Dark Matter
I really, really enjoyed Dark Matter. It's a book that doesn't shy away from what in many books would be the downfall. How do you deal with an inherently difficult/complex/twisting scientific plot? Dark Matter opens up with Jason and his wife Daniela and his son Charlie. They're living a normal Chicago life. He's a professor, she teaches art, and their son is a normal teenager. And then the book takes us out of this seemingly quiet family home into one of the most intense and enjoyable thrillers I've read a long time.
I'm writing this review on the first day of summer, and I couldn't think of a better summer read. There's just enough stuff to think about along with a fast-paced story that just fits this time of year. It also is coming at a point in my life where the question "what if" is happening a lot. And that's a lot of what Dark Matter is about, the decisions we make and how our life could fork from hundreds of thousands of decisions we make each day. Some very big, some small, but all having an impact on who we are and how our life turns out.
I think the overall sentiment of Dark Matter is one that was written for someone with my type of sensibility. I tend to overthink things, wonder what is and what could be. And by the end of this book, I started to realize the futility in that. Jason's life is taken away from him and he wants to get it back. I'm speaking in generalities because I think spoiling the books the main storyline would ruin the enjoyment of the book.
And so I will end with that I think Dark Matter is a near perfect book. It falls victim to the final act of wrapping together a weaving plot line. But it also ends in a way that is both ultimately satisfying but disappointing. Or to clean of an ending for a book that's all about the mess of life. I really really enjoyed Dark Matter though and its a book I will be thinking about for a long time to come.
