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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Follow up novel to a popular favourite - the same sense of humour and science-heavy thrill ride in space
The Martian stands out as one of my favourite reads in recent years, with one of the biggest literary crushes I've ever formed. Excitement, space, humour - it all worked, and Weir knows those elements are what helped made his debut so instantly popular.
Artemis takes a rather different premise, but pushes a few similar buttons to bring us a new heroine who hits those same buttons. Jazz Bashera may not be a scientist (she's a porter) but she talks to us in the same chatty and wryly funny style.
Artemis is the moon colony that is home to 20-something Jazz and several hundred other colonists. There is a thriving tourist industry that residents support, most of them living in conditions far below those of the rich visitors. Jazz benefits from the regular shuttles from Earth, smuggling in contraband to earn some much-needed money.
Jazz's decision to take on a rather high-profile crime, for a huge fee, sends the plot down a thrilling slide of conspiracies, danger and wise-cracking between the chases.
I felt the first few scenes were channeling Rob Boffard's Tracer in some part, but it did have the feel of Weir's first, of my lovely Mark Watney. Jazz is wonderful - she's not perfect, she's sexy and smart and an underachiever. She's the heart of the book, just as Mark was, but a few characters get to muscle in and stamp their mark as well, I loved her moral dad and the scientific friend with a crush on Jazz.
This kept me reading pages, caught up in the colony world despite understanding about as much of the science as I did in The Martian. It doesn't matter though, the story underneath it all is a fast-paced adventure with a lot of laughs.
If you liked his first, you'll not be disappointed. I'd love to see these characters cast for the screen, an other intelligent sci-fi film would be very welcome.
With thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
The Martian stands out as one of my favourite reads in recent years, with one of the biggest literary crushes I've ever formed. Excitement, space, humour - it all worked, and Weir knows those elements are what helped made his debut so instantly popular.
Artemis takes a rather different premise, but pushes a few similar buttons to bring us a new heroine who hits those same buttons. Jazz Bashera may not be a scientist (she's a porter) but she talks to us in the same chatty and wryly funny style.
Artemis is the moon colony that is home to 20-something Jazz and several hundred other colonists. There is a thriving tourist industry that residents support, most of them living in conditions far below those of the rich visitors. Jazz benefits from the regular shuttles from Earth, smuggling in contraband to earn some much-needed money.
Jazz's decision to take on a rather high-profile crime, for a huge fee, sends the plot down a thrilling slide of conspiracies, danger and wise-cracking between the chases.
I felt the first few scenes were channeling Rob Boffard's Tracer in some part, but it did have the feel of Weir's first, of my lovely Mark Watney. Jazz is wonderful - she's not perfect, she's sexy and smart and an underachiever. She's the heart of the book, just as Mark was, but a few characters get to muscle in and stamp their mark as well, I loved her moral dad and the scientific friend with a crush on Jazz.
This kept me reading pages, caught up in the colony world despite understanding about as much of the science as I did in The Martian. It doesn't matter though, the story underneath it all is a fast-paced adventure with a lot of laughs.
If you liked his first, you'll not be disappointed. I'd love to see these characters cast for the screen, an other intelligent sci-fi film would be very welcome.
With thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
midici's review against another edition
3.0
I really loved The Martian, so I was very excited to read a second book by Andy Weir. Unfortunately, Artemis rates as just an okay sort of book.
Jazz is a genius, sarcastic smart-ass with really good survival instincts, totally unlike Mark Watney who is a genius, sarcastic, smart-ass with really good survival instincts. Don't get me wrong - it's a totally valid character type; but when you use the same exact same personality and change the rest of the character as though it's window dressing that doesn't actually affect the character in any meaningful way, I find myself a bit disappointed.
The plot is interesting: a criminal enterprise, a smuggler accidentally involved in a murder investigation, space hijinks. I'm a big fan of all of those things. But the characters, both the main and the side ones, were not interesting enough to make any meaningful impact.
In The Martian I overlooked the occasional annoying juvenile humor as a sort of in-character trait of Watney's that I could gloss over. In Artemis it's both more obvious and more annoying, with less reason for it.
So my final judgement is it's an alright book but nowhere near as good as Weir's first.
Jazz is a genius, sarcastic smart-ass with really good survival instincts, totally unlike Mark Watney who is a genius, sarcastic, smart-ass with really good survival instincts. Don't get me wrong - it's a totally valid character type; but when you use the same exact same personality and change the rest of the character as though it's window dressing that doesn't actually affect the character in any meaningful way, I find myself a bit disappointed.
The plot is interesting: a criminal enterprise, a smuggler accidentally involved in a murder investigation, space hijinks. I'm a big fan of all of those things. But the characters, both the main and the side ones, were not interesting enough to make any meaningful impact.
In The Martian I overlooked the occasional annoying juvenile humor as a sort of in-character trait of Watney's that I could gloss over. In Artemis it's both more obvious and more annoying, with less reason for it.
So my final judgement is it's an alright book but nowhere near as good as Weir's first.
lurker_stalker's review against another edition
4.0
I had a lot of fun listening to Rosario Dawson bring this book to life. I laughed and was very involved in most of the book. But by the end, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. I think it was a little science-heavy for me and also predictable toward the last chunk. But the narrator made it all worthwhile.
I'd go 3.5.
I'd go 3.5.
petra3's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Original idea, I enjoyed the vivid depiction of what would a Moon colony would like. Weir tried to diversify the cast of characters, but sadly it's done poorly, a lot of the jokes don't land, and the depiction of the main (female) character is so bad. Which sadly takes so much from the book, because heist on the moon sure sounds fun!
chemifox's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
k_shanahan's review against another edition
4.0
More like 3.75ish? I don't know... It was definitely enjoyable and really funny at times; the sarcastic and dark sense of humour matches mine exactly. I do agree with a lot of reviews I'd read before I started the book though, it's not the masterpiece that The Martian was. I still read the last 60 pages or so in a single quick sitting, since it all kicks off in the end. Happy I read this and can't wait for Andy Weir's next book.
meggeorge's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars
So this book started out much stronger than it ended. I got that familiar lovable-geek-style narration that I liked in Project Hail Mary, but without the massive stakes of the latter, my reading of Artimis quickly started to become more skimming.
I admire the author for stepping so far out of his comfort zone and attempting to write an Arabian woman, and I didn't have any major issues with it. That said, I felt like I was reading Ryland Grace's narration again. I suppose that's not a bad thing, but I do think Weir is going to have to practice developing a different character voice sooner or later.
Overall, I thought the book was too long. There was a ridiculous amount of technobable, and I say that as someone who researches sciences for fun. It slowed things down in moments that were meant to be tense. Adding to that was the chipper humour that popped up at the oddest times. Despite that, I thought the story was well-structured and built up a good amount of tension for the final act. It just couldn't quite pull it off in the end. Charitably, I won't talk about the light, jokey slut shaming throughout.
So this book started out much stronger than it ended. I got that familiar lovable-geek-style narration that I liked in Project Hail Mary, but without the massive stakes of the latter, my reading of Artimis quickly started to become more skimming.
I admire the author for stepping so far out of his comfort zone and attempting to write an Arabian woman, and I didn't have any major issues with it. That said, I felt like I was reading Ryland Grace's narration again. I suppose that's not a bad thing, but I do think Weir is going to have to practice developing a different character voice sooner or later.
Overall, I thought the book was too long. There was a ridiculous amount of technobable, and I say that as someone who researches sciences for fun. It slowed things down in moments that were meant to be tense. Adding to that was the chipper humour that popped up at the oddest times. Despite that, I thought the story was well-structured and built up a good amount of tension for the final act. It just couldn't quite pull it off in the end. Charitably, I won't talk about the light, jokey slut shaming throughout.
theluckyprophet's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
slvstrlpz's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
5.0
kgmay25's review
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75