Where do I even begin with this one?

If you could place your current consciousness back into your younger self, what would you change? Would you ask out that girl? Save a loved one from tragedy? Would you pull a Biff Tannen and amass a fortune betting on horse racing? Blake Crouch’s Recursion is a look at just that scenario. Can someone truly go back and make minor changes and still avoid the ripple effect? Probably not. For Blake Crouch’s Recursion, it’s a lesson in messing with timelines and avoiding the unavoidable.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve always been fascinated with time travel. Back to the Future is usually where my mind goes when I think of one of the better uses of the idea, but there are many great examples including Stephen King’s 11/22/63, that episode of the Simpsons where Homer builds the time traveling toaster and Army of Darkness. But for all the great ones, there can be others that fall flat on their face (Kate & Leopold). Thankfully, Blake Crouch takes the premise and excels with it.

It wasn’t until a few days after I finished the book that I realized the plot – or at least the way in which time travel is executed – somewhat resembles 2004’s The Butterfly Effect. I don’t think it’s all that fair to compare the two because, honesty, Recursion is exponentially better, but the comparisons are there. Although I did find some of the sciencey stuff supporting the act of traveling difficult to follow, I understood it on a basic level and Crouch didn’t seem to spend overly long explaining the ins-and-outs of it (DMT chemical release and mind-mapping), so you’re not left like Bruce Willis in Looper slamming his fists on the table refusing to discuss time travel worried he’d be there all day talking about it, making diagrams with straws.

Don’t take that the wrong way though, I’m not dismissing Crouch’s work. It’s exceptional. It’s just that time travel is tough and once you get into the nitty gritty of it you’ll drive yourself mad trying to make sense of it sometimes (I once had a short, but very loud argument with a friend of mine about time travel in Terminator 3). Probably because it’s not possible, so you’re trying to make sense out of an impossible act.

Boy, does this one get dark. But, that’s to be expected if you’ve read Crouch’s work before. Just like having his characters mess with the multiverse in his previous novel Dark Matter, nothing good can come with screwing around with timelines in Recursion. There are some exceptionally haunting moments in this story that were written so unnervingly well. One of my biggest personal fears comes to life in the last third of the book and the way in which Crouch executed it left me speechless.

While the book isn’t out until June, I expect to spend the next four months pushing this on all my friends. I would not be surprised to see it on my 2019 year-end list.

Expected release date: June 11, 2019

***I wasn’t surprised to see that Netflix is picking this up for adaptation. I think the idea of making it into both a TV show and a movie is a tad ambitious as I’d hate to see the plot watered down to expand to a bigger story than it needs to be, but I don’t want to dismiss it before it happens.

Another solid offering from Blake Crouch. This book explores similar themes to those addressed by Dark Matter. While Dark Matter explored the idea of alternate universes, and travelling between them, Recursion explores alternate timelines within the same universe. The time travel mechanism in Recursion is unique, and while it is a bit difficult to understand at times, it by and large avoids the mind fuckery that can come with along with time travel. Crouch explores themes of memory, regret, and mindfulness, and while the book felt similar to Dark Matter, it did not feel like a rehash. I am only giving it four stars instead of five because I thought the ending was a little bit too neat and tidy. On the whole, though, a really good, exciting read.

This book will take you on a wild ride! It is full of twists and turns - the perfect blend of science fiction and thriller. I was a bit hesitant to pick this book up as I really enjoyed "Dark Matter" and was worried that "Recursion" wouldn't hold up to my expectations, but I'm glad that I decided to take a chance on it. The story line did bog down a bit in the middle for me, but I'm glad that I stuck with it.

This is one of those books where it's almost impossible to write a summary without giving anything away, so I'd rather not try on the off chance I spoil the experience for someone else. I will say that I love everything this guy writes. The Wayward Pines series and Dark Matter are right up there with some of my all-time favorite books, so I had high hopes for Recursion. And it was good. Really good. The story is like nothing I've read before. It does have that same head-spinning, over the top, crazy-scientific mumbo jumbo that is reminiscent of Dark Matter, where you just nod and smile and let Blake take you there. The plot, while a little slow at first, builds to an insanely intense pace towards the end. It's entertaining, it makes you think, it's terrifying, and it's fun.

One of the most surprising things Crouch does well is sneak beautiful romances into these books where horrifying things are happening. He does it again here, although I think not with the same success as he does in Dark Matter.

Overall, I think Mr. Crouch has another hit on his hands, and as always, I can't wait to see what's next from him.

Fans of Dark Matter rejoice! Crouch has done it again with another edge-of-your-seat sci-fi thriller - this time about memory, identity, alternate timelines, and what some people will do to have the chance to start over and do things differently - all with compelling characters that I can't stop thinking about.

What if someone could rewrite your entire life?

“My son has been erased.” Those are the last words the woman tells Barry Sutton, before she leaps from the Manhattan rooftop.

Deeply unnerved, Barry begins to investigate her death, only to learn that this wasn’t an isolated case. All across the country, people are waking up to lives different from the ones they fell asleep to. Are they suffering from False Memory Syndrome, a mysterious new disease that afflicts people with vivid memories of a life they never lived? Or is something far more sinister behind the fracturing of reality all around him?

MIND BLOWN!!! ......AGAIN!!! Blake Crouch has done it again. He is definitely in a different league. A literary genius. How his mind works like it does is beyond my comprehension. Parts of his books are beyond my comprehension and I feel like a meager peasant not really worthy of reading them.

I read Dark Matter and absolutely loved it. I have not stopped recommending it every chance I get. When I saw Blake had another book coming out I cleared my schedule and read it in less than 24 hours.

Recursion is a mind bending thriller that moves at the speed of light. Jumping through timelines, memories, past, present and future. It is told from two points of view. One in 2007 and one in 2018 until the two meet up and the story takes on a whole new momentum. Buckle up and hang on because it is a wild ride.

I almost don't even know what to say. I hesitate to post my review so early since the book doesn't pub for another few months, but I really don't want to lose my train of thought or emotion since I finished the book today.
Really, since the Wayward Pines trilogy, my mind has been bent and it has been Blake Crouch's fault. Dark Matter nearly broke me and now I feel like I have a PhD in... something... after reading Recursion.
Crouch can write the HECK out of some alternate life/alternate reality and... I haven't read much but Im just gonna say, from my literally nonexistent experience, I haven't read better. RIP to my brain if I ever do.
This is as much a love story as it is a scifi futuristic fantastical fantasy thriller. I'm not sure what it was supposed to be, but the deeper I got, the deeper I wanted to be. The ending was a smidge confusing... but then things all came together for me at the end. Mostly. I kept wondering why she didn't go back and just not INVENT the thing... but someone would have, right? That is the dilemma. Do you do good things and control the outcome as best you can, or not do good things and let a dangerous tool fall into evil hands.
Superb read. I know some don't enjoy Crouch, but... another great read.

I stepped into Recursion and instantly got lost in the loop. I couldn't get out, and didn't want to. A mind-bending novel that will make you reconsider everything you think you know about time. Terrifying, thrilling, and stick-in-your-dreams riveting.

4.5 stars.

It's always challenging to explain a Blake Crouch novel and this one is no exception. If you've read Dark Matter, you have some idea what you're expecting in this book. His books are fast-paced, "keep you on your toes and wildly confuse yourself as you try to keep track of things that are happening" books.

Recursion is about physics, the science of the human mind, memory generation, politics, and so much more. It's also about grief, our desire to set things right, connection, greed, and so much more. And most of all, it has character development that's rich which is rare in books with the kind of plot and pacing his books have.

I've read a bunch on quantum physics and I studied a bunch of computer science and have even taken classes on the human brain but I can't really tell you which of his ideas in the book are possible and which are pushed well outside the realm of possibility and which are just completely made up. Partly because they are a bit mixed up together but mostly because I don't really care. If you're a complete stickler for accurate science, this book might frustrate you, but if you take it for what it is, a fast-paced, very entertaining, though-provoking book that uses science as its story source, then you will enjoy it thoroughly and find that not only is your mind blown during reading it but that you think about it well after you're done. And if that's not the sign of a good book, I don't know what is.

[thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.]

Fans of Blake Crouch’s other works, the Wayward Pines trilogy and Dark Matter, will greatly appreciate his newest mind bender, Recursion. This book is set to come out on June 11th and you will want a copy. It seamlessly blurs the lines between reality and the metaphysical, leaving the reader astonished. It reminded me of a Black Mirror episode and it is actually being adapted to both a Netflix series by Shonda Rhimes (writer of Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, Scandal) and a feature film! This book is addicting and mind blowing. I was left pondering the power of memories, quantum physics, and the human mind. Go ahead and Google the “Mandela Effect” and have a little ponder for yourself. When the concept of Deja vu was brought up, I was shook. Blake Crouch has become one of my favorite authors. Recursion had my mind whirling and it was so fun to read. This sci fi novel has ALOT going for it; action, love, suspense in abundance. You’ll want to read it, and then you’ll want to talk about it, and by then you’ll be that much closer to watching it on screen. Enjoy!

What if you could relive a moment? A memory? Make it better? Make it disappear? Could you?
When I read my first by Blake Crouch (Dark Matter), I couldn’t read it fast enough, until, Recursion. And then, I wanted to read slower, to make it last, to make time stand still, to NOT have it end.
Thought provoking, lovely and hold onto your seatbelts here we go again, take your breath away story. Read and believe, and close your eyes, it’s a very bumpy ride.

If you are done reading a book and think about it long after it’s over, that’s the mark of a good storyteller and a good book. I can’t thank the publisher and NetGalley enough for an ARC of this book. Other reviews are spot on and the only thing I’ll add is it felt a bit like my all time favorite from Stephen King 11/22/63.
Read the book and hang with it in the slow spots. That’s all I can say.

Blake Crouch has done it again! This brilliant story follows Helena and Barry, who have their own chapters, and eventually are intertwined with a combined interest. I loved the writing style, Blake's sci-fi/mystery blend that is reminiscent of Dark Matter. A great look at the impression memories leave on us!

Without our memories to rely on, who are we? How can we trust what is real? We first start to grapple with those questions as characters in Blake Crouch’s latest novel experience false memories and are convinced they’ve lived lives other than what they currently know. A detective begins to investigate the epidemic of false memories and soon finds it is more than it seems.

I finished reading and feel like I’ve been riding the world’s fastest merry-go-round and just got thrown off. It’s tough to reorient after a book like this... which I suppose helps me relate on the most minuscule level to what his characters experienced. I love books that twist my brain, teach me something, and make me think well beyond the moment I close their pages. Crouch seems to be a master at delivering them.

Fans of Dark Matter will adore Recursion! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review!

The beginning of this book was a total page turner, couldn't plow through it fast enough. The third part of the book slowed down quite a bit for me but then it picked back up again in part four. The lull in the story line may be needed to quieten overactive imaginations after reading parts one and two. Even so I finished this in two sittings after staying up way too late to read on a weeknight.

The plot is refreshingly original here despite being slightly similar to other films and books, Crouch takes those oft used plot twists way further as is his usual way. If you were a fan of Inception you're going to love this book. It's hard to share too much here without spoiling the plot for anyone.

I hear tell that this book will be adapted into a TV series or film. Series would be better as there is just too much to process here for a short film. I think it would make a fantastic television series and personally I'd like to see Paula Malcolmson as Helena and Anthony LaPaglia as Barry.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy to review, I greatly enjoyed this.

Crouch’s previous book, Dark Matter, is one of my all-time favorites, so I was nervous that Recursion would not live up to my extremely high expectations…

Well, I’m here to tell you that it sure did. Holy crap. This was a thrilling read, where I could not –for the life of me- predict what would happen next. The stakes are higher than ever before, the moral implications are staggering, and the action moves along at breakneck speed.

Crouch delivers a well-crafted, mind-bending experience that is well worth the ride.

(I must mention, this book gets pretty dark, so if you are sensitive to suicide/terrorism- I would suggest looking up the trigger warnings before moving ahead).

If you need me, I’ll just be over here impatiently counting down the days until the Netflix adaptation(s).
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, Blake Crouch. How I love thee. You manage to make me feel so dumb yet I am obsessed with your books.

I literally have to skip over about a third of your books because I literally have no idea what you are talking about. Dark Matter was the same. My mind cannot comprehend your brilliance. I'm not built for physics or time travel YET I devoured Recursion. I could not flip the pages fast enough.

It was a pretty brilliant and timely commentary on memory. And it made my heart ache a bit. And (like in Dark Matter) I adored the unexpected love story woven within.

Recursion is another heart pounder. 4.5 stars.

Holy cow. I found this book so profoundly intense that I had to keep pausing my reading just to breathe. Mind-bending doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview Recursion by Blake Crouch.
Totally original - totally unbelievable - Totally the best book of the year.
Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines series was in my opinion one of the best series books in many years; then Dark Matter - now Recursion.
Crouch takes the reader's mind and twists it in so many ways that you cannot put this book down.
A woman gives a police detective a message before she jumps to her death. Detective Barry Sutton is haunted by these final words and starts to look into her sucide. It leads him to find this is not an isolated incident and he finds a scientist who is working on a way to keep memories alive. But is her work going to help us rekindle our most memorable thoughts or will it be the reimaging of ourselves or who we never were.....
This book will keep you on the edge till the end. It is so different and I think will keep the reader "memorable to reading this book" or did someone else read it...lol.
RECOMMEND................

Dark Matter is one of the books I recommend the most. When I saw that Blake Crouch had a new novel coming out, I could not wait, so I was delighted to receive an ARC of Recursion. Crouch did not disappoint with this science fiction thriller that forces readers to grapple with deep thinking on issues like the power of memory and its role on identity. Neuroscientist Helena Smith is a strong protagonist, which I loved. I’d highly recommend this book to readers of many genres.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.