Reviews tagging 'Pandemic/Epidemic'

Mroczna materia by Blake Crouch

16 reviews

sarzwhit's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.5

What would you do if you were forced out of your own reality and thrown into several other realities of paths you had not taken (or were simply lucky to avoid based on other decisions in your life)...all the while several alternate versions of yourselves were experiencing the same thing? Could you get back to your original life? And what if several other versions of you believed that life belonged to them?
A mind-bending, gripping journey that had me hooked. I couldn't wait to see how it was going to end but I also didn't want it to!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Kidnapping, Stalking, Torture, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Drug use, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Apart from the kidnapping that occurs that kicks off the major plot of this story, most of these triggers are either briefly mentioned or the protagonist sees the aftermath of what he has assumed to these people. Most of the time does not go into great detail apart from acknowledgement they look to have suffered/are suffering. Most graphic comes near the conclusion, during an alternate universe where there is a pandemic - the effects of the disease go into a little more detail, and some of the injuries one or 2 of these alternate Jason's have suffered.

fkshg8465's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Rounding up to five. This is the third of hood books I’ve read, and each one hits the sweet spot for me. I love this author’s mind. The way he writes opens up my mind. I’m going to read every one of his books between this year and next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Death, Grief, Abandonment, Rape, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, and Sexual content

echood's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Stalking, Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Sexual content

loochysue's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Death and Gun violence

Minor: Blood

chloe_catastrophe's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Drug use, Death, and Murder

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

meat_muffin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Stalking, Confinement, Cursing, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, and Grief

Minor: Child death, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

laurenbaggy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Pregnancy

k_underthestars's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

This was a ride. Cool concept. Blazing fast pace. I liked it. 

I had a few problems mostly around how the women were kinda plot props. But really all secondary characters only served the plot so /shrug

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Murder

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic

msappear's review against another edition

mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This story is all about the choices you make in life and the wonder about the other path taken. 

The specific trope has been played out a lot in recent years, but this version was written first and was done with such elegance that I was thoroughly entertained the entire time. This is the gold standard that all similar media should strive to be.

While I clocked the "twist" very early on, the writing and message were compelling enough to make this a 4.5/5 for me. If I had experienced the revelation the same time Jason did it would've been a 5. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic

schnaucl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I really appreciated that POV Jason (Jason Prime?) was happy with his life and knew it.   This wasn't one of those stories where the main character goes through a bunch of alternate realities only to realize they place they started in was their best version of reality all along. Looking at you,

The Midnight Library.

The way the machine works was interesting.  It's hard to know how the options would be shaped with multiple people.

While I appreciated that Jason started out being happy with his reality, it seems from the few POV chapters we get from Daniela that she wasn't as content.   It's hard to say from just a few short glimpses, but she seemed to wonder more about the road not taken and feel like her life has stagnated whereas Jason had some mild curiosity about it but was generally content.

Compounding the problem, Jason really did treat his original life as a sort of prize to be won.  Daniela even calls him out on it once he comes up with the lottery idea.    It's good that she gets to make a decision at the end, but it does feel like she doesn't have much agency.   It's not like she gets to really meet the other Jasons (other than the one who took the place of her husband, that is).  Neither did their son.

I'll admit, it didn't occur to me that there would be other non POV Jasons who made it back to his original reality, although it makes perfect sense that would be true.

Fleeing to somewhere new probably was the only solution, though it would have to be some kind of pristine world because otherwise they'd have to explain duplicates of people and figure out how to obtain legal ID.  Of course, if some world without people they'd have to figure out how to provide for themselves.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Murder, Violence, and Gun violence

Minor: Abortion, Medical content, and Pandemic/Epidemic