anastasia's Review of Artemis

by Andy Weir

The bestselling author of The Martian returns with an irresistible new near-future thriller—a heist story set on the moon.

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.

Not what I was expecting, but I loved it.
Full Review on my blog

This is my first I've read by Andy Weir. Honestly, I didn't think I would like it, but it surprised me. I just realized that he wrote The Martian, as well, I had no idea that it was a book! I loved the movie!

Artemis is based on the moon, and instead of a story of survival, what we have here is more of a caper-style plot with a female protagonist, Jazz Bashara. Jazz Bashara is a smuggler of harmless contraband on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon that's mostly populated by the super wealthy and tourists on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. After all, she's got bills to pay and her job as a porter barely covers the rent. She changes her tune when she's offered the opportunity to make a fortune by pulling off a seemingly perfect (and impossible) crime. Before Jazz knows it, she's walked straight into a conspiracy for control of the city and that her only chance of living relies on a plan that's even riskier than the first. The get-rich-quick-scheme involves the sabotage of company Sanchez Aluminium - who happen to play a part in supplying Artemis with oxygen.

Jazz isn't the typical hero, she is, after all, trying to bankrupt a company for her personal gain and that of a wealthy friend of hers, yet she has loads of endearing qualities and is a likable and feisty character perfectly portrayed by narrator Rosario Dawson. Her character was so fun, and it was great to have a woman of colour as the main protagonist in a science fiction novel. Whilst she does not practice Islam, we see elements of the religion through her father. I loved that Jazz was just so confident in herself and didn’t worry about others judging her, and she was a great, witty narrator. Even though she was living in relative poverty, at least in comparison to many of the Moon’s citizens, it really felt like she was making the most of what she had, and was so determined to reach her goal.

Overall, Artemis by Andy Weir is a quick and addicting read that you want to savor for as long as you can. I can't wait to read more of his books! I highly recommend it!

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Artemis

by Andy Weir

Reviewed by anastasia on Feb 21, 2018

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