Project Hail Mary By Andy Weir

Title: Project Hail Mary

Author: Andy Weir (American, 1972- )
Originally published: 2021

Page count: 473

Dates read: 11/12/23-11/21/23

2023 book goal progress: 22 out of 23

Work Bookclub 

Read other book reviews for my 2023 goals HERE.




Description on back of book:

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. He’s just awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

With his crewmates dead, and his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. With the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone. Or does he?

First sentence:
"What's two plus two?"

Favorite quotes:
"I scour the screens for more info. Mostly they seem to be the kinds of things you'd expect on a spaceship. Life support, navigation, that sort of thing. One screen is labeled 'Beetles.' The next screen over says... Wait, beetles? Okay, I don't know if it has anything to do with anything, but I need to find out if there are a bunch of beetles on this ship. That's the sort of thing a guy needs to know."

"It's a simple idea, but also stupid. The thing is, when stupid ideas work, they become genius ideas. We'll see which way this one falls."

"I cross my arms and slump into my pilot's seat. There's no gravity to properly slump with, so I have to make a conscious effort to push myself into the seat. I'm pouting, darn it, and I intend to do it right."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 7.7/10 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters      - 8
Atmosphere   - 8
Writing Style - 8
Plot                - 8
Intrigue          - 8
Logic             - 6
Enjoyment     - 8
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Review:

I enjoyed this book. I can't say much here because I don't want to give anything away. I laughed, I cried, I got angry... I became invested in the book and the characters. It does get pretty sciency and some stuff went over my head, but it's still good overall. If you're into science fiction, I recommend this story. I actually would suggest this book over The Martian, by the same author, due to Hail Mary being less monotonous.

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Andy Weir have the last words. The below quote is early on in the book when he is still getting memory flashbacks and trying to remember who he is. I found it a nice taste of dark humor.

"I'm watching NASA on TV and my first thought is... I'm elated! I can't wait to tell the kids!

I have kids? I'm in a single man's apartment eating a single man's meal. I don't see anything feminine at all. There's nothing to suggest a woman in my life. Am I divorced? Gay? Either way, there's no sign that children live here. No toys, no pictures of kids on the wall or mantel, nothing. And the place is way too clean. Kids make a mess of everything. 

How do I know that? I like kids. Huh. Just a feeling. But I like them. They're cool. They're fun to hang out with. So I'm a single man in my thirties, who lives alone in a small apartment, I don't have any kids, but I like kids a lot. I don't like where this is going...

A teacher! I'm a schoolteacher! I remember it now! Oh, thank God. I'm a teacher."

Later on in the book:

"If I had a nickel for every time I wanted to smack a kid's parents for not teaching them even the most basic things... well... I'd have enough nickels to put in a sock and smack those parents with it."