Dark Matter Book Review Noah Hunter

 Noah Hunter  

Mr. Davidson 

Contemporary Literature, Period 2 

17 November 2023 

Dark Matter Book Review 

In the book, Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, Jason, the main character has a wife, Daniella, and a child, Charlie. He is at a party for an old roommate who won an award he would have won if his funding kept up. Jason lost that funding because his, now-wife, got pregnant and he decided to stay with her. He goes out to get ice cream for his family and gets kidnapped. Jason gets drugged by his kidnapper and wakes up in a lab where he gets evaluated by these workers and then sneaks out and goes home. He later finds out that his home seems to be looking just a little bit different. He later comes to the realization that this is not his world, and he needs to find a way back. He partners up with one of the lab’s workers, Amanda, and they jump universes together trying to find their way back home.   

Dark Matter plays on the theme that one decision does not make or break you. The entire novel is based on how each little decision affects your life. Jason thinks because he decided to stay with Daniella instead of continuing his research, that he is a failure. Little does he know he has one of the best outcomes and has the most selfless personality out of all the other Jasons. He has what all the others are trying to obtain. He learns that his life is made up of thousands of decisions, and you aren't defined by just one. Daniella says, "You aren't replaceable. Not even by you.” She describes that Jason isn't made up of one big decision, but all the choices he has made over his life (318). The theme is very inspiring and well-thought-out. It creates the idea that a person is made up of so many different experiences. This is such a powerful message and made reading this novel feel a lot more meaningful. 

Jason was a very deep character and had many flaws. The fact that Jason was not perfect was amazing to me. The story seems more realistic and enjoyable with the main character having simple flaws. He was not the most perfect husband to his family, but the theme was that he tried as hard as he could to be that. That alone made the novel just that much more enjoyable. Jason as a character was more fun to see fail, but also get up and keep trying until he finally got back to his family. Jason’s flaws are prominent when Daniella explains what the other Jason was like. She says, “This other Jason looked at me like that, and there was this new energy between us” She describes how the other Jason saw her and it really depicts the flaws of original Jason (305). Jason, being so flawed, works so well because the author develops him so well as a character. Watching Jason realize that he isn't perfect and that he does have regrets makes him so relatable as a character. It's much easier to root for him and anxiously read about his journey. 

I really enjoyed this novel because of the intricate themes and characters in it. The theme that one decision does not define you is unique from a lot of other stories and Jason as a character wasn’t flawless and made rooting for him even easier because I was able to relate to his struggle. The novel is very good and is a solid read for anyone in their teens and up who enjoys a good sci-fi novel. I do recommend this book to others because of the unique themes and characters.