What are memories, and what kind of power do they hold? Are they simply mental scrapbooks of moments in the past, or could they be something more?

Helena Smith is a neuroscientist dedicated to finding ways to preserve memories, especially for those who are afflicted by Alzheimer's, dementia, or similar diseases. Her passion leads her to invent groundbreaking technology that has the potential to help a lot of people. Barry Sutton is an NYPD detective who stumbles upon a case related to False Memory Syndrome (FMS), a disease where people wake up one day with vivid memories of a life they didn't live. His curiosity leads him to discover that FMS is not at all what he thought it was, and his discovery leads to life-changing events for both him and Helena.

This was a solidly enjoyable read for me! Thrillers are not my go-to book, but as a psychology student, I was intrigued by a thriller revolving around memory and perceptions of reality. The story is driven by the characters, and I really enjoyed both Helena and Barry. I loved Helena's intelligence, compassion, and drive to do the right thing. Barry is likable as well. I appreciated his steadfastness and sacrifice throughout the book. Slade also made for an interesting antagonist. We get his back story in brief moments, but it's still compelling enough to make him into a complex villain.

The plot is complex, and while it did mess with my mind at points, I admire Crouch for coming up with all of it. It had a good amount of technical information which was just enough to make the story believable, but it was never overwhelming for someone who does not have a background in medical technology. In terms of pacing, I was never bored, but the first half of the book is definitely slower than the last half. I didn't really mind how the plot took off in the last part of the book, but it felt like being on a slow, winding river and then suddenly being dumped into a long series of rapids.

Overall, this was a fun read. I always enjoy books that have brilliant, complex plots, and this definitely fits the bill. If you enjoy thrillers that are unique, this would be a great option! If you're like me and aren't drawn to thrillers as a genre, it might worth it to know that it's not as dark as other thrillers can be, and there's a lot of creative storytelling to appreciate as a reader.

Thanks to Blake Crouch, Crown Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book!

Is time the illusion? Are we a sole product of our memories? So many intriguing premises and a great storyteller combine to make this a book difficult to put down.

What if you could live your life, or parts of it, all over again is not a new idea, but Recursion does it with a new twist that keeps you reading right to the end. It starts with good intentions, to help those with Alzheimer type disabilities keep their memories. Of course all good intentions end up in a way never imagined, but can you go back to fix it for good only?

I admit I was lost a couple of times, which was probably intentional by the author, but that did help to make me understand what the characters experienced when they found themselves in different lifetimes. I caught up right away, but did experience some disorientation such as what the hell is going on? I read faster and faster in the last third of the book trying to know what would come of Helena's chair and the rest of the world.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion. I'd give this a high 4 stars.

4 stars Thank you to NetGalley and Crown for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Published on June 11, 2019.

Another great novel by Blake Crouch. Having read Dark Matter a couple years ago I was taken by this author. I am not a great fantasy or science fiction fan. However, this author can twist that science fiction into something that sounds and feels real. Maybe futuristic, but a good possibility of being right on track. He hit the nail right on the head again with Recursion.

"False Memory Syndrome " is the current project of Neuroscientist Helena Smith. It was so named by the media because it causes people to remember an untrue life. There comes a point in their life that they remember all these memories of a life that never happened. A parallel life to their own, that finally drives them crazy.

Smith buddies up with a rich philanthropist to further her work, until she realizes that she has been taken advantage of and he only wants to use her invention in a personal selfish way and not for good.

Once she escapes from this bad situation she rebuilds her chair and numerable times under goes the process to stop and return time in the hope of saving the world before her opponent destroys it. Done in a very good way this equates to "Groundhog Day" with the repeating of this time frame again and again - with each time being spent in a different location.

There was some techie talk in this story, that might be hard to follow if you are not aware of technical terms. However, it by no means ruins the story or interferes with the flow of the narrative. For me it just advanced the futuristic feel of what Crouch made seem...all to possible.

What a nail biting experience this was. I thoroughly enjoyed this book & had such a hard time putting it down as I needed to know what was going to happen next! It was such a crazy ride and really had me thinking! What are memories? What is time made of? Is anything real? Wow! So many crazy thoughts. I did wonder towards the middle-end how it would end & if it ever would but I still needed to know how it would end! I was completely immersed in this story and really felt for the characters. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

Before I read 'Dark Matter,' Crouch's previous popular novel, I heard dozens of five star reviews. I was told it was a 'mind f---,' and that people could not stop thinking about it! I purchased it and read it immediately. Unfortunately because I was expecting a life changing novel, I was slightly underwhelmed. It was good, and it was creative, but I was not as excited as everyone else.

Cut to the recent release of Recursion. The reviews were coming in much the same as Dark Matter. Because I LOVED Blake Crouch's writing and ideas so much, I wanted to give it a shot, but I was ready to be underwhelmed again. Entertained, but underwhelmed.

I was WRONG! This book was definitely 5 star, and I try not to hand those out too much. Without giving too much of the plot away, there are a few central characters that are working on re-experiencing old memories. Things do not go quite as planned, and even as things go well, it is hard to predict what will happen next!

This took me 48 hours to read. Let's just say it would have taken a lot shorter, but it is a major faux pas to bring a novel to a wedding of a friend :)

HIGHLY recommend.

Spectacular psychological thriller! From the very start the characters and plot have you holding your breath and wanting more! Masterfully written!! Memories make reality and reality has you wondering what is real. A must read!!

I have been going back and forth about the number of stars to award this story of time travel and moral choices. Who wouldn’t like to go back in time for a do-over — stop Hitler or choose Door Number 3 — but all of us know one of the prime rules of time travel is you are not permitted to change events in the past because of the effect the changes will have in the present and future. Well, Recursion looks closely at what happens to society if someone deliberately changes the past and then the author tries to lay out for readers all the different ways the inventor of the time travel chair tries to undo the unintended consequences of her invention. I say “tries” because this is where I have problems with this story. The storylines that undid personal tragedies like the death of Barry’s 16 year old daughter and the subsequent years added to her life were thoroughly engaging. Stories that arise out of those new choices and the tragedies that inevitably ensue are also gripping. Where the book bogs down is in the author, through various characters, trying to explain the logic and science of time travel. Entirely too much of the story is spent tossing this subject around, and though sometimes I followed where the explanation was going, more often I became frustrated and just plain impatient to return to the action. It also suffered from the repetitive nature of returning again and again to the past to try to correct the last mess-up.
In general science fiction does better if the author emphasizes the fiction over the science. With all this in mind, I am giving Recursion 3 stars.

“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.”

Say what? BOOM! Just when I thought Blake Crouch had blown my mind with Dark Matter, it would appear that he's gone into the past, repaired my mind, and here we are in the present and he has blown my mind all over again with Recursion.

“What’s more precious than our memories?”

Recurision is a thought-provoking whirlwind of a sci-fi. You have to ask yourself, how does Blake Crouch come up with this stuff? To be fair, it's as if he took the idea of the Mandela Effect and just ran with it. While I found that this novel had some similarities to Dark Matter with traveling from one timeline to another, it really brings forth a lot of questions that you may have been asking yourself during Dark Matter. Such as how does traveling in time affect those around you?

Much like Dark Matter, this is a novel that cannot be reviewed with much detail. It's simply a MUST READ. You don't have to be a fan of sci-fi to enjoy a Blake Crouch novel. The amount of suspense and intrigue that Blake Crouch writes with is like a beautiful melody that keeps playing over and over in your head. You can't help but what to hear more, or in this case, read more.

Do yourselves a favor, don't waste time (it's precious), just read Recursion already!

I want to thank NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and Blake Crouch for allowing me the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my review! I have no regrets, and neither will you!

WOW! What a story! Crouch has done it again - he's made me care about science! :) RECURSION is a sci-fi book but a love story at heart, fully accessible to any reader. It was incredibly well-crafted; I wasn't sure it was going to be for me until about a third of the way through and then BAM! It caught me. I fell in love with the characters and their heartbreaking stories. I won't even try to explain the mechanics of False Memory Syndrome or the time travel aspects; I enjoyed it completely without trying to fully understand it all. It's just so impressive that Crouch was able to create this world in such detail and so convincingly. Fans of DARK MATTER won't be disappointed; in fact I think I liked this one even more!

Blake Crouch is truly a gifted writer. I read his previous book "Dark Matter" and thoroughly enjoyed it. This book was also a delight to read. His books read just like an action movie, and I didn't want to put this book down until I found out the conclusion. I don't understand all of the science behind what was happening, but I still loved it. Plus, I always enjoy seeing how authors work through moral dilemmas, and this book had plenty of that. I also enjoyed the reference to certain historical time periods. All in all, this book was amazing, and I would definitely recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity!

This is a very difficult book for me to review. I liked the story, but I didn't love it. I had a couple of issues with the storytelling that I can't really discuss without spoiling something for the next reader.

So, speaking vaguely, I will say that I liked the idea of the story and the story in general, but I found the repetition and some inconsistencies frustrating. I am not a fan of stories that repeat in loops and when I pick up on a significant inconsistency it makes it difficult for me to suspend my disbelief enough to really enjoy the story.

However, even with these issues I found the story entertaining. So, I guess I found it to be average. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. It's a decent read.

If you enjoy science fiction stories and don't mind some repetition of themes then give it a go, just don't go into it analytically.

(Goodreads review contains a spoiler with more detailed information for those that have already read the book: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2805529252)

This book is the perfect thriller because it gets you thinking! I have not read any of this author's other work, but am definitely going to now.

Wow!!! Loved this book! I think the storyline was even better than Dark Matter, which is saying a lot!

The focus of the book has to do with a Memory Chair - which may be causing an outbreak of FMS "False Memory Syndrome", which is also apparently contagious. Now, I am not that scientific, but the way Blake Crouch explains the scientific theory behind the engaging and exciting narrative actually makes developing the memory chair plausible and all the action believable.
I think FMS has something to do with your interaction with another person - say, if a person you knew died and then was saved by another person going back in time and altering the events, it creates a " false memory" in people who knew that person - they would have a false memory of that person dying because that person is alive today. Apparently, the false memory is activated when the time they are living in catches up to the date in the future when that other person went back in time....at least I think that is the way it works.

The characters are great, too. Flawed, yet well rounded. Not everyone can handle all this knowledge - the reader is rooting for the two protagonists all the way through the twists and turns of each lifetime and the ending makes the book not put downable!

If the best thrillers make you feel breathless, then Recursion by Blake Crouch is definitely one you don’t want to miss! I also laughed, fretted, and raged a little. Heck, I’m not ashamed to admit I even cried some. I swear, if all books were this exciting and addictive, there’d be no such thing as reading slumps. But then I guess we’d also be in a lot of trouble, because nothing would ever get done and no one would ever leave their house again.

So what is this book about? Well, as with all of Crouch’s books, giving a quick rundown of the premise is going to be tough. For one thing, you don’t want to run even the tiniest, eensy-weensy risk of revealing any spoilers, because for best results, you really should go in blind. Second, this author is somewhat known for his wild premises and mind-bending, difficult-to-explain sci-fi tech and theory (if you’ve read Dark Matter, then you know what I’m talking about) and there were times where trying to wrap my head around this book made me think my brain was going to short circuit. Still, here’s the gist: Recursion opens following New York City police officer Barry Sutton as he responds to reports of a suicide attempt by a woman about to jump off the ledge of a high-rise building. Following the event, the shaken cop is driven to learn more about the illness termed False Memory Syndrome—an alarming epidemic that is starting to sweep across the nation, afflicting its victims with vivid memories of a life they never lived. Ten percent of those with FMS end up killing themselves, driven mad by the conflicting realities in their mind.

At the same time, we’re also introduced our second POV, a brilliant neuroscientist named Helena Smith. After her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Helena became obsessed with developing her new technology which would help human beings preserve the most precious memories of their lives. However, the future of her research was soon placed in jeopardy, with both precious time and money running out, so when a mysterious benefactor suddenly approaches her with an offer to fully fund her work and provide her access to all the necessary resources and facilities, Helena decides to accept. Very quickly, her team starts making incredible breakthroughs, ultimately creating a device which would essentially allow anyone to relive their most significant, life-changing moments. But during testing, they also discover an unintended side effect, one that would have devastating consequences on the world if the truth of the technology was ever revealed and misused.

Blending theories of time travel, alternate realities, and psychological phenomena, what Recursion basically presents to us is a completely unique and refreshingly new take on some familiar ideas. Like most stories to do with memory manipulation though, it can also be a real head-trip. That said, to an extent I do think that the key to approaching and enjoying these kinds of stories is to not think about them too hard, and just go with the flow. Crouch isn’t going to delve too deeply into the science, so it wouldn’t really do to get into the whys and hows. Personally speaking, once I started thinking of the premise as more of a thought experiment, that was when I was able to let go and allow myself to be carried away by the novel completely.

The momentum of Recursion was also relentlessly fast-paced and engrossing, though for those who have read Dark Matter, there was a similar brief lull in the middle part of narrative where the characters sat in a holding pattern while trying to figure stuff out. And like a lot of books dealing with time, memory, etc., you are going to have your fair share of plot holes and a few explanations that don’t hold water. Hence, I’m not going to argue that this novel was perfect, because it was not—but after a lot of thought, I did decide to bump up my rating to a full five stars. I did this because of the deeper meanings I found behind the story. Yes, this is a sci-fi thriller we’re talking about, but leaving aside the action and suspense I expected to find, there was also a emotional depth that surprised me—messages like, don’t take the good things in your life for granted, or always treasure your loved ones and hold them and their memories dear. I certainly did not anticipate to find so many of these tender and touching moments in the book, many of which almost brought me to tears, and the ending did in fact make me cry a little.

As I always say, sometimes it takes more than just a great premise, great characters, and a great story to make a five-star book. For me, there almost always has to be an emotional connection. More than anything else, I think that was why I enjoyed Recursion so much, because not only did the novel deliver a fast-paced and mind-bendingly suspenseful thriller full of twists and turns, there were also parts of it that deeply moved me—and ultimately, it’s these moments that elevate this book above others in the genre and why it will also remain with me for a long time.

And you may ask yourself, "How do I work this?"
And you may ask yourself, "Where is that large automobile?"
And you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful house"
And you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful wife"

Mannnnnn, Blake Crouch is a master at fiction/sci-fi/story-telling/writing/terrifying me out of my mind. Fals Memory Syndrome is rapidly affecting people and NYPD's Barry Sutton wants to know why. Eleven years prior, Helena Smith develops technology that preserves memories and could possible be the cure to Alzheimer's.

It's like if Black Mirror stayed a UK only production and never got the 'Hollywood' treatment. :)

Like Dark Matter, Crouch's insane book about "what if", Recursion is much more than just a thrilling sci-fi. It's a human story. Memories are who are we are, who we remember people to be, what makes experiences and life worth it...and what would happen if none of it was real?

Thanks to NetGalley, Blake Crouch and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What wild novel! I was so excited when I saw Crouch had a new novel coming out. I absolutely loved Dark Matter, so this was definitely at the top of my list this summer! As in Dark Matter, there is a time travel/memory component to Recursion and it is super twisty and mind bending. I had to re-read a couple of pages and go back to a chapter or two to make sure I was catching everything, but it was definitely worth it! I love the mind games that Crouch puts his readers through and it makes for an incredible reading experience.


All in all, this was an amazing read and I would highly recommend it to readers of all genres. It had romance, history, drama, action, suspense, and science fiction. I could just go on forever, but I'll just let you pick it up and read for yourself! Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for sending this novel in exchange for and honest review.

Memory is a powerful thing. Certain memories are so vibrant, so potent, that recalling them almost feels as though we’ve been transported back to the moment in which they took place.

But just how real could that sense of transport truly become?

That’s one of the central notions in “Recursion,” the new novel from author Blake Crouch. It’s an exploration of what might happen if mankind was allowed to use our most vivid memories as a gateway to what came before. It’s a compelling thriller built on big ideas – typical of Crouch’s thought-provoking sci-fi sensibility.

In the now, New York City police officer Barry Sutton is doing his best to deal with the fallout from a new phenomenon that has recently started popping up all over the world. Dubbed False Memory Syndrome, the affliction drops full sets of alternate memories into the minds of those who suffer from it. Whole lives never lived appear fully formed in their heads; the dissonance between what was and what was not often proves too much to bear.

A decade earlier, Helena Smith is a neuroscientist whose entire career has been devoted to the study of memory. She has given her life over to the idea that memories can be fully mapped and recorded and reexperienced; her work is an extension of her love for her mother, who is slowly disappearing into the fog of dementia. Her goal is to find ways to preserve our most precious memories, and when a reclusive billionaire offers to fund her, she progresses far beyond her wildest dreams.

Unanticipated discoveries place these two lives on a collision course. When technology finds ways to recalibrate humanity’s perception of time, drastic changes begin to unfold – changes that will have consequences for the future, the present … and even the past.

As the threads of reality begin to unravel – slowly at first, but quickly picking up speed – Barry and Helena are the only ones with any chance of preventing the catastrophe that lies at the end of this particular path. And while in some respects, they have all the time in the world, in others, they have no time at all.

“Recursion” is science fiction at its apex, combining sophisticated concepts with sharp plotting and interesting characters. There’s a density to the narrative that could easily prove too complex, but Crouch has such a delicate touch that even as we bounce from perspective to perspective and time to time, there’s never the slightest issue. Juggling multiple timelines is tricky business, but even as the stories cross and uncross, with branches begetting branches begetting branches, the thread is never lost. It’s all handled masterfully.

Time and its meaning are a regular source of fascination for Crouch – his previous novel, the excellent “Dark Matter,” addressed the nature of time as well. With “Recursion,” he turns that fascination inward, focusing on the individual’s interior perception of time and considering how shifts on a micro level might ripple out in a macro sense. It’s smart and challenging in ways that you don’t often see in genre fiction – even genre fiction specifically intended to be smart and challenging in those exact ways.

One of the things that’s so much fun about Crouch’s work in general – and “Recursion” in particular – is the degree of difficulty with regards to narrative complexity. His books are marvelous puzzle boxes, stories wrapped in stories that challenge the reader without ever demanding more than they can give. It’s a fine line – one Crouch walks with nary a misstep.

Another of Crouch’s many strengths is his understanding of character – you can have all the cool ideas in the world, but if the characters experiencing and expressing them are flat and/or uninteresting, your story is going to fall flat. But both Barry and Helena have a richness to them, a degree of idiosyncratic detail that renders them three-dimensional in a manner both fascinating and heartbreaking.

“Recursion” is top-tier science fiction. Conceptually and narratively, it is a mesmerizing work, carefully constructed and exquisitely executed. It’s a story of the power of memory … a story you’ll never forget.

What are memories?
What is the past?
What is the future?

Blake Crouch’s new book Recursion examines these questions. This book is a philosophical exploration wrapped up in an action filled thriller. I loved his previous best seller Dark Matter, so I knew I had to get my hands on this one too. I could not stop turning the pages, wondering where the story was going to go next and how Barry and Helena’s stories were going to intersect. This book kept me guessing right up until the end. And in the days after it left me pondering deeper questions of my own existence. Pick this one up if you love action, thrillers, and a little bit of science fiction!

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book!

I finished Recursion by Blake Crouch last night after a little over 48 hours. I hemmed and hawed about what to rate it at, I didn’t know whether a 3 or 4 star rating was the ticket. This is definitely not my typical genre, science fiction thriller, so it was a stretch for me. I kept thinking about how my uncle would love this. So although I don’t feel like I’m in the target demographic, (for the genre itself), the story holds up and I decided to go with 4 stars. If I’m going to read a book word for word over 2 days, then I think that’s saying something. The concept of False Memory Syndrome is what made me put this on hold and enter a bunch of giveaways and request it on NetGalley. And that concept delivered! There was a bit of science jargon and discussion, but not so much where it felt like reading a text book. I was concerned that it would go way more into details and make the story lag, but thankfully it skipped over those boring bits that slow things down. I found the story to be unique and I love that it explored memory in the context of reality and linear timelines. I also enjoyed how it explored the ethical issues of memories and messing with them.
Trigger Warning: This is a thriller so some death, also some profanity weaved throughout.