Considering the widespread success of The Martian, Andy Weir is clearly a gifted storyteller. Unfortunately for me, I'm not as keen on the grittier elements of the first-person POV. So, while I am sure this would be a good story for many others, it is not quite my cup of tea (pun intended for those who will read the book).

From the author of The Martian comes another scientific space story that features a young Saudi woman, Jazz Bashara, as the main character. I couldn’t wait to dive into another epic science fiction story rooted in actual science. Unfortunately, Weir’s inability to write a believable female character is a huge disservice to the story as a whole.

Jazz Bashara is a 26-year-old woman living on the moon working as a delivery person. She’s made a lot of mistakes in her past and is doing everything she can to right those wrongs, even if it means bending the rules. Jazz’s character is intriguing and works, theoretically. Unfortunately, Weir’s obvious inability in writing a female main character ruins everything that he was trying to accomplish. The science and actual plot sometimes takes a backseat to Jazz’s cringiest moments. Most of the time her internal monologue comes off as a 15-year-old boy. So, Weir’s attempts at creating a cohesive and sexual female character failed miserably because Jazz ends up being a caricature of a woman.

The other characters weren’t fleshed out and only existed to serve the plot at different moments. Some of them would have been interesting had they been developed more and some of them were just flat-out annoying. However, the most developed character, apart from Jazz, was a character the reader never sees because Jazz has an e-mail only relationship with him. I came to enjoy their interactions by the end of the novel, but that was after I overcame how random the e-mail exchanges were placed in the story. Had the exchanges been organically added it would have improved Artemis tenfold.

Artemis features a heist on the moon with Jazz leading the charge. It’s fun and exciting, but comes off as more of a mindless action movie than a story rooted in science. The beginning of the novel is where most of the science is featured because it explained how Artemis works and what it’s like to live on the moon, but as the story progresses the further away Weir veers from the science. This isn’t necessarily a negative, however the reason I enjoyed The Martian so much was because it was deeply root in science. So, if you didn’t enjoy the science lesson of The Martian but want to read a realistic science fiction novel then Artemis is for you. But, if you enjoyed that lesson than you may find yourself underwhelmed by Artemis.


Overall, I didn’t enjoy Artemis nearly as much as The Martian. Perhaps if Jazz had not sounded like a 15-year-old boy Artemis would have been success. Maybe Weir should just stick to writing male characters in the future.

Remember that guy who wrote The Martian and it became a bestseller & a movie? Well, he just wrote a new book called Artemis about a young smuggler. She’s 26-years-old, Arab, slightly criminal, and one of the more intelligent characters I’ve read in a couple of months. Oh, and did I mention she lives on the moon?

Jasmine Bashara (Jazz) is just your average twentysomething with eyes full of stars and an empty wallet. Profession? Porter and small time smuggler. Who said living on Moon’s first civilization was easy? Unless you’re a rich tourist or billionaire, most citizens are just trying to make it. Problem? She’s far more intelligent than your typical Moon citizen, and when she gets the chance to commit that perfect crime, Jazz can’t help but try to pull of the impossible. Money is money. Unfortunately for her, there’s no such thing as “the perfect crime” and soon she finds herself caught in the middle of a conspiracy as opposing forces fight to control Artemis.

Overall, this novel was fun. Jazz has a hilarious, likable personality, and uses humor as much as she can to tell the story. Weir definitely captures the typical millennial struggle of wanting to wander in life comfortably. I loved Jazz’s diverse background, her relationship with her father (despite it being strenuous), and entertaining perspective. I’m not sure if it was just me, but I just craved more. We got bite-sized information about Jazz’s past (some of it through e-mails), and a little bit about her present, but I would’ve loved some more character building. She’s the caricature of a kick-ass woman without the onion layers. And her promiscuity seemed to be her only descriptor at times which bugged me. I’d also have loved some world building. Don’t get me wrong. Artemis was described, for sure, but like Jazz, we only got to see the top layer. We got the rundown of the bubbles, the architecture of the city, but didn’t interact with anyone besides the main characters. If you want an action-packed, plot-heavy novel though, this one’s for you.

This book is similar to Weir’s other book in the sense that all the characters need to apply scientific knowledge in order to survive the challenges thrown at them. Is it sad that even with Jazz’s interesting and understandable (aka dumbed down) explanations, I still struggled to understand what the hell was happening? I’d say that I’m generally an intelligent person, but I had to re-read paragraphs in this novel a couple of times just to understand the physics, chemistry, and economics of it all. I got the gist, but not with ease. It made me question whether this was a YA or adult novel. It’s skimpy enough to be a YA novel, but a little to heavy on the science to really fit that category.

In a nutshell: A cool new addition to the sci-fi section and worth the read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. And it all happened on the moon! I loved it. Artemis was well written and exciting! Absolutely entertaining!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I wish I could have read this without knowing it was written by Andy Weir. It's a fine book with a unique and mostly plausible take on how a lunar colony might run. There's lots of science in there too that I assume is accurate and exhaustively researched. But I don't know that anything could have stood up to being in the shadow of The Martian for me. Jazz never quite clicked as a character for me, and her lighthearted/detached attitude often felt forced.

is reactionary, comparing #2 to #1, especially if you loved the first. And I love The Martian. Hard. It has a few flaws (lack of character development), but it also did a lot of things right (plausible science! gleeful, if juvenile, sense of humor! defeating impossible situations with nerdery!). Great Literature it ain't, but it's so much fun, and one of my favorites from the past few years.

All this to say that Artemis had a lot to live up to. And I think it succeeded. Jazz, our heroine, is a cynical wiseass. She's also smart, confident, loyal, and honorable (to an extent) in her criminal capers. She has a lot more depth than Mark Watney, the Martian. The plot was tight, and well-paced, with lots of tension. Jazz uses nerdery to defeat impossible situations (which I still love). Artemis is a really enjoyable book. Sophomore slump avoided! I think that Weir's writerly skills have grown, and I will eagerly pick up whatever he writes next.

Artemis, which will be released in November, is Andy Weir’s second novel – you probably know him as the creator of The Martian, the hugely successful popcorn sci-fi novel which was made into a movie (also hugely successful) in 2015.

Artemis takes place significantly further in the future than The Martian – main character Jazz has lived on the moon for almost her entire life. The permanent settlement there is well-established both as a commodity producer and as a tourist destination. Jazz is a low-level smuggler and major genius, and she has serious goals. Her ambitions quickly turn Artemis into an extremely fast-paced lunar heist.

The first thing that struck me about Artemis is that Jazz has the same exact voice as Mark, main character of The Martian. They’re both snarky, profane, extremely intelligent, and relentlessly stubborn. Since neither of these books are really about the characters – they’re both so light and super plot-based – the issue didn’t bother me at all.

The only notable difference between the two is weird addition to Jazz’s character – she has had numerous sexual partners, and apparently everyone in the colony knows and feels the need to comment on it every time they see her. I kept thinking that these past sexual escapades would be relevant, but I guess it was just flavor for her character? In a book this light, though, it really stuck out as a bit of unnecessary ickiness, and I wish it had been edited out entirely.

That said, I really enjoyed Artemis. Like The Martian, it was a super fun read, with lots of interesting science/pseudoscience and a fast, popcorny pace that kept me reading all day. I think this one will be another bestseller.

I am so glad the author of one of my favorite books ("The Martian") came out with another I like just as much. It's a bit different this time, of course. The protagonist, Jazz, is female, Muslim, and sort of a criminal, the story is happening on an established Lunar base, more lives than just one hang in the balance, and the mob is involved.

But the parts I loved are there. The characters. The thought behind the world-building. The scientific accuracy. And the problem-solving! OK, not as intense (most of the time) as the poor schnook on Mars, but when problems come up the characters put some thought into it and they fix the problems. I'm so happy to read about smart people.

Plus there's humor and chases and schemes and killers. Imagine "Oceans 11" as written by Allen Steele and John Varley -- a high compliment from me -- and you've got the idea.

It's not perfect. The main character had to know that in such a small community she'd be caught eventually, but she kinda skips over that. And one gay character is gay, which we know because it is mentioned several times, by himself and others. Yes, some gay people do that, but when he's the only (known) gay character in the book it gets a little stereotypical.

When I received "Artemis" as an Advanced Reader Copy through Netgalley, I jumped for joy. To say I am a fan of Weir's first book "The Martian" is an understatement. After I finished it, I literally ran around my office cheering. And Artemis lives up to the standard "The Martian" set, in my opinion.

Featuring a diverse cast of characters and the hard science that I loved in his first novel, Weir paints a picture of a city on the Moon that is thriving, peaceful, yet has a seedy underbelly. Picture Ocean's 11 in space. Jazz is a strong female protagonist with a flare for the dramatic, a loose moral code and a lot of funny one-liners and sarcastic remarks. Her interactions with characters like Rudy, Bob, and even her own father builds her into a multi-dimensional woman who wants to do right, but someone who tends to get caught up with the wrong people and bets on the wrong horse. This was such a fun ride and sure to be a huge hit when this book comes out in the fall.

Artemis
A Novel
by Andy Weir
Crown Publishing
Pub Date 14 Nov 2017
Courtesy Netgalley

Mark Watney became one of the best protagonist in publishing when The Martian by Andy Weir came out. He was smart, funny, persevering and adaptable. Those qualities allowed him to survive being stranded on Mars. His story was so engrossing the book hit the bestseller list followed by a blockbuster movie. Wow. How does an author top that? Andy Weir does it quite nicely in his upcoming book Artemis.

Jazz Bashara is similar to Mark Watney in several ways. She is smart, funny, adapts to what life throws at her and preservers in her dream to be independently wealthy. While Mark Watney had several degrees to hi name, using his very well educated background to solve problems, Jazz is entirely self taught. She does things her way, whether it is acceptable to the authorities and her father or not.

I love Jazz. She is a smart, strong young woman, born in Saudi Arabia but calling the moon home since she was six years old. Jazz lives on the moon. Andy Weir takes us to a future where there is a community living on the moon. Weir does a fantastic job of explaining how the moon colony came into being and how it is owned by a consortium from Kenya. It is believable and it seems like the technology he uses is available now or just over our technical horizon.

The story revolves around Jazz’s quest to move from the poverty level to a more financially stable group. While Artemis is on the moon, it does have several earth issues to deal with. There are economic classes. There is smuggling due to the high cost of shipping anything to the moon. It has crime. It also has a level of constant danger that those on earth have no concept of. Imagine if there is an explosion that takes out one of the main walls in a dome. On earth if a wall if blown out, people can be hurt or die if they are in the area. On the moon, everyone in that dome will die as the air is instantly removed. Jazz is navigating all of these issues and for the most part doing it very well for a twenty-something with only a high school education.

The secret weapon in Jazz’s plan is herself. She is confident in her ability to do whatever task she takes on to further her dream. When she takes on a huge job that could give make her dream real in one day, she knows it will be risky and possibly dangerous. Even on the moon, what is planned is often not what happens. Jazz is now fighting not only for her life but for the life of Artemis and all the people who call it home.

I loved Artemis. I have already pre-ordered the audiobook. I am not a well educated person (a 35 year old associate in liberal arts degree) and I do not speak science fluently. Andy Weir makes the science understandable even to someone like me. I was born during the Apollo era and have an incredible love for space exploration. I hope Mr. Weir continues to entertain and educate me about the possibilities of space exploration that my generation may yet see. Artemis is five stars, five bright, blazing stars.

This novel doesn't have quite the same magic and tight narration as The Martian, but I found it thoroughly satisfying even so. Jazz is a young adult who lives on the moon with about 2,000 others from all over Earth. She's feisty, driven, and principled despite working just a bit outside the law in her side-job as the colony's leading smuggler. Soon her ambitions put her in the middle of a moon-wide conspiracy that could threaten everything.

I cannot begin to tell you how elated I was to receive a digital copy of Andy Weir's upcoming new book, Artemis, from Crown Publishing. I devoured The Martian and was curious how his second book would compare.

Jazz is an intelligent, sarcastic, kind of poor badass of a young woman who lives in Artemis, the only established city on the moon. She moved from Saudi Arabia when she was 6 with her dad, and she works as a porter...and smuggler on the side. She finds herself at the center of a dangerous plot which has already proved deadly and could put her entire city in jeopardy.

Overall, I liked the book, but it didn't have the same memorability as The Martian. The descriptions of the moon-based city were very creative and interesting. It was also a quick read because the book really reaches a thrilling climax near the end. My only qualms were that occasionally the narrator irritated me, and I found it rather jarring when she randomly talked to the reader directly. Some parts were also quite technical and I had trouble envisioning certain events. BUT - the story is truly unique and I bet it'd be a great movie. (3.5/5 Stars)

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for this review.

I've been so excited about this book- my brother had me read the first chapter when it was posted online last month and I was sucked into the premise immediately... only to become super upset when I learned the book wouldn't be out for quite a while. Imagine my delight when I found this and was approved on Netgalley.

The idea is that Jazz is a girl that lives on the moon, which has now been colonized (I point out that she's a girl because for some reason it took me almost the first whole chapter to get that). She's a smuggler and likes to work the system. She's asked to do something that's not really her usual cup of tea and well.. things happen.

I was drawn into this world and I loved learning about all the different aspects that I would've never thought about if we ever lived on the moon - like how expensive everything would be, what people eat, how people live. I loved the narrator, she had just the right amount of sarcasm that had me chuckling.

I did get lost with a lot of the chemistry stuff (I had the same problems with The Martian) and the ending was a bit hard for me to wrap my head around, science-wise, but otherwise this was a great book. Highly recommend!

Andy Weir does it again! 4.5 Stars, rounding up because of the sheer enjoyment I got from this. The Martian is one of my favorite spacey books ever, and I was cautiously excited about Artemis. Anything that follows up such a celebrated debut is bound to attract scrutiny, but Artemis didn't disappoint me in the slightest. Jazz's perspective is hilariously voicey, and she very much fits the bill of a lovable morally-gray character. While her circumstances aren't as dire as Mark Watney's, and are very much self-imposed, they were just as compelling. The supporting cast was vibrant and well-drawn, and I love anything with a good "squad of misfits", especially getting a picture of the criminal underbelly of this future society.

Seriously, I REALLY enjoyed this, and it left me wanting more about Jazz and her life on the moon. I'll be preordering this one for sure, and crossing my fingers for a sequel.

Awesome! I love Jazz. This was just as good if not better than The Martian!

This book freaking rocks!!



No, seriously. The book does have science in it but it's not too bad. This is mostly about Jazz who has lived on the moon since she was 6 and now she's in her 20's. Her dad lives on the moon too but they had a falling out and she makes it on her own by doing. . . things.

I love the character of Jazz. She's funny and does crazy things but never anything to hurt any one.

AND SHE LIVES ON THE MOON!



Jazz doesn't live in the good part of town. Yes, the city on the moon is called Artemis and they have their rich side and poor side. It's just too awesome to read about.

Jazz does some odd jobs as a porter but she also brings in contraband and no it's nothing bad.

She has a cool friend she emails from Earth, his name is Kelvin. I love their talks.

Rich people come to the moon every year to spend their holiday. They stay in the fancy hotels and spend tons of money in the shops. Regular folk save up their money so they can come for a once in a life time stay.

But, life on the moon isn't all that it's cracked up to be. There just has to be some evil mobness going on. There are life and death situations and Jazz in put on the spot to save the whole city.

That's all I'm saying, you need to read it for yourself. If you loved The Martian (which I did) you will love this book. At least I think you will, I did because IT'S THE MOON! THEY ARE LIVING ON THE MOON!

And I have to mention some of the people I loved in the book:
Svoboda
Dale
Lene
Kelvin
Bob
Jazz dad

and some randoms =)

*I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book*

I tremendously enjoy the hard science-fiction background surrounding a snarky protagonist's adulting challenges with money, her smuggling career, and her love life. The author guides us through the physics, mechanics, and chemistry of lunar life while dealing with murder, criminals, and small-town gossip. It's a great caper romp with unpredictable plot twists and the surprise ending!

To be fair, not many characters live up to Mark Watney, do they?

Jazz does an admirable job, and I like the supporting characters too. I would have liked a little more on all of her relationships.

Weir did do it again - he made me read and enjoy a book with science as a main theme.

Free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.