The Perks Of Being A Book Addict discussion

Our group read for August is Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Please discuss here and remember to use spoiler tags as needed, as everyone may start at different times and reads at different speeds.



“Are you happy with your life?”

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before a man Jason’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 physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

From the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy, Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human—a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.

Picking this up from the library today!

100% Done. I loved this book! I am a Blake Crouch fan.

I don't really consider myself a big fan of science-fiction type books, but I'm a fan of Blake Crouch books. He has a way of writing that makes sense. I can picture the scenes he has created. I am drawn into his worlds. In this book, Jason Dessen is kidnapped at gun point, taken to an out of the way location and drugged. When he wakes up, he is told "Welcome Back" by a man who claims to be friends with him, and his wife and son are nowhere in sight. He soon learns that his son does not exist and his wife is not his wife. Thus begins the Dark Matter journey.

As I mentioned, Crouch is a gifted and intelligent writer who can take a subject such as physics/quantum physics and make it sound not only interesting but makes it almost understandable to us, the reader. That is a gift in and of itself. As I mentioned this is a science-fiction novel but it is also a love story. It's a story about physics, love, life choices, and coming home.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it fast and then wished that I hadn't. Isn't that the way of great books? I just have to keep turning the pages, I need to know more, I want to read more, it's past my bedtime but I don't care because I need to finish this book to see what happens. That is what I experienced when I read Pines (by Crouch) and when I read this book.

Below is a link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm also not usually a sci fi fan but this one kept me interested the entire time.

I just finished it and it was so amazing. I did not think I was going to like this book, as I had never read this genre before, but I could not stop reading at all.

I've read thee chapters. I like it a lot!
(view spoiler)[ the second chapter - where he's just "back" (whatever the hell that might mean) was a little dull. But I'm really loving his way of writing and everything in the first and third chapter seemed interesting to me.
I also love the fact that his house was similar in the new world: the picture of the vacation spot especially. But I disliked that the house in which he was a successful scientist was cleaner, neater and fancier. That seemed a bit too easy to me. (hide spoiler)]
Eager to read on!

chapter Eight & before
I'm reading this one in Dutch, so maybe I'll translate some terms here in a different way than in the book, but I hope you all understand =)

Still loving it! I really like crazy science! It reminds me a little bit of Fringe (TV series) without stealing their storylines, which is a good thing!
Being an (amateur) scientist, I actually understand the theories they talk about which is great! (view spoiler)[ I was very proud of myself when I figured out they should be able to rearrange the doors in the cube in a convenient way (since it is a manifestation of their brain trying to process multiple universes at once), before it was mentioned haha! ;)

I liked the identity of the kidnapper too. I didn't guess it before it was mentioned, but I kicked myself for not figuring it out (which is always great because I like not seeing things coming, but apparently it was believable in the story because I thought I should have figured it out).

I was really shocked when they killed Daniele, poor woman. She was so great!

thought: I think "scientist-Jason" brought "wife-Jason" too his universe himself (he injected himself too), because he was the only one who could have found the right door. And it's probably why he also drugged "wife-Jason" with Katamine, so his consciousness (If you can speak about such a thing in this case) wouldn't interfere.
Anyone agree? I'm curious if I'm right ;-) Will tell you when I finish the book =D

I loved the frozen family (well, loved isn't really the right word. But I mean story wise). I was so sad, as well as creepy. I like that sorta thing in my stories! (hide spoiler)]

It's a good one, this one! <3

Halfway through chapter 13
(view spoiler)[ the description of how our Jason (previously described him al "wife-Jason", but now realize that's not a good description) met Daniella was really moving. I teared up a bit and I don't do that a lot!

The storyline of the multiple Jasons trying to find their way home is great! It's also scientifically correct and another thing I felt like I should have seen coming!

The book really gets me thinking about how we live our life, what decides how we live it and how easily it could be different. It scares me a little, but is also fascinating. (hide spoiler)]

I read a little bit longer as I was supposed too (I have work to do, oops!), but it just sucked me in!
i'll probably finish it tonight.

Finished it! I liked it a lot! 4,5 stars (i don't know why, but I just didn't love it). (view spoiler)[Little action at the end, wasn't really necessary. Sweet ending though. (hide spoiler)]
Full review here, if you want to know more ;-)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just finished it. I don't usually read sci-fi, but I must admit I really enjoyed it. I imagined it as a movie when I was reading it and it actually read like a script sometimes.
(view spoiler)[ I liked the almost open ending, I honestly think this was the best possible conclusion to this story without having an unnecessary cliche ending where everyone lives happily ever after. I must admit that I was worried for a second that there will be some "dramatic" scene, where Daniela would have to differentiate her Jason from the evil one and I almost rolled my eyes on this scene when they confronted. Thankfuly that didn't happen. (hide spoiler)] It's a really quick read, pretty fast paced, but I would appreciate it more if the action would slow down a little from time to time. Overall I enjoyed it :)

(by the way - looking at your ratings makes me feel uncomfortable, only 4 or 5 stars. Am I too harsh? :P for me it's like a 3.5/5, not quite 4, don't hate me! I still enjoyed it!)

This book would be a wonderful movie, if done correctly. I think I am going to have to look into other books by Blake Crouch!

Natalia wrote: "(by the way - looking at your ratings makes me feel uncomfortable, only 4 or 5 stars. Am I too harsh? :P for me it's like a 3.5/5, not quite 4, don't hate me! I still enjoyed it!)
"

I only gave it a 2, largely because of the quality of the writing.

Halfway through and I am trapped - will probably finish it today :-)