Project Hail Mary

5+ stars in a true return to form for Andy Weir.

That is, return to form in reference to The Martian. Project Hail Mary has different characters, but similar to The Martian (tM), this one has a strong focus on problem solving and survival. This time, though, the goal is to save the world. There's definitely hard science involved here, biology, chemistry, and physics.

Spoiler-free notes below:
While I haven't made the effort to verify any of the science, the way it is written it comes across as plausible to some extent (for reference, I have a BS in Biology, minor in Chemistry and Doctorate in Medicine). I do feel there has been creative license applied with the source of the primary crisis, but again, it's plausible enough to not be a stumbling block (imho).

The characters are not only well done, but genuinely identifiable. The structure of the novel is also interestingly done. It's not simply linear like tM is for the most part. In some books this is more distracting and problematic, but PHM does it well and keeps an interesting twist hidden for a long time. (Trying not to spoil it for you.)

The ending is satisfying while still leaving a tiny bit of wiggle room for a sequel (maybe?)

Anyway, this book was fantastic. I screamed through it speed-wise. Couldn't put it down. Almost started a re-read right away. I think I'll hold off, though, for now.