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ghh2023's review
adventurous
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Artemis is a book that is not for the common space enthusiast. It is for the die hard space enthusiast who really wants to see some science behind the futuristic lunar colony that is always talked about. I liked how the author made this book for scientists and nerds. He did not shy away from using actual science to explain different scenarios and any reader can tell that he really thought all of this out. I can tell that this is a passion for him and I was so happy to go on this ride with another space enthusiast. I also really enjoyed seeing a woman as the center of a sci-fi outer space novel. There are still too many people who think that space is for boys but books like this one will get girls passionate about going to space as well. I wonder how Jazz got as smart as she did. Are their good schools on Artemis and how do people go about getting a college degree? I mostly wonder because there are people there from all over the world so there would obviously be a language barrier among them. There was really nothing said about what language any one spoke but they probably all chose one language and made it more of the standard there. I think that I liked being in the world of the Moon colony more than most of the plot. I enjoyed all of the science behind every thing and I think this book could kickstart some people's ideas for actually building a Moon colony in real life. I would be interested to know how all of the people actually ended up on the Moon in the first place. Was there some kind of lottery system or they have to pay a certain sum to be there? I like these books about futuristic times and places because they practically beg you to ask questions and wonder about all that can be possible. I have to end this review with some appreciation for the maps at the front of the novel. I really like it when authors add maps because it helps people visualize what they are talking about. And, in this case, it makes the future that the author created seem even more plausible. There are actually maps of the Moon right now and so this can actually exist in the future. I know this review is extra long but I always get excited when a scientist writes a book about science. It becomes clear very quickly that they actually know what they are talking about and you get to see their excitement that come from crafting the story.
mizzonyo's review
5.0
jazz is my new personal hero. she’s smart as hell, hilarious, and mouthy as all get out. i LOVED how much sound-science there was in this book. great read.
dashspandan's review against another edition
Absolutely terrible way to do exposition and the quips don't make for good dialogue.
njdarkish's review
2.0
This book was a bit of a disappointment, especially since Weir's first book was such a fun read. Hey, sophomore slumps happen, so hopefully we'll get more food from him in the future.
The strengths of this book are the worldbuilding and how grounded everything feels in terms of science, economics, and the like. Artemis feels like a very real place in many ways.
The weaknesses are the characters. Jazz was largely disinteresting, feeling more like an amalgam of attributes the author is turned on by than an actual person. The rest of the cast is pretty flat, generally having one or two defining characteristics and that's about it. The plot also got way too murky in terms of politics and economics and inconsistent concepts of personal morality, making what should have been a fun sci-fi heist into something that regularly made my eyes glaze over a chapter at a time.
The strengths of this book are the worldbuilding and how grounded everything feels in terms of science, economics, and the like. Artemis feels like a very real place in many ways.
The weaknesses are the characters. Jazz was largely disinteresting, feeling more like an amalgam of attributes the author is turned on by than an actual person. The rest of the cast is pretty flat, generally having one or two defining characteristics and that's about it. The plot also got way too murky in terms of politics and economics and inconsistent concepts of personal morality, making what should have been a fun sci-fi heist into something that regularly made my eyes glaze over a chapter at a time.
sienalovesreading's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
kimmehcat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
unmake's review
3.0
Four stars for the audible version, which I must have enjoyed at the time.
Minus one star because I remember nothing of it.
Minus one star because I remember nothing of it.
heathercottledillon's review
4.0
I don't think this is quite as good as "The Martian," but I still loved it! It's got the same fantastic blend of snarky humor, action, and science fiction. As with "The Martian," I was impressed by how much scientific detail is included without it slowing down the story too much. Some sci-fi readers might enjoy less actual science and others more, but Weir's writing is the perfect blend for me. I like that he kept the story in space but explored a (wo)man vs. man conflict rather than man vs. nature. There are several entertaining twists that I didn't expect. The conclusion is a bit over-the-top, in terms of drama, but I didn't mind at all because it fits the tone of the book and is just a lot of fun.
I sometimes get annoyed when a white guy writes from the perspective of a non-white person, especially a woman. I don't think it's necessarily wrong for people to explore the perspectives of other races, ethnicities, genders, etc., but it's hard to do well without appropriating the other people's experiences or using stereotypes. However, it didn't bother me in this case, at least in principle, because the setting is so different and therefore Jazz's experiences aren't expected to be similar to the experiences Middle Eastern women have on Earth. On the other hand, I don't think Weir gets the female voice quite right, which is my main complaint about the book. Some of Jazz's comments felt off, particularly her multiple observations about her own appearance and jokes about her sexuality. I like that she doesn't apologize for doing what she wants to do, but some of her internal dialogue about it isn't realistic. Still, she is strong, complex, and interesting. Male sci-fi authors don't often put females in the lead, and I like that Weir gave it a shot and at least made her a fun badass.
Though I enjoyed "The Martian" even more, I thought "Artemis" was a blast and was thrilled to discover that Andy Weir is more than a one-hit wonder.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book!
I sometimes get annoyed when a white guy writes from the perspective of a non-white person, especially a woman. I don't think it's necessarily wrong for people to explore the perspectives of other races, ethnicities, genders, etc., but it's hard to do well without appropriating the other people's experiences or using stereotypes. However, it didn't bother me in this case, at least in principle, because the setting is so different and therefore Jazz's experiences aren't expected to be similar to the experiences Middle Eastern women have on Earth. On the other hand, I don't think Weir gets the female voice quite right, which is my main complaint about the book. Some of Jazz's comments felt off, particularly her multiple observations about her own appearance and jokes about her sexuality. I like that she doesn't apologize for doing what she wants to do, but some of her internal dialogue about it isn't realistic. Still, she is strong, complex, and interesting. Male sci-fi authors don't often put females in the lead, and I like that Weir gave it a shot and at least made her a fun badass.
Though I enjoyed "The Martian" even more, I thought "Artemis" was a blast and was thrilled to discover that Andy Weir is more than a one-hit wonder.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book!
louisayd's review
3.0
3.5
Jazz was nowhere near as funny as Mark Watney but it was a fun, quick read nonetheless.
Jazz was nowhere near as funny as Mark Watney but it was a fun, quick read nonetheless.