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A review by loxeletters
Dark Matter by Michelle Paver
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Above all, this is an immensely readable book - I've finished it in just three days (three work days!). For that alone I would give it 4 stars.
Often, I find journal-style books quite tedious, but here I found it worked very well. The MC's thoughts and his character development were very compelling. The scary elements were very strong in the beginning, but got a bit old at some point. Nevertheless, until the final showdown, I was usually at least a bit tense reading about the various mysterious occurrences.
The relationship between Jack and Gus was very sweet!At first I was a bit sceptical about the dedication to Gus that Jack shows in the epilogue, even after so much time - but then the circumstances are extraordinary AND it was set up well that Jack is antisocial and a bit an extreme type.
The ending is perhaps the weakest point - the buildup was strong, but the "showdown" was no longer as scary to me and felt rushed and dragging at the same time. What happened on the boat also went down too quickly to have true emotional impact for me.
The final chapter seemed almost superfluous - but I generally just tend to like my books a bit more open-ended.Jack's sudden hatred for physics and the sea specifically felt a bit misplaced - I would've rather seen him dealing with darkness, which affected him the most during those weeks. And again, the scene of Gus' death was too quick and brief so the fear of the sea doesn't feel as grounded in his experience. All that said, I did love going back to Algie's letter from the beginning and re-reading it with the new knowledge.
Reading other reviews, I found it interesting to see some found our protagonist annoying. While he's for sure a bit grouchy, I found the other characters in the book far less sympathetic, if mostly due to the classism. Which, by the way, I though the book handled this topic very well.
Often, I find journal-style books quite tedious, but here I found it worked very well. The MC's thoughts and his character development were very compelling. The scary elements were very strong in the beginning, but got a bit old at some point. Nevertheless, until the final showdown, I was usually at least a bit tense reading about the various mysterious occurrences.
The relationship between Jack and Gus was very sweet!
The ending is perhaps the weakest point - the buildup was strong, but the "showdown" was no longer as scary to me and felt rushed and dragging at the same time. What happened on the boat also went down too quickly to have true emotional impact for me.
The final chapter seemed almost superfluous - but I generally just tend to like my books a bit more open-ended.
Reading other reviews, I found it interesting to see some found our protagonist annoying. While he's for sure a bit grouchy, I found the other characters in the book far less sympathetic, if mostly due to the classism. Which, by the way, I though the book handled this topic very well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol