If you have read The Martian (or seen the movie!), then it shouldn't surprise you that Andy Weir has yet again published a fantastic sci-fi book - soon to be movie, so get your bragging rights in now by picking it up early!

I’m a sucker for a ‘race to save humanity’ story, and this book is a great example of it. The sense of stress, tension and mystery pervade so much of it. Also, there’s Rocky - we love Rocky.

Highly recommend picking this one up. I’d already read it and just picked a copy up from Book Hero for my collection, but it came very quick and in perfect condition.

Fans of The Martian will devour this book! The Martian is one of my favorite books of the last few years and it's movie adaptation was brilliant, so I was absolutely thrilled to get a copy of Project Hail Mary. On the whole, I absolutely loved it. I flew through it despite some sections that were very heavy on the science which is not my forte, Fans of The Martian will appreciate the similarities and enjoy the differences. The idea is similar but the specifics are unique. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was the sarcastic but loveable attitude of the main character. He had his flaws but you never hesitate to root for him. I thoroughly enjoyed his sense of human and wit. I also truly enjoyed the way this one was put together with flash backs explaining how the project came together and how he personally ended up where he is. I was shocked by the reveal of specifically how he came to be one of the people on Project Hail Mary. I also loved the Stratt character. Her overwhelming dedication to the project is both admirable and frightening. The whole alternation between past and present is brilliantly spun together. There were one or two things I struggled with. First, I found Rocky's physical description very distracting. While I understand the desire for him to look drastically different from humans, the way he was described, which is sort of similar to a bear or a dog but one that has no eyes or ears and who poops from his hidden mouth and also eats through it was a little out there for me. In the beginning Grace estimates him at 800lbs, then when he has to move him he says he's about 400 pounds, either way it made it every difficult for me to take seriously as I was picturing a blind deaf Alf and it was just an odd contrast between the serious science and doomsday plot and a completely off the wall alien being. The other thing I struggled with was the ending. I found the decision that Grace made at the end hard to believe given the way he ended up on the mission. And while I do think the very end was fitting, the section just before that become a little out there for me. Both of these things just made it hard for me to picture how this movie could possibly merge the insanity and high-sci-fi with the down to earth (no pun intended!) nature of a doomsday book. All of that being said, over all I really truly enjoyed reading it and I think fans of The Martian will absolutely crush this one in a day and love it.

"Am I barreling toward the sun, or away from it? It's almost academic. I'm either on a collision course with the sun or on my way out to deep space with no hope of returning. Or, I might be headed in the sun's general direction, but not on a collision course. If that's the case, I'll miss the sun ... and then fly off into deep space with no hope of returning."

Project Hail Mary is the third novel by American author and self-confessed space nerd, Andy Weir. When he first emerges from the coma, he has no idea where he is, or how or why. It seems to be a spaceship, he's the sole survivor of a crew of three, and the onboard computer is insisting he proffers his name before allowing access to certain areas, but he can't remember that either.

"This is like being in a video game. Explore the area until you find a locked door, then look for the key. But instead of searching bookshelves and garbage cans, I have to search my mind. Because the "key" is my own name."

His memory is spotty, coming in fits and starts; gradually, the fact that he's a junior high science teacher reveals itself; he's Dr. Ryland Grace, formerly a microbiologist who spent his career working up theoretical models for alien life. And he's a long, long way from San Francisco.

The "what" Grayson remembers fairly quickly: a dire problem facing his home planet, and the importance of his mission is clear, a mission to save mankind. The "how" poses a challenge that his scientific mind relishes. When Grayson recalls the "why" that has placed him on the Hail Mary instead of a highly-trained astronaut, he's dismayed and angry. What is quickly obvious is that he is facing a suicide mission. All alone.

Except it turns out he's not.

More is difficult to reveal without spoilers, but Weir has neatly constructed a narrative in which flashbacks/memories slowly reveal the exact how and why, but also just what the ship is equipped with and can do. Weir gives the reader sci-fi that doesn't get too bogged down with dense sci-facts but is interesting and thought-provoking.

Weir's protagonist is a delight, smart and resourceful; his ever-inquiring mind and excellent deductive powers see him maintain his optimism that he will complete his vital mission. Ultimately, Grayson surprises himself. He's also got a great sense of humour, so his inner monologue, asides to the computer and other conversations entertain:

"The computer finishes its boot process and brings up a screen I've never seen before. I can tell it means trouble, because the word "TROUBLE" is in large type across the top."

This is a tale with an action plot, twists and surprises, featuring a planet Earth where greenhouse gases are welcome and the Sahara is covered in foil. There are philosophical discussions on behaviour and intelligence, lots of space walks, vodka, beetles and five-legged spiders, laugh-out-loud moments and the odd lump in the throat. Brilliantly funny, clever and original sci-fi.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone

I know it's January and it's only the 2nd book I've read this year, but I can already tell you this is easily the best book I'll read all year. Things I loved about this book: everything. We start off with this unassuming character who manages to science his way into figuring out who he is and his purpose. As the plot progresses, he opens to reveal this ... human. I don't know how Weir did it, but Grace is the most human character I have ever read. There are too many books that describe a character and what they're like and what they're supposed to be. But Weir doesn't have to describe Grace. It's like he leaps off the pages and just IS. Grace is so entirely human with his magnificent brain, empathy, curiosity, fear, courage, humor, mistakes, and failures-- I have a hard time believing he's actually a fictional character. It's like Weir just took this whole person, magically transformed him into words, and typed him into these pages. I thoroughly enjoyed the science. I am such a huge nerd for anything space related and Project Hail Mary just ticked all the boxes. The only thing is, there's not anymore of it. I want more books. Give me more books lol. Often times I am left empty after reading such amazing stories, it's like I don't know what to do with my life after I read the last page. But this book made me hungry. I want more, and it's a shame that this book was just released last year because that means I have longer to wait for another Weir book.