After loving the Martian and being left cold by Artemis, I was unsure of what to expect from Andy Weir's newest novel. I glad to say, I ended up mostly really enjoying it. It's a quick, funny, exciting read that manages to wring a surprising amount of tension from a guy doing math. There are some interesting and unexpected twists that I'll avoid due to spoilers, but the plot kept me drawn in the entire time.

The weaker parts of the book are definitely the moments when Weir is going for deeper emotional connections. While I enjoyed Ryland's character, I didn't particularly *care* about him. The funnier parts seemed much more genuine than the attempts at drama or grief. The ending also seemed a bit silly and convenient.

Those misgivings aside, overall I think this book is a return to the promise that Weir showed with The Martian. The tension here never quite reached the highs of that book for me, but I was engaged throughout and I always wanted to know what happened next.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy. Another very suspenseful story in space. I give it 4.5 stars for the "unexpected ally" character, which was excellent, but back down to 4 stars for the (probably necessary) excess of science. Interesting premise and entertaining main character in Ryland Grace. Coming soon!

MY REVIEW: 5 Stars ⭐️

I loved the Martian, loved Artemis but Project Hail Mary was everything!

The book starts out with some cray and you don’t want to put it down because you want to know what to know what the hell is going on!!

The story goes back and forth from the present to the past and how it all came to be.

My favorite part was when Rocky came onto the scene. I love him so much and if you read the book and don’t love him, there is something wrong with you.

The book has plenty of science, humor, edge of your seat moments, friendship, the fight for survival, and some wonderful bittersweet crying moments. All of that could just be me. Kudos Mr. Weir for adding another favorite book to my list!

**Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for a copy of this book.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

I loved The Martian so was very excited to get my hands on this book.. Fascinating premise and tons and tons of science. That can sometimes be a little dull but the whole saving multiple planets plot makes it worth it. The middle takes a wholly unexpected but really excellent turn and the way Graces memories come back throughout the book adds a nice layer of storytelling. This is sci fi but very much based in plausible reality which makes it both terrifying and fascinating.

The beginning of this book really got my attention. It took me awhile to decide whether or not I enjoyed the twist in the middle, but I stuck with it and ended up enjoying this book. If you've read Andy Weir's other novels, I would rank this in between The Martian (5 stars) and Artemis (3 stars).

Andy Weir goes back to the success of The Martian with another take on saving yourself/saving the world by sciencing the sh*t out of the problem. I really enjoyed the flash-backs into how our hero Ryland Grace got himself into his current predicament--to get from junior-high teacher to savior of the planet is quite the journey. In many ways this is the ultimate "odd couple" situation, but in every moment of the story we are given as much science as we can take (and, maybe a bit more). Weir does a really good job of using the first-person voice to take us through a situation in real-time while the character is experiencing it.

Similar in style and pace to the author’s earlier, The Martian. Project Hail Mary, like The Martian, does do some deep dives into science-y things but more successfully in this novel. Nothing is too in the weeds and it doesn’t drag the plot quite as much as the earlier book. Good twists and a lot of fun.

Project Hail Mary
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m not sure if I can put into words how much I loved this book, but I’m going to try.

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission, and if he fails, inanity and the earth itself with perish. Except he doesn’t know that. He’s been asleep for a long time, and awoke to find himself millions of miles from home, with no memory of his name or the assignment, and two dead crew members. Thanks to an unexpected ally, he might stop the extinction-level threat.

Ryland tells the story by gathering his memories, and rediscovering who he is and was on earth. The mixed timeline was a perfect way to tell it, as we learn his past as he does. It was a clever way to tell the story. He was such a wonderful narrator with a witty sense of humor, that was easy to engage with.

This novel was so well crafted. It wasn’t overly science-y and was written very clearly. All of the science was easily explained, for those who don’t easily catch on. Andy Weir is also great at writing in a gripping way to capture the readers emotions, I even cried, and I didn’t know I could have so much emotion for an alien.

I also loved how it ended. I loved that he did the best he could to save the human race, but went back to save Rocky and his race. I would’ve been mad if it had ended any other way. He got screwed over being forced to go on the mission, and I loved that he spent his life on the other planet. I felt so many emotions about the end of the book. It was absolutely wonderful.

I finished this a few days ago but AM STILL thinking about how much I loved it, and what I would have done in his situation. I’d like to think I’d go back to ensure humanity’s survival, but I’m not sure.

Pro-tip: do not read the last thirty minutes or so of this in public like I did. If you have any emotions at all, you'll be a wreck.

This has been added to the list of all-time favorite books. Being so science heavy, this is my jam. For those who don't want to put that much brain power into a book, I think you could just read through those parts without much thought and enjoy the storyline.

Without giving too much away, Rocky is just an extremely lovable character.

A HUGE thanks to the author, publisher, and netgalley for a copy of this ARC. It was amazing. *Jazz hands*

This is one of those books where I was dying to know what happens, but at the same time didn’t want the book to end. There’s a lot of science & Ryland working through issues using science. I love that stuff, but even I felt like skimming parts at times. However, the great story & entertaining characters far outweigh that. And I just want to say: I ❤️ Rocky.

Like many others, I absolutely loved The Martian and was disappointed by Artemis. I got my hopes up after seeing lots of great reviews for Project Hail Mary, but have ultimately come away slightly disappointed again. Not that I disliked the book, no matter what it sounds like from the following paragraph!

I have to admit that I hated the "memory loss" plot device; I wish we could have just gotten regular flashbacks. Of course we needed the amnesia in order to allow for another bit that I disliked: the junior-high science experiments (with similarly-aimed explanations) performed by the main character as he tries to figure out what's going on. I felt a little talked down to. But my biggest issue was that this character just felt SO MUCH like Mark Watney, but in a less natural setting. It feels like a rerun. Quirky, "witty" thoughts and banter works well for diary entries in The Martian, but make for some really unnatural dialogue in this book.

With the complaining out of the way, the remainder of the plotting, the visuals, the overall ideas in the story were fun to read. You knew there would be lots that could go wrong but the twists were still fairly unpredictable. It will translate incredibly well to the big screen. Overall I give it 3.5 stars, rounded up for the story that kept me on my toes.

Project Hail Mary is the latest book by the self-proclaimed space nerd, Andy Weir. This entertaining read tells the story of humanity’s last ditch effort to save the world.

The sun is dying and in this most desperate of situations, a Hail Mary prayer would certainly be warranted but the world is not praying, they are too busy organizing Project Hail Mary, an exploratory space mission to find out how to save the planet. The mission will be led by science experts from all over the world, heroes that are willing to give their lives to preserve the human race.

On the team is Dr. Ryland Grace, who is suffering from amnesia and cannot quite remember why he is part of the team and what he is supposed to do. So what do you do when you don’t know what to do? You work the problem (Thanks Watney!). Unfortunately for Ryland, one problem leads to another and another, until an unexpected encounter may provide his saving grace. The question is...just who is Dr. Grace meant to save?

Though the dialogue may seem too technical for some readers, Mr. Weir’s “nerdy” wit shines through and science fiction fans will enjoy the space ride!

Recommended as an adult read crossover for high school students.

I can honestly say this is my favorite read of 2021. I absolutely loved this book. I wanted to read it all in one sitting while also slowly savoring it forever. Like his other books this one applies the science in a way that makes this possible and understandable to the reader. I absolutely adored reading it and am so glad I came across it.

If you already like Andy Weir and his brand of sass-talking mega nerd main characters in space, you will like this book.

If you have read The Martian or seen the movie -- this is like The Martian with less swearing but a similar amount of excitement and danger and humor mixed with math and science and space. (I kind of missed the swearing)

My only complaint is that sometimes the conversational staging used as a lead-in to the minutiae of the science explanations is a little ridiculous - like PhDs telling other PhDs about basic scientific facts seems silly - so some readers might find that irritating - the few times it really bugged me I skimmed that section and something more exciting would inevitably occur within a paragraph or two.

This book is so enjoyable and fun - five very enthusiastic stars!

* IG Review TK on @leavemetomybooks on the publication date.

Andy Weir has quickly become a go-to science fiction writer for me. Weir continues the journey in Project Hail Mary, an enjoyable book to line up with classic authors like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke.

• Thank you to Ballantine Books/Random House and NetGalley for providing this Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is May 04, 2021.

With his signature humor and his passion for technology, Andy Weir has written another must read sci-fi book. Ryland Grace is the sole survivor of the a crew of Project Hail Mary sent to the far corners of the galaxy on a desperate mission to save humanity. He soon realizes that this is a suicide mission that he may never return to Earth. Without giving away the plot, I will say that this book has a lot more scientific talk than his other novels but it works because of the compelling storyline and the light-hearted writing style.

This is one of those books you come away from just so energized and excited that it exists. I'm a huge fan of Andy Weir's books, so I had high expectations for this- which were surpassed many times over. Who knows if all of the science is accurate, but it all sure sounds plausible. For me, even though the science parts were fun, it was Rocky that made it such an enjoyable read. I mean, if that isn't a ride or die friendship then I don't know what is.

This is a tough review to write without giving away spoilers. From the very beginning where our protagonist, Ryland Grace wakes up from a coma, everything is a surprise in one way or another. He doesn’t know where he is or even what his name is. Almost no memory of anything. So, the reader learns what is going on and what’s happening at the same time as he does and that is half the fun of this novel. So just be aware of any reviews you read for it. Spoilers will abound.

Even the most basic teasers for the novel mention that Ryland soon finds out he is the only survivor on a spaceship and that he must continue its mission because the very fate of planet Earth is at stake. There is an extinction-level event involving the sun that has necessitated a massive effort to cobble together a spaceship dubbed the “Hail Mary” and send three astronauts into space in a desperate effort to solve the problem in time.

The really cool part of the novel comes when Ryland makes first contact with an alien being. The alien creature, nicknamed ‘Rocky’, is also the sole survivor of his crew (for a different reason) but is on the same mission as Ryland: save his planet from the very same threat to their sun. He is a wonderful character and the developing relationship between these two stranded spacefarers is an awesome thing to witness. From the first attempts at basic communication, though their slow understanding of their vastly different life forms and cultures, and even advancing to the subtleties of humor and sarcasm, it is a wonderful journey.

Just as in his first novel, "The Martian", Andy Weir does not skimp on the science in this one. There may even be more of it this time around than in that first book, but he makes it fun. The character of Ryland Grace is very similar to Mark Watney in that they are both personable with a good sense of humor even during extreme emergency situations. It really makes me realize how little I know about the science behind how things work but the author does another great job of making everything sound plausible. Best of all, while Ryland develops creative solutions based on his own scientific knowledge, it is only when combined with the alien Rocky’s engineering skills that they have any chance to succeed.

This is a fun read all the way through and with an intriguing ending that is completely satisfying but that I did not see coming at all. It filled me with that sense of wonder and awe that I’ve missed in much of the speculative fiction novels I’ve read. Exciting action balanced with deep heart-felt emotion.

Highly recommended.

Through Net Galley, I reviewed an advance copy of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I’ll start this review by acknowledging that The Martian is one of my favorite books of the last 20 years. Tell you where you’ve heard this one before, a lone astronaut has to figure out how to survive in space with limited resources.
Yes, Ryland Grace has a bit of Mark Watney in him, from humorous one liners to ingenious solutions to problems that pop up but this is not The Martian and Grace is no Watney. Grace wakes up from a drug induced coma with no memory of how he got there and why he is hurtling through space.
While The Martian is more of a Thriller/Adventure that happens to be set on Mars, Project Hail Mary is straight Sci-Fi. The Earth is danger of dying and the Hail Mary spaceship is heading to the stars to try and come up with a way to save humanity.
Not usually a huge Science Fiction fan, I really enjoyed this book. Mr. Weir brings the reader along slowly, allowing Grace to remember his past in bits and pieces. This increases the tension and emotional impact. Without giving any spoilers, there is a plot twist fairly early that gave me pause but, ultimately, added to the story and worked.
This one gets 5 Stars. Despite some similarities to The Martian, this one stands on its own and works as an entertaining escapist novel that doubles as a warning to the perils of not taking care of the Earth.
The only compensation received in exchange for this review was the advance copy. My thanks to Mr. Weir, Random House Group – Ballantine and Net Galley for the opportunity to read Project Hail Mary.

“Lifelong space nerd” Andy Weir is back with his best book yet. “Project Hail Mary” uses th formula that worked so well in his first book, “The Martian”. Once again, Author Weir hits it out of the ballpark, or galaxy.

I don’t want to reveal too much of the plot, because I don’t want to wreck the “wowness factor” for you. And you will be exclaiming “wow”quite a bit, mixed with chuckles and tears. Here’s what’s happening. Earth is facing extinction. Something is stealing energy from our sun. Earth is doomed. No small potatoes, right? (See what I did there?!)

Science to the rescue! And there is plenty of science in this book. The lives of billions of Earthlings are in the hands of shy, awkward, well-meaning middle school science teacher Dr. Ryland Grace. Flashbacks tell us how Dr. Grace found himself on a spaceship. For me, the best parts of this delightful book showed Dr. Grace sciencing his way to a possible solution, step by zero gravity stumbling step. Ryland Grace is quirky, kind, upbeat, boyish and a rather flawed hero.

I had the best time with this book and you will, too. The writing is simple but engaging. Plenty of interesting supporting characters appear-the scientists who are managing Project Hail Mary. And you will delight in a very special character. As you are reading this incredible book, I know you will be thinking what I was thinking, “I can’t wait for the movie!”

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for granting my wish and giving me an advance digital review copy. You made me so happy and this is my honest review.