I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for posting an unbiased review. I loved The Martian and was excited about reading another book from the same author. This was a very different type of story. First, it takes place on the Moon rather than Mars, and rather than being about exploring a planet, it involves an established city on the planet.

Artemis is the only city on the moon. It consists of five huge domed segments, all jointed by passageways. The main character is Jasmine “Jazz” Bashara, who makes her living as a small time smuggler. For much of the book I wavered over whether I liked her, but in the end I did. She is a well-rounded, but flawed character. I liked her wisecracking style and self-effacing humor. I also liked the eccentric group of friends and business associates that surround her.

The story begins by describing her life on the moon, both her legal delivery business and illegal smuggling of contraband. But when the opportunity to make a big score drops in her lap, the risks are great, but the money is too much to turn down. So the small time smuggler tries to pull off the big heist and gets caught in the middle of forces battling for control of the Moon. Jazz soon finds herself way over her head, running from both a professional killer and the law.

Weir’s loving description of this city on the Moon was fascinating and very realistic. Like on Earth there were different social class neighborhoods and different nationalities tended to control the various trades and industries. One of my favorite things was his description of the national landmark for the Apollo 11 landing site, complete with visitors’ center and train from Artemis to the site. There are even guided walking tours outside for tourists.

As much as I enjoyed ‘The Martian’, I just can’t say the same for ‘Artemis’. The concept is compelling: a young female smuggler living on a lunar colony gets involved with a conspiracy that threatens the livelihood of the community.

But the fun stops there. As others have noted, the protagonist Jazz walks and talks like a female Mark Watney. That could almost be bearable except....so does every other character in this book! The juvenile bro-snark dialogue wore thin early on, largely because it wasn’t balanced out anywhere. I can roll with goofy laughs, but prepubescent guffaws from grown adult characters was not my style at all.

The science is solid, but oddly repetitive in a way that makes me wonder who Weir was writing for. Simple, basic concepts like the effects of the moon’s reduced gravity were mentioned over and over in a way that felt condescending.

Finally, Weir once again opted for telling instead of showing just about everything. Tedious, tedious, tedious.

I feel like the movie rights will still be snatched up on this one and maybe things could be tightened up in film or television show form. The setting is cool and the characters are admirable. (+1 Star) They deserve better though.

It's really more like 3.5 stars to be honest. 5 stars for plot / enjoyability, but he lost 1.5 for his terrible writing of a female character supposedly of color :/ unlike some I don't have a problem with her potty mouth or toilet humor (contrary to what a lot of comments say, plenty of late-20s-early-30s women would make your mom does porn jokes, I'm one of them...) but for literally 20% of the book I thought the narrator was a dude. There's nothing that makes her relatable as a woman. Maybe that's my fault for assuming the default is male, but that's the sad reality of most fiction.

In addition she's supposed to be a non practicing Muslim raised by a devout father but makes some tasteless jokes I'm not sure would be realistic, as well as using a niqab as a disguise which felt sort of... gross.

For those who loved THE MARTIAN, this book will not disappoint. Jazz, a 26 year old main character who is attempting to pull off the perfect crime in Artemis - the only city on the moon. The sarcasm and humor are spot on and make this book of more than 300 pages an enjoyable read.

While I enjoyed reading Andy Weir's The Martian, I often get lost in my general lack of memory in regards to science and the finer fundamentals. Usually this is where he loses me, but in this case I struggled to finish it because of the consistent sexual harassment aimed at the main character and its regular shrugging off to establish that she's "just one of the guys". This in addition to the lack of morals in the futuristic society completely turned me off to the world and the book. I'd be far more interested to read how a Saudi and/or muslim woman would write this story and the world they'd envision, as opposed to being used as a vessel for a white guy to sexualize and force into uncomfortable situations. No, thank you. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book, and I think I'll spend more time reading and recommending women writers in this genre instead of this book.

When I found out Andy Weir had written another novel and I was granted the opportunity to read and review it, I was bouncing off the walls with excitement. Artemis was my chance to finally become acquainted with the author who was responsible for the explosively successful novel turned movie (starring Matt Damon), The Martian. So, The Martian has been waiting for me (patiently) to read in my Kindle as well as to watch on Demand. Suffice it to say, I've been hoping to become one of Weir's many fans.

Am I one of those fans after reading Artemis? Ummm... that remains to be seen.

Jazz Bashara has lived on the moon and made a life for herself as a smuggler. Living on the moon is complicated. I won't bore you with those complications but I can say that it was interesting learning how humans get around with only a fraction of Earth's gravity and the complex system that delivers oxygen to the 2000 inhabitants of the moon cities.

Jazz, who's usually involved in petty smuggling crimes, has the opportunity to make a whole lot of money. Because Jazz wants to live the good life, this seemingly impossible scheme to disable an aluminum, and make a helluva lot of money, Jazz embarks on the impossible. We come along for the entire ride... for better or worse.

Let's begin with some positivity, Artemis was a very interesting book. I don't read too much Sci-Fi but when I do, I can't help but become engrossed in the landscape, the thoughts or visions for our future once we shit all over this planet with our pillaging of its resources. Anyway... initially I was hooked. Jazz is an interesting, brilliant, heroine but about 25% in, I was over her. I mean seriously over her.

I do enjoy funny characters as much as the next person, but when there is some real dangerous shit happening, I figure more humans have the capacity to appreciate that danger instead of making snarky... jokey remarks about it. As if it's not enough that the whole town thinks of her as an whore, her dad does as well. I mean seriously? When her father joined in on the promiscuity jabs I was just like whatever. There's some serious moon air they're smoking (but not really smoking because a fire would be the worse thing ever).

Either way it goes, Artemis is definitely an interesting read. I can't say with any certainty I'm a drop dead fan of Andy Weir's but I still on planning on reading The Martian. I have not given up on this author just yet.

Copy provided by Crown Publishing via Netgalley

Artemis! While it didn't quite meet the extremely high standard set by The Martian, I couldn't put it down. I loved the smart-alecky voice of Jazz Bashara, the colorful cast of supporting characters, and the nonstop science-oriented action. Andy Weir will stay on my must-purchase, must-read list and I can't wait to see what he does next!

Jasmine Bashara -- Jazz to her friends -- lives on the moon. Artemis is the first city on the moon. It's a great place for spoiled billionaires and wealthy tourists to visit. Safe, plenty of space, most of the amenities....and it's on the freaking moon! But Jazz lives there....she's lived in Artemis since she was six years old. It isn't a vacation for her....but home. She sleeps in a little cubby hole, has to walk down the hall to the bathroom but dreams of having a larger living space with actual rooms and a microwave. She does a bit of smuggling and fringey business to make ends meet and save up some cash for her life improvement plans.....a girl has to eat, right? She doesn't hurt anybody....she just ensures that people have those comforts or items they feel are lacking. A little ethanol or other contraband items never hurt anyone....and they put slugs (money in Artemis) in her account. Again, girls gotta eat. Then suddenly she offered a job.....a single job that will bring her more than enough money to change her life. All she has to do is damage some equipment.....just a bit of sabotage without getting caught. Of course she can do it. But, little does she realize that the job is actually a bid to take over control of Artemis, and Jazz will have to put her wits to the test to save herself and everyone else.

I loved Weir's The Martian. And I jumped at the chance to read this newest book. I liked it -- it was completely different than what I thought it was going to be. But, the story is great & Jazz is a quirky, strong, resilient character. Not to mention some seat-of-your-pants action as well. A fun space romp! I liked the fact that Jazz is a bit of a fringe-y character.....she's a smuggler, an opportunist. But she doesn't hurt anyone....she's not a thief or a scavenger. She just sees opportunity and goes for it. She has her network of friends who help her complete jobs, and knows how to work behind the scenes of Artemis to make a living. But then things get out of hand......and she has to put her wiley ways to work in order to stop a dangerous scheme. That's all I'm going to say.....avoiding giving anything away. No spoilers from me!

Fun read. Lots of action and great characters!

For more information on the author and his books, check out his website: http://www.galactanet.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Crown Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

3.5 stars
I smacked the side of my head a few times when I never got around to reading The Martian by Andy Weir a few years back. The fact that so many of my friends liked the sci-fi story that included a bit of humor (at least that’s the way I heard it was told), when I saw Mr. Weir was coming out with another sci-fi story, I leapt at the chance to read it. I’ve got to say, Mr. Weir is one technical dude but I liked the story he told.

Set on the moon, Artemis is the “city-state” established on the moon in the future. Using by-products of mining on the moon, scientists are able to create a sustainable environment within multiple domes on the surface.

Jazz and her father moved to the moon when Jazz was a very young girl and because her only family is on the moon and her body has adjusted to the gravity, she has absolutely no desire to go back to Earth. She’s not the most “honest” girl in the small “village” of locals on the moon but Jazz is super intelligent. When she can’t catch a break working the legal way, she always resorts to ill-gotten ways.

One particular “too good to be true” scheme turns out to be more than she anticipated and gets Jazz knee-deep into a conspiracy that even Jazz isn’t sure what is at stake.

I absolutely LOVED Jazz! When I saw that Rosario Dawson was narrating the audio I thought, “Well, they nailed that voice down perfectly!” Jazz is of middle eastern decent and you see a lot of that discussed in the story, along with how her father’s faith clashes with her lack of. I loved that she was brainy smart and never looked wrong at someone who was different. I adored how her relationship with Svoboda changed by the end of the book 🙂

The conspiracy part of the story was very good. I actually wish more time was spent on that rather than all the technical details of welding a seal around barrier or whatever. A little technical jargon is fine by me, but by the end, I wanted the action to flow faster. So, yup, I skimmed some of that jargon. Had to be done. I wanted to know what was up with who was doing what and why!!!!

My other gripe with the story? Under-utilized characters. Rudy? I hardly knew ya. What was up with him and where did he go? And Kelvin? I was disappointed with how that trope panned out. But that one is on me personally. I just thought it was “meh”.

Overall, this was just a middle of the road read for me. I’m sure readers who read the directions to IKEA furniture assembly would love this book. Me? I make my hubs put the dresser together while I watch.

Definitely outside of my comfort zone on this one, It was interesting and engaging, thought the plot was a bit slow. Science fiction does not seem to appear to be my genre but I'm sure this book would be enjoyed by those that enjoy it.

Can’t believe I DNF’d this one! I was so excited about its release. I think I made it about halfway through before I stopped reaching for this book... which is never a good sign. Just couldn’t bring myself to care about the main character (immature, cares only about herself, wants to make money and is a genius yet can’t bring herself to make a single good decision that may lead to the improvement of her future, etc...) and found the plot hard to get behind.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book because it was much lighter and funnier than I expected. I think it really should be a YA book because it's about a young girl that lives on the moon. She's a tech geek, and reminds of the girls on the robotics teams. Anyway, she is an underachiever and gets involved in smuggling goods and other nefarious activities to make money. The character is cute, witty and likeable, and the book would make a good gift for a teenage girl.

I absolutely love Andy Weir. His books are amazing. They are action packed and most importantly pretty scientifically sound. I hate reading a book, and being completely involved and then the writer throws something in because it suits the story but could in no way ever happen because the author just broke every law of physics. Andy Weir's books are action packed and keep you on the edge of your seat, and the spell of the story isn't broken by crappy science. I can't wait for his next book!

I’m one of many who went absolutely gaga over The Martian, so it should be no surprise that Artemis is one of my most anticipated books of 2017.

Instead of Mars, Weir transports us to the moon where humans have built a city called … you guessed it … Artemis! I really like the setting and how plausible it feels. I would totally vacation on the moon!

(the rest of the review can be found on my blog & Goodreads)

I see no good reason why Andy Weir's Artemis should not be a popular book. Its standout quality is that it makes you seriously consider the logistical plausibility of a society on the moon. And even at its worst, it's merely a forgettable page-turner that chooses to skirt around some of the stickier issues it raises rather than engage with them. It's accessible science fiction with a sharply sarcastic female protagonist. I enjoyed the ride. It just didn't do much more for me. Do I have unreasonably high standards? Maybe.

The book's protagonist, Jasmine (Jazz) Bashara, has lived on the moon since age six and works a low-paying job as a porter with a smuggling operation on the side. When one of her super-rich clients offers to hire her to sabotage Sanchez Aluminum's ore harvesting operations as part of a bid for the city's oxygen supply contract (oxygen being a by-product of aluminum production), Jazz is persuaded by the promise of wealth. It's about as straightforward a premise for a caper novel as it gets.

In my (admittedly limited) understanding of SFF caper/heist stories, setting is key, so it is fitting that the true star of this book isn't really Jazz, but the city of Artemis itself, a lunar colony founded and operated by a megacorporation based in Kenya, a country that attracted the space industry by being on the equator and relaxing regulations. (Here's a very relevant article published a few days ago by the NYTimes: If No One Owns the Moon, Can Anyone Make Money Up There?.) Consequently, Artemis is a city with civilian residents, but not citizens, and rules and regulations, but not laws. The "government" is basically one woman (Administrator Ngugi, appointed by the Kenya Space Corporation), "law enforcement" is just one guy (his name is Rudy), and the "currency" is a system of credits called "slugs" that aren't actually legal tender. Artemis is a tourist hotspot with a relatively small local population, and it seems to "work" just fine... but Jazz's criminal activities eventually reveal a major organized crime threat, money laundering, and serious safety concerns.

Jazz may legally be a Saudi citizen, but she is adamant that Artemis is her true home, and her insistent loyalty to her city is used as a redeeming character trait in the face of her increasingly outrageous criminal behavior. But it also means that the ethical failings of the model upon which Artemis is built are never seriously called out, even though they are absolutely central to the plot, and I found this contradiction incredibly frustrating at times. There are some frightening implications if you stop and think about them, but even when presented with all the facts, Jazz explicitly chooses not to do that thinking, and it feels like a narrative cop-out.

The flip side of this setting for a lunar caper is the technical side. How does Artemis sustain life, how do its industries and residences function, and how is it prepared (or not) for assorted technical failures? Though we see it all through the lens of Jazz's nitty-gritty heist science (of which we are treated to plenty), one of the most exciting aspects of the book is how possible Weir makes civilization on the moon seem. The technology isn't wild, far-future speculation... Artemis makes it feel like we could actually go colonize the moon soon.

Jazz herself gets sufficient character development to carry the story. This takes the form of a contentious relationship and eventual reconciliation with her upstanding and devout Muslim father, the utilization of her seemingly squandered "potential," a series of correspondences with a pen pal-turned-business-partner on Earth, and a really half-hearted romance, but at its heart Artemis is a plot-driven book, and I could never quite bring myself to care all that deeply about Jazz Bashara's Increasingly Crappy Heist Week, even if it did keep the pages turning.

I read THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir last year and loved it. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on ARTEMIS. I almost wish I had read this books first. ARTEMIS is good, but it is a completely different type of story.

Jazz Bashara is a low-level porter. She is living on the first colony on the moon called Artemis. This lunar colony is the first of it’s kind. The people living there were all chosen for their skills. Jazz was moved there because of her father’s skills. Jazz and her father had a falling out so now she dreams of having a place of her own and does some smuggling on the side to make ends meet. When a deal comes up that is too good to pass up, Jazz steps up to become Artemis’ most wanted. Jazz finds herself wanted by more than just the Artemis cops when she stumbles upon some information that shows her little colony is full of corruption.
The good news about ARTEMIS:

The science is still there. In THE MARTIAN, I almost felt overwhelmed by the science, I admit that I was confused at times. The science was a lot over my head. I loved that about the book, but it was a bit much. In this book, there is less science and more of a story. Science still plays a huge role in this book but that isn’t the only thing going on.

Jazz is a really interesting character. She is fully grown and knows who she is. She has big aspirations and she is willing to do anything to get what she wants in life. Jazz is witty, snarky and very sure of herself. She isn’t shy about her sexuality or the fact that she is is surrounded by men most of the time. She is proud of the place she lives and her love for Artemis is infectious.

This story is fast paced. It isn’t long before we are in a high stakes game of life or death with Jazz. There is real danger for Jazz. Well, there is danger for the whole colony in this tale at some point. The author doesn’t let us forget that we are on the moon. There are many details weaved into the story that remind the reader that outside of this colony is the vacuum of space. Space walks happen and not everything is picture perfect.

Humor happens in this story and it is well timed and appropriate. This book is written for adults, about adults. Expect Jazz to show up in a bar and talk about her sexual promiscuity. There were quite a few funny moments in this story. I didn’t laugh out loud but I smiled as I read and related to Jazz as someone who speaks fluent sarcasm.

Artemis has a small town feel and a real sense of community. I loved the descriptions of what living in a colony on the moon might be like. Living space in this colony of 2,000 people is at a premium and even hotels do not offer loads of space. There are hotels in Artemis, of course, for the earth-living folks to come visit and see the site where the first men walked on the moon. Artemis is a place that appealed to me even with the cramped living.
The not so great news about ARTEMIS:

Well, I would be a complete liar of I said this book was completely perfect. Jazz is great but, I didn’t find her very relate-able. She doesn’t talk, think, or act like any woman I have ever met or read about. She sounds, acts, and thinks more like a man.I kinda liked that about her but I know some readers will have issues with a woman so confident.

Jazz’s confidence is through the roof, so she takes chances a person with a shred of doubt would never consider. She suffers a bit from overconfidence. Maybe Jazz is a bit narcissistic. She is smart but that works against her at times. Jazz gets into some terrible situations. These situations are mostly unbelievable. I hate to say that, but since we were already living on the moon I had to go with it.
Final verdict:

For any science fiction you have to put some reality aside. I was able to do that for the most part with this book. I enjoyed the action and the character of Jazz, even if she was a little unbelievable. This was a fantastical story about what living on the moon might look like if all the wrong people ended up there. I would recommend this to science fictions fans with the warning that this is not THE MARTIAN. This is a story all it’s own.

Any Weir's second published novel was always going to be a hard follow up after The Martian. Its better written than his first and that bodes well for future work from him. Not as exciting as The Martian and that is a good thing. Too many writers try to over top their break out book by adding more action to their later novels. They all suffer when that happens. This novel does what it needed to do. Establishes that Mr. Weir is not a one hit wonder.

After the runaway success of The Martian, it would have been easy for Andy Weir to publish his grocery list and have it race to the top of the bestseller list.

Instead, Weir made fans wait what seemed like an eternity for his sophomore effort, Artemis. Good things come to those who wait.

While not as immediately engaging as The Martian, Weir’s Artemis avoids a sophomore slump by delivering an entirely new narrator and story. Set in the near future, Artemis introduces us to Jazz, a citizen of the lunar colony Artemis. Jazz wants to help guide tours of the lunar surface, but while she trains for that role, she makes ends meet by running the lunar black market. This leads her to a complicated plot to pull off what should be a perfect crime and earn a reward that will see her set for life.
But as with all things in life, things don’t go according to plan and Jazz soon finds herself at the center of a revolution on the moon.

In many ways, Artemis feels like a spiritual successor to Robert A. Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress with its tale of lunar rebellion in the near future. What sets Artemis apart from the works of Heinlein is Weir’s attention to detail and emphasis on world-building. Weir reportedly spent a year researching and creating the world for Jazz and her fellow characters to inhabit before he began writing Artemis. And that attention shows through throughout the novel. Artemis feels like it’s taking a page from Breaking Bad and giving us the in-between details that other sci-fi books might overlook.

It all makes for an entertaining, crowd-pleasing science fiction thriller.

I will admit that one thing that held me back from embracing the novel in the early stages was the first-person narration from Jazz seemed a bit too Mark Whatley-like. While I can see why Weir chose to tell both stories in the first-person, I can’t help but wonder what a third-person narrated novel from Weir might look like.

For now, I’ll have to wonder about that. And be happy that Weir avoids the sophomore slump.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a digital ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was really looking forward to it...and was a little disappointed. It wasn't bad by any means, but it just didn't live up to the expectations set by The Martian. His books are so cinematic, however, that maybe if I listened to it on audio I'd be more engrossed in the action.

I LOVED The Martian by Andy Weir so much and thought this would be just as good, unfortunately that was not the case. The setting was super interesting and I think the storyline had potential but the rest was not my cup of tea. The main character Jazz was So annoying and unlikable. She had too few redeeming qualities to root for and most of her opinions seemed very childish for a grown woman. Also her inner dialogue was like that of a teenage boy not an adult woman. Weir clearly cannot write women...which is so sad because I loved Mark Watney so much. Jazz just seemed like a 2-dimensional character that Weir tried to make the female Mark Watney and failed miserably. The plot itself was also very lacking...it was so fast paced that it didn't seem like the story could develop enough and there was no build up. Overall, i was disappointed but I'm still holding out hope for Weir's next book. Maybe there is still some Martian magic left...

I received an ARC of the novel via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.