Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir just wowed me on so many levels, and I cannot talk about very many of them without giving away spoilers. But here is what I can say:

I loved the theme of friendship and how it developed, grew, and ultimately played out in the novel. It gives the story heart and meaning outside of all the fantastic science and science fiction details. The power of the bond between friends is everything. It makes people a better version of themselves and leads to personal fulfillment in ways we never expect. This aspect of the story is surprisingly heartwarming and completely relatable.

The science is so incredibly detailed that I was unsure if I was getting smarter by the second or if my brain was going to explode with information overload. I loved this because even if the facts were not accurate (but they did seem to be spot on), they gave the story an authenticity it would not have had otherwise.

The story is interspersed with a dual timeline, all from the main character’s, Ryland Grace, point of view. For the most part, this worked seamlessly, though I occasionally got confused about whether I was in the past or the present. However, the confusion did not last long as the two periods are quite different. I could not decide whether I would consider the story character-driven or plot-driven as both aspects are powerful, but that says so much on its own.

If you want to be wowed over and over again, then this is a book you will not want to miss!