Imagine waking up, not knowing where or who you are. Your vision is fuzzy, your arms move strangely. You feel sluggish, like you’re trying to move through water. As you try to move, you also try to gather your thoughts. You realize that you know facts, but you have no memory of who you are or how you got here. After another day of rest and some food with a sludge-like consistency, you start to feel a little better. You can move a little more easily. But you still have no memories.
This is the predicament of Ryland Grace. He wakes up with no memory of who he is or how he got wherever he is. And then he finally remembers his name, which allows him access to another area, and he finds a lab. He finds a room with lots of computer screens, all showing different readings from instruments he can’t see. And then he realizes he’s on a space ship. He’s in space! And when he looks closer at one of the screens, he sees that the ship is called Hail Mary.
Clearly, that can’t be good.
As Grace figures out where he is and remembers why he’s there, he is faced with challenge after challenge, starting with the fact that he was the only crew member to make it to where they are. Alone and confused, it’s up to him to—Holy moley!—save Earth. (Wait—he’s someone who says, “Holy moley”? Who does that?)
Slowly, the answers to Grace’s past are revealed as his future becomes murky. He was sent into space to save Earth, but what happens if he fails? Does that mean the end of humanity?
Andy Weir is back with a novel of epic proportions. Filled with wit and warmth, snark and science, Project Hail Mary is a novel of humanity—of who we are at our best and our worst, our fears, our sacrifices, our breakthroughs and our breakdowns. Although there’s enough science to make you feel like you should earn a graduate’s degree by the end, it’s all explained to be understood (or to be skipped over, if you prefer), Project Hail Mary is as readable as any other novel about relationships and survival.
If you think my comments on this book are a little sparse, I apologize, but Project Hail Mary is filled with so many delicious surprises that I don’t want to give much away. So many things happen, so much is revealed (like why Grace doesn’t curse . . . much), and I had such an amazing experience with each reveal that I want all the other readers to get to enjoy them too. But know this: I absolutely adore this book. I was so impressed to read The Martian years ago. I thought it was a wonderful story told well, but I have to admit that I like this one even more. Project Hail Mary may turn out to be the best book I read this year, and I read a lot. Project Hail Mary is phenonemal. Read it. Get the audiobook. Share it with your friends and book clubs. Just experience this book, this journey, however you want to. Jazz hands!
Egalleys for Hail Mary Project were provided by Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, through NetGalley, with many thanks.
