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jselliot's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
3.25
After reading The Martian, this book is honestly a disappointment ... and a textbook example of men/male authors showing their ass regarding prostitution. In the first legs of the book, before the plot even properly gets moving, the narrator (Jazz) decides it is important to inform the reader that there a prostitutes aplenty in Artemis, even after also stating that the city only has 2000 residents and one company employs over 100 people (and another company employs over 80). Most of those 2000 residents would be necessary for upkeep tasks in a high-risk environment, and those that remain still have the day-to-day living tasks outside of just survival. Restaurants, cleaners, the usual. Ultimately, math does not add up, and implies that men see all women as potential prostitutes. Is Jazz a prostitute? No, of course not. She's a porter and smuggler, whom most people that she interacts with see as brilliant. So this "flavor text" is sexist, useless, and only serves to pull you out of the story if you have any grasp on population maths. Needless to say, practically opening the book with this mess left a bad taste in my mouth and my review rating reflects that.
Moving on from that bomb dropped on the reader, though, I have to agree with some other reviewers who called Jazz immature. She really is, for being 25, but thankfully she learns a little humility along the way in the book. Her main redeeming factor is using her purported intelligence for adaptability, and is quick on her feet when it counts. (Even if there are some brain farts, but those do help to humanize hyper-intelligent characters. We all have them.) Once the story got going, though, it at least mostly got better.
In short, not Andy Weir's best book. I hope that Project Hail Mary lives up to his debut book's legacy.
Moving on from that bomb dropped on the reader, though, I have to agree with some other reviewers who called Jazz immature. She really is, for being 25, but thankfully she learns a little humility along the way in the book. Her main redeeming factor is using her purported intelligence for adaptability, and is quick on her feet when it counts. (Even if there are some brain farts, but those do help to humanize hyper-intelligent characters. We all have them.) Once the story got going, though, it at least mostly got better.
In short, not Andy Weir's best book. I hope that Project Hail Mary lives up to his debut book's legacy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Gore
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