bomenvernietiger's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

I respect the general goal of making approachable but accurate science media, but when I set aside that appreciation for a moment and hold this book to the standard of anything else I read, it simply doesn't hold up.

There's a really interesting and well thought out plot, but it's massively dampened by the many little mistakes and plot-holes, prose that sounds like it came from a drunk text message, an overly light-hearted and casual tone that doesn't fit the story, a boring main character, events that are often way too plot-convenient, annoying humour, cheesy dialogue, and Andy Weir's stubborn unwillingness to explain or do research into anything that doesn't adhere to his highly specific personal interests. This last flaw is clear from his refusal to get into any substantial world politics even though a third of his book is supposed to be about international cooperation, and his _extremely_ half-assed attempt to conceptualise a pitch&harmony-based alien language, which contained mistakes which could only be possible if Weir did not consult a single semi-professional musician or musicologist before publishing. 

This could have been an amazing hard scifi that teaches people about physics and astronomy, but it's written in such a way that the science never really matters; whenever there's a plot issue Weir's science can't solve, it's either glossed over or splattered with plot convenience sauce (aka 'xenonite'). It could have also been a nice, silly, emotionally deep, feel-good soft scifi, but the characters and the prose are way too dull for that, and anything heartfelt about the book is drowned in constant scientific explanations. Both of these ideas would have been great stories, but they were smashed together and the result is a mess.

This is extra sad considering Andy Weir can write something as good as The Martian. But looking back, the Martian already contained the cracks in Weir's storytelling which became full-on rifts

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the_real_al_cal's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

I had to sit with this one for a bit before I wrote this review, which, for me, usually means the book was an instant favorite. I'm not generally a fan of sci-fi, because I get lost by the "sci" part, but Andy Weir did a fantastic job of making even the most complex science terminology approachable and easy to follow, which is no easy feat! Everything about the story--even the fictional parts--feel solidly believable through the sheer scientific thought put behind them.

Even if you usually swing more towards the fantasy side of the fantasy/sci-fi genre, I HIGHLY recommend this book. The way this book is organized is so impactful, with the main character waking from a coma out in space and unable to remember why he's there. Throughout the book, he slowly recovers his memories, thus discovering that not everything is as it seems.

I'm being a little vague in my review, because this book is fun to read without any prior information. But rest-assured, you won't regret picking up this book about courage, sacrifice, and, ultimately, eternal friendship.

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amiegold's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny 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? It's complicated

5.0


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thesadiestorm's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

In my opinion, one of the best books I've ever read! It gave me everything I wanted from it science-wise and I really enjoyed the use of <revealing memory through flashbacks>. There were funny moments and profoundly serious moments as well. Extremely well written.

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edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative 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? It's complicated

4.75


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victoriapatella's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

I absolutely love the way Andy Weir writes his books. He has such a great talent for balancing tense plot, humor, and informative science all in one! I love that I’m actually learning science as I’m reading, and he explains things in such a way that anyone can understand. I could really feel the emotions from the protagonist—I laughed and I cried along with them. I could not recommend this book enough to anyone who is a fan of sci-fi! It’s also a great intro into sci-fi for someone who is new to the genre and wants to try it out—it’s very realistic, scientifically accurate, and had me on the edge of my seat for most of it.

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marissasa's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful informative tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

This is my first space sci-fi novel and wow was it engrossing! Despite being chock-full of scientific language and challenging concepts to understand, it still felt accessible to anyone who passed high-school chemistry and biology or even just has a basic understanding of space and science. What kept it exciting and engaging was the combo of our main char Grace’s flashbacks/memories of earth recovering over time, his vast knowledge of science, space, and experimentation, and his interactions with Rocky. I grew attached to his alien bestie and found myself wanting so badly for everything to work out for both of them. I enjoyed how past events got gradually revealed over time due to Grace's amnesia, and how it informed both readers and the Grace himself on his actual character and values before he lost his memory. This set up a great character development arc for when he was eventually faced with tough decisions in the present day. I also loved the ending as I found it different than what I expected, but satisfying and touching all the same. I am so curious how this one will be adapted into a movie and I have high expectations after enjoying this book so much!

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kb_sherman's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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readbycarina's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0


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writtenbydnicole's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0


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