Dark Matter

It was a damn good thrill ride but I guessed the entire plot half-way through the first chapter. On top of that it gets weaker in the middle when they are getting into ridiculous situations - although it's well explained why later on.

Re-read value is low but I definitely recommend this book. I'm really tempted to give it five stars despite all of that but the plot was extremely predictable and situations were getting ridiculous for the sake of drama and thrill all the time. While it adds to the pacing it takes from immersion.

I say:
“I also consider.
Writing like this...
Cheating.
To extend...
The page count.”

So...this is someone's book. Obviously. But it's not mine. I had not-so-high hopes going in, because I'm not usually one for super hyped anyway, but it seemed perfect for an airplane and the bookstore clerk said he reads a lot of scifi and this kept him guessing and was like nothing he's ever read. Let me count my issues:1. It's derivative. So, so, so derivative. If you've ever read a speculative fiction book based on quantum mechanics, you have read this book. I anticipated every twist. His abductor? himself from a different multiverse OF COURSE!, the surprise ending? there are more than two of him from the many multiverses. 2. It does quantum mechanics shallowly and I care. I read this interweaved with [b:The End of Mr. Y 93436 The End of Mr. Y Scarlett Thomas https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389137862s/93436.jpg 1535663], which does such a more nuanced job. 3. I can't turn off my feminism (sometimes I wish I could.) And the female characters had no agency. And/or were MacGuffins. And also, I read this mid-[a:Alison Bechdel 21982 Alison Bechdel https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1245100306p2/21982.jpg] marathon, and wow does it fail the Bechdel test.4. The family v. success dichotomy is overwrought, unfair and honestly a problematic cultural narrative.What is the second star even for? It was readable enough that I didn't ragequit and I wasn't really hate-reading it. The story was kind of vaguely entertaining.

Dark Matter is the best book I have read till this date. Book is filled with thrills and so many emotions. I have felt the pain the main character goes through as I read the lines. The book twists your mind in weird ways and keeps you hooked. I am slow reader but was able to finish this one in 2days time and from that you can assume how great this book is. A must read as it will make you care about your loved ones more and take you through a ride you have never experienced before. Thanks to the universe or the decisions that led me to this amazing masterpiece.

This book is out of this world, seriously because it set in the multiverse. I finished this book in two sittings because it was never boring or slow.

Jason travels thorough the multiverse in this book, and not through time, something which I've seen way too much of. While picking up this book I was apprehensive if it would give me something new on the parallel universes or the same old different version of the butterfly effect. Glad to say it was something I hadn't read before.

Spoilers:
The protagonist travels to different multiverse trying to find his original world. Although there's a big twist there. Every choice you make branches into a different reality so when you're trying to find your way home, you may come across different versions of you, also trying to find their way home. That was when I knew this book was at it's best, but no it takes it a step further and gets even better.

One thing that really piqued my interest was the way the author refers to certain things. The protagonist is in a lot of situations where he's surrounded by darkness and hears ‘footfalls'. Not footsteps, but footfalls. It felt amazing reading this book. All the little things I had read during my student life, parallel universe, game theory, Prisoner's Dilemma was the high point when I was thinking that this book just made me read something mind bending and amazing.

This novel is a fun ride that is reads like a script for a film. It doesn't take too much of your time. The science is easy to digest. Character development is sacrificed in order to keep the story brisking at a steady pace. Except for the apocalyptic disease-ridden Chigago, that section felt unnecessary to me. And out of character, as well. It's hard to believe that a man of science wouldn't go back the minute he realized he was walking into this world. But I guess the author need to drive the point home how much he loves his wife.

Some interesting questions asked about identity, the choices we make in life and the consequences we have to live with. But not much exploration. Because that plot needs to continue chugging along in order to arrive to it's Hollywoody happy ending.

First, there is nothing to do with Dark Matter, I would title the book as Superposition. But, I guess, if the title goes like that, it is a bit spoiler and is not as catchy as Dark Matter.

Second, the real review. I read Recursion first, then Dark Matter, and I would say I like Dark Matter more than Recursion. The two books have a similar theme. A protagonist invents a breakthrough, state-of-the-art machine, that when used, turns into dark outcomes. Dark matter has more technological consistency than Recursion.

What made me engaged in the story is the “thriller” feeling, it permeates throughout the book, and gets more and more intense towards the end. You can feel the desperation of the protagonist and you can't guess how he can solve his problem. To be honest, for me, the problem that is faced by the protagonist is literally impossible to solve, to the point that I still can feel the injustice with the solution at the end.

The author uses our current understanding of quantum mechanics, my favorite interpretation, to reveal the ultimate plot of the book. But, of course, one can't make the actual physics to be the foundation of the story, there are some parts that just don't make any sense, but it goes for the plot's sake. I don't mind since the author wrapped up the story smoothly.

“E se a pessoa que estivesse a viver a tua vida não fosses tu?”

Este livro surpreendeu-me bastante. Apesar dos temas de ficção científica serem relativamente pesados e confusos, este não foi muito pesado (um pouco confuso, mas no final até fez o seu sentido), no entanto foi muito fácil de ler. O tema principal do livro é - “o que seria de nós, se tivessemos optado de outra forma na vida? E se somos realmente felizes com as nossas decisões? Como é sofrer a vida toda com arrependimento e como aceitar as nossas decisões?”. São mais perguntas filosóficas do que propriamente científicas.
O que mais gostei no livro é o tipo de suspanse, parece daqueles livros que quando lemos 3/4 capítulos já sabemos como vai acabar. CONTUDO, a nossa previsão é concretizada poucos capítulos depois, deixando-nos em dúvida sobre os próximos eventos.
Todo o livro está cheio de ação e chega a um momento que já não sabemos o que está a acontecer e de repente já é final e continua-se sem perceber muito bem o que está a acontecer.
No geral é uma leitura muito interessante e dá que pensar.

This was a really good book. The premise is completely different from anything else I've read. There is a good amount of science, but the author does a good job of explaining it and making some of these concepts accessible. It led to a very interesting conversation with my son, the Electrical Engineer/Physics major, which was very cool. The concept and idea behind this book and the ‘possibilities' are scary, to put it mildly. (Is this science fiction or horror? What slant will the movie emphasize?) At its core, the themes I took away: With science, just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Also, our choices define who we are - on a deep level. They inform what we are capable of, and what we hold most important.

Interstellar meets The Adjustment Bureau in this phenomenal sci-fi, psychological thriller. Crouch asks readers to question the choices of past + future and recognize the consequences of each.

Initially and admittedly, I was intimidated that the physicsscienceatoms jargon would cloud even the most arousing of plots. Crouch manages to create a graspable, mind-bending universe and drop readers right into it.

I hardly remember taking a breath while reading this book. When I did eventually break for sleep + sustenance, I was preoccupied with the world Jason was currently in, fleeing from or the door he was searching for.

What if I had eaten eggs for breakfast instead of cereal?
What would happen if I pursued Job A over Job B?
How would my life be altered by a moment of uncharacteristic boldness?

Post-Dark Matter, questions about the mundane and major still hound me.

Really enjoyed this book. I have got to say Blake Crouch can keep you on the edge of your seats. You have got to read this. This book starts off with Jason getting kidnapped and waking with people in hazmat suits claiming to be his friends. Only problem, he doesn't remember them. As his memories come back to him he must fight his way back to his wife and son. I don't want to say much more than that. Cuz I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I really think it's best to go into this book not knowing much about it. I think this will be at the top of my list for favorite books this year.

Em what?

My mind is blown, Blake Crouch has sent me on a multi universe, mind bending, head splitting journey..and it was great!

Characters were great - I think we can all relate to the main character. I found that I wanted to hate Jason2 but part of me thinks, what would I do if every day I regretted not taking the chance to be happy with the woman of my dreams.