Artemis by Andy Weir (first published in 2017 by Del Rey)
Jazz may be a smuggler, but her heart is in the right place. At 26, she’s lived on Artemis for 20 years. As a proud resident of the lunar city, she is unwilling to stand by when fuckery is afoot.
When she is enlisted into a dodgy deal by the richest man on the moon, the promise of a massive payload is enough motivation for her to get her hands dirtier.
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However, when the seemingly easy task snowballs into a series of murders, lies and a threat to her home, Jazz knows that she needs to make it right. But to do that, she needs help, and she needs to break a few more rules.
Andy Weir has an immensely enviable gift; apart from penning excellent stories, he makes science sexy. Seriously, my inner nerd rejoices at the spotlight levelled on the protagonist’s brain, and not her boobs.
It’s also refreshing to see a smart, non-white female lead who (let’s be frank) is immensely cool, and immensely able to save the world (ok fine, the moon). In addition to kick-ass action and math for days, Artemis is filled with sly humour, biting sarcasm, and a pinch of drama – it’s an all-inclusive read.
Artemis, if you’ll pardon the pun, is an otherworldly read.
Weir has evidently put in a huge amount of research together with creative genius, because while you’re immersed in this story, it’s hard to believe that there isn’t a city on the moon, where aluminium smelting provides oxygen, residents where gizmos (think smart watches on steroids) and the currency is the slug.
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But alas for would-be travelers such as myself, Weir’s world is not yet a reality on mine.
I so enjoyed Artemis, with its female bad-ass lead, unique humour and scientific flair, that I cannot truly fault anything about this.
I’ll give it five stars (ha – space pun - I can't stop).
Artemis should definitely be added to the top of your ‘to-be read’ pile, because it’s just that good.
Purchase a copy of the book from Raru.co.za.
Read more of Samantha’s reviews on her book blog and check out her Instagram account.
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