Title: Recursion
Author: Blake Crouch
Rating: F
Format Read: Book of the Month Hardcover
Genre: Science Fiction
Keywords: Time Travel, Memories, Suicide
Kid Appropriate: Teens and older
Barry Sutton is a New York City cop looking into the sudden uptick in people experiencing false memory syndrome. People all of over the world are being plagued by memories of a life that they have never lived but they can feel must be true. The conviction is so strong that some have killed themselves over their perceived loss of spouses and children that don't even exist. His investigation brings him to a neuroscientist who just might have all the answers.
This book won Goodreads Choice 2019 for best science fiction. It was one of the best books of the year by BookRiot, NPR, and Time. It was super hyped. Crouch's previous book Dark Matter was also immensely popular. All signs pointed to this being a solid choice when my boyfriend and I were looking for books to read together in our long distance relationship book club that we were going to start doing together. Surely this book would be a solid choice. It was popular and well liked. It had an interesting premise we could discuss. It had to be good. Boy were we wrong.
Recursion has a solid beginning that draws you in with quick chapters that end on cliff hangers and introduce some truly intriguing ideas. The concept of a legal investigation into a seemingly psychological phenomenon was unique and melded science fiction with mystery nicely. Our characters are also damaged in a way that makes them intriguing and relatable. Barry has lost a daughter and suffers daily. Helena is an ambitious young scientist who has a very personal drive for her research: her mother is losing all of her memories.
By a third of the way through this book it takes a hard pivot and if it wasn't for the fact that I was reading this for a book club I would have DNF'd it. My favorite quote from my boyfriend's rant about this book when we finished was "It's like someone threw spaghetti at the wall and whatever stuck became the book". In order to like this book you have to really, truly love the question of "what if?". There is no clear story line to follow and the jumping around in time forces you to have to focus. Which is fine and to be expected in some science fiction. But there came a point where all of the jumps and potentialities explored became too much and just seamed ridiculous. There was no point. There was no reason. It felt like it was done just because it could be done. Which is probably the point, but I didn't find it enjoyable.
Part of me cannot recommend this book. It just wasn't my cup of tea in any way. By the end of the book I had considerably less sympathy for any of the characters, did not particularly care where the story went, and just wanted it to be over. It stands out as one of my least favorite books I have read in recent memory.
But there is also the part of me that thinks this book does have great potential as a book club pick. It is polarizing for one. You cannot simply be meh about this book. You either love or hate how ludicrous it is. And it leads to some pretty great discussions no matter how you feel.
In short, I couldn't stand this book. Neither could my boyfriend. But if you're looking for a book to start some discussions, this might just be the one for you. Check out my short video review below.
Barry Sutton is a New York City cop looking into the sudden uptick in people experiencing false memory syndrome. People all of over the world are being plagued by memories of a life that they have never lived but they can feel must be true. The conviction is so strong that some have killed themselves over their perceived loss of spouses and children that don't even exist. His investigation brings him to a neuroscientist who just might have all the answers.
This book won Goodreads Choice 2019 for best science fiction. It was one of the best books of the year by BookRiot, NPR, and Time. It was super hyped. Crouch's previous book Dark Matter was also immensely popular. All signs pointed to this being a solid choice when my boyfriend and I were looking for books to read together in our long distance relationship book club that we were going to start doing together. Surely this book would be a solid choice. It was popular and well liked. It had an interesting premise we could discuss. It had to be good. Boy were we wrong.
Recursion has a solid beginning that draws you in with quick chapters that end on cliff hangers and introduce some truly intriguing ideas. The concept of a legal investigation into a seemingly psychological phenomenon was unique and melded science fiction with mystery nicely. Our characters are also damaged in a way that makes them intriguing and relatable. Barry has lost a daughter and suffers daily. Helena is an ambitious young scientist who has a very personal drive for her research: her mother is losing all of her memories.
By a third of the way through this book it takes a hard pivot and if it wasn't for the fact that I was reading this for a book club I would have DNF'd it. My favorite quote from my boyfriend's rant about this book when we finished was "It's like someone threw spaghetti at the wall and whatever stuck became the book". In order to like this book you have to really, truly love the question of "what if?". There is no clear story line to follow and the jumping around in time forces you to have to focus. Which is fine and to be expected in some science fiction. But there came a point where all of the jumps and potentialities explored became too much and just seamed ridiculous. There was no point. There was no reason. It felt like it was done just because it could be done. Which is probably the point, but I didn't find it enjoyable. Part of me cannot recommend this book. It just wasn't my cup of tea in any way. By the end of the book I had considerably less sympathy for any of the characters, did not particularly care where the story went, and just wanted it to be over. It stands out as one of my least favorite books I have read in recent memory.
But there is also the part of me that thinks this book does have great potential as a book club pick. It is polarizing for one. You cannot simply be meh about this book. You either love or hate how ludicrous it is. And it leads to some pretty great discussions no matter how you feel.
In short, I couldn't stand this book. Neither could my boyfriend. But if you're looking for a book to start some discussions, this might just be the one for you. Check out my short video review below.
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