enjoyable story.

As you can hopefully tell from my favorite quotes, I found Artemis to be rather humorous. The larger cast of characters (as compared to The Martian) allowed more opportunities for witty quips, although it also reduced their frequency as it would be unreasonable for every character to be as funny as Mark Watney. Jazz Bashara had a similar wit about her though, and the story did focus on her, so I spent a fair amount of time laughing while reading.

I think the part of the story that let me down was the action sequences. There was nothing wrong with them, I just didn't want them while reading apparently. So basically I wanted a story with no conflict and that's absurd. I honestly get how weird this complaint is, but at the time I was reading Artemis, the action sequences just didn't do it for me. If I were to re-read it another time in a different mindset I would very likely react differently to them. That doesn't change my current reading experience though.

Overall I give Artemis 4.032674673 because it was funny and while the action scenes didn't do it for me, there was nothing technically wrong with them.

I wrote about this here: http://www.bethfishreads.com/2017/11/7-books-for-speculative-fiction-fans.html

Artemis is a space thriller and a fun book. Not as fully realized as The Martian, but still good stuff for space nerds. Punky, female protagonist is cool -- as are the descriptions of the technology and challenges of maintaining a mining colony and tourist center on the Moon. There are more adult themes in this book than in The Martian, like sex and drinking and violence, but nothing too outré for a YA audience. People who don’t like detailed accounts of working in zero gravity or navigating the surface of the Moon won't like this book.

I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

I am sad to say that I was dissapointed of this book. I had great hopes for it when I resived it ecause I had heard great things about The Martian.

This book deffenetly fell short and did not work for me. At best it is a good book for 12 year olds, but for anyone older the depth of the book is too shallow.

Non of the characters went through any transformation, they were just flat througout the book. Even the Jazz continued to be the same, still after I hoped that she had grown.

Jazz Bashara grew up in the moon colony of Artemis – scheming and smuggling her way through life, hoping for that big break that will make her rich. When one of her loyal customers offers her a huge sum of money to sabotage a company he wants to take over, Jazz agrees. When her plans begin to go awry, Jazz realizes she’s in over her head and that her “simple” crime is at the center of a much larger conspiracy to control all of Artemis.

Artemis was a load of fun to read.


One of the many reasons I enjoyed The Martian was the smart-ass personality of Mark Watney. Jazz is very similar, though a bit more of an asshole. One of those characters that you root for, but also can’t help but grin when they get some comeuppance, you know? She’s a tomboy, though perhaps overly so because with the exception of a few lines, you could change her gender and the book wouldn’t feel any different. This didn’t bother me, but it would have been nice if she felt more authentically female.

Another note on her character is that she’s from Saudi Arabia, yet that’s almost undetectable when she’s not pointing it out. She moved to Artemis with her father when she was six and didn’t keep the faith or much of her culture, so at times her diversity felt more like a popular card to play than an aspect of her character that impacted her story. Just something worth noting.

Jazz is smart and headstrong, which often gets her into as much trouble as it gets her out of. She has quite a few lucky breaks and near-escapes, but that’s what made the story fun. I enjoyed all the incredible escapes and snap decisions that saved Mark’s life in The Martian, and my experience in reading Artemis was no different. I suspended my disbelief and let Jazz and the action take me for a wild ride.

There’s a fair bit of science and technology in this book, but it was easy for me to swallow. Jazz’s tone is that of someone narrating to an audience, so she often explains the inner workings of the city or whatever machinery or tech she’s using. I didn’t feel bogged down, nor did I have any trouble imagining what she was talking about.

I was excited about this book and it didn’t disappoint. I think it’s a light read, as far as sci-fi is concerned and I flew through it over the course of two days. If you’re looking for a crazy moon adventure and a snarky, dickish protagonist who has almost as much luck as common sense, I think you’ll enjoy Artemis.

I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FOR FREE FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION OF THE BOOK OR THE CONTENT OF MY REVIEW. ALL OPINIONS IN THIS POST ARE MY OWN.

Absolutely fantastic!! Loved it!!

I absolutely loved the last Andy Weir book that I read called "The Martian". This book was a lot like that in the fact that it was set in outer space, fraught with lots of action and plot twists, and there was a lot of humor.

Jazz Bashara is the main character of this book that is set in a city on the Moon. Jazz is like a mail clerk taking stock and goods received from Earth and delivering it to the addressee's. She's young, spunky and hilarious.

The city on the Moon seems so life like with the Buzz Aldrin center and other areas named after the astronauts that landed on the Moon in real life.

From what I could tell at the ending, there should be more books in a series coming out in the future. I certainly hope so. I loved this book, it could read like a YA, but I enjoyed it as a adult, as well.

Thanks to Crown Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.