Book Review - Project Hail Mary

[River Fenwick]

Title of the book: Project Hail Mary
Author: Andy Weir
Series: No
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Recommendation: 14+
Short summary of the story: The story follows the journey of Ryland Grace, a man who awakens from a coma in a place he doesn't recognize. He struggles to remember his past, even his own name. He soon realizes he's in space on a mission that could decide Earth's fate. The book alternates between his past and present, gradually unveiling how he ended up in this role and what he's meant to accomplish.


My review:
I loved this book! I'm not someone who often gets swept away by a Sci-Fi book, but I found it challenging to put it down. This book contains a lot of scientific terminology, so it may not be easy to follow. I don't want to give away too much since we piece things together at the same time Ryland does, and I believe the story would be more enjoyable the less you know upfront. The story can feel somewhat slow-paced, especially in the beginning, when he just started remembering things like being a school science teacher and having no choice but to work on this project at the hands of the UN. The concept behind the story is captivating, with a newfound life force on the Petrova Line that is causing the sun's output to decrease at an alarming rate, which is bad news for Earth. Part of the Petrova Taskforce by force, Ryland has studied the new lifeforce, which he named Astrophage, from what they had collected of it, and went into space in an attempt to learn more about it so they can stop the sun from dimming at the current rate due to this specimen. His journey is challenging, mentally and physically, and he runs into unexpected challenges and bonds with a strange ally during his space adventure.