Unabridged Podcast Episode 29: Blake Crouch's DARK MATTER

Quick Summary: In this episode, we’re discussing Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter. It is a story about Jason Dessen, a physics professor, husband, and father, whose life is turned upside down when he is kidnapped and transported to a different world--one where his wife is not his wife, his son is not there, and he is profoundly successful as a physicist and has accomplished seemingly impossible things.  As Jason struggles to figure out what is real, he works to find his way home. The protagonist must face the fragile nature of his reality as he struggles to reunite with his family and his world.

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My Take: This was a fast-paced sci-fi book that grabbed me and kept moving. There are parts that were truly mind-blowing. Some of the details of the plot itself left me a bit perplexed, but it was a good read overall.
My verdict: The premise of this captivated me. As things unfolded, I found myself a bit skeptical of some of what came, but it was really enjoyable and fast-moving.   3/5 stars. 
Favorite Quotes: There were lots of quotes I enjoyed in this fast-paced novel. 

• "It occurs to me that if I do survive, I'll carry a new revelation with me for the rest of my days: we leave this life the same way we enter it--totally  alone, bereft. I'm afraid, and there is nothing Daniela or Charlie or anyone can do to help me at this moment when I need them more than ever. They don't even know what I'm experiencing."  -- This novel really makes you think about what it means to be your true self and what reality really is. There are many moments of isolation and alienation that make the reader ponder existence.
• "It's like we get so set in our ways, so entrenched in those grooves, we stop seeing our loved ones for who they are. But tonight, right now, I see you again, like the first time we met, when the sound of your voice and your smell was new country." --  One of the  things I loved about this novel is the gratitude that the narrator feels for his life and all of the tiny, simple moments that make reality what it is. 

What I added to my TBR list: I'm dying to read Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng that Sara recommended! As I mention on the show, I LOVED Everything I Never Told You  so very much, and I look forward to Ng's next novel. That one keeps getting pushed down the pile a little bit because of more pressing reads, but I can't wait to get to it! 
Teaching Tips: While I would not teach this whole class,  it could work in lit circles. It could also work well in a creative writing class since the narrative structure is fascinating! 
Podcast Highlights: I loved/ felt mortified by listening to us try to work through some of the theoretical physics that are completely foreign to us! It's always humbling to discuss something completely outside of one's field of expertise. My cheeks are burning now just thinking about it!