Review: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (Spoiler-Free)

Blake Crouch did the multiverse before the multiverse was cool.

I'm a sucker for a sci-fi thriller written by a mediocre white man and this was no exception. I was looking for my first five-star read of the year and didn't quite get it with this one, but that's okay. My eyes were superglued to the pages nonetheless.

The opening of this book is killer, but the first third is a little bogged down by sappy emotional content when what I was looking for was some ACTION and mindfuckery. Luckily, I was promptly given that in the second act. The emotional buildup is relevant and I understand why it was included, but for me this book shined in the Box (iykyk). While the themes are predictable (yet appreciated), I had the most fun seeing the concept bent to its extremes and absolutely loved the time pressure of the limited number of ampoules. I was also blown away by the act three revelation—I've never seen the idea of the multiverse be thought of with such care.

Blake Crouch writes action scenes like no other. Both this and Upgrade have the most well-written, high octane fight sequences I've read in any thriller. I can't wait to read more of his work when I need something to pull me out of a slump. If his books can do anything, it's jolt you awake.