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adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty
adventurous
informative
tense
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:
No
I really enjoyed this! I wouldn’t say it was a perfect book (the middle got a little bit slow at times) but the first and last third (especially the last third) were riveting. Science-heavy but written in a way that makes it understandable even if you don’t have any background in physics or astronomy. The relationship between the two main characters is incredibly touching. I hope they make a movie out of this story because I would be first in line to go watch it in theatres.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Alcohol, War
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don't think I've ever read a lighthearted sci-fi before; the premise is not lighthearted, but the actual storyline was. This was such a fun and easy read. I loved the characters and how *spoiler alert* the alien was a friend and not an enemy like aliens are usually portrayed as. The whole book is such an interesting premise and very unique!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Medical content
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Alcohol
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Longest Reddit post I have ever read tbh.
The story does its job well in continuously providing challenges for Grace to overcome (usually instantly) and it's an entertaining enough quick read in that way. But I just got so frustrated the way in which the narration in Grace's head is both very aware of the reader and yet doesn't have any psychological depth. On the one hand, Grace keeps explicitly explaining formulas etc to the imagined reader and generally has this kind of 'Wasn't that smart of me?? I'm funny right???' tone, which is very annoying. And I don't mind narration that is aware of the reader as long as it has a function apart from infodumping. But in this case, we don't really get a lot of information on how Grace is feeling apart from the occasional manly tear which is quickly wiped away because he 'doesn't have time for that right now'. The book requires him to constantly be explaining things which is bad enough when it's in his own head (because, why would he?) but maybe worse when it's directed at female scientists working at ESA and other prestigious institutions. I don't really feel like getting into the politics of this book regarding colonisation and power rn (it's pretty bad), but I don't think Weir spared it much critical thought either.Rocky is cute tho.
I guess if you're looking for a different type of book this might be nice, but it was really not for me.
The story does its job well in continuously providing challenges for Grace to overcome (usually instantly) and it's an entertaining enough quick read in that way. But I just got so frustrated the way in which the narration in Grace's head is both very aware of the reader and yet doesn't have any psychological depth. On the one hand, Grace keeps explicitly explaining formulas etc to the imagined reader and generally has this kind of 'Wasn't that smart of me?? I'm funny right???' tone, which is very annoying. And I don't mind narration that is aware of the reader as long as it has a function apart from infodumping. But in this case, we don't really get a lot of information on how Grace is feeling apart from the occasional manly tear which is quickly wiped away because he 'doesn't have time for that right now'. The book requires him to constantly be explaining things which is bad enough when it's in his own head (because, why would he?) but maybe worse when it's directed at female scientists working at ESA and other prestigious institutions. I don't really feel like getting into the politics of this book regarding colonisation and power rn (it's pretty bad), but I don't think Weir spared it much critical thought either.
I guess if you're looking for a different type of book this might be nice, but it was really not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Medical content
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexual content, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Alcohol, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
Loads of stereotypes about Russians
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
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
I LOVED this book and would definitely recommend it on audio for the complete experience. It’s equal parts informative, heartfelt, and surprisingly funny. Would recommend to anyone just wanting to read/listen to a good, well-written story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Grief, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Death, Suicide, Medical content, Alcohol, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Did this book have a super intriguing plot-line and story? Yes.
Did it have action, adventure, high stakes, moral dilemmas, and fun? Yes.
Did it teach me about physics? Yes.
Were the near constant physics and mathematical and biology explanations a detriment to the actual storytelling? Also yes.
I really enjoyed this story but I had to learn so much physics against my will. I was able to understand it and it was cool to see how things worked and it WAS fascinating - but in my personal opinion… it was a little too much. This is a story of fiction and sometimes, we as an audience, don’t need to understand every detail of how a spaceship works to accept the reality that the story is told in. The near constant explanations kind of took me out of it and didn’t give the characters as much space to grow their personalities. Most of the characters (with the exception of the main two and their lovely friendship) felt very wooden and flat unfortunately.
I did love the ending though.
Other than the over explaining, it was written exceptionally well. I don’t know how Andy Weir has all this knowledge in his brain.
Overall, I still thought it was a super neat book and I’d recommend it to anyone that likes a strong sci-fi space adventure read.
Very intrigued to see how this story translates to the big screen. Ryan Gosling was not how I pictured Ryland Grace but I love him so hopefully it’s good!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic