Reviews with content warning for Sexism - Project Hail Mary

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.

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stormywolf's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful informative 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? Yes

5.0

Audiobook Read by Ray Porter
Unabridged Length: 16.2 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Overall, a great performance and production on all counts. I think the only way to improve it would be to make it a full-blown audio-play with a larger cast and sound effects, but as audiobooks go there's not much I could ask for. Definitely a great experience for audiobook regulars or newbies alike, and I'd especially recommend it to anyone who might not be comfortable with the technobabble and science terminology that gets passed around at various points. Heck, just getting to hear Rocky is enough reason in itself to give the audio a try, so what are you waiting for?

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kerrygetsliterary's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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skudiklier's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book made me feel things I haven't felt in years—not since I first read An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green. I was so excited reading it, and despite how long it is I couldn't put it down, and finished it the day after starting it. I would really, really recommend this to anyone who likes sci-fi, and especially anyone who enjoyed The Martian. Major spoiler:

I just really like non-hostile first contact stories I think. When Grace first waved at the alien and then it waved back, I actually teared up a little. (Just saying "the alien" to have as few spoilers as possible.)

Some of the big eureka moments made me want to screenshot them and send them to friends—like, as if they were real and we could all get excited about this huge discovery together. It's definitely a good book for a book club or to read with friends.

Compared to The Martian, this felt like it had more suspense/higher stakes, because The Martian basically had a sad ending or a happy ending (and I always assumed it would be happy). Project Hail Mary has a lot more room for complexity in terms of what a "happy" ending looks like, so I definitely felt unsure about how certain parts would end.

I'm also glad I didn't really read the description of the book before reading it; all I knew was it was by Andy Weir (and that Hank Green liked it). It allowed me to truly learn everything along with Grace, and to be surprised by even basic functions of the plot in a really rare and enjoyable way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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kayleyhyde's review

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adventurous funny hopeful tense slow-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? No

4.0

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wanderonwards's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Project Hail Mary is a sweeping and creative science fiction adventure, brimming with twists and Weir’s signature laugh-out-loud humor and easy to understand science. I had no idea where the plot was going most of the time, but I definitely enjoyed the ride and guessing where the story would turn next.

One of my favorite aspects of Project Hail Mary (without giving anything away) is how each character’s salvation rests with helping others, and how no character could actually solve the problem at hand without teamwork and shared resources. Each of the primary characters all answer the same question in their own way: how far would you go to save your species from extinction? I really enjoyed watching this story play out in ways I did not see coming.

However, some sections of Project Hail Mary were too medically descriptive for my taste. I’m sure they were fascinating and creative, I just didn’t want to read them. There’s also a scene with detailed discussion on assisted suicide (this is a suicide mission, after all), which still feels on the edge of insensitive. Yes, it is part of the story, but do we really need to go into the step-by-step of different methods? I think Project Hail Mary could have included these scenes without describing every detail.

I also think this book could have benefited from another perspective: I found many of the questions I had were left unanswered by the end and I wish there had been a POV from someone still on Earth. By the time Grace wakes up on the Hail Mary, 13 years have already passed on Earth, which would have put the rest of humanity in the middle of some of the scientific predictions we learn about as Grace regains parts of his memory. Although, I understand why Weir would not want to tackle that storyline in an already almost 500-page book. With that said, I’m glad there was some focus - however small - on the “real” world consequences for the characters’ actions as they try to save humanity’s future by adapting their present realities.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.

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