This book was a disappointment. I loved The Martian and so put this at the top of my to-read list, but wish I hadn't. It relies on a combination of overused and sometimes illogical plot devices and white-man-savior story arcs and overall felt like a remake of The Martian, but let's make him unlikeable and give him an alien sidekick.

Absolute blast! All the stars!! (Get it :p)
Serious fun with this book. I geeked right out with all the chemistry, physics, and science in general, but it is not over technical and complete understanding of the science is not necessary.
The story unfolds alternating the present and the past so the mystery does not unravel all at once. It compels you to read more and find out what will happen but it is one of those books that you do not want to end because it is so engaging.
You want to read this book NOW. This is one of those stories that people need to talk about. There is so much happening and it is such an exciting ride as you follow Ryland on his adventure.

This was such a wild ride! Like The Martian, Andy Weir's new novel follows another astronaut, this time as he navigates solving a potential apocalypse-causing interstellar phenomenon in space.

It is a long journey, both for Ryland Grace and the reader, as the book is almost 500 pages, but worth every second. There are, of course, a lot of scientific details throughout the whole book, but as long as you don't get too bogged down in the weeds, there is so much fun to be had. The same sarcastic voice is present in Project Hail Mary, which makes everything more fun as you travel through space with Dr. Grace.

If possible I'd recommend combining audio with the print book, as that really enhanced my reading experience, hearing the inflection of the humor and also getting to read all of the science alongside.

This novel is told in two timelines, as Dr. Grace works to save Earth and humanity from the Project Hail Mary spaceship, and before he left Earth, and they are both equally interesting.

Definitely recommend to fans of The Martian, but also to those brand new to the genre!

The title and author can reveal a lot about the story in this book. Andy Weir is the author of The Martian, which was made into a movie starring Matt Damon. So you can safely assume that the story involves outer space and a last chance mission to save the earth and mankind.

The book opens with Ryland Grace awakening from a medically induced coma aboard a spaceship with two other members of the crew who are dead. Grace must not only remember who he is but what is the purpose of his mission. Without remembering the objective, the mission is sure to fail.

Ryland’s memory slowly returns and the reader learns along with him, mostly through flashbacks about astrophage, a microbe that will destroy our sun and as a result, all living beings. He soon meets Rocky, another being who is faced with the same demise of his planet and people. Both have travelled to Tau Ceti because this is the only star that resists astrophage and they need to,learn the whys and hows. When they do meet that goal Ryland is equipped with “beetles” that will send the information back to earth. He only had enough fuel to get him there so it is a suicide mission.

Both of the main characters are richly drawn and we get to know them well, shortcomings and all. Their relationship is fascinating as each learns about the other’s planet, culture, language and more. Whereas Ryland is a scientist, Rocky is more of an engineer so their skills complement one another. Their budding friendship feels very genuine and real with occasional tense and monumental circumstances to deal with.

The stakes are high for both protagonists and their collaboration is at the heart of this book. There is a bit of science sprinkled throughout the story and it is always explained sufficiently. I am really hoping Project Hail Mary is made into a movie because it has compelling characters with good chemistry and a fascinating storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Technically I would have rated this a 4.5, but I rounded up. Loved this book! Andy Weir has such a specific voice when he writes, and I love that. I choose to read his books because his main characters are all relatable while being 1000 times smarter than your average adult. This book has all the elements of an epic race against space and time to save the Earth. The Sun is losing its power, and it’s up to scientists and astronauts to figure out why, and how to stop it. The world and all of Earths leaders have no choice but to come together to fix the only planet we have. I do not want to spoil anything in this book, so I am keeping my details to a minimum here. But I will say I was very happy that our main character wasn’t “alone” the whole time. This book had such a sweet element of friendship, albeit a strange friendship, and it had me hooked. Sometimes Andy Weirs books get so technical I space out (pun intended) a bit. This one was no different. I do think some of the technical aspects could either be left out entirely, or glossed over a bit more for us non-science folks. I did find myself skimming a bit because Lord knows I’m never going to actually understand most of these terms and scientific explanations. I will say, the one thing I was a teeny bit disappointed in was the ending. I loved how it ended, but would have loved more details about how things happened on Earth. I would have liked more current Earth details throughout the book as well, because I’m an avid lover of books that are apocalyptic and show the breakdown of society during world ending situations. There wasn’t much of that in this book, just pure speculation as to what was happening. I understand that it was probably because Grace had absolutely no communication with Earth, so Weir wanted us to also lack a connection as to what was happening. But having once character like Stratt for example, who created and implemented the entire Hail Mary mission narrate what was happening as the years went by on Earth would have been amazing. I guarantee this would have been as equally interesting to us readers as all of the mayhem occurring in space. It would have kept the tension and intensity of the mission and the high stakes at the forefront of our minds if we got constant reminders as to how bad things on Earth were getting. Just my two cents! Great book nonetheless.

PS: I hear Ryan Gosling is producing the film adaptation as well as starring in it. I hope this happens!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'm not much of a science fiction fan but this book is so exciting and fun to read. Ryland Grace waked up in space. He has no idea why or how he got there. In fact, he doesn't even remember his name. I do not want to give away any more information because how it unfolds is what makes this book such a page turner. It is a bit heavy on the science and math which didn't make me feel very smart, but it does give you the sense this could actually happen. Loved the relationships built throughout the book. If you enjoyed The Martian, I think you will love this as well. 5 stars. I will read anything Andy Weir writes.

This book is available now. Thanks NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

YOU GUYS. This is probably one of my top favorite books every. I haven’t felt this way about a book in a long time! I could not stop reading this and it has not left my brain ever since it was over. I will preface this and say that I am a science teacher by trade, so my emotions about this book may way heavier than others. I’ve had a lot of people ask me if the science in this goes over your head – and with that I say no! While there is a lot of science in the novel, Andy does a great job at explaining it for someone who may not understand it as much. Honestly, go into this book blind. Don’t read a lot about it. I did just that, and was blown away at 30% in the book and continued to be on the edge of my seat. This one is already in the works to become a movie too, so you will most definitely want to read it beforehand. All the stars! Check out my rant I shared on Instagram below!

I want to tell this book, “it wasn’t you, it was me”. The story is a complex one, layered in scientific jargon and reasoning that is was beyond my basic comprehension. I felt like I was reading one part history book, one part astronomy textbook. There was still Weir’s wit littered amongst in the pages in the form of a heroic, if not naive science professor turned astronaut superhero, but I was hopelessly lost for the majority of the story. I enjoyed the flashbacks detailing the puzzle of who this mystery character is and why he is the sole survivor of an alleged space mission, but during the present, when he’s figuring out how to get back to earth, I was confused, adrift and uninterested in the scientific backed reasoning for x y and z. I just wanted to be entertained and this story took a little more brainpower than I bargained.

This book was great, plain and simple. The premise seems so unbelievable, but it is written so well that you get sucked in and believe every word as it goes along. For anyone that is an Andy Weir fan or a fan of Sci-Fi will love this.

Project Hail Mary is a juggernaut of a space odyssey. Weir brings a solar systems worth of human emotions to a story that for the majority of it contains only one human. This book is heavy on the science but I found that interesting and better able to place the reader on the ship with Ryland Grace.
You feel the overwhelming pressure of the task at hand along with him. The story jumps from memories back on Earth to present day keeping you on your toes and moving along at a fast pace. Rocky whom Ryland meets along the way is one of the most endearing literary characters I have had the pleasure to meet. This story and these characters continue to linger and stay with me days after I finished and I imagine will for some time to come. This book was outside of my comfort genres but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it and honestly could not put it down.

I enjoyed The Martian, and I had high hopes for this one, but it just failed to hit the mark for me. The story was intriguing, but there was so much high-level math & science I had a hard time getting through without skimming.

The story kept going back and forth in time as the main character, Dr. Ryland Grace, regained his memories. I found the 'before' chapters to be far more interesting than the 'after' chapters. I just feel like it's trying too hard to be groundbreaking, but not really hitting the mark.

Overall, an interesting book but I would not recommend.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. This reminds me of the Andy Weir of the Martian. Yes it is science and math heavy and I did skim through some of that, but I know there are people who will definitely appreciate it. The Sun is under attack from microscopic "beings" and the human race actually comes together to figure a solution out. And oh what a solution. Increase global warming, a ship that's also a centrifuge, genetically pre-disposed to comas scientists, and that's before they even get into space! This was such a fun Andy Weir book!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

This is a story about our last hope, and I’m happy to report that he has good coffee for the trip.

I loved, loved, loved this. This was science fiction at its best- funny, frightening & inventive. I don’t want to include spoilers, but I was so happy with the unexpected element & I loved the end.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Random House for this e-Arc 💙

Ryland Grace, off to save the Earth from a catastrophic solar event meets alien in same situation. Can they work together to save both of their planets?
3 1/2 ⭐️
First off, this is my personal feelings on this book. I never want to discourage anyone from reading a particular book. Ever!! How you see a book and I could differ. Now, that being said, this book did not work for me! I am a huge fan of Andy Weir and was excited to be chosen to read an advanced copy of his new book! His other books had me hooked and I breezed right through them. I’m not sure where the disconnect was. The book seemed extremely slow. The back and forth in timelines seemed monotonous. And the ending just wasn’t satisfying. The only enjoyable part, for me, was the alien, Rocky and he was even a bit annoying. Now, this wouldn’t stop me from reading any future AW books. Still a major fan.

** spoiler alert ** Wow, this book was so different from what I expected, but in the best way. It jumps back and forth between timelines, but in a clean way so it is not confusing.

I was expecting a bit of a space opera with multiple characters and tension, but it turned out to be a rather sweet and incredibly educational tale of an unlikely hero and his alien friend.

Truly, Weir took a likeable but goofy science teacher and turned him into a reluctant savior. I love him for it. I was rooting for Grace the entire way, and his bad puns only solidified my love for him. Toss in a spider like ride or die and you really have the only two characters you need in a story like this. Top it off with that twist at the end, and cherry on top, it was a great read! I hope it gets optioned, I would love to see in movie form!

I could not put this book down. I really enjoyed it, I think maybe more than The Martian, which is saying a lot. Ryland and Rocky were so interesting to follow and I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book. Great read and highly recommended.

Space has always been scary. There’s this unsettling blend of known and unknown when it comes to space – we can see a lot, sure, but there’s so much more that we can’t. It’s a vast mystery whose extreme inhospitality and infinite size make a battle out of every new discovery.

It is this place of wonder and fear that so fascinates Andy Weir. The engineer-turned-author returns to those harsh environs with his new book “Project Hail Mary,” venturing deeper into space than in his previous offerings (“The Martian” and “Artemis”) while still maintaining the distinctive wonkiness that renders his work so idiosyncratically enjoyable.

This is a story about one man’s fight to survive in the face of overwhelming odds, bringing to bear every bit of cleverness and intuition in an effort to solve a huge problem. It’s a story of isolation, friendship and the looming specter of incomprehensible loss – all refracted through a prism of well-researched and joyful nerdery. And of course, the science is sound (and in more ways than one).

A man wakes up in a bed, groggy and disoriented. He’s got various tubes going into and coming out of him. And he doesn’t know where or even who he is. There’s a computer voice making demands of him and robot arms deployed everywhere. As he attempts to gather himself, he realizes that there are two other people in the room with him – both seemingly long dead.

Slowly but surely, the man begins to piece together who he is and what is happening through flashes of memory. His name is Ryland Grace, he is in outer space … and it is up to him to save the world.

Grace – a former molecular biologist turned middle school science teacher – was recruited by mysterious government entities of unclear authority to tackle a problem for which his previous research into hypothetical extraterrestrial biology is uniquely suited. There’s a mysterious microorganism that is disrupting our sun. Dimming it. That dimming spells catastrophe on an apocalyptic scale if nothing is done.

When it is discovered that a (relatively) nearby star could hold the key to saving Earth, mankind comes together and undertakes to put together a research mission to find out just what is so special about Tau Ceti.

Gradually, Grace continues putting the pieces together, both about the mission at hand and how he wound up as part of it. Memories bubble up to the surface periodically, even as he furiously works on the problem at hand. He does all that he can manage by himself, but he wasn’t supposed be flying solo. He wasn’t supposed to be alone.

And perhaps … he isn’t?

“Project Hail Mary” is a great example of what Andy Weir does best. Ryland Grace – much like Mark Watney before him – is a nerded-up version of a classic sci-fi heroic trope. He’s a goofball hybrid of sturdy capability and unwavering dorkiness, a blend of the two-fisted spacefarers of the pulp era and the more cerebral champions of more contemporary times. Call him a “competent nerd” – a man left with nothing more than his wits to face off against a seemingly insurmountable obstacle; these are not problems that can be punched away. Instead of utilizing physical gifts, he must save the day with nothing but brainpower and the scientific method.

As per usual, Weir’s done his homework and then some. He’s obviously passionate about the technical minutiae, but where he excels is in his ability to translate that passion to the page. He finds ways to go on at length about this idea or that one while still framing it within the context of the story. One could argue that he perhaps gets into the weeds a bit, but that’s the thing – that’s where he wants to be. He gets there not by accident, but with intent.

“Project Hail Mary” unfolds as two stories in parallel – one in the present, the other through flashback. While the trials and tribulations of isolation in deep space give us the more adventuresome aspects of the story, the context provided by the memories of the Earthbound development of the mission is vital. We can learn who Ryland Grace was without interfering with the narrative flow of the problem-solving half of the story.

It’s also a very funny book. In particular, one significant narrative pivot (that I won’t be spoiling, even though it is early on and I’ve noted other reviewers doing so) opens things up to allow for some hilarity. Some poignancy too, as far as that goes. But yeah – there’s a wonderful embrace of dad-jokiness in this one. Weir’s willingness to have a sense of humor serves as a nice counterbalance to the existential stakes that anchor it all.

But for all the technical geekery and the groanworthy jokes, “Project Hail Mary” is ultimately a story about the human will. At its very large heart, this book is about the power of human ingenuity on scales both large and small, with a reluctant hero whose reluctance becomes ever clearer as the tale is told. It’s evocative of classic hard sci-fi adherents like Isaac Asimov or Larry Niven, only with more optimistic levity – Heinlein with a far dorkier sense of humor.

“Project Hail Mary” is a ton of fun, a deep space adventure with room for technical specs and plenty of tension, with a self-deprecatingly sarcastic-yet-capable hero thrown into the mix (as well as some buddy comedy vibes from a most unexpected source along the way). All of it driven by that same delicious blend of curiosity and fear that keeps us looking to the skies in the first place. If you’ve liked what Andy Weir has given you in the past, you’ll love this one.

Andy Weir will never be known as a great writer but he is a great science fiction thinker and he has returned to his strength here of mostly not writing dialogue. One character thinking through some big ugly scientific issues is definitely his strength and it shines here--and shines a light on all of the science which I can't evaluate. But I did enjoy the premise very much, even flipping back and forth in time as our main character regains his memories. I needed some chunky sci fi for my adult brain and this fit the bill.

I really enjoyed The Martian. The book was great, and the movie was just as good. A rare occurrence. I did not read Artemis because everyone said it was not as good. But when I saw Project Hail Mary and read the description I could not resist. This book felt a bit like The Martian: A guy alone in space unsure if he will survive. Weir has this formula down. Project Hail Mary is about saving Earth from an alien species that is starting to dim the sun. Enter an international task force ready to solve the problem. Ryland Grace is a middle school science teacher, and the first person to interact with the species. In the past Ryland had written a paper saying not all life would require water if found on other planets. This is why he's chosen to look at the new species. Of course we find out later there are other reasons he was chosen.

I do not want to give away the plot. It is a decent read, but I did get annoyed with the English speaking white male saving the day trope. Not to mention the many stereotypes of other cultures - Russians constantly drinking vodka comes to mind. There is also too much science detail at times and glossing over of action instead. The ease of Ryland communicating with an ally he meets also felt ridiculous. I found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit. The ending is what made me round this up to three stars instead of two. It showed character growth for Ryland and felt right.

If you enjoyed The Martian you will like this book. And you'll probably hear Matt Damon's voice when Ryland speaks because of it. The characters felt similar. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!