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Andy Weir: Project Hail Mary

 I've wanted to read this book since it came out. Yes, I know that was a long time ago.

Dr. Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship. He has no idea who he is, how he got there, or why he's there. All he knows is that he's alone. Two other members of his crew didn't survive the trip. Slowly, we learn that Grace is a scientist, sent on a suicide mission to save Earth from Astrophage, a lifeform whose invasion has made the sun dimmer. In a desperate bid to save humanity, a ship was launched to the Telceti system, the only star apparently unaffected. The hiccup? The Hail Mary isn't alone.

I LOVED this book. I can't stop thinking about how much I loved this book. I know I didn't love Artemis (I liked it, but felt it had issues), but this book was totally different.

I loved the non-linear / flashback method of the storytelling. We gradually find out small nuggets about Dr. Grace, his background as a teacher, his mission, what's happened back on Earth before he left. Despite these slow revelations, I found myself asking one question: How did he end up on the Hail Mary? He makes it quite clear that he doesn't believe he's qualified to be there, and didn't want to be there in his flashbacks. So what changed? This question does get answered, and it was shocking. It revealed a major flaw in his character that I wasn't anticipating. The storytelling is just so well done in this book, and I loved it. The plot of this book kept me so intrigued, clear up until the end. Even the last 30 minutes of the novel were crazy.

Dr. Grace's character was well-developed. We see him in two timelines, and because is the POV character, we learn a lot about him. I found him quirky, sarcastic, and funny. I loved his personality and how that came through in the novel. I loved his major flaw: cowardice, and how it was revealed. And I loved that he had a complete arc and was able to overcome that character flaw. When push comes to shove, Ryland does the right thing, and ultimately saves not only his world, but another as well.

I love the way Weir seamlessly teaches the reader about the science behind what's happening. This is one reason I like Andy Weir: his science is supposed to feel realistic. And this book does. By positioning Ryland Grace as a junior high science teacher, the narrator has an easy-going, unassuming attitude about what the reader may or may not know about physics, biology, and chemistry. His narrator is easily able to explain these topics without sounding stuck-up or preachy. He just loves science and loves teaching. That nature makes the integration of real science in this book really interesting and instructive. It's not burdensome because I don't know a lot of physics. I didn't need to, because Dr. Grace explained it in a way that I could understand. I wasn't being talked down to, I didn't feel stupid, but I was able to understand what was happening, and Grace explains why it's significant.

While I was reading this, I saw a trailer for the movie that they're making. I am fascinated to see how they adapt this story to the big film. I hope that Ryan Gosling can be nerdy enough to play Dr. Grace (Do I know who I would have chosen instead? No... Maybe Chris Evans? I don't know). I also wonder if they're going to keep the non-linear format of the storytelling, or try to make it linear. They could almost make that into two separate movies, honestly. The start of Project Hail Mary was a really fascinating storyline, and it was every bit as engaging as what was happening on the ship. Like I said, I'm really interested to see how they choose to adapt this to film.

As far as content goes, there's not much swearing, but some. Few "f-bombs." There is some discussion of characters having sex in one of the flashbacks (this scene was awkward, but they also made the main character feel awkward, so it's supposed to be), and a mention of the biological process of reproduction when Grace and Rocky are learning about each other, but it's nothing really obscene.

I gave this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



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