Jerry’s Reviews > Project Hail Mary > Status Update

Frankly, I'm surprised Grace didn't dispatch the beetles earlier. But it's noyt surprising we're at where we are now at all.

I've got a chapter or two to finish the story. I hope it turns out well.

They've had a bunch of problems but mostly worked through them. Some parts make me scratch my head. Like they lost power and the ship was pitch black. Grace fuddled his way around until they fixed it. And I wondered why he didn't just get a flashlight. Which he did when the lights were back on but he needed a light source for the microscope. So it's not like he didn't have flashlights available.

The book reads and flows well, but every now an then, even though I'm not a scientist, I kind of think, "but wait, what about..."? I appreciate the book covers some complex concepts and presents them in an uncondescending manner. But the last couple chapters left me wondering why science experts would miss something that occurred to me. It's not major, but it does nag a little

Dr. Grace makes assumptions sometimes that seem like leaps-of-faith but conveniently work out.

We've got earth-similar life form that threatens star systems & alien intelligent life also seeking solution to preventing their species' annihilation. Even w/ many differences, stuff seems to make some progress despite what distraction from primary concern. I realize the distractions form a base; still seems off-mission.

Apparently the middle school science teacher is actually a super biologist. Meantime, it's a bit implausible he's willing to be flown all over in military aircraft w/ little to no pushback. That started with Stratt saying "it's not optional" followed by FBI agents taking him to the lab, despite having said it was optional.

It might be 2021 sci-fi, but there are some contemporary political ramifications here.

Grace wakes up with no idea where he's at. Then he starts to get snippets of memory back. An interesting way to build both the plot and the character.