Books about hope and human perseverance in the face of impossibility are so important in these times. One could argue that the circumstances for Project Hail Mary to come to fruition were idealistic, but I would argue it presents an alternative and ideal we can look up to. As Stratt puts it, "When the alternative is death to your entire species, things are very easy. No moral dilemmas, no weighing what's best for whom. Just a single minded-focus on getting this project working." We could argue on the morality and ethics on almost all of Stratt's decisions (I was gagged left and right but also was like "She has a point" majority of the time), but all I could think and sigh about is how we could be doing so much better in terms of climate change and collective action, because the alternative really is death to our species. If a similar doomsday event were to threaten our existence, I can only imagine how disastrous things would turn out.

MILD NON-PLOT CRITICAL SPOILERS BELOW

That aside, I find that this book finds great strength in its narrative voice. Following Ryland Grace's stream of consciousness, we get a close-up of his thoughts as they come, his light-bulb moments with every terrible problem and delightful discovery that comes his way. I adored his goofy humor, his vulnerability, his expression of fear, his clinging on to hope. He was so vividly human and the emotional notes of the story hit well. He was relatable, but still distinctly intelligent that made it obvious why he was suitable for such a mission.

Loved the science bits, especially when they had to perform experiments and make sense of what the hell was happening. I could feel the excitement bubble inside me alongside Grace and Rocky.

And of course, who could forget about Rocky???? I will be thinking about Rocky for the rest of my puny little earthling lifespan. Everyone loves Rocky.

I am sure I will eventually have more thoughts and critiques on this book as I sit on it, but nothing that hampers my enjoyment and emotional high. All that matters to me is how much fun I had. This was a good good good book.