Book Club: DARK MATTER Discussion

[Risscaboobs]

Discuss when you have finished reading. I'll come back with some discussion points closer to the end of the month.

[Risscaboobs]

roguelily
The rest of my tags are on a spreadsheet at work. I'll add tomorrow.

[nelzie]

I'm dying to read this but I'm 55 on the wait list for the ebook I just searched the catalog for the hard copy and it's in so hopefully I can pick it up from the library tomorrow.

[flat]

I'm about half way through. Will be ready to discuss next week or so!

[cdnfroggy]

I am here ready to discuss! I finished it last month and have a few thoughts on it.

[grumpycat]

I finished as well! Not sure how much I can add to the discussion but am looking forward to the specific questions later in the month.

It was very readable and generally enjoyable, not sure how likely I'd be to recommend it. *shrugs*

[Risscaboobs]

angelashly, bunnyfungo, rach7170, budders, cdnfroggy, mamascarlett, pianolove, allisong, CestLaVie, rablissful, butlerfan, pearbear, tatorhead328, 45thparallel, pippa, @blanche, kittyforman, bookworm, betches, cake, nelzie, windwithfingers, roguelily, Peekaru, kclause, loves2read, scsmith, bonzo, silverspoon, oreobitsy, reginaphalange8, criss, lupineaura, Nymeria, Radley, flat, @frank, Cher, helloerrbody, nenarene, daisy818, ktg, coffeecoffeecoffee, sluttybigb00bz, wanderingheart, ginandtonic, northernlghts, moutonrouge, dreadpirateroberts, Taitai, haleyscott, scsmith, lucilleaustero, @definitelynotwallie, bearfootz, jewel, blurnette989, NamasteBirches, byjove, pinkflamingo, fikafairy, grumpycat, @nellybluth, cribs, elsiemae, Radley, meggriffin; seamonster, bearfootzcontinued

It's very early - so please don't feel rushed. A member requested to start the thread now, so here it is. Please feel free to discuss as you finish. I will add discussion questions more toward the end of the month.

[roguelily]

Ok I'm here and ready to discuss!

Thank you Risscaboobs , for starting this for my impatient self ..

Ok so this has been on my TBR for a while, I put it on there after hearing a girl on a podcast I listen to say it was one of the best books she's ever read. High praise. I... did not agree. However, I still could not put this damn thing down. This is probably the most mixed-feelings book I've read this year. Hence the schizophrenia of the below review...

SPOILERS start here...

Ok so first of all, I have so many complaints. I think the average sentence in this book was 7 words. In some cases I appreciated how it suited the thriller nature of the book and really made the reading experience feel like you were reading a screenplay. But other times I literally started laughing because how sort of ridiculous the writing was. I hated how damn tied up the whole thing was for Jason2. Like, out of all of the permutations that were going on, there were not enough derailers. Example: It really bothered me that he got back to his world with one ampule left, and I don't think he really explained WHY he managed to get home (like what the game changer was). Like, he couldn't get back with 12 left or something? It just worked out with 1 left? And at the same time, how NON-neatly everyone else's character turned out! Like what happened with Amanda? It seemed weird and kind of lazy that the author couldn't figure out a way for us to find out what happened to her.

It was also pretty obvious to me from the get go that it was himself from the future who came back. So this was not really a revelation like i think it was supposed to be,

I also didn't think there were enough insights into his thought processes.

On the plus side, I was riveted by this ridiculous book. And I really appreciated the pace (which contradicts some of what I wished for above). At one point I was literally showering/washing my 4 year old with one hand and hanging out the shower reading with the book in my other hand. This book did not change my life, but it made for great weekend reading. Kind of like the book equivalent of an Action movie

[fikafairy]

I finished it a couple weeks ago, and have MANY thiughts about it. I also had a hard time putting it down, but for me there were many, many spots where I thought there were loose ends that should have been tied up better.

I'm at a conference this week so I will pop on when I can!

[angelashly]

I just picked it up Saturday so I will start it this week sometime!

[cdnfroggy]

roguelily, I feel almost exactly how you do. I couldn't put it down, but I'm also not going to really recommend it to anyone. I think the hype doesn't match the book. I liked the concept behind it, and I do think it would make a good tv show/movie, just didn't buy it as a great book.

SPOILERS AHEAd

SPOILER: Click to show

I really hated the style of writing, like, really hated it. It made me feel like my thoughts were scattered, which I understand is supposed to be part of the gimmick of this book, but I didn't like it for the whole thing. I would have liked it if it was only in the more tense scenes in the book, to almost help ramp up the emotions in it.
I also found that it was tied up a bit too neatly, like you said, he made it back with 1 ampoule, but without explaining what was different this time. And yet, there were loose ends (what happened to Amanda?)

It definitely grabs the attention and I was glued to it, but wouldn't really recommend it.

[nelzie]

Just picked up the hard copy from the library since it will be months until my hold on the ebook comes in. I'll start tonight!

[Deleted]

Ack! I'll start today!

[pippa]

I read this a few months and really enjoyed it.

SPOILER: Click to show

Now that a few of you have mentioned it, yes, it does seem a little ridiculous that he was able to make it back with 1 ampule. And yes the reveal that it was himself from another dimension was not super surprising. But what I really liked and did find surprising was that there were just a ton of Jason's running around because each one came from a different outcome of his story. That really threw me for a loop.

[cdnfroggy]

pippa, I also liked that aspect of it (what surprised you).

[moutonrouge]

I finished a few weeks ago.

Especially at the end, when other versions came out, it felt like a concept that had gone too far. I was mildly interested in the two Jasons. Hundreds? No. Like yes, technically that could happen. But it made the end chaotic and rushed.

I also found it hard to believe the wife and son noticed the differences. Sure, calling me a different name I'd notice. But if DH put this shoes on first or last, or wore new pajamas... Probably not.

I was onboard and entertained by a lot of the book. The end ruined it for me.

Sent from my XT1095 using Tapatalk

[45thparallel]

I didn't notice the short choppy sentences at all. I listened to the audiobook though, and I thought the structure and pace was well suited for the book.

My biggest criticism is that I just don't get the whole "Jason2 had the best life" angle. There were many versions of Jason with a wife and kid. What made that version so amazing? Especially since there were an infinite number of versions, many HAD to be quite similar. Then all the Jason's converging on Jason2's life. Hmmmmm. That part could have been better developed.

Otherwise, I enjoyed it.

[fikafairy]

I liked the overall concept of the book, and it was interesting enough that I kept reading long into the night just to see what happened. I thought the idea was interesting that the littlest decisions sometimes have a different impact on your life as it continues, etc. etc. etc.

However.

The fact that hundreds of Jasons appeared at the end, was a BIG reach for me. Besides the fact that the author wrote it from the "right" Jason's perspective, how do we know the original/"correct" one wound up there in the end? Technically speaking any of them were the "right" one since their stories converged at different decision points after the switch was made.

I did kind of like the twist at the end about how they chose where to go next.

[roguelily]

Jul 10, 2017 17:30:11 GMT -6 fikafairy said:

I liked the overall concept of the book, and it was interesting enough that I kept reading long into the night just to see what happened. I thought the idea was interesting that the littlest decisions sometimes have a different impact on your life as it continues, etc. etc. etc.

However.

The fact that hundreds of Jasons appeared at the end, was a BIG reach for me. Besides the fact that the author wrote it from the "right" Jason's perspective, how do we know the original/"correct" one wound up there in the end? Technically speaking any of them were the "right" one since their stories converged at different decision points after the switch was made.

I did kind of like the twist at the end about how they chose where to go next.

I agree- I think something interesting could have been done wherein one of the other Jasons gets selected because they had some experience that makes them a better fit and he sacrifices himself or something. Or like the whole time you think he's the primary Jason but he's not. I was waiting for there to be a "sixth sense style wooahhhhhh" moment and there wasn't, for me.

And who started the group chat?? That was weird & too "neat" too.

[kclause]

I thought the book was good, however, I did not think it was life changing. I was almost let down since all I had heard was how great it was. I'm really disappointed that we don't know what happened to Amanda. It's like the author just abandoned her character halfway through the book. The style of writing didn't bother me too much. One question I have is why are there multiple Jasons? I guess I'm not clear why more were created each time. While I had loyalty for the main character I also don't know how I felt about the other Jasons not getting to be with their family. If they really are him then what makes our main character more qualified to be with his family? I just felt like in the end everyone lost out. I also really didn't like how the very end left the story hanging.

[roguelily]

Jul 11, 2017 8:07:45 GMT -6 kclause said:

I thought the book was good, however, I did not think it was life changing. I was almost let down since all I had heard was how great it was. I'm really disappointed that we don't know what happened to Amanda. It's like the author just abandoned her character halfway through the book. The style of writing didn't bother me too much. One question I have is why are there multiple Jasons? I guess I'm not clear why more were created each time. While I had loyalty for the main character I also don't know how I felt about the other Jasons not getting to be with their family. If they really are him then what makes our main character more qualified to be with his family? I just felt like in the end everyone lost out. I also really didn't like how the very end left the story hanging.

I think because he "created" a new Jason in each of those 48 worlds he went to, and then those Jasons went to worlds he didn't and then they made another, and so on. I Guess we have to somehow assume that when he got in the box to leave he still left a Jason in that world? (Like the box wasnt a deletion of that worlds Jason .. ) Which also kind of doesn't make sense because when he got sent back in the box to Jason's world
The first time, he didn't leave a cloned version of himself there...

[kclause]

Jul 11, 2017 8:24:08 GMT -6 roguelily said:

Jul 11, 2017 8:07:45 GMT -6 kclause said:

I thought the book was good, however, I did not think it was life changing. I was almost let down since all I had heard was how great it was. I'm really disappointed that we don't know what happened to Amanda. It's like the author just abandoned her character halfway through the book. The style of writing didn't bother me too much. One question I have is why are there multiple Jasons? I guess I'm not clear why more were created each time. While I had loyalty for the main character I also don't know how I felt about the other Jasons not getting to be with their family. If they really are him then what makes our main character more qualified to be with his family? I just felt like in the end everyone lost out. I also really didn't like how the very end left the story hanging.

I think because he "created" a new Jason in each of those 48 worlds he went to, and then those Jasons went to worlds he didn't and then they made another, and so on. I Guess we have to somehow assume that when he got in the box to leave he still left a Jason in that world? (Like the box wasnt a deletion of that worlds Jason .. ) Which also kind of doesn't make sense because when he got sent back in the box to Jason's world
The first time, he didn't leave a cloned version of himself there...

Ah I see, thank you. I wasn't thinking about how the other Jasons were also creating even more. So when does it ever end? Where do they go? Do they search for a place and even more are created and it never ends? I just feel left hanging and that bugs me lol. Also are they created at that time or were they the Jasons that were on that specific world before our main Jason got there? Also I apologize if I'm rambling.

[meggriffin]

I hadn't heard of this book previous to reading so I went in with zero expectations. I enjoyed it and would recommend to a friend that was looking for an easy read.

Add me to the couldn't put the book down and the why couldn't get an update on Amanda club.

[loony]

I started and finished it today.

It was a fast, entertaining read, but not earth shattering. It was reminiscent of The Time Traveler's wife, but nowhere near as well written.

I am glad to have read it, but will probably not remember it or recommend it.

[loony]

I honestly went in blind. I didn't even read the synopsis.

The Goodreads reviews are glowing to say the least and in kind of baffled. The premise was good, the pace was good but there were some serious plot holes, unexplained phenomena and a lack of warmth.

I didn't feel for the guy in the end. I was routing for him, but it just wasn't quite enough.

My mind was not blown.

[cdnfroggy]

loony, you are in my brain about this book.

[loony]

Also in the light of day, sans wine, my posts need some very heavy edits. Woof.

[flat]

Jul 10, 2017 17:30:11 GMT -6 fikafairy said:

I liked the overall concept of the book, and it was interesting enough that I kept reading long into the night just to see what happened. I thought the idea was interesting that the littlest decisions sometimes have a different impact on your life as it continues, etc. etc. etc.

However.

The fact that hundreds of Jasons appeared at the end, was a BIG reach for me. Besides the fact that the author wrote it from the "right" Jason's perspective, how do we know the original/"correct" one wound up there in the end? Technically speaking any of them were the "right" one since their stories converged at different decision points after the switch was made.

I did kind of like the twist at the end about how they chose where to go next.

+1 to all of this. Overall, it was a good, easy, read and I enjoyed it. It had some good twists and kept me entertained. I wish it would have been deeper in some aspects- his thoughts or maybe telling from different Jasons' perspectives so we don't know if she ended up with the "right" Jason.

I hated all the Jasons at the end, but, the more I thought about it, if they hadn't been there it would have been a plot hole because that was basically the whole premise of the book.

Also, yes, what the hell happened to Amanda? Or all of the other Amandas- presumably each world she went into left another Amanda behind. Surely at least one of them stuck with him and made it back to "his" Chicago and he would have seen her there- that would have been a good twist. Dark Matter 2 with her story?

[Deleted]

So glad I saw this book club post because I've been looking for a new good book. I found this book to be really thought-provoking. I enjoyed it. I also read it in a day. I have similar complaints ... things were a little too neat

Spoiler

Example when Amanda happens to break him out and they get to the box... felt too easy but then again I guess there are an infinite amount of worlds where they didn't make it

Overall a good read.

[bookworm]

I've read several of this authors books so the short sentences don't bother me. In fact I feel like they draw me in and keep my suspense level up.

I agree that the hundreds of Jason's were a bit over the top. Was this my favorite book ever? No. Did it keep me entertained? Yep.