Review of 'Artemis' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Read this cover to cover on Thanksgiving day, it is an engaging and fun read. The setting is well thought out, from hardware to politics to people. The main character is a bit unbelievable and she has generated many negative reviews from women.
Jasmine (Jazz) is a wise cracking creative thinker, and does sound like Mark Watney in a skirt at times. She smuggles minor items to the moon, and is otherwise the prototypical honest criminal. The core of the plot is an offer to do a large heist which goes spectacularly wrong. In a creative finish, she gathers everybody together (ala Scooby Doo) for one more madcap plan to set things right.
I loved the heist elements and the setting, and while the other characters were well written, Jazz was not the best. Where Watney felt right, Jazz feels over the top. Still, as a sophomore effort, this is a heck of a lot better than [b:Armada|16278318|Armada|Ernest Cline|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1377284428l/16278318.SY75.jpg|22378124]. 3½ stars.
2021 reread (as an audio book) - caught a few nods to The Moon is a Harsh Mistress that I missed earlier, and Rosario Dawson isn't hard on the ears. The failed plans had more science in them than I remembered also - making Jazz a bit too much of an engineer.