Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memories of how he got there or even what his name is.  As he pieces everything back together, he realizes he is on a desperate mission from earth to solve the mystery of how to kill a lifeform that is taking energy from the sun at a rate that will soon destroy all life on earth.

The story is told in first person. The narrative is in the present and then flashes back to the past as Ryland remembers his past.  I really enjoyed this narrative style, and the story was action packed.  The style of the book reminded me of The Martian.  A plucky narrator who is forced to use his own ingenuity to try to save himself and humanity.  I love the humor and the science.  I really don’t want to ruin the plot of this one, but I greatly enjoyed it.  I really want to see this as a movie.

 Favorite Quotes:

“These kids were going to grow up in an idyllic world and be thrown into an apocalyptic nightmare.”

 “It’s a weird feeling, scientific breakthroughs.  There’s no Eureka moment.  Just a slow, steady progression toward a goal.  But man, when you get to the goal it feels good.”

 Overall, Project Hail Mary is the perfect combination of an action-packed story, science, and humor.

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com