Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Project Hail Mary is Andy Weir’s newest novel. It was released on May 4, 2021 and weighs in at 482 pages. My first taste of Weir’s writing was The Martian, which I absolutely adored. I was excited yet nervous to get my hands on this new book. Would Project Hail Mary live up to the hype and the reading nirvana I felt when reading The Martian? The answer is unequivocally - yes!
From the first chapter, I was hooked. Weir has a way of building subtle intrigue as well as making you feel at ease and comfortable by inserting hints of comedy in his main character’s asides throughout the story. You immediately feel a personal connection. The story itself is braided with past experiences, which works really well. It’s a nice juxtaposition to be both in the past on Earth and in the present dangers of space to form the main character’s persona. Weir drops these historical tidbits into the story at just the right times to break up the monotony of space as well as to keep the plot moving forward. Weir’s voice is distinct in his books, and I am a fan.
It’s easy to get attached to the characters in this book. The main character, Dr. Ryland Grace, goes through a notable transformation. What I really enjoyed was how he learned things about himself and how his story comes “full circle” at the end. Weir did a fantastic job of making me care about another main character Rocky. I thoroughly enjoyed the development of Rocky and the emotional depth he was given in his scenes.
With a background in anthropology and biology, parts of this book brought me utter joy. The cultural concepts, the linguistics, as well as the imaginative creation of life by Weir all put a smile on my face. Not to mention, my inner nerd was losing its mind! This book, much like The Martian, is rife with chaos, plan B situations, and scenes where you don’t know which way the book’s plot will turn. It is full of suspense and edge-of-your-seat moments. Much like Mark Watney in The Martian, the main character in Project Hail Mary also has to “science the shit out of” a variety of problems. Thank goodness for all of that “back of the napkin math!” I was all in.
Speaking of science and math, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to enjoy this book. I will say, though, if you don’t like to hear about math, chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, evolution, or relativity, you might get bored. Personally, experiencing all of the failures alongside the characters and being right there as Dr. Grace solves them in detail only heightened the experience for me. I’m a huge fan of puzzles and problem solving, so this book was right up my alley. I’m sure it helps that I love science, and listening in on the main character’s thoughts as he worked through things was a great deal of fun for me. I’ve seen others criticize certain things about the science and the space program information in this book, but I didn’t have any issues. Nothing hampered my enjoyment of the story.
A few years ago when I finishing reading The Martian, I was sitting in a local coffee shop hunkering down to dry my eyes with a napkin. Luckily, this time I was in the privacy of my own home as I experienced numerous scenes where my eyes welled up with tears. Weir has a way of grabbing you by your emotions and making you care about his characters - no matter who or what they might be. There were times I was emotional because of concern or empathy, and there were times when I was overwhelmed by the concept of the human spirit coming through on the page. I love a book that makes me truly feel, a book that can take me to that visceral place. Weir once again did not disappoint me.
A two-book series by Alexandra Monir kept popping into my head as I read this for a variety of reasons I won’t mention, since this is a spoiler free review. If you are a fan of Andy Weir and also enjoy YA science fiction, pick up The Final Six and The Life Below. You can also read my review of The Life Below here. Both books are easy, fun reads full of enjoyment and excitement.
On a side note, I enjoyed the references to The Beatles throughout the story. The book itself is actually dedicated to “John, Paul, George, and Ringo.” I found myself thinking about Rocket Man, one of my favorite Elton John songs, as I was reading through all of the science.
I highly recommend Project Hail Mary if you enjoy science fiction and puzzles. This was a book that I hated to put down, and I often found myself cursing the fact that I had to eat or sleep. That’s the sign of a great read to me!
