Somewhere in near future, say 100 years when most of us who are reading this will be dead, Man makes base on the Moon. The base soon turns into a full fledged city which is named Artemis, named after Greek goddess. Author should have studied mythologies from other cultures. He could have come up with a better name.
The book has Artemis at its center and a character named Jazz. Her actual name is Jasmine. She arrived on Artemis when she was six from Saudi Arabia and have been there for last 20 years. She works as a low-level porter and earns her living by delivering and smuggling goods. That’s when you learn that no world is free from crime. Where there is man, there’s crime.
Trond is a telecom tycoon who shifted to Artemis because of her daughter who is crippled by an car crash on Earth. The low gravity on Moon helps her walk with crutches which would have been impossible on Earth. Trond is typical businessman who is always looking to expand and make profits. He finds an opportunity to make it big on Artemis. He hires Jazz for a job which leads both of them into deep trouble. Do they get out of the trouble? Who helps them and who is after them? You’ll find answers to these questions when you read the book.
When you start reading this, you won’t even know that Jazz is female. Not until a few pages when author uses the noun. She behaves like a man which she carries till the end. Her tomboy image adds some spice to the story. After 30 odd pages, you’ll start comparing this to The Martian. You will be disappointed. Especially in the climax part when there are more intelligent and experienced person living on Artemis, why everyone looks up to Jazz? It doesn’t make sense. She is witty. She is clever. She is a rebel. These qualities make the reading delightful just until the climax. It doesn’t click. There is something missing in the finale. Let me know if you find that.
Humor is the biggest plus point of the story. It makes you laugh. There is some sarcasm and crude humor too. Something for everyone I say. If you find it difficult to laugh while reading this, then my friend you should make that appointment with your shrink. You need it.
The blend of characters makes a tasty smoothie. You’ll get to taste many flavors. You’ll like every flavor. Even if you don’t like it, you’ll not dislike it. You’ll enjoy the smoothie until it hits the bottom where it wouldn’t be smooth anymore. I just hope that wouldn’t leave a bad taste.
Beg. Borrow. Steal. Read this shit.
P.S. – If you are a devote Muslim or a hardcore feminist, You may want to skip this book. Jazz is a Muslim girl who sleeps around with different guys. She talks freely of her sexuality. She drinks. She doesn’t wear hijab. She leaves alone, away from her family. These things don’t go well with the Muslims I guess. For the feminists, you have a lot to criticize about the way author has presented her. There’s a lot of sex talk, jibes which are awkward. If you fall into the above two categories, you may want to stay clear.