Book Review: Project Hail Mary

Title: Project Hail Mary
Author: Andy Weir
Publication Date: 2021
Publishing House: Ballantine Books

I absolutely love The Martian and Artemis was a fun read but not something I would reread. Because of my feeling on Artemis I was a bit nervous picking up Project Hail Mary. This copy I got from the library, support your local library.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission–and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that’s been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it’s up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian–while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

I’ve gone from “sole-surviving space explorer” to “guy with a wacky new roommate.” It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.” 

― Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary

I love audiobooks but normally I don’t suggest enjoying a book one way over the other but this book Keltin and I listened to together. As odd as this may sound there are parts of this book that are worth hearing. The narrator does such a fantastic job that there were times when we requested that the other not listen to it alone. If you have read or watched The Martian then you know the type of space shenanigans that Andy Weir can think up. This book beats his last two by a mile.

An endlessly thralling sci-fi adventure. It has plenty of science, great writing, and really lovable characters.”

― Keltin Wiens‘ quick review

This book is written in both real time and flashbacks as Grace begins to remember his time on Earth while trying to figure out why he is in space. Grace learns along with the reader what type of person he is and what he is willing to do to save Earth. I didn’t cry but this book has some emotional sections and some that make you laugh out loud. Yes, this is a science fiction book but it is so much more than just science.

Good. Proud. I am scary space monster. You are leaky space blob.

― Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary

2021 has been a good year for books but I’d think any have been this human. It pulls no punches, nothing is sugar coated. This book is open honest and blunt with the facts. The book needs for the story to work but it also gives the reader some real things to reflect on as the world moves today. No matter your preferred book genres, go read this one. If you have already read this book, I would love to know your thoughts. Happy reading!

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