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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I liked the part where he drank rolling rock and watched baseball
fast-paced
Way too repetitive. By the time I got closer to the end, I just didn’t care about how it would all turn out.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
Reading this felt like reading a Christopher Nolan movie lmao
Recursion drops us into a world where people suffer from "false memory syndrome," causing them to recall vivid memories of lives they never actually lived. Through the perspectives of Barry Sutton, a cop investigating these cases, and Helena Smith, a scientist working on memory technology, Blake Crouch weaves an increasingly complex narrative about the nature of identity and the dangerous power of manipulating the past.
The first half builds upon this foundation with rapid fire pacing, but it's the second half where things really take off, particularly around Book 5 when the stakes skyrocket.
I absolutely adore Barry and Helena's relationship, which Crouch portrays with raw emotional honesty. Their connection across shifting timelines feels visceral and genuine, all the way to the end in Antarctica, where Barry finally had all the answers to the time paradox ready to go, but Helena dying when her mind deteriorates after jumping through so many timelines, were genuinely harrowing, and made their struggles all the more impactful as they face even more impossible odds and choices.
That said, I did have some issues with the characters' decision making. Also, the sci-fi mechanics occasionally felt a bit convenient rather than logically sound.
Despite these logical frustrations, Crouch manages to create a genuinely thought provoking thriller with central questions surrounding humanity, progress, and playing god. Recursion is fast paced, intense, and will definitely mess with your head. If you can embrace the chaos and not overthink the science, it's a wild ride worth taking.
Reading this felt like reading a Christopher Nolan movie lmao
Recursion drops us into a world where people suffer from "false memory syndrome," causing them to recall vivid memories of lives they never actually lived. Through the perspectives of Barry Sutton, a cop investigating these cases, and Helena Smith, a scientist working on memory technology, Blake Crouch weaves an increasingly complex narrative about the nature of identity and the dangerous power of manipulating the past.
The first half builds upon this foundation with rapid fire pacing, but it's the second half where things really take off, particularly around Book 5 when the stakes skyrocket.
Spoiler
The New York, Arkansas, and Denver timelines, with the bombs dropping, I could practically feel Barry's skin peeling from his hands during that vault opening scene.I absolutely adore Barry and Helena's relationship, which Crouch portrays with raw emotional honesty. Their connection across shifting timelines feels visceral and genuine, all the way to the end in Antarctica, where Barry finally had all the answers to the time paradox ready to go, but Helena dying when her mind deteriorates after jumping through so many timelines, were genuinely harrowing, and made their struggles all the more impactful as they face even more impossible odds and choices.
That said, I did have some issues with the characters' decision making.
Spoiler
Seriously, if you know the world is going to disintegrate on April 16th, maybe don't go hiking 5 miles away from the magic chair that is key from saving the world?).Despite these logical frustrations, Crouch manages to create a genuinely thought provoking thriller with central questions surrounding humanity, progress, and playing god. Recursion is fast paced, intense, and will definitely mess with your head. If you can embrace the chaos and not overthink the science, it's a wild ride worth taking.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief
Moderate: Child death, Death, Dementia, War
Minor: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No