Dark Matter: A Novel

Dark Matter is a clever novel without being pretentious. It deals with a mind-boggling theme (quantum mechanics and the concept of parallel worlds) without making it inaccessible. Some reviewers have complained that it's not 'clever' enough. Maybe so, if you want to be left addled and unfulfilled by a read (but then again, we're not all quantum physicists). I have an understanding of wave theory - however, I didn't pick up this novel to explore this area in meticulous depth but, rather, to be entertained - and this novel is nothing if not entertaining. At its heart is a love story - that of Jason and his wife, Daniela. The plot has been summarised by other reviewers, so I won't repeat. But the crux of the novel is Jason's desire to return to the life he's been pulled out of. Some of the negative reviews take the view of 'so what' - Jason's been given the opportunity to make a life in any number of parallel worlds - does it really matter if he doesn't get back to his wife and son? Can't he make a life with someone else, somewhere else. Well, no. I should imagine that it would feel like a bereavement if anyone found themselves pulled out of their life and deposited in another dimension where their wife and child either didn't exist, or existed as strangers. So, for me, Jason's quest made perfect sense. I found the plot pacey and compelling. Blake Crouch doesn't take the easy route (for a while, I thought the book was going to consist of Jason taking ampule after ampule of the mind-altering compound (which allowed him to 'see' the infinite portals to parallel worlds) and visiting one place after another. However, the novel quickly gets Jason down to his last remaining ampule and then takes another interesting turn. Is Dark Matter the most intelligent novel ever written about the multiverse? Probably not. But is it exciting and though provoking for those of us without a physics degree? For sure. In fact, it would make an amazing movie. To conclude, I enjoyed this book so much, that I've immediately gone on to start Abandon, by the same author, which is, I should imagine, the highest compliment a reader can pay a writer.

Dark Matter is undisputedly weird, but it's also exceptionally well written, tightly paced and mind blindingly interesting. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it and frankly I still wasn't sure what was going on half way through. But that actually isn't a negative thing here. Crouch makes good use of the reader's confusion, throwing them into the same state of disorientation as his protagonist, Jason Desson. Jason lives a near enough perfect life. He's not the brilliant scientist he once thought he'd be, but he wouldn't give up the wife and son he traded for it for the world. Only one day, he doesn't have the choice. Attacked, kidnapped, bundled into a car and thrown into some strange world where he seems to be a completely different person, Jason struggles to reconcile what has happened and figure out what his next options are. And the reader is along for the ride. Just as confused, just as baffled by what's going on. The reader works things out along with Jason and that makes for a tight and tense novel with some very high stakes. This is a novel about choices. About how the choice you make today could have reverberated out into a completely different world and a completely different you if you had made the other choice. How the road untravelled can be a fascinating temptation if you had the ability to go back. Where it falls apart slightly is in the characters; the two main protagonists are well depicted, but everyone else is more or less just backing, easily forgotten and discarded when they have played their part. But for all that it is a fascinating and intriguing novel that caught my attention even when I had no idea what was going on.

A very well written and intriguing story. This kept me guessing until the very last page. The book is full of twists and unexpected directions. At one point I though "I know what is happening here" and momentarily felt disappointed that I had worked it out but I had actually not worked anything out at all. Rarely do I feel a book is un-putdownable but this was totally glued to my hand for the duration of the read. I even explained the plot to my wife who dislikes SciFi and she was riveted as well. Absolutely wonderful read. I could feel the character Jason1's love for his wife and his desperation to return to her. The contrast of these characters was so tangible I felt swept up in the story. This is my third Blake Crouch book, having read Upgrade and Recursion I could not wait to keep reading more and am currently reading Pines.

I’ve been aware of this book since Kirsty’s husband read it a couple of years ago however came across it again while scrolling on booktok so I thought I’d give it a try. The story explores the concept of the title - dark matter - and follows our main character Jason Dessen. Jason is a physics professor and family man who is suddenly abducted and taken far from his normal day to day life. Infact, into another universe. As the story unfolds it becomes clear to Jason what’s going on and how he has to try and get back to his own life in his own universe. This is an interesting read which explores the dark matter in a way that I, a mere layman, was able to generally understand and follow with only a little bit of confusion along the way. The scientific ins and outs are not the main focus of the story so it’s not too heavy in that respect. I was a bit disappointed by the ending of this one! I thought there was going to be more of a resolution than what happened in the end! I would definitely read more from Blake Crouch and have Wayward Pines lined up in my TBR. I think I’ll probably watch the TV series becuase I think the execution will be interesting! Have you read or watched this one?

Dark Matter hooked me from the very start — it was actually my first thriller book, and I loved every minute of it. The story is incredibly gripping, blending suspense with a fascinating exploration of identity and reality. I knew early on that the kidnapper’s voice sounded familiar, so I realised he had kidnapped himself, which added an extra layer of intrigue. The book goes more in-depth than the show adaptation, which I appreciated, though I liked how the show left more openings for a sequel. Honestly, I wish the book had one too! Overall, Dark Matter is a thrilling read that I’d definitely recommend to anyone looking to dive into the thriller genre.

Dark Matter is truly a thought-provoking novel that takes the reader to alternative universes and really spell bounds you into thinking about our very existence. Crouch has just a well paced style of writing he captures you from th very beginning and draws you in. Hard to put down and a real page turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end. I highly recommend.

I really enjoy books that read like you're watching a movie. This was one of those experiences. It was easy to read due to its short, snappy sentences, was really visual in its delivery, and its premise was amazingly executed. Definitely worth a read! Fifteen years ago, Jason Dessen made a choice. Now he works as a physics professor at a local college, is married to Daniela, and has a son, Charlie, who is almost fifteen. Jason loves his life - wouldn't change it - but often wonders what could have been. In another life, he might never have given up his research to have a family. He might have continued, making groundbreaking discoveries in quantum physics and realising the impossible. His wife could have been the famous artist she was on track to be. Instead, they had Charlie and made a life together. One day, Jason is kidnapped and knocked unconscious. He wakes up in a world full of this alternate possibility. Charlie doesn't exist. Daniela isn't his wife. The Jason in this world went on to make those discoveries, realise the impossible. But is he happier for it? It strikes me that there are some decisions we make our minds often come back to, and this book is that thought embodied. It was fascinating to read about someone who kind of regrets the decision they did make, only to have the alternative stare them in the face and make them wonder which would make them happier. I really enjoyed reading this but my only criticism of it is that the plot centers on two ultimate roads: have kids or have a career. Maybe I'm naive but can't you have both?

Some novels are great airport thrillers. You know the deal, they are easy to read. Can be picked up and put down in an instant and required little more thought than it takes to read them. On the face of the first chapter or two Dark Matter would appear to fall firmly into that category. The main character, Jason, has a perfect (probably a little too perfect to be believable, his teenage son, Charlie, being so close to the parents stretches your belief a little) family life with his son and wife Daniela. Then it takes a left turn as Jason is abducted by a masked man. Whilst not fully engaging the grey cells at this point you start getting more involved and a bit more thought is required. What happens after that involves several scientific theories (Schrödinger's cat for instance) and when you get to the end quite a lot of leaps of brain power, imagination and belief. The final section is dense, dark and ultimately a sequence that could be lifted off the page and straight into a movie. And perhaps that's my only issue with this book. It reads like a long form movie treatment at times and screams at you that it will only be in book form for a short period before it hits the big screen. This is something the acknowledgements at the back certainly give a lot of credence too. Returning to the story, plot and characters this is a fun, thought provoking, thought involving novel that if you strip everything away is a scientific/sci-fi thriller. Its a lot of fun to read, very dark in places but it also is a novel that might make you think a little after you finish it.

Dark Matter combina ficção científica, suspense e romance na mesma história. O que achei mais legal é como o autor aborda os multiversos fazendo uma reflexão com as escolhas que fazemos na vida. Único ponto negativo é que do meio para frente o livro parece que caminha “com pressa” para um desfecho e algumas coisas não são muito bem explicadas. No entanto, vale a leitura mesmo assim.

A PLOT TWISTING must read ! An exceptional book with amazing twists. I loved the starting and thought this was a normal science-fiction… but after reading half of the book I was thrilled with the twists. I completed reading this book in 3 days only! The first half of the book did not kept me that hooked, but when reading the other half of the book, I was hooked all the time, can’t keep it down. If you’re looking for a science-fiction, fast-paced book; go for it! I purchased another popular book of Blake Crouch (Recursion) as soon as I completed reading this one cause I heard it’s a science-fiction too! Definitely gonna write a review for that one too. Thanks.

Dark Matter was a phenomenal story. I’m going to do my best to sum up my thoughts about it, but I’m not sure I can fully capture my experience in this review. My advice: If you like science-fiction, read it. It’s worth your time. There’s some science in the plot, but it’s addressed in such a way that anyone can read it and understand exactly what’s going on (even though the concepts are rooted in theoretical physics, which can be mind-bogglingly difficult to wrap your head around.) It focuses on the many-worlds theory and how every choice we make as individuals sets off a new branch (or branches) of reality, where we chose differently than we did in our reality. If you think about it, the possible other realities are infinite. But beyond the science is a story about a man whose life is uprooted and stolen from him by himself from another reality. Jason Dessen is a professor of physics in his reality, but elsewhere, he’s uncovered a breakthrough that allows him to experience his life if he had chosen differently. It is a wild case of stolen identity, and the lengths professor Jason will go to to get his life back. It also showcases the human elements of the story; love, loss, grief, despair… There were a couple passages that had me almost in tears when Jason was thinking of his wife from his reality. They were married for 15 years, she was his best friend, and to know that he had been replaced by an alternate version of himself, while she remains completely unaware, was heartbreaking (I’ve been married 19 years, and feel much the same about my husband, so that part of the story really hit hard.) I don’t know what else to say about Dark Matter, other than it’s such a good book. Highly recommend. One final note: I have not watched the TV series based on the novel, so I don’t know how it compares.

WOOOOW! How should I start? This was one of the best books I have read this year and probably in my life, I was completely hooked from page 13 and it's been non-stop ever since. ❤️ With a very dynamic rhythm, this story captivates you, makes you dream and makes you wonder many things; how shocking would it be meeting different versions of yourself?! I highly recomend it for several reasons: a unique story, the characters make you feel different emotions, I find the ideal of the multiverse fascinating and not too far from reality... I'm pretty sure this story won't be forgotten for a long time

Een leuk idee dat prima is uitgevoerd, was mijn gedachte tot vlak op het einde. Maar dan volgt er een twist die ik niet zag aankomen maar toch zo slim is dat het hele verhaal opeens een extra diepte krijgt. Sowieso is Crouch wel goed in net voldoende spanning toevoegen zodat je verder wilt, dus het boek leest lekker weg. Aanrader.