If you could go back and re-do the worst moment of your life, would you? Would it make things better or worse? Recursion raises the question of whether human suffering is a necessary part of life and what is truly best for the greater good vs. the individual. . .
Recursion wins the Made Me Go Back and ReRead The Most award! I absolutely loved this book but I’m pretty sure I barely followed it. Did you read Dark Matter by Blake Crouch? I did, and I loved that one too, but I get the sense that Dark Matter was almost like the training wheels and Recursion was like graduating to a big kids bike… It may be because I was pretty distracted and had a lot going on in my life at the time but there were parts of this book that were so hard to follow the first time and I’m I’m already turning over bits of this book in my head wishing I could dive back in. .
Definitely pick this one up if you love Blake Crouch, or if you love sci-fi in small bits. I’d call this one more of a sci-fi psychological thriller.

Fantastic story that did a good job of making me scratch my head. Crouch is good like that. I Will put this one in as many hands as I can.

Dark Matter was so good, I was worried I would be disappointed with this title. That wasn't the case. The concept of memory and what is true or not was a compelling story. It was definitely an interesting and entertaining read.

“I’m pretty sure you don’t want to come any closer detective .”

“Why is that?”

“I have FMS.”

False Memory Syndrome- A disease that causes one to remember multiple lifetimes down to the smallest of detail. These lives seemingly run parallel to one another. The person experiences excruciating headaches, nose bleeds , flashbacks and often cannot tell which timeline is reality. Which life is the one that they never lived? Where exactly do they belong? No one can figure out the cause, if there’s a cure, or even if it’s contagious. “Ten percent of people who get it kill themselves.”

“He is always looking back; living more in memories than the present. Often altering them to make them prettier, to make them perfect. Nostalgia is as much an analgesic for him as alcohol.”

Meet Helena, the brains behind a method that has the potential to change everything. “Just so you know, my primary goal is to help people. I want to find a way to save memories for deteriorating brains that can no longer retrieve them. A time capsule for core memories.” Especially for her mother, who is sick with Alzheimers.

But it only takes one person to take this initiative out of context—-one villain—-to use the manipulation of science for their own benefit. That person is Marcus Slade— an inventor and founder of many technologies; one of the world’s richest and most influential people. “This is way outside the bounds of responsible scientific testing.”

What if you could go back in time and manipulate the past? What if you could change anything and everything ? Would you?

“He wants out of his memory.”

“If this isn’t real it’s the cruelest thing that a person could do to him because this doesn’t feel like a virtual reality experience or whatever that man subjected him to.”

“Time is an illusion, a construct made out of human memory. There’s no such thing as the past, the present or the future. It’s all happening now.”

I’m definitely going against popular opinion with this one but I can’t help the way that I feel.

I loved Blake Crouch’s book “Dark Matter” SO much that I was beyond hyped for this one. But, I am ultimately disappointed. This was exactly what I thought it would be but so redundant. No one wants to hear the same exact story 7+ times only to achieve the same end result.

How do you rate a novel that while you could appreciate the effort, the science, the love; the story yet you were bored to death by repetition. I just wanted this book to end by 75%.

The monotony didn’t make me feel any type of emotion or allow me to connect to any of the characters. I felt no excitement or anticipation AT all.

There was even a snarky cliffhanger ending and I didn’t even care. Yikes!

Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars.

This was so trippy and so engaging. I didn't like it QUITE as much as Dark Matter, but it was still SO SO GOOD.

I'm not a huge sci-fi fan in the first place but this one sounded so good. I was taken in in the beginning. But then with all the shifting timelines and stories, I couldn't keep anything straight and this took away from any enjoyment of the book.

This was my first Blake Crouch and I will be reading more from him! A thought provoking story that made me think about the meaning of memories as it relates to how we define who we are and the reality in which we live. As I was reading it, there was so much I highlighted that made me feel melancholy and thoughtful. It was my first five star read of the year.

Imaginative, mind-boggling, & thrilling!

I was totally engrossed in reading RECURSION by BLAKE CROUCH and couldn’t put this book down! I don’t usually read Sci-fi novels, but there is something about this author’s books that I keep going back to. This one extremely fascinated me and I found it extremely easy to read and follow along to. I enjoyed the scientific jargon and the thought-provoking themes.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and Blake Crouch for the eGalley.

Whew! What a ride! Recursion deserves all of the stars. It’s a perfect sci-if thriller with a surprisingly poignant love story weaves in the middle. I know I’ve said it before, but I think it’s really true, Blake Crouch is the 21st century Michael Crichton. I have no doubt that if you loved Dark Matter you will also love Recursion.

”Life is nothing how he expected it would be when he was young and living under the delusion that things could be controlled."
I still hope for control on a daily basis. But it is delusional; even in our own more mundane lives, than in the crazy complex timelines of Recursion. Crouch takes us on a interwoven journey that shows the 'butterfly effect', explains deja vu, draws attention to the Mandala effect, and more. All current scientific theories or concepts, just like in Dark Matter, and Crouch reaches to just the next moment beyond what seems physically or metaphysically possible. It's brilliant the way he is able to root everything so solidly in known science (yes I googled many things while reading this). This solid scientific base allows the reader to believe in everything happening; even when your mind is stretched to the limit of understanding.

”Time is an illusion, a construct made out of human memory.”
As I write this it's week 8 (I think) of the COVID-19 'stay at home' mandate in Canada. And time has become less and less relevant as the days go by. With no job to go to, I'm lucky my husband is working from home to keep us on a semi-regular schedule. Routine is an important and valuable thing that most people don't even realize they need until it's gone. In Recursion Crouch proves that humans can do extraordinary things when needed; but he also shows the limits that even the most advanced human brain can handle.
I love the way we experience a jarring event and to the reader it seems exactly as impactful as it does to our lead character; but he sees how it affects others and realizes many humans cannot handle the stress of a sudden wealth of information or traumatic event. This really resonated with me as we continue on with the COVID-19 crisis and have been starting to see the real cracks, not in society, but in the people around us. Recursion portrays this well and could even give you insight into current worldwide events that change the course of history; from Germany invading England to 9/11 to today's pandemic.

One thing is certain about Recursion; you won't want to put it down. The last 100 or so pages had me gripped to the very end. I'm glad I had the time to read this one quickly and not have to break it up too much. If you're in the midst of a reading slump, lacking inspiration or feeling meh about books and enjoy sci-fi, then Recursion is the exact book to pick-up; it worked just like this for me.
A must read for any Crichton fan, sci-fi or thriller lover, and anyone whose ever wondered 'what if I could go back and change something'.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Thank you Crown Publishing for our gifted review copy.

After reading & really enjoying Dark matter, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Recursion. Science Fiction is definitely not my favorite genre, but Blake does it in a way that I think non-sci-fi readers can connect with.

Well, I'm happy to say this one worked for me. It's original, creative & thrilling.

I cannot believe that it took me so long to read Recursion. I think that my expectations were so high that I was worried that I wouldn't like it as much as Dark Matter. Well, I shouldn't have been worried. Recursion was fantastic and Blake Crouch has a brilliant mind. He will always be an auto-buy author and I cannot wait for more. His books are perfect for the person who doesn't think that they like sci-fi.

I love Blake Crouch's story lines but sometime I wonder if I’m actually smart enough for them. The way the characters lives intertwine is like nothing I’ve ever reread before. I just bobbed along with all the science physics stuff cuz I honestly have no clue. I’ll still read anything he write though!

I love these stories and the way that the author can really play with your mind. It is interesting to think about how memories and time can bend and isn't always linear. This story had a great balance of character development and storytelling. I loved it!

This was a fantastic sci-fi thriller by Blake Crouch! A great recommendation for my futuristic fans.

Blake Crouch does it again! I enjoyed Dark Matter and was just as engrossed in this book! Sci-fi isn't usually my preferred genre, but Crouch makes it easy to read. I enjoyed pondering the themes of this one.

I liked this book! Author of Dark Matter does it again. You have to pay attention to truly follow the story. I would rate this book a 3.5

A sci-fi thriller that is powerfully creative and feeds on one's fear of losing memories, which is what makes us who we are. Powerful, thought-provoking, terrifying.

This one doesn’t hold a candle to Dark Matter, but Crouch has again produced a fascinating, mind-bending tale of warped timelines and alternate realities.

The “science” was much easier to follow in Dark Matter (or perhaps it just made more sense to me than this did), but the concept was still good and the story harrowing and compelling.

It’s a bit frustrating that it’s impossible to keep all the timelines straight, which I’m sure was by design but bugged me a bit all the same.

Still, the relationship between Barry and Helena and everything that they do to effectively stop the world from ending is both endearing and fascinating. And it’s fun attempting to figure it out, even if all the timelines do induce a bit of a headache if you think too hard about it.

While I much preferred Dark Matter, this was enjoyable and unique in its own right.

Excellent characters, interesting concept. Convoluted plot, but that is the way time travel is. What a way to save the world!

I don’t even know what to say. I guess Holy Shit probably says it best. This book is an amazing adventurous mind-fuck and I loved every minute of it. I’m officially a Blake Crouch fan. I had a hard time putting it down and finished it in three nights. I’m usually pretty good at guessing where a story is going, but this one surprised me so many times. Loved it!