A solid 3.5 stars, though I didn't enjoy this book as much as The Martian. This may be due to the fact that the main protagonist annoyed me a little to start - there's only so much over-clever smart-ass I care to read. Luckily, the setting (city on the Moon!) and story (crime caper as catalyst for hostile corporate takeover) managed to drag me past all that. Once our hero starts having to improvise her way out of a sticky situation and a few of the other characters get more attention, the story improves a lot. Not as good as the author's first, but an enjoyable read anyway. ( )

Andy Weir writes fast-paced, engineering-oriented scifi well. This heist on a moon colony, featuring a vaguely Saudi, lapsed Muslim protagonist was a quick and light read. There's welding and problems with low-gravity/zero atmosphere and family bonding and shady business dealings. So, almost perfect.

But look, some people shouldn't be allowed to write books about women, and Andy Weir is one of those people. Also, mostly, I wanted it to be the Martian redux. And by trying to make a convoluted conspiracy plot, Weir has wandered away from what he does best: MacGyvering in Space! books. ( )

3.5 stars. A fun romp. ( )

Just bad all-around, having read this one, after The Martian and Project Hail Mary that I enjoyed so much, it's a little bit disappointing, and maybe shows that the author is a one trick pony. ( )

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/6QN2i85kE2I

Enjoy! ( )