(I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)

I wasn't sure what to expect going into Project Hail Mary. I enjoyed The Martian, but Artemis was more uneven, and the narrator seemed way to similar in mannerisms to that of The Martian despite having entirely different backgrounds. Then I start this and the narrator...also talks like Mark Watney (who also presumably talks and thinks like Andy Weir). The story structure, though, is completely different from both previous Weir outings and goes to places I was definitely not expecting. The result is a triumph that surpasses even the heights of The Martian.

The protagonist, whose name we don't learn until a few chapters in, wakes up from a coma and is remembering how he got there while at the same time solving problems and dealing with the current-day situation. I'm being purposefully vague, because the book summary does not reveal much of the plot, and I think it's worth going in completely blind. There are a number of major spoilery twists as the book goes on, and the less you know about what's coming the more enjoyable it is.

Normally in my reviews I will do some spoiler-tagged nitpicking about various plot points or characters motivations, and there are certainly things that felt a little too pat or glossed over, but if sacrifices were made in the name of story or readability, they were well worth it. Like The Martian, the story is immensely compelling and hard to put down. I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes hard sci-fi, even if you don't fully understand all the science and engineering details, as Weir's writing style is as approachable as anything out there this side of John Scalzi.

Get ready for space because there's a lot of it and it's non-stop. I'm going to try and do this without giving away spoilers, but heed my warning. Much of this book is reveal after reveal especially in the situations where Ryland has no idea how to proceed forward. I'll try to keep mum about bigger stuff, but I'm going to share smaller details.

I think the biggest thing people will do with this book is compare it to <em>The Martian</em>. And while both books carry some similar themes, they're starkly different. First off, Ryland is not stuck on Mars. In fact, he's not even in our solar system. Second, there's no one coming to rescue him. So Ryland's mission is to figure out how to save earth and then never return to the world he belongs to.

And this is where most of my anxiety came from. Of course I didn't think about it while he was on his adventures or through the memories he slowly remembers. It was in every single conversation he had with himself about how he won't survive this. It's in the way he talks about how alone he is, how he misses his kids (he's a middle school science teacher), how what he's looking at isn't even our sun, and even if he were to return to earth, 26 years would have passed on earth.

Some of these conversations were so honest and human and they were ones that needed to be had. If Ryland was on this space adventure and didn't think about the very real reality for him, I don't think I would have bought the book as much as I did.

It's not considered an Andy Weir book without science and math and this book discusses it a lot. Specifically, it dives into relative physics; how energy is mass and the speed of light to the 2nd power. You may know the formula E=MC². Well, this becomes super relevant in this story and it's really interesting how it's deployed. It also discusses our technology and how far we've come in comparison to other lifeforms in the universe. I loved this juxtaposition of our technology vs. alien technology. I've always thought aliens (if they exist) would be leagues more intelligent than us and have the technology to boot. However, this book tackles those preconceived notions and also shares some interesting theories I never would have guessed.

I thought it was interesting to see this alternating timeline for Ryland. There's a little about what's happening in the present and then a recall to the past with more info he's remembering. I found myself wanting to know more about the present than revisiting the past, but I also understand how this is Ryland and his memories are slowly coming back to him. I think the perspective is the best especially since Ryland was his own person and despite being a middle school science teacher, he was smart, inquisitive, and instinctual.

Overall, this was such a great read. I loved traveling through space with Ryland and his friend, seeing what happens to Project Hail Mary and earth, and seeing what happens to Ryland. The ending was a bit bittersweet and a really wild ending, but it's been such a magical journey so far that you'll definitely be happy with it.

This book is hard to rate. It took me awhile to get into the book but in the end, I really enjoyed the story (even though the beginning reminded me of The Martian). I loved Rocky but thought Grace with his PG cusses, annoying. But my biggest problem was the writing (which once again reminded me of The Martian). Yes science is fascinating. But tone it down with all the overly complex science and math. Half the book is him explaining which made me feel more dumb. Seriously, am I the only one that didn't understand any of it and got bored?

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Andy Weir for a copy of "Project Hail Mary" in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a great book with a lot of plot twists and it was so hard to put down ! There were some really cool ideas in the book with tons of plot twists that made you keep guessing. I loved the humor that was sprinkled in and while it was very science heavy, I thought it was well explained so you weren’t really lost. will say that I felt that I wanted more with the ending.

I loved Project Hail Mary the way I loved The Martian. (I also loved Artemis, but it sometimes appears I'm in a minority win that sense.)

I love the premise of the lone astronaut, tasked with protecting the world, all while dealing with his own memory loss. Sure, it harkens back to The Martian in many ways, but it is its own story with its own complexities. And I loved every minute of it! I would highly recommend to any science fiction lover.

Andy Weir’s newest novel is an exciting thrill ride! I loved it so much that I read it straight through and then immediately purchased and started listening to the audiobook. Our main character is a high school science teacher who gets pulled in when something is discovered that might end life on earth as we know it. This book has humor, exciting thrills, deep emotions and a fantastic friendship. I received this arc for free from NetGalley for an honest review it as I mentioned previously I loved it so much I purchased the audiobook AND a copy of the book for my personal library. I definitely recommend this novel!

So, I have attempted to write this review a few times. I may have the very unpopular opinion in not loving this novel. Which is on par as I seem to be one of the few who didn’t heavily dislike Andy Weir’s last novel, Artemis. Saying I did not love it does not mean that I did not enjoy it, however. There are things I liked about this book and some things I did not. It’s about 50/50, therefore the right in the middle 3 star rating. I will say a very high 3 star, but not enough for me to give it a 4. The beginning was a little slow going, but I enjoyed the plot twist that’s at about a third of the way in. It was a pleasant surprise with one of my favorite troupes. Andy Weir does a really good job making the hard science stuff easy to understand in his writing which makes the prose flow quickly and keeps the narrative from getting bogged down with too many facts. There are times, though, when he can dumb it down to such a point that it feels condescending. He also tends to rephrase things multiple times to the point it feels redundant. There are also some characteristic revelations towards the end that I did not care for and changed how I felt about our main character slightly. All in all, though I enjoyed the story and felt that the ending was very satisfying. I will probably continue to read Andy Weir’s works as he publishes them.

Once again, Andy Weir brings the goods with Project Hail Mary, his latest novel featuring an inventive astronaut and a thorny science problem. Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship far from home, unsure how he got there, who he is, and what he is supposed to do. Grace’s slowly recovering memory reveals that the earth’s sun is dimming due to a microscopic life form that is draining its energy. He is the only surviving member of a crew which has been sent to a nearby star to find the cause and hopefully discover a solution.
The narrative jumps between Grace’s present situation in the nearby galaxy and the past leading up to the trip which has brought him there. Each time we learn a little bit more about who Grace, a middle school science teacher, is and how he became involved in the project that ultimately sent him into space. The memory fog helps us learn about Grace as he learns more about himself with recollections that come back bit by bit.

Grace needs to find a way to complete a mission that was originally designed for three people and solve the problem in time to save Earth. Nothing is ever a straight line in a Weir novel and a series of obstacles and human error have to be overcome to complete the mission. It takes cleverness, some luck, and some science to come up with a solution. Lots and lots of science. Weir has a gift for making the science both digestible and fun. He even manages to make materials science a lot of fun in this story!

Weir creates characters that find their inner strength and ingenuity, are warm, colorful, and funny. He also describes a multinational group that pulls together for one objective, albeit led by one strong-willed, ruthless character and as they are facing planetwide extinction. The story is full of tension but also heart-warming, funny, and full of fascinating science.

Project Hail Mary is an entertaining ride that will carry you from the first page to the ending that is both unexpected and surprisingly touching. Get in on the ground floor because everyone is going to be talking about this book and you will not regret a moment spent reading it. Highly recommended.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

Extremely solid follow up to The Martian.

Years ago, I picked up his first book after hearing about how good it was, and I read it in about a day. His second book, while good, wasn't nearly on the same level as The Martian.
Project Hail Mary is in every way the follow up that The Martian deserved. Very exciting, unpredictable, and surprisingly good characters', especially the relationship between Grace and his... friend.

Can't recommend enough.

This is a fun space romp, as can be expected from Andy Weir. This novel follows Dr. Grace through the traumas of finding out about the incoming extinction of the sun by an alien organism and then to the subsequent research and travel to attempt to take care of the problem. Seriously this book is really enjoyable. The science is there and explained, but it never felt like too much. The pace is great. The characters are AMAZING. I highly recommend this book and am super thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review it.

Ryland Grace wakes up in an unfamiliar bed with a robot caring for him, not remembering his name, not remembering how he got here, not even remembering what 'here' is. Over the next several days, weeks, and months, his memory gradually comes back to him, but for now, he very soon he realizes he is in Space approaching the sun. But on closer look at the sun (and a lot of math calculations), he realizes this isn't the sun but rather a completely different system. A brief panic ensues and in the process he vaguely recalls that Earth was headed towards doom and he is on a mission to find a way to save Earth. Now, if he could only remember what doom that was and what his mission in, then he could very well get on with it.

Having loved Andy Weirs' The Martian and enjoyed Artemis, albeit a little less, I've been looking forward to reading Project Hail Mary. The premise seemed to promise a return to everything I liked about The Martian and now that I've finished the book, I'll say that it is way too similar to The Martian. Ryland Grace is mostly the same character as Mart Watney - overly confident and extremely sarcastic, with an apparent knowledge of almost all scientific facts and trivia (the author's reasoning this time is that junior high school science teachers know a lot of things about everything). The plot also follows a very similar trajectory - starting from a point of impending doom, followed by several opportunities to use science in innovative and household ways to solve difficult problems, and then a curveball at the end.

So yeah, if you don't mind reading The Martian again with almost-the-same protagonist and the same arc, but with a different mission and problems, then you will enjoy Project Hail Mary.

I did enjoy it. Everything I said above bothered me but the plot was extremely engaging that it didn't matter.

As with The Martian, what I enjoyed the most is Grace's ability to solve big problems with simple answers. Even if you don't get all the science-talk, and some of it went over my head too, despite my science background, I couldn't help appreciate the problem-solving abilities on display here. It's exciting to see that happen - all within a spaceship that does see its fair share of disasters. It can take you on an appreciation of all things nerdy.

That said, this book is an extremely alpha-male, cisgendered oriented fiction, probably worse than The Martian was. As Earth slowly begins to learn about the upcoming apocalypse, a grandiose project is put together to help save humanity. Using the rationale that this is a save-the-earth mission, no expense is spared and no concessions are made for any purpose. And so, there is no good diversity representation among the characters. I would have sighed annoyingly and moved on if this wasn't actually made fun of in the book. Every region and character is stereotyped to the hilt and the head of the project (yes, this is a woman) goes on to say she was not in favor of representation, because she wants the best of the best, which, in her opinion, are usually white males. Research has shown that the reason women are not represented well at the top is not due to a lack of talent or intelligence but several social and economic factors. So other than making fun of this problem, the book does nothing to explore that idea. And that is what frustrated me. Why introduce a theme and then not dive into it? Especially one that does need a lot of context shared.

The writing in Project Hail Mary is also somewhat immature - our protagonist exclaims and sighs and panics a lot and the writing over-expresses this. But reading it as a thriller, it didn't matter. Ultimately, this was a very exciting, somewhat poorly written, poorly represented thriller with a great plot.

There is a HUGE spoiler in the book though - I don't know how much of it has come out. When that actually happened, I couldn't put the book down and wanted to see where it went. I have so much to write about this spoiler because it actually is almost three-quarters of the book. I am glad it took that direction, especially since I was reading this book after months of watching Star Trek episodes every evening. But if you plan to read the book and haven't heard of the spoiler yet, I don't want to spoil it for you. All I'll say is, Rocky is the best. (Now, don't you google that.)

Brilliantly written, Project Hail Mary is the follow up that Artemis should have been. Witty dialogue, ingenious plot and Weir's own brand of humor make this another must read for fans of The Martian.

This book was a disappointment. I loved The Martian and so put this at the top of my to-read list, but wish I hadn't. It relies on a combination of overused and sometimes illogical plot devices and white-man-savior story arcs and overall felt like a remake of The Martian, but let's make him unlikeable and give him an alien sidekick.

Absolute blast! All the stars!! (Get it :p)
Serious fun with this book. I geeked right out with all the chemistry, physics, and science in general, but it is not over technical and complete understanding of the science is not necessary.
The story unfolds alternating the present and the past so the mystery does not unravel all at once. It compels you to read more and find out what will happen but it is one of those books that you do not want to end because it is so engaging.
You want to read this book NOW. This is one of those stories that people need to talk about. There is so much happening and it is such an exciting ride as you follow Ryland on his adventure.

This was such a wild ride! Like The Martian, Andy Weir's new novel follows another astronaut, this time as he navigates solving a potential apocalypse-causing interstellar phenomenon in space.

It is a long journey, both for Ryland Grace and the reader, as the book is almost 500 pages, but worth every second. There are, of course, a lot of scientific details throughout the whole book, but as long as you don't get too bogged down in the weeds, there is so much fun to be had. The same sarcastic voice is present in Project Hail Mary, which makes everything more fun as you travel through space with Dr. Grace.

If possible I'd recommend combining audio with the print book, as that really enhanced my reading experience, hearing the inflection of the humor and also getting to read all of the science alongside.

This novel is told in two timelines, as Dr. Grace works to save Earth and humanity from the Project Hail Mary spaceship, and before he left Earth, and they are both equally interesting.

Definitely recommend to fans of The Martian, but also to those brand new to the genre!

The title and author can reveal a lot about the story in this book. Andy Weir is the author of The Martian, which was made into a movie starring Matt Damon. So you can safely assume that the story involves outer space and a last chance mission to save the earth and mankind.

The book opens with Ryland Grace awakening from a medically induced coma aboard a spaceship with two other members of the crew who are dead. Grace must not only remember who he is but what is the purpose of his mission. Without remembering the objective, the mission is sure to fail.

Ryland’s memory slowly returns and the reader learns along with him, mostly through flashbacks about astrophage, a microbe that will destroy our sun and as a result, all living beings. He soon meets Rocky, another being who is faced with the same demise of his planet and people. Both have travelled to Tau Ceti because this is the only star that resists astrophage and they need to,learn the whys and hows. When they do meet that goal Ryland is equipped with “beetles” that will send the information back to earth. He only had enough fuel to get him there so it is a suicide mission.

Both of the main characters are richly drawn and we get to know them well, shortcomings and all. Their relationship is fascinating as each learns about the other’s planet, culture, language and more. Whereas Ryland is a scientist, Rocky is more of an engineer so their skills complement one another. Their budding friendship feels very genuine and real with occasional tense and monumental circumstances to deal with.

The stakes are high for both protagonists and their collaboration is at the heart of this book. There is a bit of science sprinkled throughout the story and it is always explained sufficiently. I am really hoping Project Hail Mary is made into a movie because it has compelling characters with good chemistry and a fascinating storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Technically I would have rated this a 4.5, but I rounded up. Loved this book! Andy Weir has such a specific voice when he writes, and I love that. I choose to read his books because his main characters are all relatable while being 1000 times smarter than your average adult. This book has all the elements of an epic race against space and time to save the Earth. The Sun is losing its power, and it’s up to scientists and astronauts to figure out why, and how to stop it. The world and all of Earths leaders have no choice but to come together to fix the only planet we have. I do not want to spoil anything in this book, so I am keeping my details to a minimum here. But I will say I was very happy that our main character wasn’t “alone” the whole time. This book had such a sweet element of friendship, albeit a strange friendship, and it had me hooked. Sometimes Andy Weirs books get so technical I space out (pun intended) a bit. This one was no different. I do think some of the technical aspects could either be left out entirely, or glossed over a bit more for us non-science folks. I did find myself skimming a bit because Lord knows I’m never going to actually understand most of these terms and scientific explanations. I will say, the one thing I was a teeny bit disappointed in was the ending. I loved how it ended, but would have loved more details about how things happened on Earth. I would have liked more current Earth details throughout the book as well, because I’m an avid lover of books that are apocalyptic and show the breakdown of society during world ending situations. There wasn’t much of that in this book, just pure speculation as to what was happening. I understand that it was probably because Grace had absolutely no communication with Earth, so Weir wanted us to also lack a connection as to what was happening. But having once character like Stratt for example, who created and implemented the entire Hail Mary mission narrate what was happening as the years went by on Earth would have been amazing. I guarantee this would have been as equally interesting to us readers as all of the mayhem occurring in space. It would have kept the tension and intensity of the mission and the high stakes at the forefront of our minds if we got constant reminders as to how bad things on Earth were getting. Just my two cents! Great book nonetheless.

PS: I hear Ryan Gosling is producing the film adaptation as well as starring in it. I hope this happens!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'm not much of a science fiction fan but this book is so exciting and fun to read. Ryland Grace waked up in space. He has no idea why or how he got there. In fact, he doesn't even remember his name. I do not want to give away any more information because how it unfolds is what makes this book such a page turner. It is a bit heavy on the science and math which didn't make me feel very smart, but it does give you the sense this could actually happen. Loved the relationships built throughout the book. If you enjoyed The Martian, I think you will love this as well. 5 stars. I will read anything Andy Weir writes.

This book is available now. Thanks NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

YOU GUYS. This is probably one of my top favorite books every. I haven’t felt this way about a book in a long time! I could not stop reading this and it has not left my brain ever since it was over. I will preface this and say that I am a science teacher by trade, so my emotions about this book may way heavier than others. I’ve had a lot of people ask me if the science in this goes over your head – and with that I say no! While there is a lot of science in the novel, Andy does a great job at explaining it for someone who may not understand it as much. Honestly, go into this book blind. Don’t read a lot about it. I did just that, and was blown away at 30% in the book and continued to be on the edge of my seat. This one is already in the works to become a movie too, so you will most definitely want to read it beforehand. All the stars! Check out my rant I shared on Instagram below!

I want to tell this book, “it wasn’t you, it was me”. The story is a complex one, layered in scientific jargon and reasoning that is was beyond my basic comprehension. I felt like I was reading one part history book, one part astronomy textbook. There was still Weir’s wit littered amongst in the pages in the form of a heroic, if not naive science professor turned astronaut superhero, but I was hopelessly lost for the majority of the story. I enjoyed the flashbacks detailing the puzzle of who this mystery character is and why he is the sole survivor of an alleged space mission, but during the present, when he’s figuring out how to get back to earth, I was confused, adrift and uninterested in the scientific backed reasoning for x y and z. I just wanted to be entertained and this story took a little more brainpower than I bargained.