Artemis

 

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Artemis by Andy Weir is a sci-fi action adventure story is both a great science fiction book, a great follow up to The Martian, and is a surprisingly easy book to read. Like the Martian, Artemis is a good place to start if someone wants to test the sci-fi waters before diving in head first. 

We follow the main character and narrator, Jazz, as she goes about her life in the moon city known as Artemis. She's a smuggler and makes her living doing deliveries. Though she's one of the lower-class people, she plans on becoming rich and not having to work again. When she's offered a million slugs (the currency used in Artemis) to sabotage some equipment, she can't say no and ends up on the run.

The plot is fun and engaging and readers never know what is going to happen or who they can trust, mostly because of Jazz's perception of her world. Dale is introduced as arrogant and mean-spirited but turns out to be concerned and a strong supporter of the rules. Jazz's father is originally described as strict and holding a grudge, but then revealed to be forgiving and kind. Because of Jazz's narration, our understanding of everything changes with her own understanding. 

Jazz is highly sarcastic both in dialogue and in narration. Whenever something occurs that most people would call unbelievable, she's quick to remind readers of where Artemis is located. "Again, moon gravity" is a common phrase used to explain these occurrences. Weir, however, does an excellent job with world building and it is easy for readers to suspend their disbelief. 

There are a few problems I had with the story. Jazz is sarcastic but she's also a bit stiff at times. There is little inner emotion besides anger and stubbornness that colors her narration, even when she's in danger. This may just be a style choice, but it does make her a bit harder to figure out. 

Another problem I had was a running joke between two characters regarding an invention that I hoped would amount to something other than a bit of humor. It was a little disappointing to see it amount to little, though the characters do end up in a relationship at the end, so I suppose it does pay off but not in the inventive way I was hoping. 

This was a valentines day present from my husband and I ended up reading it while he was home with the flue. Since it wasn't hard to follow, I could easily put it down to get some work done before picking it back up and knowing exactly what was happening. The pacing is good, easy to follow, and holding your attention the whole time. The plot can be a little fantastic, *spoilers*going from smuggling to corporate sabotage to mafia assassinations to city wide threat, but for anyone looking for a fun read, this is a great book to pick up.