Artemis by Andy Weir

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.

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

4 of 5 stars

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Caffeinated Aspects:

  • We've colonized the MOON! Artemis is a futuristic city on the moon with residences and is a booming tourist resort.

  • Weir is an incredible storyteller and his world-building while part geek beautifully brings the world to life. You could imagine the long thin corridors, see the chambers and experience first hand what it might be like to live on the moon.

  • The story is well paced and follows Jazz a twenty-something woman who hails from Saudi Arabia but has lived on Artemis since she was six years old. She is brilliant and trained as a welder but currently works as a porter. She is estranged from her father, broke and makes money on the side smuggling in contraband. Snarky, temperamental and definitely marches to her own drum.

  • Jazz is snarky, quick-witted and just tells things like it is. She made me laugh.

  • Jazz is asked to perform a risky task but the payoff is too tempting and she takes the job. When things go amuck, she soon finds a much deeper problem that will affect the colony. Suspense, danger, investigations, collaborations and the risk of getting caught or worse blown up made for a page-turner that kept me listening.

  • Secondary characters added interest and were unique enough that I could visualize them. Jazz has some history including an ex-boyfriend, ex-friend, fan, a few enemies, and a pen pal from Saudia Arabia that she considers her closes friend. All of them will play a part in this maddening caper.

  • Diversity! I loved the diverse society that inhabits Artemis and the natural way they were present. From sexuality to nationality it was refreshing.

  • Rosario Dawson is a new to me narrator and one who perfectly captured Jazz. Her males voices were well done, as well as her accents. I easily slipped into the story and enjoyed listening to her voice(s).

  • I loved the thought-provoking physics, chemistry and political aspects of maintaining a thriving colony off planet.

  • Scientific jargon and details fed my inner nerd and felt plausible. I loved each little detail and felt it helped build the suspense and danger while bringing Artemis to life in 3-D.

  • Snark and witty commentary much like we found in The Martian were present. While I did not enjoy this as much as The Martian Dawson's narration made this better, I still totally recommend it for fans of Weir's work and science fiction thrillers.

  • Standalone. In a world of series and trilogies, there is nothing more refreshing than a standalone read :)


Decaffeinated Aspects:

  • Jazz is a lot like Mark from the Martian and I worried this would fall flat. Honestly, at first, she felt like a carbon copy of him and I worried that Weir only had one good character in him. Have no fear she does develops and I loved this spunky, take no prisoners woman. Outwardly she oozes confidence and in some ways, she is. This is because she depends on herself, but we also saw her vulnerability. I love complex characters who behave like a teen one moment and a friggin superhero the next.

  • The ending was gripping, but I had a hard time believing reactions from others on Artemis.

This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 17 November, 2017: Finished reading
  • 17 November, 2017: Reviewed