Holy Smokes! Blake, you sure know how to twist a good tale! I loved Dark Matter and I loved this one even more.

The book is a bit repetitive, but it has to be. Hang in there and you won't be disappointed.

My thanks to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for this advanced readers copy. Recursion is due to release in June 2019.

Holy Ambition Batman! Blake, Blake, Blake! This book is an epic tale that took my breath away. Thank goodness it was told in four parts. That helped me make a bit of sense of it all, but only barely. My mind whirled reading this, and while the technical elements bored me a bit, and certainly confused the heck out of me, I really enjoyed it. There is a love story is at the heart of the book, but you don't really know it until the second half. Part of me wishes it was alluded to earlier to establish a sense that Helena and Barry were to be star crossed lovers later in the book, But I know some things need to be left for later in order to get the story moving. A small voice inside of me is yelling to say that I do think Blake may have bitten off a bit more than he could chew with this book. Because while I really enjoyed it, it was very confusing at times. It got a bit overwhelming to my limited brain and I wound up skimming parts so I wouldn't go cross eyed. It also felt a bit repetitive at times, but that makes sense because the book is called Recursion. Hence things keep recurring. Ha! I cannot fathom how Shonda Rhimes and Mr, Crouch will adapt this into a movie for Netflix? I definitely think that this book warrants a limited series at the very least. I would hate it to become a regular series because I think that would then lead to multiple off book seasons. But to tell this full story, you will need more than the time a feature length film allows. Aside from the timeless love story, Recursions best parts are when it all begins to fall apart. The book turns into a downward spiraling, groundhogs/doomsday scenario. I LOVED this whole section as I am an end of days book fanatic. These chapters had me flipping the pages so fast in order to see what was coming next. Blake is one of my favorite authors and ranks up there with Sir Stephen King. I will read whatever he writes forever!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Recursion in exchange for any honest review. :)

I loved Blake Crouch's Dark Matter, so I was excited to read this. As expected, it did not disappoint. What a thrill-ride, I felt like I was on a roller-coaster. I didn't understand all the details, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment of this book. It make me think: wouldn't it be nice to go back into your memories and re-read books for the first time (again)?

"We think we're perceiving the world directly and immediately, but everything we experience is this carefully edited, tape-delayed reconstruction." *

It's been eleven years since NYC detective Barry Sutton's sixteen-year-old daughter was killed in a hit and run.  He's still grieving that loss and the subsequent disintegration of his marriage when he begins to investigate a suicide involving the new phenomenon False Memory Syndrome.

"Eight months ago, the Centers for Disease Control identified sixty-four cases with similiarities in the Northeast. In each case, a patient presented with complaints of acute false memories. Not just one or two. A fully imagined alternate history covering large swaths of their life up until that moment. Usually going back months or years. In some instances, decades." *

Meanwhile, scientist Helena Smith has been given unlimited funding to continue her research on mapping memories of dementia patients. Helena works non-stop to design a chair that will allow subjects in advanced stages of Alzheimer's to reactivate mapped and stored memories. She's determined to perfect the design before her own mother's memories are lost forever.  
As testing begins, Helena finds herself at odds with billionaire benefactor Paul Slade when it appears they are no longer working toward the same goal.  Helena wanted a chair that would allow people to relive their memories.  Slade shocks her with the news that the chair actually allows people to return to the past.

Running across multiple timelines, Recursion takes readers through the past and present in a race to save a world suffering the far-reaching effects of False Memory Syndrome from self-destructing.

I had a hard time putting this book down!  It's compulsively readable with a compelling story, likeable MCs, and multiple action-packed timelines that come together seamlessly once you can keep them straight!  

Thanks to Crown and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.  Recursion is scheduled for release on June 11, 2019.

*Quotes included are from a digital advanced reader's copy and are subject to change upon final publication.

So, everyone has talked about the brilliance of Blake Crouch and his writing.

I was super excited to read Recursion by this author and expecting a wild ride! Well.. unfortunately this book was extremely hard for me to get into and lost my interest completely.

I don't do well with multiple timelines and going back/forth between characters and timelines when I can't connect to the storyline period. I was getting so frustrated and confused trying to piece everything together. It finally started to pick up half way through but not enough for me to be "wowed" by the story.

I don't like to feel like reading is "work" for me to keep track of a book and unfortunately this was wayyy to much work for me.

Overall, 3 stars for me on this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 6/11/19
Published to Goodreads: 5/8/19

I completely lose myself in Blake Crouch's worlds and Recursion was no exception. I started this late one Sunday evening and ended up staying up until almost 2 am to finish because my goodness I had to know...

Recursion delivers a brilliant, addictive science fiction thriller. One you won't be able to set down. Add it to your bookshelf or audio library. It's the perfect summer thriller.

Full review will appear on Caffeinated Reviewer June 11th (link provided) It will be shared on all social media for 90 days. Reviews will post to Amazon and Goodreads.

This book was such a nice read. I’ve read Dark Matter from this author and really enjoyed it. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this was just as good as that one. I enjoyed the story and the characters were very well written.

My thanks to Crown Publishing, Blake Crouch and Netgalley. Once again I received a gratis copy, all for the price of a measly review! What's funny is that I truly hate reviewing books, but for some author's, I'll go through it! Or as I call it hell and high water!
First of all I have read Mr. Crouch since 2013. When I got my first kindle fire. I bought everything he had written, and loved most of it. Most! Man, all my favorite storytellers eventually scare the crap out of me. I love that and hate it! Crouch books tend to leave me with nightmares. Not that he's too terrifying, although I think so. But because his tales leave a lasting impression. I've read 2 crouch books that I hated. One was a short story, the other...blah, good behavior. Ug, hated it! It's a truth though, my favorite authors, sometimes stink! Crouch, has always been one of my go to authors. Forget Bad Behavior, because that was not my groove. Crouch, always gets a.pass because he tends to truly capture the imagination. He's one of about 20 or so authors who are so vividly descriptive, that I do see the mind movie. few author's are descriptive enough to give readers the mind movie. Blake is one of those who let me see. He unfolds a tale, and in my head it has color, and the smell and tastes are distinct and it's immersive. Really, all I need now is smellovision! So few authors can do that! I actually took some notes while reading this book. I NEVER take notes! But, I'll admit that looking through them it seemed "to me," to give too much away. Shit, damn and hell! I try not to ever do that. I'm sure you can find other reviews to give a tease. I don't tease! I mean, sometimes!😇 I thought at.first that this book may have been too much like Dark Matter. If you feel that too, then push through! This won't take long as it very quickly finds its own groove. then you're hooked! Also, if you are like me, and read and get the point of Quantum physics, mechs...I think you would love this. I have read much about quantum theories. Mathematics in is self is snoozeville, for me! Put it in words, and give me concepts, and I understand that. It makes sense to me. That doesn't mean I want anything discovered "too" much in this field. Just because of government and nut jobs! They are all the same really!
My last thought in this book, is what started off as one of my first thoughts in reading this book. Nobody should mess with my memories. Yes, some are false, and have changed in the many times I've remembered then. So what? Our real memories, changed or not are what were left with in the end.
I actually loved this book. I read it in 3 days. Sure I may have read another book or two at the time, but 3 freaking days!.That's a world record for this person! If you've not read Blake Crouch, then you should. This is more science fiction...which I usually hate! But, it was some damn fine reading. If you want Thriller/Horror? The Pines trilogy. No, not the lame show. Heck, just hit me up on Goodreads, and I'll find you 3 books that scares the gee willikers outta me, and 3 to 4 that are just "BLOODY" as you want! Don't be scared off from the science. It's in layman's terms, and very understandable! Highly recommended!

"He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past."
- George Orwell, 1984

This was a book I had to sit and think about before writing my review, mainly because I had to let it sink it. What would it be like to live your life over again? What would it be like to go back and change past events? How would this action affect your future? How would it affect the future of others? This book is deep and is thought provoking.

Blake Crouch has written a very ambitious and carefully crafted book about memory, preserving memory, shifting reality, and using our memories and dangers associated with altering these things. He does this with skill and finesse. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall while he was writing this.

Neuroscientist Helena Smith has dedicated her life to inventing a device which will preserve our memories. Her intentions are pure. She wants to help her Mother who has Alzheimer’s, she wants to help those experience their happy times once again. But what happens when people begin experiencing False Memory Syndrome - a syndrome that causes irrational behavior in those who experience memories of lives they never lived.

NYC police officer Barry Sutton begins to investigate the syndrome, he learns that there is more going on than meets the eye (or memory). As he digs deeper, he becomes more involved until he is knee deep in neuroscience, time, memories and a lifetime of trying to get things right.

I highly recommend making note of the date/YEAR on each chapter as this book is told in both timelines. Things jump around a bit and can be confusing if you are not on your toes keeping track of your time lines. This is a book I really needed to sit and ponder after reading. I found that the more I thought about this book, the more I enjoyed it.

Blake Crouch has a brilliant creative mind and he puts it to good use in this book. The beginning of this book was work for me until I found my rhythm with this book. Fans of his previous book [book:Dark Matter|27833670] will enjoy this one as well. I did enjoy Dark Matter more mainly because I found it was easier to follow but his one is good, but it took a little more (okay, a lot more) work on my part.

I also loved that not only is this science fiction it is also a love story and Crouch writes some beautiful passages such as “...I want to breathe the same air as you every minute of every day of my life, no matter how many timelines I live." and "My soul knows your soul in any time line."

Science Fiction fans, Crouch will not let you down with this book. Read those chapters headers and keep them in mind while reading each chapter as time does jump around.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow!

I read this several days ago and am still thinking about it. I read so many books that they often blend together. So when I'm still thinking about a book, that's a big deal to me.

This book is about memory, and how we store it. Wait, it's about time travel. No it's not, it's about the mapping and manipulation of memory.. You know what....you just need to read it. It's crazy. It's thought provoking. ..

It's a well written journey that you should try.

Exactly the kind of mind-blowing, trippy time travel stuff that I love and have come to expect from Blake Crouch. Genius and it makes you work to understand the story. 5 stars.

There is a devastating phenomenon that the media has dubbed "False Memory Syndrome" or FMS, where people have memories of things that they didn't actually experience. NYC cop Barry Sutton and neuroscientist Helena Smith are both working on opposite ends of the phenomenon. Barry wants to stop it, while Helena has dedicated her life's work to making it succeed. This page-turner sci-fi/thriller will leave Crouch fans on the edge of their seats.

This book is brilliant. I've read Dark Matter and enjoyed the ride it took me on, but Recursion is truly otherworldy. Without getting too deeply bogged down in the big philosophical questions (this is still mainly just a really fun book), Recursion is a vehicle that takes readers on an uncomfortably introspective journey into what it means to be human. It tackles grief, loneliness, regret, resentment, and so many other negative emotions that we grapple with. But what if we could wave them all away? What if we got a do-over? Would this ability change what inherently makes us human? If every moment had been lived before, and we are now appreciating it more appropriately, would these moments be richer or become hollowed out?

The last sci-fi book to give me this existential crisis was Version Control (read it!!!) and they were both well earned. Can't recommend this highly enough

Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced reader copy. Yet another good Sci-fi thriller from Crouch. This book started off strong and kept a good momentum throughout. I also did enjoy the romantic twist with Barry and Helena, and was rooting for them. The repetition was addicting and I couldn’t put the book down just to see what would happen next. I felt exhausted by the end. I wasn’t quite sure how it would end. I am not entirely sure how much I liked the ending, but perhaps it left it open for a sequel, which I would read.

To start off, Recursion is kind of similar to Dark Matter both in terms of plot and main characters. Barry is a divorced NYPD cop who's life was turned upside down by both the death of his daughter and the subsequent divorce from his wife. Helena is a brilliant scientist desperately trying to come up with a solution to save her mother from the ravages of Alzheimer's. Predictably, what Helena ultimately invents begins to wreak havoc and she and Barry are left racing against the clock to try to prevent the destruction of their world.

While I ended up really liking this book, the first 80-ish pages absolutely dragged. I spent most of book one bored out of my mind and struggling to care at all about Helena and Barry or their stories. Books two through five weren't long enough in my opinion. The story really took off and I was completely sucked in and unable to set Recursion down. I do vaguely remember having the same complaint about Dark Matter, and this is an issue I frequently have with sci-fi novels. I was also a little frustrated with how poorly the characters were written. None of these characters had full backstories and I don't really feel that we found out more about either Barry or Helena than the basic facts I outlined above.

Despite those (admittedly major) shortcomings, I really liked Recursion. The plot was a different and exciting take on the whole "people live their lives multiple times" trope. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Dark Matter, The Seven and a Half Lives of Evelyn Hardcastle, or any of the many other books with plots along these same lines. (I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

While I loved this author's book Dark Matter, unfortunately I can't say the same for this one. I will be the first to admit that I don't do well with multiple time lines and going back and forth into different scenarios. My head just can't seem to keep it all straight. I had the very same issue with The Time Traveler's Wife and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Suffice to say, this book was just not for me but I do know that others have loved it.

An entertaining and engaging exploration of memory, time, and enduring love.

I picked up this book because I loved DARK MATTER by the same author. This story is as captivating as the previous book. It starts with Barry, a NY detective who is answering a distress call and heads to a building where a woman is about to commit suicide. She suffers from FMS or False Memory Syndrome, a disorder where victims have memories of a life they never lived.

From then on, Detective Barry starts investigating this case and what he finds out is a lot more complex than he thought possible.

I was absorbed by the story and the subject matter, it was interesting and stimulating. Highly recommend it.

Received ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

I've read some of Crouch's books in the past and really enjoyed them. However, this one just didn't work for me. The author has created a world where you can see technology do incredible things, and I found the story to have some nice descriptive portions. But, I found it hard to get into, and some parts felt overdone. Helena was a likable character, and the concept is intriguing, but it didn't hold the momentum throughout for me.

Blake Crouch does it again in this sci-fi, mind blowing tale of a man and woman who try to save the world one memory at a time. Mistakes are made, lives are lost (and resurrected), and the age old questions of “playing god” are asked. This was an easy 5 ⭐️’s for me and I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on it this June. I know I’ll be springing for a hard copy to shove into the hands of all my hands. I

I thought Abandon was a good book. I thought Dark Matter was a good book. And Wayward Pines series and the Andrew Z. Thomas series. I had no idea that Blake Crouch had written an even better book. I created a new shelf just for this book to be the first on it. My "new all time favorite" shelf will be strictly for books of this caliber. I will compare all thriller and suspense books from now on to Recursion. To all the other writers of thrillers and suspense books you now have a high bar to look to.

I understand this book is being developed for a movie and tv series by none other than Shonda Rhimes for Netflix. As it should be. Please be soon, I won't be able to take it if it takes too long.

There is lots of science in the book but Blake Crouch has a way of giving you that information and not going over your head. And Barry and Helena are amazing characters. I hated for it to end but it ended perfectly.

When this book comes out June 11, 2019, run to the book store and buy it. Pre-order it and have it downloaded to you device asap. It is that good, people.

Thank you, thank you, to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book. And thank you Blake Crouch, keep them coming.