Book Review: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
A fast-paced sprint of a thriller toward an epic conclusion.
This was a fast read, though that seems to be a common thread with Blake Crouch's books!
"The box isn't all that different from life. If you go in with fear, fear is what you'll find."
I bought this book right about the time the show started airing. Since my husband and I were watching it together, I decided to wait to read the book until the season finale aired. So, I had a very good idea of where the book was going to go, but I knew that there would likely be some differences.
I found that the book and show are actually quite closely aligned, with a few differences that make each unique. The show hits all of the same story beats, and a lot of the lines in the script are taken directly from the book - it helps that the author wrote most of the episodes! There were also some changes from the book to show that I was quite pleased with, mostly expanding on the POV's. I’m intrigued by how the show could take this into another season.
Through the book, I felt some emotion from our main character during his distress, but the writing also felt unusually detached for a first-person telling. There were also some moments toward the end that felt like they fit together too neatly for how messy the story became.
I enjoyed seeing moments from Daniela, where she was starting to suspect something was off. That was one thing I really liked in the show - the writers took her perspective and really ran with it.
"We all live day to day completely oblivious to the fact that we're a part of a much larger and stranger reality than we can possibly imagine."
What a great story this was! It was terrifying and quite the ride. Overall I liked this one more than Upgrade, though I liked both ideas! Definitely looking forward to Recursion, as I've heard from a few people that it's his best.
Rating: ★★★★
Book Summary
- Title: Dark Matter
- Author: Blake Crouch
- Genre: Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery
- Who Should Read It? Anyone who likes a mind-bending, fast-paced read.
Synopsis: "Are you happy with your life?”
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the kidnapper knocks him unconscious.
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.
Before a man he’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college professor but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
Is it this life or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how will Jason make it back to the family he loves?
