Title: Project Hail Mary
Author: Andy Weir
Genre: Sci-fi; Outer space
Year Published: May 4, 2021

Date finished: April 6, 2022

 I’ve heard a lot of hype about this book and because it’s sci-fi and looks to be outer space I thought I’d read it. This book is unique in that there are two stories going on. One is a back story that’s sprinkled within the main story. At first, I wasn’t sure I’d like this idea but once the story picked up, it all made sense.

The story is about a scientist and schoolteacher named Ryland Grace. All he wants to do is live a simple life doing what he loves, teach. However, he is recruited to join a small team on a mission using his science skills. Upon waking up from their long sleep as they journeyed to outer space, Grace learns that his team members didn’t survive the trip, so now he is left to finish the mission. He ends up meeting an alien and the two of them work together to get each other back to their planets. It wasn’t that simple though. Another problem arose which led Grace to make a difficult decision.

I enjoyed this story. Unlike other more serious sci-fi stories, this one was a fun and lighthearted read. There were poignant moments, but overall, it was humorous and refreshing. As I mentioned earlier, I was a little confused as to why the back story was inserted within the main story, but it all made sense. It was meant to create a sense of chaos and thus provided the reason why Grace chose the path he did. Without that, his reasoning might not make a lot of sense.

Who should read this book: If you love fast-paced sci-fi with humor, a bit of sadness, and lots of technical terms—mathematical terms, this is an excellent one. Even if you’re not into the technical stuff, you can breeze/skip through that stuff and still not miss the plot of the story.