chloebaboey's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, War, Gun violence, Murder, Car accident, Blood, Suicide, Violence, Child death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
Minor: Drug use
norcalchris's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Really classic sci-fi. I hate sci-fi.
Tried to expand my reading horizons since it was my book club’s pick of the month.
Some interesting meditations on memory and humanity especially at the beginning.
Absurdly lengthy and depressing ending. I need to go watch a comedy after finishing this.
I’m sure Tom Cruise will star in the film version.
Tried to expand my reading horizons since it was my book club’s pick of the month.
Some interesting meditations on memory and humanity especially at the beginning.
Absurdly lengthy and depressing ending. I need to go watch a comedy after finishing this.
I’m sure Tom Cruise will star in the film version.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Suicide, and Violence
isacarvalho91's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Death, War, Dementia, Suicide, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
evelynritzi's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is one of those books where you just need to accept that it will be a bit confusing. Keep pushing through because you don’t need to understand everything completely to follow the plot and it will get a bit repetitive anyway. That said, I really enjoyed this one! I could see this being a movie or show for sure. Like Dark Matter, this is a love story wrapped in a sci-fi novel!
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Suicide, and War
josiah17's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I'm conflicted on a rating right now, so I'll roll with a 3.5.
The characters were great. Crouch seems to have mastered the ability to maximize characterization in a short page count and make you feel attached. The plot also keeps your attention. It's engaging in the way that it makes the reader ask questions and explores the concept of memory. But it also felt increasingly convoluted as I read. There's a certain point in the book (you'll know if you've read it) where things kind of explode and overlap. There's a lot to keep track of. And it feels somewhat overwhelming the more I read.
I'm also not sure how I feel about how suicide was handled in this book. It felt rash.
But even with those criticisms, Crouch still had me feeling emotional by the end of the book.
The characters were great. Crouch seems to have mastered the ability to maximize characterization in a short page count and make you feel attached. The plot also keeps your attention. It's engaging in the way that it makes the reader ask questions and explores the concept of memory. But it also felt increasingly convoluted as I read. There's a certain point in the book (you'll know if you've read it) where things kind of explode and overlap. There's a lot to keep track of. And it feels somewhat overwhelming the more I read.
I'm also not sure how I feel about how suicide was handled in this book. It felt rash.
But even with those criticisms, Crouch still had me feeling emotional by the end of the book.
"Life with a cheat chose isn't life. Our existence isn't something to be engineered or optimized for the avoidance of pain. That's what it is to be human--the beauty and the pain, each meaningless without the other."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt
libby_herz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Car accident, Child death, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Addiction, Alcohol, and Death
compassrosa's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
casualk's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide
Moderate: Grief and Child death
Minor: Suicide attempt, Mass/school shootings, Blood, Drug abuse, and Death of parent
wanderinglynn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
The time present of things past is memory; the time present of things present is direct experience; the time present of things future is expectation.
St. Augustine
This trippy story is like being in an episode of the Twilight Zone! While I was initially hesitant because the synopsis didn't quite engage me, I picked it up because it was recommended to me and was one of my 12 months, 12 books, 12 friends challenge. So I started the book and surprisingly, found myself quickly getting lost in the story. I couldn't put it down. What a wild ride!
Broken into 5 books, the story flips between Helena's and Barry's POVs, between different times and alternative timelines. I listened to the audiobook and Jon Lindstrom and Abby Craden did a wonderful job narrating the dual POVs.
This book is a crazy blend of science fiction and thriller with a slice of romance. Since I was listening to the audiobook and was doing other things, I would think the story was about to conclude and BAM! Another twist. Another angle. Right up until the end, I was hooked. I wasn't sure Crouch was going to be able to pull it off, but he did. It made me question everything and now I want to go back and reread all the philosophy books I read in college.
This trippy story is like being in an episode of the Twilight Zone! While I was initially hesitant because the synopsis didn't quite engage me, I picked it up because it was recommended to me and was one of my 12 months, 12 books, 12 friends challenge. So I started the book and surprisingly, found myself quickly getting lost in the story. I couldn't put it down. What a wild ride!
Broken into 5 books, the story flips between Helena's and Barry's POVs, between different times and alternative timelines. I listened to the audiobook and Jon Lindstrom and Abby Craden did a wonderful job narrating the dual POVs.
This book is a crazy blend of science fiction and thriller with a slice of romance. Since I was listening to the audiobook and was doing other things, I would think the story was about to conclude and BAM! Another twist. Another angle. Right up until the end, I was hooked. I wasn't sure Crouch was going to be able to pull it off, but he did. It made me question everything and now I want to go back and reread all the philosophy books I read in college.
Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.
Soren Kierkegaard
This was my first Blake Crouch book but it won't be my last!
This was my first Blake Crouch book but it won't be my last!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, War, and Injury/Injury detail
tallywinkle's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
3.5
I enjoyed it over all. It's funny to me that I did end up finding a book called Recursion a bit repetitive. I think I will probably find this with Blake Crouch's writing in general cause I felt the same for Dark Matter, where it's got this really solid and fast paced beginning that kind of loses steam in the middle. I liked the ending of this book. I wasn't sure how he was going to wrap it all up and I thought it was pretty well done.
Crouch is very good at making the book feel like an action movie.
Crouch is very good at making the book feel like an action movie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mass/school shootings