Dark Matter

Executive Summary: This book was full of interesting ideas, but I found its execution somewhat lacking at times.

Audiobook: Jon Lindstrom was a fine narrator, though nothing memorable. He spoke clearly and was easy to hear. The audio is a fine choice, but not a must listen.

Full Review
I sort of stumbled onto this one. I wasn't familiar with Blake Crouch before. I had heard of Wayward Pines the TV show, but didn't realize it was based on a book trilogy. The description sounded pretty interesting (albeit reminiscent of the Talking Heads Once - In A Lifetime).

It's hard to really talk about this book without getting into major spoilers. There were a few big “twists” but none of them took me by surprise. It felt that while the ideas for the book were interesting the narrative was on autopilot. Maybe I was just extra perceptive, it's hard to say. I won't go so far as to call the book predictable, but the plot was the part of the book I liked the least.

That isn't to say I was bored. I enjoyed the book well enough, just not as much as I might have. For me it was the ideas that were the best part. This book is built on sci-fi concepts, but really it could just as easily be considered a psychology book. The core of it resolves around the idea of choice, and the tendency we have for taking the good things in our lives for granted.

We face choices every day. Some small. Some large. Every so often we face choices so large as to change the path our lives take forever. Where you go to college. What you major in. Who you marry. Having kids. There are any number of things you decide that forever impact your life. Are you happy with those choices? If so, do you take time each day to appreciate those choices, or do you dwell on your regrets?

Overall, I had wished for a better story, but really enjoyed the ideas behind this book, even if they aren't new. The sci-fi spin on how the author approached them was, but it's execution fell a bit flat for me at times. I suspect some people will enjoy this one more than I did. I will considering picking up another book by Mr. Crouch at some point in the future. What impact might that have on my life?