Center for Teaching & Learning

Dr. Ryland Grace wakes up in a room he doesn’t recognize, and IV tubes are all over his body. At the moment, he can’t even remember his name or how he got into this situation. All he knows is that he has been asleep for a very long time and he is currently millions of miles away from Earth with two corpses lying beside him.

Dr. Grace was an 8th grade science teacher before he was called to be the science expert for the Hail Mary crew. Their mission? They are trying to save the whole planet from an extraterrestrial species that is rapidly consuming the Sun’s light. As the time ticks by, Dr. Grace slowly regains memories from his life on Earth, including how he ended up millions of miles away from the place he calls home. Meanwhile, the whole world is relying on him to save them all.

In Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir effortlessly incorporates humor throughout almost 500 pages, even in the most stressful and dark situations. This gives the book a perfect mix of suspenseful and comedic moments. I never felt bored while reading Project Hail Mary because Weir is always adding little twists and turns to keep readers on their feet.

The story is told in first person with almost every chapter alternating between Grace’s current life in space and past life on earth. This ensures the reader never feels lost or confused about what is happening. Each chapter, told from alternating timelines, ends on a cliffhanger, so readers will want to keep reading to find out what happens next.

Project Hail Mary explores the question, “Are there other species outside of Earth?” The story gives readers insight into what can go wrong when humans travel alone in space, the place that is still unknown to us. Readers will find themselves questioning how much we actually know about space, and they will be left to think about how fascinating the universe is outside the planet we call home.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading science fiction, but I would also recommend it for people who have never tried reading from the genre. I was never interested in reading science fiction, and I hadn’t ever enjoyed a book from that genre, but Project Hail Mary was a wonderful read for me because it is a mix of mystery, science fiction, and comedy. The way Weir pulls from different genres gives the book a more realistic feel, which sets it apart from books with more typical science fiction tropes. Project Hail Mary has the power to capture readers’ attention and send them into a different reality, where the future and the safety of our planet are all in the hands of one man.

Allison

Ballantine Books, 496 pages