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aderrick's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this as an audiobook and absolutely loved it. I don’t typically love Sci-fi but I would recommend this to anyone.
graafflotte's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
elizabethmarie34's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
calemore's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Suicide, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, and Drug use
utabuta's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
thniels's review against another edition
2.0
Thoroughly disappointed by the Hollywood oilrig roughneck myth gone to space of Artemis, I was really expecting more of the succinct nerdiness of The Martian. However, Hail Mary offers little of this. Instead, we get a ridiculously twisted account of lab work, weirdly disjointed characters [and equally out-of-joint superiors] paired with a 1960's 5th grader's prose. The number of plotholes and unmotivated character decisions take away what is left of an otherwise good idea.
First, the good things. Space travel takes time. Andy Weir knows that and doesn't come up with handy little faster-than-light gizmos to get over the inherently slow pace of that issue; instead, put the protagonist in a coma and have the problem over with. Done. That is both realistic and elegant. Add to that a measure of brain damage from the coma and we have a winner. The dynamics of going from nanoscale to astronomical distances in a swoop make for a nice touch too, if not exactly new.
Now... for the rest of the book, one word springs to mind: Lazy. Not once do we get a description of surroundings, characters, dilemmas, pains, solutions. We get sporadic bits of physics- or math buzz but nothing detailed and not always correct and certainly not apt for the smartest scientist left on Earth (even if giving him a genetic defect is pretty clever on that account)... "I'm a teacher, I know these things"... Please. Show us why we should believe him to know random trivia instead of just telling us.
All in all, I was left with a childish and naive novel, that did absolutely nothing to me except annoy me.
First, the good things. Space travel takes time. Andy Weir knows that and doesn't come up with handy little faster-than-light gizmos to get over the inherently slow pace of that issue; instead, put the protagonist in a coma and have the problem over with. Done. That is both realistic and elegant. Add to that a measure of brain damage from the coma and we have a winner. The dynamics of going from nanoscale to astronomical distances in a swoop make for a nice touch too, if not exactly new.
Now... for the rest of the book, one word springs to mind: Lazy. Not once do we get a description of surroundings, characters, dilemmas, pains, solutions. We get sporadic bits of physics- or math buzz but nothing detailed and not always correct and certainly not apt for the smartest scientist left on Earth (even if giving him a genetic defect is pretty clever on that account)... "I'm a teacher, I know these things"... Please. Show us why we should believe him to know random trivia instead of just telling us.
All in all, I was left with a childish and naive novel, that did absolutely nothing to me except annoy me.
mad_s11's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
tstorr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
wonthaanh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kaylalala35's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5