"Time is but memory in the making." Vladimir Nabokov

This thriller was full of action, twists and drama -- it totally reminded me of why I love science fiction novels. I was glued to the pages and I dare you to put it down once you start!

The themes of this book are so uniquely handled -- the nature of identity, the inconstancy of memory, and the perception of time. The author pulls all of these together to create a story that will linger on long in my mind and one that I can't wait to share with others.

The main characters, especially NYC Detective Barry Sutton and scientist Dr. Helena Smith, are people that become real in the pages as they tackle the huge issue that was Helena's brainchild - a chair that allows what seemingly is time travel through memory. As with any new technology, a major invention has huge impacts on society and always comes with a question of whether it will be used for good, or for bad. The potential for change has consequences and the evil forces in the world can't help but crave the power. NO SPOILERS.

I loved the pacing, the plot and the writing style. The questions created by the book's premise beg reflection and discussion and even if I can't say that I understand the science, it was engaging and relatable. I rooted for the good guys, hoped the bad guys would get their comeuppance and was a bit scared as the narrative rushed to the conclusion of a remarkable adventure that I didn't want to end.
If you enjoy a novel that makes you think, be sure to read this one that "pierces the veil of perception."

I understand that there is to be an upcoming Netflix film adaptation of this book and I can't wait to see it. Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishhing for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

I am going against the groove here with all the love for this one. I didn't jive with this techno-thriller that gave my imagination quite the workout. It was exercised to the point of exhaustion by the time I finished this story. I am going to take a rest with a nice glass of wine and then I am moving on.

I received a copy from the publisher on NetGalley

This book was a little hard to follow as the various jumps in timelines/realities started to add up -- especially since some of them were mostly forgotten, but then started to be remembered, and by more and more people... Plots involving time travel risk developing into meaninglessness since everything that happens could, in theory, be redone and changed as many times as necessary. In this one there seems to be some sort of cumulative consequences, but it wasn't able to hold my interest long enough to actually finish reading the book.

I enjoy this so much more than I was expecting. I read Dark Matter by Blake Crouch and while I liked it there was something about it that didn't wow me.. however Recursion blew me away.

Recursion is a sci-fi novel following a police office named Barry Sutton as he tries to figure out what False Memory Syndrome really is. There is so much more to this story than that but I don't want to give anything away. Crouch tells this story is such a way that with each layer that is uncovered I was on the edge of my seat. There is a mix of sci-fi, romance, mystery, and suspense and it all works beautifully. I highly recommend this book!

What a crazy fun fast paced thriller from a master of the genre. If you loved Dark Matter, you're gonna go wild for this one. It's an action movie in novel form and I continue to recommend it to my friends who only pick up a few books a year--let this be one of them!

I can’t keep up. I keep losing interest and then lose what even is suppose to be happening. The back and forth and on and on and up and down and back again if it all just keeps my mind wandering elsewhere. I can not stay interested in it.

This book blew. my. mind. I'm still recovering. It's a fast-paced, mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, time-traveling, epic thrill ride! I can't even put into words the mastery that the author crafted with this storyline. How does someone come up with something like this? And not only that, execute it so flawlessly?! The story surrounds Barry and Helena, told from their perspectives, we are thrust into this wild kaleidoscope! Multiple timelines, dead memories, apocalypses... It's. Cr-azy! I don't dip into books like this too often but Crouch made me an instant fan. I am so, SO glad I read this book. What a heart-pounding reading experience!

Blake Crouch writes a genre I typically do NOT like in a way that I DO like. Recursion was one I greatly enjoyed, despite it being atypical for me. I love how he is able to put me in this new world while also integrating it into the world I know. Great book!

Exactly what I've come to expect from Blake Crouch - a real good bit of fun sci fi. The circular movement of the later chapters get a little repetitive and the plot as a whole wasn't as compelling as Dark Matter. It took me a lot longer to read. But I loved his use of a smart female protagonist. Definitely a great vacation read - not to be taken too seriously on the science end of it.

Am I mad about the fact that it took me three months to read this book? Nope.

Was it because I was genuinely confused? Yes.

Recursion is part sci-fi, part romance, and all parts insane. I’m not usually a fan of science fiction but the way Blake Crouch writes transcends the genre. I fully believe that’s why the book got the hype that it did. This is a love story through and through. It’s a love story for us to understand and feel the gravity of our realities. The main plot is about a New York Police detective named Barry who is called to intervene when a woman has false memory syndrome and is about to commit suicide, she can remember a whole life with her husband that didn’t really happen. That disparity causes her to jump. And Barry to act. We follow him into his story and background and learn about one fateful night that changed his life forever. We also get another perspective but I’m not going to say anything about that and give anything away.

This book is beyond a wild ride, it’s jarring, it’s gripping, it’s gross (I.e. skin melting) but each page you flip gives you another reason to gasp and smile. I couldn’t find anything wrong with the book. It took me a long time to get through because I was convinced that I wasn’t in the right space for it but once I started it back up, I couldn’t put it back down.

Reading the acknowledgments highlighted that the names of the characters in the book were inspired by people in Crouch’s life. That’s why this book felt more realistic, no fabrications, just real people in impossible situations fighting to make a difference.

So suspend belief, find a quiet place, and read this.

This novel has so many intricate twists and turns that are so life like that question the reality that you are living in. Well thought out and executed!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1524759783?ref=cm_sw_em_r_rw_mw_FLkictiJLDXz8

This was my first time reading anything by Blake Crouch, I own Dark Matter but haven't had a chance to read it yet. I'm definitely a mystery and thriller girl and not so much into sci-fi fantasy, but my bookish goal this year was to add more genres into my reading, and am I ever glad I picked this up.
Recursion was absolutely phenomenal! It definitely wowed me. The plot had an interesting premise and was so well thought out and delivered Crouch definitely rose to the occasion and blew this one out of the water.
I found this one hard to put down because I needed to know what was going to happen.
I don't think I can really do this one justice im a review but I highly recommend you pick it up to read. Thank you to netgalley and crown publishing for my copy.

What a wild ride. I knew this one was going to be good because I loved Dark Matter so much... but WOW. So imaginative, so much suspense, plot twists, everything! I love that this is a sci-fi book, but I think can also be enjoyed by someone who may not love that genre. It all feels realistic... like this could actually happen and that is hands down my favorite kind of sci-fi. Highly, highly, highly recommend.

Recursion is straight up amazing! Reading it made me think about time and what I would do if I could go back to the past, forward to the present, or even back to the now.

The basic premise is this: a young woman, Helena, has found promising new technology (a time chair, if you will) that she's hoping to use to preserve the memories of people with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, her chair attracts the interest of Marcus Slade, a very wealthy man who has a unique attachment to Helena. And by unique I mean very creepy.

There's also a cop, Barry, who is living in Manhattan, working as a cop, and mourning the loss of his marriage as well as the death of his daughter.

These stories, of both Helena and Barry, intertwine throughout Recursion, in the most mind bending, scary, hopeful, and utterly fascinating ways.

The ending is absolutely perfect! Recursion manages to be a thriller, a mystery, multiple love stories, and the fascinating meditation on time and how even the best intentions can lead to unexpected and disastrous results.

Recursion is undoubtedly one of the best books I've read in ages and is absolutely a top read of 2019. Very very highly recommended.

Not gonna lie, this book was hard to follow at times. But I loved the premise. Dark Matter will always be my favorite sci-fi but I very much enjoyed this one as well. If you had the power to go back and change a major thing in your life...would you? But at what cost?

There is a reason Blake Crouch is only one of two science fiction writers I will read, and this book is exactly why. Even if my brain hurt a little trying to understand it. Worth it, though.

Book Review: Recursion by Blake Crouch

"I have FMS. This isn't your fault. It was always going to end this way. My son has been erased...."

November 2018. False Memory Syndrome. Barry Sutton, NYPD detective, alcoholic and divorced. He's heard of it but he's never known or met anyone who had it.

Until that night, when he stepped onto the roof of a downtown tower. That woman had cried that her son was "erased". He'd investigate. He'd find answers. And little did he know that he'd also find himself in an altered existence - an alternate memory that becomes his real memory, a rediscovery of sobriety, joy and laughter - where the entire world, everyone's life, or death, revert back with him.

But, one also fraught with distress, pitfalls and grave peril - as in the annihilation of mankind.

The technology leaks. Russia, China, terrorists, private users, CERN and DARPA - all get to reset memories and remake the world according to their ideals and worst intentions.

The whole world explodes!

This is a book of a thousand what if's in which themes of space, time and teleportation are exponentially explored, pushed to the limit, and given that special touch of magic and imagination.

Easy to get overwhelmed and a little lost in complexities - then find your way back as the tale unfolds.

Sci-fi /techno-thriller supreme!

Review based on a complimentary Advance Reading Copy from Crown Publishing through NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for granting me early access to "Recursion".

I'm currently in the middle of a major move, and will definitely come back at a later time and write out a full review and rating.

Thank you so much!

This had me hooked from the start. A little different from the prior books I read by him but still worthy of a read. The middle to the ending I read in one stretch because I could just not stop. A definitely very interesting concept and drew similarities to the things I loved about Dark Matter. However, this still had a way about it that made this another great read.

This was a fun, fast read with a very ambitious premise. It reminded me a bit of the Philip K. Dick story "We Can Remember it for You Wholesale," which of course became the movie Total Recall. The writing is extremely tight and cinematic - not surprising since Crouch is also a screenwriter - and I can easily see this novel being adapted for the big or small screen. Helena Smith-the-brilliant-scientist and Barry Sutton-the-hungover-detective might feel like stock characters in less skilled hands, but Crouch does a wonderful job of making their interior life seem vivid and whole. I was very impressed with the pacing of the plot, which gradually accelerated throughout the book's five sections until I found myself up way past my bedtime, committed to finding out how it all ends. Some familiar speculative fiction tropes resolve into a satisfying ending worth the ride. I'll be putting it on our Staff Picks display ASAP.