Title: Recursion.
Writer(s): Blake Crouch.
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY).
Format: Hardcover.
Release Date: June 11th 2019.
Pages: 336.
Genre(s): Science-Fiction.
ISBN13: 9781524759780.
My Overall Rating: ★★★★☆.
Blake Crouch is no stranger to readers today. His Wayward Pines trilogy, adapted as a TV series, is one of his most well-known work that saw a fanbase form out of the blue. His last novel surged an incredible uproar filled with love and praise and led Black Matter to quickly being optioned for the big screen. Continuing on a similar science-based narrative, his latest adventures have brought him to tangle with complex ideas and deliver some exciting and tantalizing stories. His ability to take a simple idea that emanates from real-life discoveries, to vulgarize it and allow the story to be accessible to just about any reader, makes his books unputdownable. With it already bound to become both a Netflix movie and series, Recursion is Blake Crouch’s latest project and its trippy and fast-paced narrative delivers a reading experience imbued in dependency and thrill.
What is Recursion about? With two interspersed narratives set 10 years apart from one another, the story dives into a world where discoveries in neuroscience allow reality to be bent by the will of individuals and memories playing a key role in our understanding of the past, present, and future. The first point of view follows New York City cop Barry Sutton in 2018 as he investigates a weird incident that hints towards a world-wide known phenomenon dubbed the False Memory Syndrome where victims who contract this maddening affliction remember a life that they never lived. The second point of view introduces readers to neuroscientist Helena Smith who specializes in memories and is granted the resources necessary to create a technology in 2008 that could allow individuals to relive memories. Where do these two cross paths? What reality-threatening dilemmas do they untangle? That is where the story finds its essence and draws you into a world where a pandora box is opened.
For those who wonder why Blake Crouch’s novels always come with so much love and praise from his readers, I can assure you that the answer is essentially in his writing style. Reading Recursion felt like reading a solid psychological thriller with a very easy to understand conceptualization of its scientific premise. The story does have bigger-than-life ideas that could allow some authors to create some of the best hard science-fiction stories out there but Blake Crouch takes an approach that makes it incredibly digestible and easy to follow while plugging in some of the key ingredients to a high-paced thriller that incorporates back to back twists when you least expect it. While some of the plot elements are predictable, the story at its core remains original and explores individual emotional and psychological issues regarding memories but also expands its reflection on a political and international level, covering all grounds and allowing the story to be exhaustive in its analysis of all the repercussions that the technology at the core of this narrative implicates.
Although the reflection on our understanding of memories is relatively profound in this story, I did feel like there are a lot of shortcuts taken regarding certain scientific explanations. Nitpicking would allow the identification of certain plot holes that make you wonder to what extent some of the ideas are feasible and plausible but the intention of this story did not seem like it was oriented towards a perfect comprehension and development of the technology at the heart of this story. In fact, Blake Crouch’s vision was mostly oriented towards inserting the smallest doubt in the reader that would open them up towards believing what he creates. I could also say that I felt like there was an extremely thick plot armour that surrounded this technology that forbade anything and anyone from doing something about it. This could also be due to the direction the story takes after the halfway point that mostly revels in repetition but sometimes a fast-paced science-fiction thriller is exactly what you need in your life.
Recursion is a clever page-turner that brilliantly extrapolates an idea that explores memory and identity, to ultimately explore its multiple facets through thrills and puzzles.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy for review!
Roars and Echoes 
Very clever review, insightful and intuitive, Lashaan. I liked Dark Matter…Crouch had me wrapped around his finger. I can only imagine this one being similar. Maybe not perfect but entertaining and hooking the reader. I do want to give this a try 🙂
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Wow, thank you so much, Scarlett! I appreciate it a lot. If you liked Dark Matter, then you won’t have much issues with this one either! 😁 I hope you enjoy when you get the chance to try it out! 😜
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Excellent review! I found it mostly compelling also… I made a couple nitpicking comments in my review, but I really like his writing.
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Thanks, Paul! And yes, it’s not flawless but it is entertaining from A to Z! 😁
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I’ll be reading this soon, I can hardly wait! Blake Crouch is an auto read author for me😁
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Hahaha I can’t for you to fall in love with his writing all over again! 😜
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I had a lot of fun with this one, and yeah once I allowed myself go with the flow on a lot of the scientific explanations (or rather, the lack of them) I had a much better time with the story. The ending brought a tear to my eye, so I did bump my rating up just for that 🙂
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Yep. I think it’s necessary to let ourselves get carried away by his writing style and pseudoscience. It makes for a so much more entertaining read once you get wrapped into the logic of his world!
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Fantastic review Lashaan! I especially liked what you said about the way Crouch writes. His style actually reminds reminds me a bit of the late Michael Crichton’s. I was turned for the eARC of this on NetGalley so I’m trying to patiently wait my turn on my library’s hold list. I didn’t know this was already grabbed by Netflix. Yay!
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Thank you so much, Kim! I think his pseudoscience stuff is decent but if that’s where your focus is at, then the reader should look elsewhere for his scifi fix. I do hope you get the chance to read it, Kim! I’m sure you’ll have a good time! 😁
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Honestly, being more a right-brain person, I’m just looking to be entertained.😁
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You’re right, sometimes a book like this is exactly what the doctor ordered!
I’ve heard so much about Black Matter (had no idea they were bringing it to the screen, though – wow!) but never felt like it would be my kind of read… I feel like it might be a bit too mindfuckey for me. I’m not even too sure what it’s about but that’s part of the magic, isn’t it?
Nevertheless, your review was able to shed some light on Blake’s style and writing that made me want to check it out. Just because I don’t dabble in thrillers, doesn’t mean I might not enjoy one if it’s every bit as fascinating as you say! 🙂 Plus, I’m super curious after so much hype… I’ll probably end up disappointed but oh well.
Amazing post, Lashaan! ^^
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Hahha exactly! And yes, it’s all about plot twists and mindfucking 😂 And I think going in blind will make it an even more pleasant ride. At least confirm that the genre is your thing though 😂 And yes, I think you’re going to have to reduce them expectations of yours if you want to enjoy it now. The hype is going strong for Crouch. Who knows, maybe you could also just wait for movies/shows based on his books to come out! 😜 Thanks, Sophie! Quite happy to hear from you! 😁
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That’s a good idea – might do that! I mean, what book doesn’t turn into a show/movie nowadays? Netflix is always on the lookout for those xD
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Tell me about it! Netflix is going to dominate the movie scene while Hollywood struggles to make anything pertinent as they continue to reboot and remake beloved classics hahaha
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True – the only movie I’m currently looking forward to is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood! 😎
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Long live Tarantino! 😍
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Fantastic review, Lashaan! I like the whole ‘science’ aspect to it as well as how the author makes it more digestible for the reader.
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Thanks, Nikola! It is indeed pretty cool that some authors are able to chew the science for us. It makes it easier for a lot of people to read. My bad for the late reply! Found your comment stored in the spam section. 😮
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I haven’t read this author, but the book seems exciting.. Got to check it out.. Great review 😍
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Hahhaah yes! If it intrigues you, it’s well worth checking out! 😁 Thanks, Shalini!!
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Insightful review! Dark Matter was such a fun read and I’m glad Recursion didn’t turn out to be a disappointment as I’m looking forward to this.
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Thank you so much! I do hope that you’ll have a blast with it when you get the chance to check it out! 😁
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Glad you’ve had such a good time with Crouch. He’s one of those authors who just isn’t for me.
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Hahah I can definitely see why his stuff don’t work for you. As you once mentioned, I think both Dark Matter and Recursion are great places to explore scifi, a nice starting point if you don’t know what is possible within the genre.
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A new author for a new generation…
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Fantastic review! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂 I didn’t know Dark Matter was being adapted.
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Thanks, Nadine! At this point, all his stories will find themselves in the hands of screenwriters, if you ask me! 😂
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I detect an undercurrent of disappointment within all that praise 😉 Sounds like a solid, entertaining read, but I’m afraid that my nitpicking would detract a lot from my reading experience – I will try out Dark Matter first 😉
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You’re the only one who pointed it out hahaha Honestly, if I had read it at another time, I would’ve ended up ripping it for inconsistencies, typical character development and structure 😂 You could say that it’s excellent junk food! 😁 Hope you’ll have a good time with Dark Matter though!
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For good or worse, I am a very discerning reader 😛
Sometimes book worms need junk food too 😉 Though in my case I more often feel nauseous than satisfied, there are instances where the ingredients, though thoroughly known, are mixed in such a tasty way than you cannot but applaud the final result 😀
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I still haven’t read his firts work but knowing that his writing makes complex matters understandable is a high praise. Honestly the topics broached here are frightening!
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Yes, sometimes it’s wonderful to pick up a sci-fi novel that is completely understandable! 🙂 And yes, the topic here is so cool!
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Amazing review, Lashaan! 😁 This book sounds so cool, I would really like to read it!!! 😍
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You’d find it pretty fun! It’s not as confusing as it sounds! 🙈
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Your review just made me reserve the book from the library.
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Awwww ye! I hope you have a fun time with it, Karina! 😁
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The book just came in; I better read the other three books ahead of it!
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