Recursion

A Novel

By: Blake Crouch

Narrated by: Jon Lindstrom, Abby Craden

Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller

From the best-selling author of Dark Matter and the Wayward Pines trilogy comes a relentless thriller about time, identity, and memory - his most mind-boggling, irresistible work to date, and the inspiration for Shondaland’s upcoming Netflix film.

"Gloriously twisting...a heady campfire tale of a novel." (The New York Times Book Review)

Named one of the Best Books of the Year by Time • NPR • BookRiot

Reality is broken.

At first, it looks like a disease. An epidemic that spreads through no known means, driving its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. But the force that’s sweeping the world is no pathogen. It’s just the first shock wave, unleashed by a stunning discovery - and what’s in jeopardy is not our minds but the very fabric of time itself.

In New York City, Detective Barry Sutton is closing in on the truth - and in a remote laboratory, neuroscientist Helena Smith is unaware that she alone holds the key to this mystery...and the tools for fighting back.

Together, Barry and Helena will have to confront their enemy - before they, and the world, are trapped in a loop of ever-growing chaos.

Praise for Recursion

"An action-packed, brilliantly unique ride that had me up late and shirking responsibilities until I had devoured the last page...a fantastic read." (Andy Weir, number one New York Times best-selling author of The Martian)

"Another profound science-fiction thriller. Crouch masterfully blends science and intrigue into the experience of what it means to be deeply human." (Newsweek)

"Definitely not one to forget when you’re packing for vacation...[Crouch] breathes fresh life into matters with a mix of heart, intelligence, and philosophical musings." (Entertainment Weekly)

"A trippy journey down memory lane...[Crouch’s] intelligence is an able match for the challenge he’s set of overcoming the structure of time itself." (Time)

"Wildly entertaining...another winning novel from an author at the top of his game." (AV Club)

©2019 Blake Crouch (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"A mind-bending thriller." (USA Today)

"[Crouch] has sketched out the rules for a new reality.... [Recursion] has a thrumming pulse that moves beyond big ideas and into their effects on a larger, more complex world." (NPR)

"[Recursion] will keep you up all night - first because you can't stop reading it, and then because you can't stop thinking about it." (BuzzFeed)

Enjoyable despite some flaws

This is my first experience with Blake Crouch but I've been on a bit of a time travel kick lately so I decided to give this one a go. I actually really enjoyed the premise and even enjoyed the plot which I know other reviewers heavily criticized. However it is not without flaws. Ultimately, without any other Blake Crouch works in my memory to compare this to, I still felt that this was worth the credit.

The biggest flaw is that it does get a little drawn out. I have to be careful not to give any plot spoilers away but the protagonist can't figure out how to fix a problem and the author lets her struggle with this a bit too long in a way that isn't all that exciting for the reader.

The second flaw is that there are people that just seem to be far too smart in the book to take such illogical action. It's a huge pet peeve of mine when authors make characters act in a way that doesn't logically jive with their character in order to build suspense.

If you think too hard about it, there are other ways the plot could have gone and other things different characters might have done that would have made more sense.

I think the author missed out on some character development opportunities that would have made the story more intriguing. He just kind of gets stuck in a time loop at one point that is almost maddening and I think there was a bit of missed opportunity there.

Despite the shortcomings, I still really enjoyed the story and the premise. I'll be looking for more Blake Crouch works to check out based on this one and the reviews that seem to suggest this wasn't as enjoyable as some of his other works.

A real Short review of a great book

I'll keep it brief. A wonderful tale. A fantastic time travel mechanism. A tale that made my heart race and my eyes well up. Couldn't stop listening. Worthy of your time and credit. Both narrators were great! thank you for reading this. Hope you enjoy this book!

immersive

another great crouch book. i dont know what it is but he creates immersive worlds with inbelievable charavters. yet, i always find myself wishing there was just one more aspect to the endings of his books. well worth the listen

Very, very good

Best I’ve listened to in a long time. Highly recommend for anyone that enjoys intelligently written novels. The narrators did a great job, as well.

This book wanted to be profound but...

Crouch took on a weighty topic: the nature of time, the human brain’s perception of it and the role our memory plays in that perception. While it was an enjoyable read with flashes of brilliance, like so many novels of this type, the payoff just never materialized. Still - very thought provoking and worth the listen.

Good till end

Good book. Kept me very interested till it got monotonous at the end. The book reminds me of Replay by Ken Grimwood and the Sliders TV show.

Confusing...or did I just wake up in the past?

I liked the unfurling of this story, even if I felt the factual explanations of the technology might *just* have borrowed more from fantasy than science. I enjoyed the switch off of narrators, but I still found some of the story telling confusing. Maybe I need to delve into more quantum physics stuff to get it more—or stop believing in the limits of human physiology. This left me with a lot to think about... I almost wish the author had begun the story with the last chapter and worked backward.

Superb and unique

I was enthralled the entire book. Story is as good as it gets. Narrators work seamlessly together. Plot is gripping and nail biting and next to impossible to press pause.

soooooo good!

Not a boring moment in this book. It's a good mix of suspense, love story and contemplation. I highly recommend it.

Excellent Book!

Performance was really good and a great story that kept you captivated until the end!