Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Fiction/Thriller
2016 Crown
Finished on August 26, 2016
Rating: 4.5/5 (Terrific!)
Publisher's Blurb:
“Are you happy with your life?”
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.
Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
From the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy, Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human—a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.
This book should come with a warning on the cover: Do not read at night if you are susceptible to bizarre dreams about alternate universes and questionable realities. If this doesn't present a problem for you, read away, but beware. You'll feel exhausted from lack of sleep, as you won't be able to put the book down! Dark Matter is an utterly engrossing thriller with perfect pacing and intensity. It's the proverbial page-turner. While I didn't understand a lot (ok, most) of the science, I didn't get bogged down by it either. Crouch's snappy dialogue and pacing create an experience that is sure to play out on the big screen, hopefully in the not too distant future. Or in a not-too-distant alternate reality.
I have a copy of this book and need to read it soon. So many have praised it and told of how it was 'unputdownable'. :-)
ReplyDeleteKay, I'm really glad I read this one in print rather than listening to the audio. I got so caught up in the story and the pages just flew!
DeleteI really wanted to read this last year but didn't get to it. Definitely planned for this year!
ReplyDeleteKelly, I hope you get to it sooner than later. It's so entertaining!
DeleteOh man, it sounds like I need to get a copy of this!
ReplyDeleteKathy, it's a great thriller. I think you'd enjoy it.
DeleteWhat a great review! I have this on my short list for 2017. I hope to read it before spring.
ReplyDeleteToady, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I think it will make a great movie, too.
DeleteI really want to read this one but I am a victim of nightmares. I'll have to read it during daylight. Thanks for the great review.
ReplyDeletePeaceful Reader, it's not really the sort that gives nightmares as much as just invades one's dreams. It's not creepy like a Stephen King novel. Just intense. Thanks for your comment and for visiting!
DeleteHahahaha! I know what you mean. This book had my mind whirling with the possibilities.
ReplyDeleteRebecca @ The Portsmouth Review
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Rebecca, greetings! Thanks for stopping by. I'll be sure to check out your blog. Yes, this book definitely gets one's mind whirling. I had to be careful and not overthink it!
DeleteIf I read this one I will have to remember to read this one in the morning! :)
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to this book.
Iliana, yes, morning reading would probably be a good thing. :) Enjoy!
DeleteI love thrillers! Although not bizarre dreams. ;) Thanks for the great review of a book I'd seen around but only now want to read. xo
ReplyDeleteMeredith, you'll probably enjoy this one. Just don't read it too late at night. :)
DeleteLes, so happy you include this review link in the comment you left. What a plesant surprise huh? We both gave it the same rating as well -- Have you ever read anything else by Crouch? I'm definitely adding him to future authors to read more of.
ReplyDeleteDiane, I haven't read anything else by Crouch, but his latest sounds intriguing.
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