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A review by joannemae
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I saw a reddit post comparing this book to the movie Interstellar and the comparison is very much valid. If you liked Interstellar, you'll like this book. I didn't care much for Interstellar.
I think I definitely would have liked this book more if I read it in 2016, when it came out. It's just that the multiverse has been done to death, and it's been done so beautifully (*ahem* Everything, Everywhere, All At Once) since then that this book falls flat in comparison. The themes in this book are EXACTLY what you would expect from a multiverse piece, but what it really falls short on is that it refuses to treat its reader like intelligent beings that can comprehend nuance and come away with their own interpretations. Instead, it keeps beating you in the head with a monologue that over-emphasizes exactly what the author wanted you to take away from the book.
Its saving grace is that it's a decently fun book that was really quick to read. I liked it, but I didn't love it. (I fear I'm getting gaslit with all the 4 and 5 star reviews... did I read a different book from y'all???)
Also... let's not pretend like this doesn't fall into the same traps that most male-written sci-fi books do. The women here were BLAND and served no purpose other than to be sexy vixens that help our heroic male character achieve their destiny. I knew it was coming and yet I still expected better.
I think I definitely would have liked this book more if I read it in 2016, when it came out. It's just that the multiverse has been done to death, and it's been done so beautifully (*ahem* Everything, Everywhere, All At Once) since then that this book falls flat in comparison. The themes in this book are EXACTLY what you would expect from a multiverse piece, but what it really falls short on is that it refuses to treat its reader like intelligent beings that can comprehend nuance and come away with their own interpretations. Instead, it keeps beating you in the head with a monologue that over-emphasizes exactly what the author wanted you to take away from the book.
Its saving grace is that it's a decently fun book that was really quick to read. I liked it, but I didn't love it. (I fear I'm getting gaslit with all the 4 and 5 star reviews... did I read a different book from y'all???)
Also... let's not pretend like this doesn't fall into the same traps that most male-written sci-fi books do. The women here were BLAND and served no purpose other than to be sexy vixens that help our heroic male character achieve their destiny. I knew it was coming and yet I still expected better.