Book Review: Artemis

Author: Andy Weir

Publication Date: November 14, 2017

Publisher: Crown

Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich.

Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for a long time.

So when a chance at a huge score finally comes her way, Jazz can’t say no. Sure, it requires her to graduate from small-time smuggler to full-on criminal mastermind. And it calls for a particular combination of cunning, technical skills, and large explosions—not to mention sheer brazen swagger. But Jazz has never run into a challenge her intellect can’t handle, and she figures she’s got the ‘swagger’ part down.

The trouble is, engineering the perfect crime is just the start of Jazz’s problems. Because her little heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself.

Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a killer and the law alike, even Jazz has to admit she’s in way over her head. She’ll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance at staying alive and saving her city.

Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal.

That’ll have to do.

Propelled by its heroine’s wisecracking voice, set in a city that’s at once stunningly imagined and intimately familiar, and brimming over with clever problem-solving and heist-y fun, Artemis is another irresistible brew of science, suspense, and humor from #1 bestselling author Andy Weir.

“The city shined in the sunlight like a bunch of metallic boobs. What? I'm not a poet. They look like boobs.”

“It’s a simple idiot-proofing scheme that’s very effective. But no idiot-proofing can overcome a determined idiot.” 

“On a scale from one to ‘invade Russia in winter,’ how stupid is this plan?”

Of course, after reading Andy Weir’s The Martian and absolutely loving it, I had to read Artemis and see if the hype would continue. Let me say – it certainly did! The main similarity between The Martian and Andy Weir’s latest novel Artemis is that both take place in space and both feature a highly intelligent, sarcastic character. Jazz was my favorite part of this book. The book opens in the middle of a life or death situation, so readers automatically get to see how witty and clever Jazz is right from the start. Jazz is a thrifty character working to survive in the fast-paced world in which she lives. She is an easy character to love and root for even when she is making incredibly risky and stupid decisions. Did I mention that she lives on the moon? Yes, she lives on the moon!

I will be the first to say that I am NOT a fan of science fiction at all, but this is amazing and will work for others like me who tend to stay away from a “science-y” type of read. There is a ton of science and scientific terms discussed in the novel, but it never feels overwhelming or leaves me feeling lost or confused. Andy Weir’s writing is so easy to follow – smooth, captivating, and completely enthralling. I would love to see this book turned into a movie just like The Martian. Jazz’s character sold this story for me – it was an action-packed adventure that did not slow down from the first page to the last. If you are a person that does not like a slow-paced novel, this one is definitely for you!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Crown in exchange for my honest review***