Dark Matter By Blake Crouch
Truly thrilling. The type of book you will be able to finish in one sitting. Dark Matter will keep you engrossed in an unbelievably addictive story. With twists and turns at every corner, Dark Matter is a roller coaster everyone should ride.
Jason Dessen, a retired research scientist, is just a normal guy. He is happily married and has a child with his wife Daniela. However, one night after attending a party for his friend Ryan Holder, Jason is kidnapped by a masked man who injects him with a strange drug. Jason slowly fades into a deep trance. When Jason wakes up, he is shocked to realize that he is being held at a scientific research center. He is also perplexed that everyone in the facility knows who he is. Filled with fear from this bewildering experience, Jason sneaks out of a window and flees.
Jason decides he needs to go see the one person that will help him, his wife Daniela. He returns home to find no sign of Daniela and his son Charlie. Not even a photo of them. It's like they were never there. Now Jason is really freaked out. He becomes even more so when he finds a listing that has his wife's maiden name on it. The listing says she is putting on an art exhibit. Danelia stopped painting years ago. Jason decides to go to the exhibit and when he gets there, Daniela acts like they were never married. Daniela tells Jason that he broke up with her when she told him he was pregnant. Could things get any worse for Jason, can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves?
Calling Dark Matter a thriller is an understatement. It is a cliffhanger, nailbiter, and suspenser blended into one 300-page book. To better convey how crazy Dark Matter really is, here is an excerpt from a Goodreads book review that convinced me to read this book:
What, with all due respect, what was this book?
"What just happened? What did I just read? How does one even begin to process the sheer craziness that is this book? What now? Am I supposed to just go to school, go to work, respond to emails, and function as a normal member of society as though this book hasn't just completely rearranged the insides of my brain, messed with my heart, and thrown me into an existential crisis?" -Chai from Goodreads
I mean come on. How can you not read a book when there is a review like that? Not only is the plot of Dark Matter crazy, but the writing also holds substance, transferring you into an absurd multi-dimensional universe. Crouch makes use of short sentence fragments during chase scenes so they read like this:
Amanda begins to walk.
Faster and faster.
Until she's jogging.
Then running.
Into a darkness that never changes.
Never ends.
The backstage of the multiverse.
The book reads as if it is being propelled by a jet engine. There is conflict at every corner, twists and turns are common, and it feels as if Jason is in a race to get back to his normal world. Although on the surface Dark Matter seems like a thriller, at heart, it is a deeply rooted love story. One in which a man tries everything he can to get back to his beloved family and recapture his normal life.
Dark Matter is the perfect book for someone who wants to get back into reading. It is the perfect book for a long road trip or plane ride. Everything happens so fast that you won't have time to catch your breath. Anyways, go read this book, it will take you on a heart-pounding, mindbending, relentless adventure!
