Remembering the hype that came with the release of his movie adaptation The Martian, Andy Weir an American science fiction author, had a lot to live up to with his next novel, Artemis.
Artemis focuses around Jazz, a 26-year-old woman who lives on the moon. There are stark differences in the way the main character, Mark, from The Martian is written in comparison to how Jazz is written in Artemis. Even though Jazz has lived on the moon since she was six and hasn’t had much parenting since leaving Earth, she’s still written somewhat like a 15-year-old boy.
I get it, though, Weir tends to write characters that are brutally honest and blunt, and sometimes that doesn’t come across as easy to read when you’re also in your twenties and expecting a character to be more mature. It’s a Holden Caufield-type situation.
However, even though Jazz can be at some points “cringe-y,” it only demonstrates Weir’s ability to write characters with large personalities.
Again, this space themed novel by Weir takes on science in a way that isn’t overwhelming and is easy for readers to understand.
This novel, unlike the last, revolves around a heist instead of just pure survival; it’s more of an adventure story that is nicely pulled off.
As for how it’s written, the Moon and its setting, the colony, the people, all of it is detailed and vibrant, it’s a world you can easily get lost in which makes for an easy read. The pacing is excellent, I never felt like any part of it was too slow, I was thoroughly entertained. There are twists and turns, action, and huge reveals that you don’t see coming.
Overall, I would recommend this novel to any sci-fi or The Martian lover. If you can get past Jazz’s personality and take her at more than face value, you will find a very great adventure within this novel’s pages.
