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beththeawkward's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
slow-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
3.0
aliciabelanger's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mypantsaretight's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? No
5.0
jehart's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.25
mkhare's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 stars. After not being fond of The Martian at all, I'm not sure why I put another Andy Weir book on my TBR - turns out it was a good idea after all. Pretty much all of the problems that I had with the Martian were not present in Project Hail Mary.
In The Martian - Mark/the main situation seems to have no real backstory - here the situation is extensively delved into via intermittent flash backs featuring many characters and Ryland Grace keeps the audience apprised on his personal status and thoughts about it along the way.
In The Martian, Mark doesn't seem to express emotional/psychological changes or outbursts after extensive isolation - here, Grace is far more expressive in both past and present and while these expressions are overall 'tempered' compared to some other books I have read (to be fair, this is not a character-driven book), it still suits both the overall accessible, positive tone of the book and my own expectations for a main character far better. Grace's situation and outlook is overall presented to be more 'hopeful' than Mark's, though the situation is still very dire, and I think this appealed to me a lot more.
In The Martian, there is never really a build up and dissipation of tension or fear for the main character when problems arise. Mark was always instantly solving the problem with detailed scientific/engineering solutions. Grace also doesn't waste time solving the issues that arise, but as he is more expressive it allowed me to feel more connected to him and thus worried for him. I must admit, I still skimmed over some of the scientific/engineering explanation around 3/4 of the way through the book but I was delighted and intrigued by Grace's problem-solving abilities (and the problems themselves) in a way that I wasn't with Mark's.
Overall, the approach to this story and main character was far more successful than The Martian for me, and I had a pretty delightful time flying through my reading. The amount of thought and research that must have gone into making this sci-fi story so very believable is simply staggering to my unfortunately STEM-averse brain - hat's off to you Mr Weir.
In The Martian - Mark/the main situation seems to have no real backstory - here the situation is extensively delved into via intermittent flash backs featuring many characters and Ryland Grace keeps the audience apprised on his personal status and thoughts about it along the way.
In The Martian, Mark doesn't seem to express emotional/psychological changes or outbursts after extensive isolation - here, Grace is far more expressive in both past and present and while these expressions are overall 'tempered' compared to some other books I have read (to be fair, this is not a character-driven book), it still suits both the overall accessible, positive tone of the book and my own expectations for a main character far better. Grace's situation and outlook is overall presented to be more 'hopeful' than Mark's, though the situation is still very dire, and I think this appealed to me a lot more.
In The Martian, there is never really a build up and dissipation of tension or fear for the main character when problems arise. Mark was always instantly solving the problem with detailed scientific/engineering solutions. Grace also doesn't waste time solving the issues that arise, but as he is more expressive it allowed me to feel more connected to him and thus worried for him. I must admit, I still skimmed over some of the scientific/engineering explanation around 3/4 of the way through the book but I was delighted and intrigued by Grace's problem-solving abilities (and the problems themselves) in a way that I wasn't with Mark's.
Overall, the approach to this story and main character was far more successful than The Martian for me, and I had a pretty delightful time flying through my reading. The amount of thought and research that must have gone into making this sci-fi story so very believable is simply staggering to my unfortunately STEM-averse brain - hat's off to you Mr Weir.
halclylonrain's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
sharonzhere's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
I fell in love with Mark Watney in chapter 1 of The Martian. And I'm not really a huge sci-fi fan. But now I think Andy Weir is just going to become one of those very few authors I pick up and read without knowing much about the new title.
This is excellent stuff. Contemporary yet fantastical, full to the absolute brim with science yet still - amazingly - accessible. A narrative about where we could be heading, and the heights we might have to reach to fix our problems.
A man wakes up, with no memory of where he is, why he is there, or even who he is. Which isn't great, as he appears to be in space. Slowly regaining some memories, he pieces together the story of his arrival at this point in time, alone in deep space, sent out to see if there is a solution to a global problem - the sun is cooling down. Humanity, all life on Earth is counting on his craft, and his mission. Great.
What a plot! To watch a man, all by himself, much as Mark Watney did, take the challenges thrown at him, alone, is exhilarating, and you can't help cheer for him internally. With two time frames, of Ryland in the now, in space. And Ryland Grace the teacher on Earth, working out what is happening to the Sun, becoming involved in the global search for solutions. And then of course.... well, the story GETS BETTER!
Oh, I loved this. The audio was perfect, though Ryland's voice seemed a little old for my liking, but that's personal taste I think. I loved the up-close approach, with Ryland talking to me, telling me his story through the Audible app, I couldn't get enough of this story.
Weir either knows his science intimately or is the best blagger on the planet. It was wonderful. I can't go into the plot without offering some major spoilers, so I won't.
I did laugh out loud a few times, Weir has a wonderfully wry sense of humour, and creates humour, tension and an awful lot of interest in science. There are some very memorable characters, some minor but unforgettable, and this plot... you really don't know where it's going to go... but it's far-reaching, intelligent and, oh, just impossible not to enjoy.
Loved, loved, loved. Would read again. And I can't wait to see a film version!
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
This is excellent stuff. Contemporary yet fantastical, full to the absolute brim with science yet still - amazingly - accessible. A narrative about where we could be heading, and the heights we might have to reach to fix our problems.
A man wakes up, with no memory of where he is, why he is there, or even who he is. Which isn't great, as he appears to be in space. Slowly regaining some memories, he pieces together the story of his arrival at this point in time, alone in deep space, sent out to see if there is a solution to a global problem - the sun is cooling down. Humanity, all life on Earth is counting on his craft, and his mission. Great.
What a plot! To watch a man, all by himself, much as Mark Watney did, take the challenges thrown at him, alone, is exhilarating, and you can't help cheer for him internally. With two time frames, of Ryland in the now, in space. And Ryland Grace the teacher on Earth, working out what is happening to the Sun, becoming involved in the global search for solutions. And then of course.... well, the story GETS BETTER!
Oh, I loved this. The audio was perfect, though Ryland's voice seemed a little old for my liking, but that's personal taste I think. I loved the up-close approach, with Ryland talking to me, telling me his story through the Audible app, I couldn't get enough of this story.
Weir either knows his science intimately or is the best blagger on the planet. It was wonderful. I can't go into the plot without offering some major spoilers, so I won't.
I did laugh out loud a few times, Weir has a wonderfully wry sense of humour, and creates humour, tension and an awful lot of interest in science. There are some very memorable characters, some minor but unforgettable, and this plot... you really don't know where it's going to go... but it's far-reaching, intelligent and, oh, just impossible not to enjoy.
Loved, loved, loved. Would read again. And I can't wait to see a film version!
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
jeehbs's review against another edition
5.0
The main character is a little annoying in the first half of the book. He's constantly questioning things that are seemingly obvious. However even with this slight annoyance the whole book was very enjoyable from beginning to end