Dark Matter
“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.
Author: Blake Crouch
Rating: 4/5
This was an engaging, fast-paced book that kept me not quite on the edge of my seat, but certainly far from resting comfortably back in it. There weren't really any slow moments, and I was always eager to see what would happen next. It was a quick read without feeling shallow, and I truly enjoyed it.
I also found this book to be less predictable than I had originally assumed it would be, which was a pleasant surprise—although I think I still would have enjoyed the story even if it had aligned with my predictions. And while I'm always for a good old traditional sci-fi book with aliens and the like, I loved that this sci-fi book stayed within the 21st century; it taught me about science as we currently understand it, using that knowledge to spin a tale that is really not so far outside the realm of possibility today.
Jason's character development and emotions are poignant and relatable, and you really come to love and empathize with him through his terror, longing, love, desperation, and determination.
What's more, this book made me wonder about many things, and it made me feel grateful for my life—exactly the way it is.