Another great read from Weir that will be gobbled up by sci-fi fans. Weir has a distinct talent for balancing serious life or death scenarios with just the right amount of humor, and I loved the hero's unexpected ally in outer space!

You guys, I literally gasped when I got offered an advance copy of Andy Weir's new book, Project Hail Mary. I was so excited to read it and I'm happy to report it exceeded my lofty expectations in every way. I absolutely loved it. The story pulls you in right away. It's similar to The Martian in that you have a person in space fighting for their own survival, but in this case they are also fighting for the survival of Earth. The main character is battling amnesia, and we find out more about him & his past through flashbacks. I'm not typically a big fan of flashbacks, because I feel like they slow down the plot. But the construct works here to relay important information to the reader in a way that may have been cumbersome otherwise.
Where The Martian was basically a story about a guy trying to survive and get home, and Artemis was a heist story set on the moon, this new story gets a little more....ambitious and has a much broader scope. That's all I'll say.
It's very science heavy of course, but that's one of the things I love about Weir's books - he makes very complicated science fun and easily digestible.
Here's the pitch: Dr. Ryland Grace wakes up in space with amnesia and slowly learns that he's on a spaceship headed for the Sun. Scientists have discovered the Sun is losing energy at an alarming pace due to something they call Astrophage, which is like space mold or space algae that is dimming the Sun - and we only have a few years before life on Earth will be done. Ryland is sent on a mission to find a solution.
This one hits shelves on May 4th.
A massive thank you to Ballantine Books, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the advance copy.

If you really liked The Martian, but didn’t care for Artemis, you will love Project Hail Mary.
If you really liked Artemis, but didn’t care for The Martian, you will love Project Hail Mary.
If you did care for The Martian or Artemis, you will love Project Hail Mary.
And if you don’t like Project Hail Mary, you are wrong. Simply incorrect. Cannot process. Dead ass wrong.

Seriously though! Project Hail Mary! This book has easily climbed its way onto my favorites shelf. It was everything I could have hoped for and more. This book goes beyond expectations. And expectation can be the root of all evil. But Andy Weir literally punches readers expectation in the face and then round house kicked us in the gut. And it was awesome. I feel like this book was his love letter to all those fans who hated Artemis for how different it was from The Martian. He really just blew The Martian out of the water and the new Weir standard is Project Hail Mary.

Next topic, Andy Weir is a freaking genius. The amount of intelligence that goes into this book is so impressive. The whole time while reading this book, I couldn’t help but think what Andy Weir’s IQ must be. Authors are clearly intelligent people, but books like Project Hail Mary boggle my baby brain. This man know intricate math, science like physics, and writes like he created the English language. What is he bad at? I serious want to know. Like for real! But overall, I am just trying to point out that this book just shines with wit and humor on another level. I really applaud the amount of smarts it takes to write a book like this one. Simply brilliant and creative.

So I am obviously not going into detail on the plot or happenings. And that is because I don’t want to ruin anything. I loved that I knew nothing about it. It really made the whole experience so much better. And this is one where small details could give away too much. And I will not be responsible for ruining someone’s reading experience. That being said though, I cannot wait for more people to experience Project Hail Mary. It is literally all I can think about since finishing it and I just want to talk someone’s ear right off. Like I want it to put up an out-off-office sign, get up, and walk away for a while. And it will be a well deserve break.

One of the very best parts of reading is finishing a book that was so immensely good that you can’t stop thinking about it. Not to make it sound too much like a great first date. But there are few books out there, where your mind wanders to the brilliance and rewinds the events that occurred. Where you are just in awe and struck. But seriously, it is the best type of reader hang over especially because so few books do that after 600+ reads. I’m really taken by Project Hail Mary.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group a million times for this ARC. I said it once and I’ll say it again. In no way do I deserve an advanced copy of this book. But you totally granted my wish. And my little readers heart grew about 2.5 sizes. Honestly, it is the little things!

But read this book as soon as it comes out. And get started on the Project Hail Mary the movie, Hollywood. I need more, more, more.

Andy Weir writes like he is his own and only audience, leading to moments of cringeworthy sexism, racism, and ableism in his work. Which is too bad because if someone just told him to stop/rewrite those particular lines/scenes, he'd be one of my favorite writers. Instead, I can only make it through the books where his characters are literally alone or interacting with non-human things and creatures to enjoy myself.

When this book comes out, I feel like Weir is going to get hit hard for reducing a character who is coded autistic to a walking sex joke who gets horribly killed soon after. But he brought that upon himself.

Otherwise, this book is hard science & Man With No Social Life and One Special Interest* Meets Wall-E-esque alien. Which is heartwarming and funny.

*and yet not the coded autistic character I was referring to

Great space adventure with lots of math and science. Loved the ending. So appropriate. Review posted on GoodReads

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is at first mysterious, later an Indiana Jones-style adventure, and finally both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Project Hail Mary follows Ryland Grace, who wakes up and eventually figures out that he’s on a spaceship, that the rest of the crew is dead, and that his mission is to find a way to save Earth from a lifeform called Astrophage. Along the way he meets a brittle star-like alien who contributes greatly to his mission, and it is here that most of the fun occurs as the two beings work together, melding technologies, cultures, and languages. As Grace regains his memory he remembers that his mission was meant to be a one-way trip, and that, although he was uniquely well-prepared to complete the mission, his inclusion in the spaceship involved a stark, perhaps unforgivable betrayal.

The best parts of this novel center around the interactions between the human and alien who are stranded in the far corner of the universe, both trying to save their own worlds. While I found the book to be mostly enjoyable, there were a couple of situations that I found somewhat unbelievable. One was that Ryland Grace was a PhD scientist who became a 7th grade science teacher because of a failed dissertation. This plays into the “teach because they can’t” stereotype, and as a 7th grade science teacher, I didn’t appreciate it. The other thing I found hard to believe was that the alien society lacked certain scientific knowledge. Overall, if you’re looking for a good, fast ride and you can put a few things aside, this book is a lot of fun.

This is Andy Weir at his best! Project Hail Mary reminds me of his book The Martian in that it has this amazing main character that you fall for immediately and a sets of events that will have you on the edge of your seat. And did I mention, lots of great science. Folks… Weir is back!
Dr. Ryland Grace has been a junior high school teacher ever since he left the academic world over a controversial paper he wrote. In the paper he claimed that life does not need water to exist or evolve. Little did he know that this paper would lead him to be the expert on an alien life form and that would ultimately lead him to being part of a three person manned mission to another star to save humanity.
There is just one catch. He cannot remember any of this. He is awoken by an advanced medical robot protocol and at first he does not even know his name. All he knows is there are two corpses on beds next to him. Slowly his past comes back to him in bits and pieces as he works on finding a solution to Earth’s problem and avoiding the next mass extension event.
I know I am being obtuse here but I don’t want to spoil one minute of this excellent story. It is a mix of Space Opera and hard science. By the way, Weir does a beautiful job of marrying the two. The action is never ending. Just as Grace solves one problem another one arises. He also has a habit of plowing ahead while working on a problem and not thinking through all of the consequences. In other words, he is human.
Thinking of being human, Weir has created a character that is incredibly likeable. Grace is fallible in a believable way and this makes him relatable. A couple of times I wanted to shout to Grace, “What did you expect!” I love when I get so invested in a story that I want to talk to the character(s).
I know you can tell that I loved this one. However, If YOU loved The Martian as much as I did, you have to read this book. Even if you have never read a book by Weir be sure to pick this one up. I promise you it will be well worth it. Double kudos to Weir for writing such a wonderful book. I am looking forward to seeing this one on the big screen.
I received a free ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, for my honest review.

**** NO SPOILERS ****

Notice: I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) for free in exchange for my thoughts and feedback.

Fans of Andy Weir--like myself--will find his voice, humor, style, and detailed scientific approach front-and-center in his latest work "Project Hail Mary". Yes, the math is still there, but this time with just the inputs and outputs and without the actual equations--a great improvement! If you like "The Martian" and "Artemis", there is nothing in particular that you will not like about this book. Although the setting and circumstances are different, it has the same type of feel as those two books.

That said, that same "feel" is also a detriment. Although Andy Weir has not (yet) fallen into the trap of creating multi-part series or extending those long beyond their first intentions that most sci-fi writers of today do, this book could be considered the third in the "space trilogy" (or however many parts there will be). Although Andy tries to make the main character in this novel different than his prior two adult books in very significant ways that will not be discussed due to their spoiler nature, the characters all share that same sarcastic humor and internal monologue style. Frankly, so does every other character. Even the most serious, straight-laced characters are played for sarcastic humor. At the end of the day, everyone is just a facet of the author's personality and no one is really counter or a challenge. Being his fourth book, I would have liked have seen the author push himself more and expand his depths of character development beyond his own perspective.

Overall, the pace was snappy and I got through the book quickly. There were a few drag points, including the ending where there just had to be "one more problem" to solve, but not enough to deter the enjoyment of the novel. I was surprised to find so many typos throughout. If the author were still a fully independent, I would be more forgiving, but with an actual publisher and editors I expected more. Speaking of independent authors, the setup reminded me a lot of "The Long Winter" trilogy by A.G. Riddle. It made the premise feel less "fresh" to me, but if you haven't read that than the ideas presented will feel more unique.

As a personal preference, I felt the (minor spoilers of the first page) amnesia gimmick was unnecessary, seemed a bit hackney, and lacked the creativity to get to the same goals in a different way. Again, I think the author took an easier way out than another more challenging/riskier approach, but it does pay off in the end and is more logical and planned out than it seems. It bothered me the entire time I read the book so that the payoff was less satisfactory for me. As such, I'm going to recommend you put it aside as well and just accept it at face value.

Despite my nit-picking and desire to push the author to new heights of storytelling ability, this book is an easy pick-up and is a satisfying read. I can already picture the 10-part limited television series (do not try to shove this into a 2 hours movie!) and it lends itself well to any medium. With a bit of clean up and maybe some minor tightening here and there (thankfully, there is already very little repetition, so the story keeps apace that way), this book will be ready for launch in just a couple of short months!

This sci fi novel from the author of The Martian starts out with a higher level of science than I'm capable of understanding, but as the book goes on, I became invested in Grace and his **spoiler alert** newly found alien friend, Rocky. As he races against time and the harsh environment of space, there are some truly terrifying moments, mixed in with sweet successes and the gradually revealed backstory of the astrophage. Great for sci fi fans, of course, but also for those who love a story of an unlikely friendship.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for getting me an advanced readers copy!!

Fans of the Martian and science fiction will not want to miss this Title. What do you do when you wake up, realize you don't know who or where you are? As your memory slowly comes back you realize you are on a spaceship and the rest of your crew (2) have died. It is now up to you to solve the mystery of why the Sun is cooling and try to save the Earth. What follows is lots of science and space problem solving because things never go as planned; especially when you are on a spaceship flying through space trying your best to save humanity. Story alternates between current timeline and flashbacks of how main character got to be on the space ship Project Hail Mary in the first place. Quick, fun, enjoyable read!!

Andy Weir outdid himself on this one. This interstellar adventure story is unlikely anything I’ve ever read.

Huge shoutout to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this highly anticipated sci-fi novel, which is set to release on May 4th.

You may recognize Andy Weir as the author of the highly successful book, The Martian, which he self-published and then was later picked up by a mainstream publisher and adapted into the Matt Damon movie with the same name. Full disclosure, I did not read The Martian, but I absolutely loved the movie. Due to my love of The Martian and my burgeoning interest in sci-fi literature, I had high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint.

Project Hail Mary begins with Dr. Ryland Grace waking up on a spaceship with amnesia and two dead crew mates. While he struggles to recall his identity, Dr. Grace is flooded with memories - through a series of flashbacks - that inform him (and the reader) of how and why he ended up in outer space on a mission to save earth. As Dr. Grace attempts to save humanity from extinction by using science to solve a problem of apocalyptic proportions, he finds an unlikely companion… one that might just help him save a planet (or two).

I absolutely loved this book - all the unique twists and turns made it impossible to guess what would happen next and the ending was truly to die-for. However, despite the fantastic storyline, this book will not appeal to all readers, as it does include a HUGE amount of science. If you’ve read any of Weir’s previous books, I’m sure this will come as no surprise, but for first-timers (like myself), the sheer amount of scientific discussion will likely prove challenging. Nevertheless, if you’re a fan of sci-fi adventure stories and you can accept the fact that you won’t understand the majority of the science discussed in the book, you should definitely pick this one up.

Also, some exciting news I discovered while trying to google if Weir is a straight up scientific genius or just incredible at writing fiction (jury is still out)… MGM is already adapting the book into a film with Ryan Gosling set to star.

Andy Weir's latest book, Project Hail Mary, will delight the fans he accumulated over the years with books such as The Martian and Artemis. Weir's writing can pull even the astrologically clueless and outer space fiction averse among us. In Project Hail Mary, the narrator is an affable public school science teacher who finds himself helping the best and brightest in the world race to figure out a way to save humanity from an insidious new threat in space that is pulling the power of the Sun. Ryland Grace is a great protagonist and the fantastical adventure he finds himself (unwittingly) on will keep readers engaged and speeding along to find out the solution to the novel's premise right along with him.

I tried to force myself to read this book slowly. It worked for the first few chapters and then I just got so caught up in the story that there was no slowing down. I am not a science fiction fan having only read a handful of books in that genre. After reading the Martian by Andy Weir I told myself I would continue to read his books. He has a way of writing about science, end of the world, suicide missions with a humor that makes the reader laugh even when there are tears and snot running down their face. There is also explanations for the scientific gibberish that makes it all make sense. I feel smarter after having read this book, even though I know I could never really explain any of it to someone else. This book is an adventure from start to finish, past to present as the story unfolds with the flashbacks. This is a book I will read, recommend and cherish for years to come.

Andy Weir is a master at combining the science with the fiction. Told through a series of flashbacks, each revealing more about the current storyline, Dr. Ryland Grace is on a mission to save the world. Each memory brings Grace closer to the truth and reveals more about himself, perhaps more than he cared to remember. Interacting with alien planets and alien life forms are just part of the adventures that Grace encounters. All help him on his way to trying to solve the impossible puzzle that he has been tasked with solving.

Move over Mark Watney, there's a new space Macgyver in town, and his name is Ryland Grace. Ryland Grace is... well, it's not clear who he is. Or where he is. Or what he's doing there. But wherever he is and whatever he's meant to do, he's alone, he can't remember anything, and he's not definitely not at home.

This against-all-odds story starts out as an amnesic puzzle, as we watch Grace slowly stitch together his memory, and slowly realize that he might just be humanity's last hope against an extinction-level event on Earth. This deep space mystery unfolds with Weir's characteristic humor and sarcasm, as we go on a journey with Grace across the galaxy in an epic bid to save the human race. Of course, what could go wrong? Let's just say - Grace's journey get a little rocky. But sometimes, that's exactly what you need to get the job done.

Andy Weir hits the biggest home run yet of his career with Project Hail Mary, a thrillingly crafted story that zips by faster than the speed of light, as it races through twists and turns towards a magnificent crescendo. This book will have you laughing, crying, and rooting for Grace every step of the way. Weir takes the humorous scientific chutzpah that he came onto the scene with in The Martian, and splashes it deeper and further across the cosmos in this story of human ingenuity, resilience, sacrifice, and heart.

Wow, wow, wow, wow! Love the hero, the pacing, the math, the aliens, the conflicts about what matters. Who's think one small setting could make for such a great setting?

If you enjoyed THE MARTIAN, then you are going to devour PROJECT HAIL MARY. Dr. Ryland Grace wakes up from a coma alone and in space with little to no memory. As his memories slowly return, he realizes that he’s on a mission to save humanity. No pressure. Armed with his brilliance, creativity, flashbacks, and an on-board laboratory, Ryland goes about completing his mission, and then he discovers that maybe he’s not as alone as he thought. PROJECT HAIL MARY will have you laughing, crying, and hanging on for dear life as you desperately root for Ryland to save the world and maybe the universe. I did not expect to find myself emotionally attached to PROJECT HAIL MARY, and yet here we are.

The Good: Science! Memory loss! In spaaaaace!
The Bad: Nothing
The Literary: Alternating timelines

A man wakes up in an unfamiliar place after a very, very long sleep, with two corpses for company. He can't remember his own name, let alone what he's doing on a spaceship. But as his memories slowly return, he realizes he's humanity's last chance for survival.

This is one of those books where I really don't want to give any spoilers, so I'm not going to discuss specifics of the plot. The surprises and twists are extremely enjoyable, and just when you think things are going too easy for Ryland (ok, one spoiler, his name), things get very complicated in the second half. Until then, the alternating chapters between the present and the events leading up to Ryland's interstellar journey set the up the ultimate stakes, giving the present some weight as Ryland tinkers with spaceship controls to figure out how they work.

If you enjoyed The Martian, you'll certainly enjoy Project Hail Mary. First, it's very science-heavy, which I personally love. Even the more fiction-y side of the science-fiction is very science-y. Instead of The Martian's crass Mark Watney, you get wholesome and enthusiastic Ryland Grace, though both are quite funny as they deduce their next scientific puzzle. In addition to the one-man survival plot, Ryland has the weight of saving the Earth on his shoulders, all while trying to figure out who he is, and why he's there.

Laughs, thrills, and optimism! Realistic science fiction that gives you hope for humanity—what more can you ask for?

If you liked The Martian, this is the feel good of the apocalypse you will love. I was a bit disappointed by Artemis, but this was imaginative and a good read. It does feel like it leaned on The Martian's formula of a plucky science driven male astronaut a bit, but the rest of it was both entertaining and a very interesting what-if.

So, I would highly recommend this to people that loved The Martian or ones that love the science adventure fiction (not quite hard sci-fi, but like hard sci-fi light). It still has the base in reality, but it an easy read.

Many thanks to Ballantine/Random House for an advance readers copy.

I enjoyed every minute of “Project Hail Mary”. I am not a huge science fiction fan, but after reading “The Martian” I always make an exception for anything Andy Weir writes. “Project Hail Mary” follows Dr. Ryland Grace, the lone survivor of a space mission attempting to save Earth. Yet, as he navigates his present in space having woken up millions of miles from Earth with little memory to go on, his flashbacks of life on Earth help him make sense of this interstellar journey. Weir is so masterful at balancing scientific information dumps for the average non-scientist with humor and thrilling story arcs. “Project Hail Mary” is original and so well-written with an intergalactic heart that is impressive and undeniably captivating. I am quite certain this is Weir at his best. If you read and enjoyed “The Martian,” you are bound to be entertained with “Project Hail Mary.”

“Project Hail Mary” hits U.S. shelves on May 4, 2021.