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calliebuczkowski's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
maddie_can_read's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I didn't think the characterization was great
The main character felt like he was making really stupid decisions a lot of the time which took me out of the book a bit because it made me think about why tf he wasn't doing something else
The writing felt a bit clunky sometimes, felt like it was written more to be a screenplay for tv show or movie
Pacing was a bit inconsistent, felt like it wrapped up too quickly given how much build up there was.
A bit too predictable.
I was hoping the romance plotline was going to be more engaging/ interesting and felt disappointed.
Graphic: Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Rape and Abortion
ababytapir's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Cancer, Rape, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy
If you struggle with derealisation, dissociation or depersonalisation, or any sort of identify disorder, this book could potentially be incredibly triggering. Proceed with extreme caution. Violence warning: There is an incredibly detailed description of a gory epidemic/pandemic. There are multiple gory descriptions of dead bodies, murder, and horrific natural disasters. There is a long kidnapping scene. There's multiple instances of stalking.iono's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, Abortion, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
fkshg8465's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
The bad: I knew pretty early on that this was not going to be a favorite. I don't read a lot of thrillers in general but I enjoy sci-fi so I figured I would give it a shot. I couldn't stand the main character. And thus, the book was doomed in my eyes. The pacing was jumpy, and the plot was predictable (as in, I guessed what really happened in the first chapter and the main character didn't figure it out until the ~50% mark). There was some promise for some thoughtful introspection but the approach was heavy-handed at best. Some of the descriptions were vivid and others were flat out whacky.
I don't know if I will try another book by the author, but I don't think I was the intended audience for this work so who knows what the future holds.
Minor: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
allisnbc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Minor: Rape
dellydoos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
1.0
Let's start with the writing, shall we? Prepare yourself for a masterclass in corny writing and vague description, because all attempts at creating suspense and intrigue fell flat in this book. It's as if the author was trying to be mysterious and profound, but instead ended up being frustratingly unclear and monotonous. He repeatedly slaps you in the face with the message that life is valuable and that we shouldn't take things for granted, like thank you Dr Phil, now let me get back to my Love Island reruns. The same phrases and descriptions are regurgitated ad nauseam and felt weak. And sometimes my man Crouch didn’t even like to write in full sentences sometimes. Using full stops and line breaks like he’s writing poetry for 7th grade.
I hate.
This.
Book.
As a reader, I expected a book called Dark Matter to explore the wonders of science, but instead, there’s not one reference to dark matter, or any fucking matter for what it’s worth. This is a pitiful attempt at science fiction, where the science is painfully simplified, and the author seems more interested in throwing around random scientific terms to impress rather than educate. Take our main character for instance, Jason. He’s supposed to be this incredibly intelligent physics lecturer and scientist. So why was it, that I was piecing everything together well before he was? If you enjoy witnessing a main character being touted as intelligent only to witness them make one stupid decision after the other, then have I got a book for you.
But wait, there's an additional insult to injury for those who value feminist storytelling. Because Dark Matter fails here on multiple levels. Daniela, the so-called “the wife character,” (quotation marks to indicate how stereotypical it all was) is reduced to a mere caricature, enduring a horrific fate that includes being killed, raped by deception, and shamelessly sexualized. What I love most of all about these aspects is the way that Crouch does not address them or even really acknowledges them at all in his writing. It’s almost as there was no critical thinking, or even a sensitivity reader for this book. So if someone wants to tell me what the hell, “dark Spanish eyes,” means, that’d be great. I’d also like to point out that I wasn’t entirely sure if Daniela was a WOC or not (I skim-read majority of this book), but if she is that then makes this representation all the shittier.
I just wasn’t impressed with this book. The plot may have been more interesting if it wasn’t super predictable. Jason was a pain in my ass and played too much into the “everyman” trope to be memorable. And you know what the saddest part about this review is? I originally was only going to give this book 2 stars, but then I got to the rape-by-deception bit and said no way buddy.
1/5 stars.
Moderate: Rape and Sexism
Minor: Sexual content
rocwood1105's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: Drug use
Minor: Rape
ggcd1981's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Violence, Stalking, and Alcohol