Recently I came across an interview where one of my favourite YouTuber Ali Abdaal is interviewing one of my favourite writers, Brandon Sanderson. Watching it was a no brainer.
They talk about a lot of stuff in that interview. But there was one specific thing that stayed with me. Ali asked Brandon about what he has been reading lately and Brandon Sanderson talks about the upcoming book by Andy Weir. Till that point, I had no idea that a new Andy Weir book was coming. I don’t know under what rock I had been living.
Anyway, it didn’t take me long to find out when the book was coming out and then when it was out; it didn’t take me long to get it and read it. I am a very dedicated person when it comes to books.
Before I start talking about Project Hail Mary, I have a confession to make. I loved The Martian and absolutely hated Artemis. So, as I started reading this book, my expectations were not particularly high.
I have seen many writers with a pretty awesome first book and then they get famous and their subsequent works are not as good. But boy was I glad to be proven so wrong.
I didn’t just love Project Hail Mary, but I loved it more than The Martian which is a big statement in itself.
Now that you know that I love the book, the rest of the post is just me fangirling over a fictional character. I’ll do my best to keep it spoiler-free, but I make no promises.
The book starts with the protagonist all alone in a spaceship with no memory of how he got there or what is he supposed to do there. The opening itself is so cool. It was like the reader and the protagonist both are learning new information at the same time. I have never seen this executed as flawlessly as in this book.
As the story unfolds and the big problem is revealed, a big plot twist comes before we reach even the mid-point. Describing this twist will be a major spoiler and I don’t want to commit that sin. But I just want to say that this twist is what took it one level above The Martian in an instant.
Andy Weir is a science nerd, and that is very clearly evident from all his writing. This book is no exception. A lot of actual science mixed with made-up science takes up a lot of pages. I know hardcore Weir fans would disagree with me, but I thought that those details could have been reduced a bit. They didn’t add much to the story, although many would enjoy reading that.
Coming to the best part of the book. It is the ending. I was not expecting the book to have this ending but when you read the last few pages, you will fall in love with the book all over again. The ending is so satisfying.
Overall, if you liked The Martian, then Project Hail Mary is a must-read for you. If you didn’t like The Martian then why are you reading this blog post? Go read something else. If this is the first time you are hearing about Andy Weir, then you are about to have such an epic adventure should you choose to embark on this awesome journey.
Lastly, the movie rights of this book are already sold and Ryan Gosling is going to star in it. Do I need to say how eagerly I am waiting to watch this movie? Although I really hope they don’t ruin the book.
Ahhhh, I’m thrilled you’ve read and loved this book, too!!! 🤗 I didn’t hate Artemis, but it also didn’t blow me away like The Martian did, so I was kind of apprehensive about this one… But I’m with you! Rocky alone was probably enough to make me love it even more than The Martian!