You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
limewheel's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
Project Hail Mary might have cemented its place in my favorites list in just 10 days. There's countless things I love about this book, but first and foremost was how the science was presented, because it plays a huge part in my enjoyment.
Despite loving almost all things sci-fi, some works are just out of my range of knowledge, considering I'm just a near high school graduate. While I'd never—even in a hundred years—be able to confirm if the science in this book was plausible or in any way accurate, I still have a good grasp of all the concepts because of how easily understandable Weir made them out to be. What's more is that every explanation adds to the plot in some way; there's always a reason for something to be unpacked, and if not, then it won't be.But I'd really love to know why Grace called the planet "Adrian". It's been on my mind ever since I first read it!! It feels good as a reader to be trusted to understand complex ideas that sci-fi is so chock full of. I've never been a fan of "dumbing things down", so seeing this book with crazy science keep its integrity while being accessible to the average person means so much to me.
Now, the conflict on Earth really did it for me. The problem is an unconventional one, and definitely wouldn't be my first thought when thinking of cosmic apocalypse, but the stakes are unimaginably high, and the consequences for failing to meet them make for a lot of pressure put on the world, and on Grace. Morality specifically gets challenged in ways I don't see very often, and reading through those challenges, I found myself holding my breath or biting my lip or wincing at what was happening. I adore how in depth the book went into showing the reader the gravity of the situation, and how every character responded differently, but at the end, did what they had to do. Very morally grey, and also very realistic. Amazing.
Since there are really only two characters (all the rest are introduced and only seen in memories), there isn't much character development. But what little there is, it's done extremely effectively, especially towards the end. That's all I can say about it without spoilers.
Speaking of the ending, it's fantastic. Beautiful. Every word of the last chapter made my heart ache in the best way possible and I cried real tears while reading it. It's the perfect conclusion to this book; it gives readers enough to be satisfied with while still leaving many parts to the imagination. It's just so spectacular.
There's nothing bad I can say about this book, honestly. It was immersive, funny, carefully crafted, emotional, and a billion other adjectives I can't think of right now. I loved it.
Despite loving almost all things sci-fi, some works are just out of my range of knowledge, considering I'm just a near high school graduate. While I'd never—even in a hundred years—be able to confirm if the science in this book was plausible or in any way accurate, I still have a good grasp of all the concepts because of how easily understandable Weir made them out to be. What's more is that every explanation adds to the plot in some way; there's always a reason for something to be unpacked, and if not, then it won't be.
Now, the conflict on Earth really did it for me. The problem is an unconventional one, and definitely wouldn't be my first thought when thinking of cosmic apocalypse, but the stakes are unimaginably high, and the consequences for failing to meet them make for a lot of pressure put on the world, and on Grace. Morality specifically gets challenged in ways I don't see very often, and reading through those challenges, I found myself holding my breath or biting my lip or wincing at what was happening. I adore how in depth the book went into showing the reader the gravity of the situation, and how every character responded differently, but at the end, did what they had to do. Very morally grey, and also very realistic. Amazing.
Since there are really only two characters (all the rest are introduced and only seen in memories), there isn't much character development. But what little there is, it's done extremely effectively, especially towards the end. That's all I can say about it without spoilers.
Speaking of the ending, it's fantastic. Beautiful. Every word of the last chapter made my heart ache in the best way possible and I cried real tears while reading it. It's the perfect conclusion to this book; it gives readers enough to be satisfied with while still leaving many parts to the imagination. It's just so spectacular.
There's nothing bad I can say about this book, honestly. It was immersive, funny, carefully crafted, emotional, and a billion other adjectives I can't think of right now. I loved it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Vomit
masonjdolese's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Suicide
Moderate: Medical content and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, and Alcohol
sofiafilgomes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
Minor: Alcohol
divine529's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
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? Yes
For those of you who know me, you know that I struggle reading sci-fi (I tend to prefer experiencing sci-fi in visual format), but I had very little trouble reading this. A lot of the time, it felt like I was watching or living it, and I think that makes a difference for me.
This is a fairly well-known book, written by a fairly well-known author, but I'll briefly tell you what it's about anyway. This follows our main protagonist Ryland Grace who wakes up on a space ship in another star system with no memory of who he is or what he's doing. The book is told in two timelines, the current one aboard the Hail Mary, and a past timeline of the events leading up to how he got aboard the Hail Mary and why - it all has to do with saving the sun and in turn the planet. And all kinds of interesting things happen along the way.
As with most books I read, there were parts I really enjoyed and parts I enjoyed less.
The writing, while engaging and immersive, and generally well paced, irritated me at times, for no other reason than the words he chose and at times the dialogue.
The setting/world was well done and seemed well researched. I loved learning about the different planets and species that were being discovered.
The plot was interesting and was the fuel for the story, but it wasn't the main focus the majority of the time. Yes, saving the planet was important and all of their findings and actions directly related to saving the planets, but at it's core it was more about the characters.
Which brings me to the characters. Ryland was an interesting character and I found him relatable and fun to read about. I adored Rocky, who I'm not going to tell you much about, but he's the best and I lived and breathed for his and Ryland's interactions. Stratt was irritating. I liked her at first, but she got old really fast because she felt like she had one personality trait. The other characters were also interesting, the short time we spent with them, but nothing too special overall.
All in all, an enjoyable and fun read. This was my first Weir book, but I don't think it'll be my last.
This is a fairly well-known book, written by a fairly well-known author, but I'll briefly tell you what it's about anyway. This follows our main protagonist Ryland Grace who wakes up on a space ship in another star system with no memory of who he is or what he's doing. The book is told in two timelines, the current one aboard the Hail Mary, and a past timeline of the events leading up to how he got aboard the Hail Mary and why - it all has to do with saving the sun and in turn the planet. And all kinds of interesting things happen along the way.
As with most books I read, there were parts I really enjoyed and parts I enjoyed less.
The writing, while engaging and immersive, and generally well paced, irritated me at times, for no other reason than the words he chose and at times the dialogue.
The setting/world was well done and seemed well researched. I loved learning about the different planets and species that were being discovered.
The plot was interesting and was the fuel for the story, but it wasn't the main focus the majority of the time. Yes, saving the planet was important and all of their findings and actions directly related to saving the planets, but at it's core it was more about the characters.
Which brings me to the characters. Ryland was an interesting character and I found him relatable and fun to read about. I adored Rocky, who I'm not going to tell you much about, but he's the best and I lived and breathed for his and Ryland's interactions. Stratt was irritating. I liked her at first, but she got old really fast because she felt like she had one personality trait. The other characters were also interesting, the short time we spent with them, but nothing too special overall.
All in all, an enjoyable and fun read. This was my first Weir book, but I don't think it'll be my last.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Racism, Blood, Excrement, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content and Cannibalism
nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury
kellysbookverse's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-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? No
5.0
i LOVED this! i had a really fun time listening to the audiobook and learning things about science whilst enjoying a great story with loveable characters. just an all around good book, i think this is andy weir’s best book so far - a tier above the martian!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit
columnclub's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
There were a lot of moments in this that felt more like the author showing off his scientific knowledge than part of a story, and ultimately that's what dragged my rating way down. At best this was mildly derailing, and at its worst, chauvinistic - some explanations were given to female characters who had every reason to already know the things the male protagonist was telling them. I had other issues, like the linear flashbacks that interrupted the narrative and very rarely had something meaningful to contribute, and the fact that virtually every character speaks like a teenage boy (and don't even get me started on the Russians). There is one central aspect to the story that's great, though, and while it wasn't always well executed, it was definitely enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Racism, Suicide, Excrement, Alcohol, and War
dovedapple's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
first book of the year! love me some sci-fi and Andy Weir always delivers
Project Hail Mary is an enthralling space mission crossed with the skyrim drunk quest that delivers on adventure, intrigue, humor, and all around a good time. the cast are distinct with each character having their own unique voiceespecially an unexpected act 2 appearance
the narrative is well paced and doesn’t throw you around with wild plot twists, whatever turns there are slot satisfyingly into place
awoken on the ship Hail Mary an amnesiac, we watch Ryland Grace* unravel his own memories as we jump back and forth between present time and flashbacks (some quite literally) to his time on earth
as the story progresses these flashbacks help us understand the situation that brought him here and we find out more about earth prior to the mission
to be honest i really don’t how how much of the measures taken is accurate to how earth would respond in an extinction level crisis but i’ll be damned if it isn’t fun to read. i guess if we had someone like Stratt running things anything would be possible
supremely enjoyed the science fiction aspect of the sci-fi novel with regards to organisms (iykyk) and their designs. the scientific jargon is easy to understand as grace breaks it down for us in his witty fashion (Weir only knows how to write one kind of protagonist and i think that’s very sexy of him)
ok i have to talk about the alien in the room. both being the only survivors of their ship, Grace and rocky, a being from the planet Erid, find a way to communicate and work together to achieve their common goal: saving their planets from astrophage.
i LOVE how Weir designed Rocky, the language and culture of his species. so impressed with how his existence makes sense adjacent to humans and his discussions with Grace as they try to figure each other out are super fun to read.
i just really enjoyed the way their characters play off each other as they gradually grow closer, their camaraderie the kind you can only get when you’re stuck in space together and literally save each other’s lives.
having this bond which eventually spurs Grace to waive his ticket back to earth and instead save his friend? that shit making me tear up man
all in all i deeply enjoyed this book it had everything i could need from a good sci-fi: great cast dynamics, wacky space hijinks and a Wolf 359 mention
lost 0.25 stars for that scene in the first chapter; if you’ve read it you know which one
*hail mary full of grace. very clever
Project Hail Mary is an enthralling space mission crossed with the skyrim drunk quest that delivers on adventure, intrigue, humor, and all around a good time. the cast are distinct with each character having their own unique voice
the narrative is well paced and doesn’t throw you around with wild plot twists, whatever turns there are slot satisfyingly into place
awoken on the ship Hail Mary an amnesiac, we watch Ryland Grace* unravel his own memories as we jump back and forth between present time and flashbacks (some quite literally) to his time on earth
as the story progresses these flashbacks help us understand the situation that brought him here and we find out more about earth prior to the mission
to be honest i really don’t how how much of the measures taken is accurate to how earth would respond in an extinction level crisis but i’ll be damned if it isn’t fun to read. i guess if we had someone like Stratt running things anything would be possible
supremely enjoyed the science fiction aspect of the sci-fi novel with regards to organisms (iykyk) and their designs. the scientific jargon is easy to understand as grace breaks it down for us in his witty fashion (Weir only knows how to write one kind of protagonist and i think that’s very sexy of him)
i LOVE how Weir designed Rocky, the language and culture of his species. so impressed with how his existence makes sense adjacent to humans and his discussions with Grace as they try to figure each other out are super fun to read.
i just really enjoyed the way their characters play off each other as they gradually grow closer, their camaraderie the kind you can only get when you’re stuck in space together and literally save each other’s lives.
having this bond which eventually spurs Grace to waive his ticket back to earth and instead save his friend? that shit making me tear up man
all in all i deeply enjoyed this book it had everything i could need from a good sci-fi: great cast dynamics, wacky space hijinks and a Wolf 359 mention
lost 0.25 stars for that scene in the first chapter; if you’ve read it you know which one
*hail mary full of grace. very clever
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
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: Confinement and Death
Moderate: Medical content and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, and Cannibalism
astronut's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I would highly recommend the audio version of this book. The narrator is fantastic, and the way they handle Rocky's language in a very innovative way!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Vomit