jenleah's review
5.0
4/17/22 Reread on a road trip. Such an amazing audiobook experience.
Perfect story. Perfect narration. Perfect book for an epic road trip with your teenage son.
Perfect story. Perfect narration. Perfect book for an epic road trip with your teenage son.
shnnnfly's review
5.0
4.5 stars - I really enjoyed this book!!! Project Hail Mary is definitely not for everyone (what with its extensive amounts of science and math), but I thought it was a really nice return to what made The Martian so good (as opposed to Artemis). I liked the progression from learning the purpose of the mission to being fully immersed in the science of making it happen. The characterization in this book was definitely not its strong suit; however, unlike other books, I’m surprisingly okay with this because the characters are definitely not the main focus and are by far not the most important factor in the success of the story. In terms of my rating, some points are knocked off because of minor issues in predictability and suspension of disbelief, but plenty of points are added for the “twist” that I did not see coming and brought so much to the story.
PS: I just really want to know Hank Green’s opinion of this book
edit: I have since attended a virtual book talk with Andy Weir and Hank Green and it was everything
PS: I just really want to know Hank Green’s opinion of this book
edit: I have since attended a virtual book talk with Andy Weir and Hank Green and it was everything
mandireads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
5.0
The audiobook/narrator MADE this book! I adored it. Quite science-y at times, but it was written very accessibly.
The heart and humor made me fall in love with these characters. It was such a fun read.
The heart and humor made me fall in love with these characters. It was such a fun read.
niniane's review
4.0
The first third is a bit slow, and I kept putting down the book.
Then in the middle, some parts are a bit hard to believe. The last one-third was very heartwarming and endearing.
Then in the middle, some parts are a bit hard to believe. The last one-third was very heartwarming and endearing.
kmn04680's review
3.0
It started slow and way too much physics for me, but I loved how it turned out! Would love to see it made into a movie.
thefantasylib's review
4.0
Hard sci-fi indeed. Filled to the brim with science though made entirely accessible to those less scientifically inclined (me).
The main character reminded me a lot of Mark Watney from The Martian. If I remember Mark correctly, their thoughts and the way they spoke was very similar. Some parts of their personalities differed enough for me to not be bothered by it.
The book tells an engrossing story which with its fast pace, constant problems to the ship and the lack of dwelling on things that don't need to be dwelt on together with the way the character's thoughts have been written all pull you into this story.
The main character reminded me a lot of Mark Watney from The Martian. If I remember Mark correctly, their thoughts and the way they spoke was very similar. Some parts of their personalities differed enough for me to not be bothered by it.
The book tells an engrossing story which with its fast pace, constant problems to the ship and the lack of dwelling on things that don't need to be dwelt on together with the way the character's thoughts have been written all pull you into this story.
aurigae's review against another edition
4.0
Slow Start; Satisfying Finish
Ryland Grace awakens, alone, in a spaceship far from earth. A series of flashbacks reveal his mission: to resolve an existential threat to life on Earth whose secret is thought to reside in the Tau Ceti solar system. In the present, Grace discovers another species has also visited Tau Ceti, for apparently the same purpose. The flashbacks continue as Grace remembers more and more of the threat to his own planet and how he came to be on this spaceship. Meanwhile, he immerses himself in the challenge of communicating with the alien life form - despite the fact that the survival of the human race depends on Grace completing his mission.
There's a lot going on here, and in the hands of another writer the novel would be a page-turner. But Weir and his protagonist take their time, exploring alien language and culture instead of focusing on the mission at hand. I initially found the combination of sky-high stakes and leisurely storytelling frustrating, but once I stopped taking the story so seriously, it became quite entertaining. The fact that Grace is temperamentally ill-suited to his role and makes a series of careless errors that endanger his life, the alien's, and that of everyone on both their planets, would be tragic in another writer's hands, but in Weir's story is fodder for gentle humor and mild suspense. On its own terms, the book is scientifically interesting, funny, and reasonably engaging. Best of all, the story makes a few unanticipated twists, leading to an ending that is unexpected, plausible, and satisfying.
Ryland Grace awakens, alone, in a spaceship far from earth. A series of flashbacks reveal his mission: to resolve an existential threat to life on Earth whose secret is thought to reside in the Tau Ceti solar system. In the present, Grace discovers another species has also visited Tau Ceti, for apparently the same purpose. The flashbacks continue as Grace remembers more and more of the threat to his own planet and how he came to be on this spaceship. Meanwhile, he immerses himself in the challenge of communicating with the alien life form - despite the fact that the survival of the human race depends on Grace completing his mission.
There's a lot going on here, and in the hands of another writer the novel would be a page-turner. But Weir and his protagonist take their time, exploring alien language and culture instead of focusing on the mission at hand. I initially found the combination of sky-high stakes and leisurely storytelling frustrating, but once I stopped taking the story so seriously, it became quite entertaining. The fact that Grace is temperamentally ill-suited to his role and makes a series of careless errors that endanger his life, the alien's, and that of everyone on both their planets, would be tragic in another writer's hands, but in Weir's story is fodder for gentle humor and mild suspense. On its own terms, the book is scientifically interesting, funny, and reasonably engaging. Best of all, the story makes a few unanticipated twists, leading to an ending that is unexpected, plausible, and satisfying.
allison_schloss's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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
3.5
lclayson's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
One of the best books I’ve ever read.