Strangely, I abandoned both The Martian and Artemis, but Project Hail Mary was a definite hit for me.

There is a lot of science/physics/math that I didn't understand, but made me think that solving problems with this knowledge could encourage young people into STEM courses. Even a "mathophobe" like me was intrigued and felt the excitement of problem solving.

Middle School science teacher, Ryland Grace wakes up from an induced coma far in space, with no memory of how he got there. His two crew mates didn't survive, and it takes him a while to remember even his name, but he gradually realizes that he has a great deal of knowledge about the ship and its functions. At first, his knowledge is a little surprising to him, but as his memory returns in fits and starts, and he experiences flashbacks of his previous life, he understands the mission of Project Hail Mary and its importance--a last ditch effort to save Earth and humanity.

He is alone in space...until he isn't. He finds an unexpected ally, and the two of them risk their lives over and over to make sure their missions are completed. Here, Weir excels at creating a dynamic between Ryland Grace and Rocky and moves beyond the typical space adventure into something more. The need for Grace and Rocky to communicate, to except each other's abilities and limitations, and to work together using their combination of skills in order to save their respective worlds is the crux of the book. Yes, it is a space adventure, but not in the usual sense--Project Hail Mary combines suspense and humor and "humanity" in the midst of some abstruse science and mathematics.

As I mentioned, the science and math was beyond me, and yet I found the way Weir used it (or perhaps, overused it) made me see the solving of mathematical and scientific puzzles as exciting as solving a mystery in a police procedural. Never thought that could happen.

I was completely engaged from first to last with this novel. Rocky is the highlight and an unforgettable character--you really need to meet him!

Read in March; review scheduled for April 25.

NetGalley/Random House/Ballentine Science Fiction. May 4, 2021. Print length: 496 pages.

Filled with lots of adventure, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir brings back the science of of the Martian and wraps it into a fun story about a science teacher and an alien out to save their respective planets, humanity, and alien life.

How has it come to this? The fate of humanity rests on one man, who woke from a coma with no memory of his own name, much less the reason why he is hurtling through space on a mission he can't remember.
Originally a crew of three, Ryland Grace is the only surviving crew member of the Hail Mary research mission. He needs to discover how to kill a parasite called Astrophage that is feeding off the energy from the sun, slowly killing it and potentially threatening all life on earth.
This book has a lot of science and technology that Weir has a magical way of explaining that makes it fascinating to this average reader. I'm left staring up at the stars, my brain overloaded with sciency information, wondering if we're really alone in the universe. This was such a great book and I can't wait for his next one!

Well, this was a wild ride. Part mystery, part thriller, part comedy, more than part science, and that ending made Project Hail Mary a totally satisfying experience. Even when I didn't know what the heck main character Ryland Grace was talking about half the time, I thoroughly enjoyed him (think Mark Watney, but without the potatoes). Even though I can't tell you the best moments in the book because I would spoil it for you, I can share that they are lovely, touching, funny as hell. And even though a lot of readers will say, "Waaaait a minute, I saw this in a movie," which I would strongly agree with, it is still a delightful book that gives you pause. It gives you pause and makes you ask yourself, how far would I go to save the world?

So, that being said, I liked how Andy Weir unthreaded his last book, Project Hail Mary, by starting in the middle of the story with Dr. Ryland Grace waking up in a laboratory, in outer space, with tubes to every orifice, and he has no idea what is going on, much less his name. His memory concerning anything scientific or computer-related is intact and he is able to recognize certain things about his surroundings but he has no clue how he ended up there, so Weir fills in both the reader and Ryland through flashbacks. And boy, are there surprises in store for everyone. Lots of them.

There were certain parts when I had to suspend my disbelief, even more than most sci-fi/fantasy novels if you can believe it, and if an eye roll could be considered exercise my eyes were buff by the end. They sent this guy into outer space to save the world? Explain how one person is not only in charge of sending this guy into outer space, explain how is she is in charge of everything, and I mean, EVERYTHING. There were parts that made me laugh until tears rolled down my cheeks and there were parts that made me cry real tears. I was thoroughly engaged by Ryland Grace and his sweet, but snarky, personality and strange, but brilliant, mind and what drives him.

I wish I could share more as Ryland is only half the story but *spoilers* so just know I enjoyed it, I binge-read it and I am highly recommending it.

A huge thank you to Random House Publishing and Ballantine Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions concerning Project Hail Mary are my own.

The premise was unique and interesting, and the plot was engaging. I liked the illuminating flashbacks as the narrator slowly regained his memory throughout the book. Ryland Grace got on my nerves sometimes (I think I expected him to swear a bit more), but his arc was good, and I even teared up at the end.

It does read like a science textbook at times, but even with my brain blurring out the bits that went way above my head, I was still able to enjoy the story. I think I would have paid more attention in high school if my textbooks read like this :)

4.5 stars
4.5 stars
This was a mind blowing cosmic science fiction adventure, I enjoyed every minute in this world that Andy Weir has created. It was so suspenseful and heart racing. The real science applications used in this made up story were so believable, that this world with such advanced technology seemed so real.
This story focuses on Ryland Grace, who wakes up not knowing where he is or why but it does not take him long to start working out that he is not even close to home and on an epic journey to save millions of lives. Grace was such a great character, he was so likable and the humor would take you by surprise and was a bit juvenile, but bursts of laughter would just pop out as I was reading. Grace was also a flawed character but that just added to his likability as well as appropriate with the situations he was dealing with. I was also shocked by some of the events and actions people took in this story and it really added to the desperation trying to be conveyed, it just added another layer of depth to this epic story. This story was also very thought provoking about the measures people will take in desperate situations. Just be aware going into this story it is very science and math heavy. For the ending, I was just a little disappointed there was one thing that was not wrapped up for me and there was a bit of a lull in the middle of the story, which why this was not a five stars, but I really loved it and it’s completely amazing how he came up with such a space journey. I would highly recommend checking out this story if you are looking for an amazing, space defying mission to save humanity check this out!
Trigger warning: death, explostions, and suicide
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley, This review is my own honest opinion .

I was thrilled when I saw my wish was granted by the publisher to get an arc of this book. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me an egalley to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and they are built off an advanced copy of the novel, meaning some things might change before release.

I'm not new to Andy Weir's novels and style of sci-fi, having read The Martian, so I was excited to jump into some more 'scientific' sci-fi. Weir did not disappoint on this aspect, and honestly I was glad I recently took a physics course because otherwise a lot of this would've gone right over my head. I felt smart reading this, and I kind of enjoyed the feeling this book gave me. I mean I obviously can't guarantee every piece of science used in this book is 100% accurate, but this book still contains a level of detail that not all do, and while it feels like you have to stretch your brain around some of the content, I enjoyed that aspect of the story. It does make parts of the story feel slow moving, but it causes you to focus on the small discoveries as a reader, like Grace does in the story.

My favorite part of this book is what sets it apart from The Martian. In the latter, the main character is largely isolated, with only blips of contact with Earth. While Grace is still isolated from Earth, a secondary character does come in about halfway into the story, and the interactions between Grace and this character made the story so much more enjoyable for me. There was just something in the excitement that ran through most of their discussions, and their strong desires to save their home worlds, that was the final touch on this story for me. It would've been interesting without this character, but nowhere near as enjoyable.

However, there were two things I really didn't like about the story, and what hurt an otherwise 5 star read. I really didn't like the big 'twist' that the past and present storytelling was leading up to (though I did like the way this type of storytelling was otherwise utilized), as I felt like it undermined the character too much. Grace no longer feel genuine but instead hypocritical. It also just didn't seem to fully match the characters motivations in both the past and the present, and just overall frustrated me. I also didn't care for the ending, as it felt way under-planned and under-explained vs. the rest of the over-explained book. It was a jarring change and it in turn made it feel miraculous compared to the rest of the book. There were also just some odd statements and quirks that, while trying to explain the possibility of the ending, I really could've done without. Honestly, I felt the book would've been stronger if it ended without the epilogue/final chapter.

Overall though, I really enjoyed my time with this book, even if the final chapters frustrated me a bit. I still can't wait to see what Weir writes next, and still need to read his sophomore novel too!

What a treat! Andy Weir's “Hail Mary” is one of the most original and creative novels I’ve read in a long time.

Ryland Grace wakes up completely alone. He can barely see or hear. Worse, he cannot remember who he is or what has happened to him. Worse still, once he finally regains his senses he discovers he’s on a space craft and that his two apparent crew mates died so long ago that they’re corpses are now desiccated. Slowly, as his memory returns, he realizes he’s on a one-way mission to save mankind from destruction by an extra-terrestrial threat it has no idea how to combat. It’s up to him, and him alone—or so he thinks—to figure out how to save humanity and then accomplish it without any help from anyone on Earth all the way across the galaxy.

In a nutshell, that’s the premise of the novel. I don’t want to go into any more detail because I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises Weir has in store. And there are plenty of those—all involving a main character whose exceedingly wry personality and wit make him a pleasure to spend time with. That plus the high stakes, the many “Apollo 13” type dangers Grace faces, and the slow revelation of how he came to be on this mission, make this a wonderful read.

One word of caution. There’s a lot of science, engineering, and technology in this novel. Physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, computer science—Weir intertwines all of them, and more, into his plot. If you’re not a math/science person (and I’m not), some of it can be heavy going. Not college-level-science heavy going, but maybe HS-science heavy going. Still, once Weir finishes describing the science, he is careful to explain it in layman’s terms so that all readers can understand what just happened and how and why it’s important to the story.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for making an ARC of “Hail Mary” available to me; in exchange for which no promises were made concerning this independent review.

Oooh, baby was I excited to get my hands on this book! Project Hail Mary goes back to the same feel as The Martian but with a whole new spin. What should be a rather depressing premise (the end of the world as we know it) becomes an exciting, fascinating study of what it means to be a reluctant hero. The main character isn't trying to survive the catastrophe. He knows he's on a one way trip and won't ever make it back home. What he doesn't expect is to find a whole new purpose within his original mandate.

The scientific jargon and explanations are still over my head, as with the Martian, but somehow it works to add to the authenticity and general atmosphere of desperation and inspiration. I can honestly say this is my favorite book so far this year and really kept my attention. I cared about the characters. I was invested in the plot and couldn't wait to read more about the "unexpected friend." When will the movie come out, because this will be another home run! Loved it!

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers | Sci Fi & Fantasy
Release Date: May 4, 2021

Of all of the books I've read this year, Project Hail Mary has been my favorite! I don't even know where to start! It's captivating, exciting, and filled with so much great stuff! This is one of those books that you can't put down once your start reading it!!!

I loved how the book bounces between the present and the past and slowly fills you in on how Dr. Grace got to where he is! I loved Rocky, he is my absolute favorite character!

This book has it all! Suspense, adventure, heart, science, space, self-discovery and most of all, hope!

I will be reading this book again (& listening to the audiobook) because it brought me such joy! This book will win awards!!!! I highly recommend this one! Don't miss out on what could be the best book of 2021!

I'm so grateful to Andy Weir, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Lovers of Science Fiction will rejoice to hear Andy Weir, author of The Martian has written another space masterpiece!

Project Hail Mary is a suspenseful story about an unconventional scientist Ryland Grace who is on a mission to save planet Earth from a mysterious organism that is eating the Sun.
This book is a WILD ride! I watch space movies with my stomach in knots and perilously gripping the seat in an anxious mess, typically exclaiming how much I hope never to go to space. This book was like watching a thriller, teetering on the edge of your seat, nail-biting adventure, complete with hilarious dialogue and unexpected deep connection to the characters.

I throughly enjoyed this novel. I am positive it will be a classic for Science Fiction enthusiasts everywhere, I’m also positive even those that often don’t gravitate towards this genre will find deep satisfaction in joining in on Rylands race to save the species.

Rating: 4.5 STARS

Big thank you to Net Galley and Random House for this ARC

First off, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Ryland Grace makes for a fascinating main character - when you start the book, you know as much about him as he does. Because he doesn't know who he is, where he is, or how he got there, for that matter. Much of the backstory is filled in via flashbacks as he slowly regains bits of his memory.

And that's why this review is difficult to write, because half of the fun is in letting the story unfold!

But I will tell you this much - I loved this book because of:

- the clever, inventive MC with a wry wit.
- a really inventive plot premise
- all the crazy science and math that Weir somehow makes accessible (and if it's not entirely accurate, who cares, he made me feel smart in that I generally understood what was going on)
- fascinating secondary characters. I mean, REALLY intriguing, maddening, and/inventive secondary characters. Rocky absolutely stole my heart.

This book rockets along (pun intended) even with the MC not knowing a lot of anything to start. He has to piece together where he is and moreso what he's meant to be doing, which is a clever way to let the story unfold and keeps the intensity on. When we first meet Rocky, his ally in space, the pace changes, but it's important to the development of their relationship. I love Rocky - he may be my favorite part of the story.

Yes, Ryland Grace is a character very much reminiscent of Weir's Mark Watney in THE MARTIAN, However, Grace has no hesitation showing/sharing that he doesn't fit in with the people he's working with or the job he's tasked to do, and it humanizes him all the more to me.

There is a lot of science and math in this book, but Weir makes it understandable(ish). Fine, I definitely the premise and my brain didn't explode in the process, so it's a win.

This book is funny, fascinating, fast-paced, and the ending was a true surprise.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is a very, very highly recommended saving-the-world science fiction story. I love, love, love this novel and, in turn, Andy Weir for writing Project Hail Mary (and The Martian, and Artemis, which I enjoyed). After I read The Martian, I personally told everyone to buy it and read it, and I will do the same for Project Hail Mary. This will definitely be on my list of best books of 2021. I may even, gulp, love it more than The Martian, which is still way-up-there on my best books ever list.

Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship not knowing where he is, who he is, or what he is supposed to be doing while a computer is asking him what is 2+2. It becomes clear, after some time, that he is the sole survivor, and the task set before him is impossible. His task is to solve a mystery in order to save the Earth from an extinction-level event. Slowly Grace remembers that he was a junior high school science teacher. He also remembers that astrophage, a microscopic alien organism, is somehow eating the energy from the sun, causing it to dim, which will eventually lead to a new ice age on Earth in a few decades. Scientists have determined that all the other stars nearby seem to be suffering with the same affliction with the exception of Tau Ceti. The ship, named Hail Mary, has the task of identifying why Tau Ceti is immune and hopefully saving the Earth. Before he taught junior high, he was a molecular biologist, but why would he, out of so many better candidates, be chosen to be on the task force studying the astrophage and then chosen be on this mission, which is a suicide mission with no way to return to Earth?

The un-put-downable, extraordinary, riveting narrative alternates between chapters following Grace in the present day on the Hail Mary with chapters of Grace remembering what happened before he woke up on the ship. Information about his past and the present is carefully disclosed and new facts are discovered as the plot unfolds. There is humor in the narrative; I experienced several laugh-out-loud moments while reading. Ryland Grace is an imminently likeable character. He is channeling McGyver, although not quite as much as Mark Watney did, as he figures out what to do. It becomes even more interesting when he discovers an alien spaceship near his ship that is on the same mission he is.

Naturally there is plenty of science and scientific speculation in Project Hail Mary. Yes, this is an outstanding science fiction survival tale, but it is also a story about friendship. Expect several plot twists, nail-biting suspense, jaw dropping moments, relentless tension, emotional reactions, and heart-stopping events in this perfectly paced novel. The final denouement is perfect, absolutely, positively perfect. It needs to be said again that I love Project Hail Mary. It is a phenomenal, remarkable science fiction novel that is sure to become a classic.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House in exchange for my honest opinion.
The review will be submitted for publication on Amazon, Google Books, and Barnes & Noble

I am not a sci-fi lover by any means but I loved The Martian SO much that I had to give Andy Weir's newest novel a chance and I am so glad that I did!

This book gets a bit dry due to the extended parts of science stuff. As you can tell from the previous sentence, I am not into the science stuff. I think those that are smarter than me will probably really enjoy all the science nerding out but I basically skimmed over this section since I didn't understand any of it.

Even without understanding most of the science this book is SO enjoyable. I loved, loved, loved Rocky and would happily read more stories about him! The friendship he has with Dr. Grace is the best. I really had no idea how things would wind up and this novel kept me turning the page wondering where it would go next.

Overall I think this is going to be a smash hit when released. SO enjoyable and it was a great escape when recovering from the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Oh my goodness, this book. I absolutely LOVED Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir! If readers enjoyed his novel The Martian, then I have no doubt that they will enjoy this one. This is a story about survival, friendship, space, new discoveries, and perseverance.

From the first page, we’re thrown into the story and discover things alongside our main character, Ryland Grace. Ryland felt similar yet very different to the MC of Martian. Which is good because I don’t want to read about the same character in a different situation unless I’m reading a series.

Unsurprisingly, Weir’s writing was on point and I loved the characters. Ryland, as we slowly find out, is a total science nerd, is a science teacher, and somehow ended up being a part of this mission. Which he only knows parts of the purpose is at first. Weir went the route of writing present moments and past moments, which I really enjoyed because I was learning everything as the same time that Ryland was … it made for quite the reading experience. It was also an interesting way to see the development of Ryland’s character.

Not being even the tiniest bit science-inclined, a lot of the science and other technical language went over my head. I also tended to just read those parts and not bother trying to understand. Doing this and having to read all of that without understanding did not diminish my reading experience at all.

While I have no idea if the main components of the plot is even plausible, it felt realistic or that it could easily be plausible. The story flowed really well, kept me on the edge of my seat without going overboard with the obstacles, which I appreciate. And that one big moment that happens? Somehow I did not see it coming and it was SO GOOD. Made the story all the better.

The ending was not quite what I was expecting, though it made it a lot of sense. Even if it felt a little bittersweet.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When a small life form starts feeding on energy from the sun, humans on Earth must find a way to stop them quickly before they go into a mass extinction event. After finding a planet 12 light years away that's star hadn't dimmed, but had this life form, they send out an expedition to this star system to find out how this star is surviving. Once out there, the scientist discovers alien life.

This book was so heartwarming and fun. The relationship between Rocky and Dr. Grace is so cute and wholesome. The beginning instantly grabbed my attention and I was sucked into this story. Some of the middle bits were a little slow. It was a lot of scientific experiments as Ryland and Rocky were trying to figure out how this star was surviving. There wasn't as much action, and there was a lot of scientific explanation. However, by the ending, I was fully invested again. The end was completely unexpected, but I think was an incredibly fitting ending to this fun, cute story. This book has inspired me to read "The Martian" in the future, considering this is my first Weir book I've read.

I highly recommend this book to sci-fi and non-sci-fi readers everywhere. It's a story about space exploration, but also a story about friendship, discovery, and perseverance.

TW: alcohol, death, drugs, fire, kidnapping, needles, skeletons, poisoning

I loved Ryland Grace and his endless optimistic search for creative solutions to life-threatening---for everyone on Earth--problems. But I fell in love with his companion, Rocky. The relationship grew in its warmth throughout the novel and made me that much more invested in the outcome!

Thank you so much for NetGalley for this opportunity to read this book by Andy Weir.

I don't really love Science Fiction, But this was a fun book.. i'm nowhere near smart enough to understand all of the technical and scientific dialogue in this (i'm also too lazy to fact check and do any research on the concepts discussed), but that did not stop me from enjoying this.

I couldn’t put this book down. I just adore the snarky tone of his writing, Weir has an uncanny ability to make science understandable and interesting. As he did in The Martian, he draws you in immediately to an everyman type who is faced with a huge scientific problem. In this case, it's not only the survival of one human being, but of our entire planet...

This story immediately pulled me in - a man wakes up in a spacecraft...and he remembers nothing. Not his name, not why he is there, and not where he is heading. His memories soon begin coming back, and he eventually remembers he is on a mission to save humanity. No pressure! You’re chugging along with Dr. Grace as he begins problems solving and learning about his new environment, doing experiments, and learning how to navigate in 0g. And then the story took a pretty weird turn. And I was not on board...until I suddenly was! Andy Weir charmed me with his characters and writing style so much that I was able to suspend my belief a little further than I normally would have. I found myself smiling while reading which is so corny but true!

The only somewhat negative thing about it for me, if you could call it negative, were the times when the scientific explanations got a little too in-depth, and my eyes started glazing over a bit. Though I do understand why all of that information was included, I may or may not have skipped over a couple of paragraphs.

I gave this book 5 stars because I truly enjoyed every page of it, and it left me thinking about it long after I finished reading, which is always a good sign in a book. I still haven’t started a new book because my mind keeps going back to it. I even shed a little tear at the end.

As a scientist I LOVED this book!! It has everything I never knew I needed! Science, space, sarcasm, aliens, more science! I LOVED the Martian when I first read it, I enjoyed Artemis, but Project Hail Mary was the Martian level amazing-ness! Dr Ryland Grace was such a wonderful, smart, and funny narrator! I really enjoyed being inside his head and problem solving with him!

There is so much to this book; science (if you couldn't tell), humor, fight for your life, friendship (in many forms), action, and tearful moments. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire ride! I am so thankful for this copy!

Thank you thank you thank you!

I will be singing the praises of this book for years to come!