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happylilfaerie's review against another edition
I tried so hard. I kept coming back to it over the span of a few months. I borrowed it from the library multiple times. I tried the audiobook...it's just so boring. Andy clearly only knows how to write one character archetype and the rest is just stereotypes, infodumps and very badly written female characters. I'd rather read a physics book. Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark is a great one - the same amount of math, better plot and a far more interesting read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting and Kidnapping
Minor: Xenophobia, Misogyny, and Racism
honeyreads1066's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I think that after reading the martian I expected more than this book could give me.
Despite that, I did really enjoy it. Especially once we got to about a third of the way through the book where the story takes a slightly different turnand we learn about the aliens. I especially liked how the aliens were described and how things such as language barriers and physiology are discussed and an issue in a realistic way.
The main things I didn't like revolve around the pacing and the first third of the book. I'm not a fan of dual timelines and while some of it added some needed twists and explanations, there were other sections which I felt were unnecessary and took away from the interesting bits that were happening at the current time. Some parts felt like repeats of other things and I believe that honestly had the book only been set in the current era it would have been a lot more interesting.
Overall I'm glad I read it and it gave me a lot to think about but with how good the martian is I'm not exactly sure I would recommend this as a book to read if you liked that.
Despite that, I did really enjoy it. Especially once we got to about a third of the way through the book where the story takes a slightly different turn
The main things I didn't like revolve around the pacing and the first third of the book. I'm not a fan of dual timelines and while some of it added some needed twists and explanations, there were other sections which I felt were unnecessary and took away from the interesting bits that were happening at the current time. Some parts felt like repeats of other things and I believe that honestly had the book only been set in the current era it would have been a lot more interesting.
Overall I'm glad I read it and it gave me a lot to think about but with how good the martian is I'm not exactly sure I would recommend this as a book to read if you liked that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
iono's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Medical content
Minor: Vomit, Cannibalism, Drug use, Violence, Alcohol, Cancer, Sexism, and War
prettiestwhistles's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Confinement
Moderate: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Kidnapping
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, and Cannibalism
kellyurban's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Death
Minor: Animal cruelty, War, Cancer, Grief, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
tinyelfarcanist's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I was moderately let down by this book. It was enormously hyped and for the most part I battled between 3 or 4 stars.
I found the humor very basic and some of the science explanations unnecessary. The most exciting part for me was before the halfway mark and I kept expecting more.
I enjoyed some interactions between the characters but most of them felt flat. I decided on 4 stars as the ending was gratifying.
I found the humor very basic and some of the science explanations unnecessary. The most exciting part for me was before the halfway mark and I kept expecting more.
I enjoyed some interactions between the characters but most of them felt flat. I decided on 4 stars as the ending was gratifying.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping and Death
Minor: Excrement
brookey8888's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’m actually shocked I liked this. I did not think I would give a adult Syfy a five star. I just really enjoyed the characters and just getting to know them. There is one character that I love with my whole heart. This was also really funny, but at times sad because I did tear up a few times. It was interesting learning more about space. I’m not going to lie some parts went over my head because I didn’t fully understand them. I would highly recommend this and the audio book because of a certain character and the voice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
leahrosiee's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Holy shit, I feel so smart now.
Actually this is very accessible as Sci-fi and was a pretty good introduction to the genre for me! Am I immediately going to start reading more about space? Absolutely not. That was enough for a few years maybe.
It took me a while to get going but I’m so damn emotional now. It does have a happy ending ❤️
My favorite quote was an alien saying “fist me!”
Ok I digress
Actually this is very accessible as Sci-fi and was a pretty good introduction to the genre for me! Am I immediately going to start reading more about space? Absolutely not. That was enough for a few years maybe.
It took me a while to get going but I’m so damn emotional now. It does have a happy ending ❤️
My favorite quote was an alien saying “fist me!”
Ok I digress
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Confinement
Moderate: Blood, Kidnapping, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual content, War, and Fire/Fire injury
abby_reads_books's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, and Kidnapping
jackelz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
I read The Martian back in 2019 to satisfy a reading challenge prompt — science fiction. I don’t read a ton of sci fi unless it’s a graphic novel, which is weird because I love science, and I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve read. I picked up Project Hail Mary because it was the Pooches and Pages Book Club pick for January, and I’m glad I did. The chunky size of this novel was intimidating, but I made tabs to motivate me to finish in time. I’m happy to report that I finished early because there were nights that I couldn’t put it down.
I loved the alternating timelines as Dr. Grace gained some of his memories back. I can’t say that the “twist” shocked me, because we got to know Stratt really well in the flashbacks. As the flashbacks got less frequent, I really enjoyed how Dr. Grace occupied his time on the ship and stayed relatively positive the whole time. My favorite, though, was his new found friend Rocky and I didn’t want to see them go their separate ways. I didn’t see that ending coming but it put a huge smile on my face!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Confinement
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Medical content
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, and Kidnapping