Artemis

I've had this ebook in my Kindle library for years because it's by far Andy Weir's most divisive novel to date. It appears that one either loves or hates the book, with no middle ground among readers. Well, I may be the minority, yet it looks as though I'm right in the middle. While I didn't love Artemis, nor did I hate it. It was a good vacation read, no more, no less.

I do agree with fans' main criticism, what with the piss-poor characterization. Still, the sciene behind life on the moon and the heist itself kept me interested throughout and I finished this novel in a few short days. Good or bad, I figure that your mileage will vary.

Here's the blurb:

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.

The worldbuilding was interesting and there is a section at the end of the book that explains the economics of Artemis. As was the case in The Martian, the science underlying the story plays an important role in whether or not everything works. It was fascinating how aluminium, plentiful on the moon, is the principal building material used for construction. The same thing goes for the smelting of anorthite into aluminum and oxygen, and how that process allows human beings to live on the moon. I also liked how Weir included space tourism in the equation and its implications in Artemis' economy.

The characterization is the aspect that kills this book for many people and it's not hard to understand why. It leaves a lot to be desired. The main protagonist is a twenty-something Arab girl who acts like an American teenage boy, which makes it incredibly difficult to root for her. A super smart underachiever, Jazz is also an irresponsible tramp. Not sure why Weir made her a Muslim girl from Saudi Arabia if he wasn't even going to try to explore the ramifications that such a religious background entails. Sad to say, but Jazz has almost no redeeming qualities, and most readers hate her from the very start. It doesn't help that she shows extremely poor judgment throughout the novel and can't seem to make a good decision, even if her life depends on it. She is annoying in ways that a main character isn't supposed to be. Moreover, she doesn't really act like a young woman at all. Lots of readers opine that she's just a female version of Mark Watney from The Martian. So yeah, there's not a lot of good things to say about Jasmine Bashara. Though she can be fun at times, there are too many cringe-worthy moments that offset them. And that's coming from a male reader. The supporting cast is made up of forgettable characters for the most part. Other than Svoboda, who somehow steals the show in every scene he appears in.

Artemis is a relatively short book, so there are no pacing issues. Most of the science is found at the end of the novel, and even the few necessary scientific info-dumps don't impact the rhythm negatively. As mentioned, as a vacation read this one worked particularly well. Since I was mostly able to overlook Jazz's foibles and concentrate on the science behind the moon city and the heist itself, I got through the book in just a few sittings. Beyond the city on the moon facet of this tale, deep down Artemis is a story that we've seen a thousand times before. Small-fry crook is offered a big risk/big reward gig, accepts to do it, gets in over her head, and when things go down the crapper must find a way to save herself and the city she calls home. All in all, as something to read on a hiking trip, it did its job. Artemis just isn't the kind of work that stays with you afterwards.

I definitely wouldn't pay cover price for this one. But if you can get it on sale, Artemis remains an entertaining read.

The final verdict: 7/10

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