Category: Uncategorized

★★★★☆

Here’s a short review on a great book.

I wish I could remember where I discovered this book. So I could go back and look for more hidden gold like this.

Here’s a brief summary: Jason Dessen is asked if he is happy with his life before being abducted. He finds himself strapped to a gurney and locked in a building. He finds himself in a new world where his other life is unheard of. Jason just wants to return to his original world, to his family. But he must overcome the one thing that comes in his way of achieving this mission: himself. This sci-fi thriller by Blake Crouch is a mind-boggling tale that touches on the relationships and choices we make, and the effort they will make to protect them.

I’ve never truly meddled in the sci-fi department. Sure, I read the YA books with all the dystopia, but never a book quite as advanced as this one. Well, at least I think it’s advanced. My mind was racing while reading. The scope of it all is astounding. Having such a complex idea as the basis of the plot is risky. What if people don’t understand? Is it too scientific for readers? Nope. It’s executed in such a way that gives the reader a full understanding of the advanced science, yet it still leaves one to think. My gears were turning the entire time I read the book, trying to wrap around all the concepts and twists. It’s remarkable.

The characters aren’t developed as well as they could be. I’ve read books with a much more dynamic set of characters. In this book, I only really feel like Jason Dessen, the main character, has any proper development. Understandably so, however. This book literally centers around him, so it does make sense. Daniela Vargas, Jason’s wife, appears a lot, and her development is only mediocre. I do think, however, that it makes sense that many characters aren’t as developed as, say, a drama book. It’s focused on the sci-fi part, not necessarily all the relationships (although it’s still touched on throughout).

It’s amazing how this scientific idea or theory can be made into such a human tale of choices and what we feel is best for us. It’s about the lengths people will go to make their dreams true. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend this to everyone if you are interested in a mind-bending tale.

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews where bloggers discuss the books that they have borrowed from the library or bought to add to their shelves. I personally think it’s a fabulous idea as you are able to learn about books that may not even have been of interest to you!

I have just begun to read To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway which is such a classic! The following is a quick summary from Goodreads:

To Have and Have Not is the dramatic story of Harry Morgan, an honest man who is forced into running contraband between Cuba and Key West as a means of keeping his crumbling family financially afloat. His adventures lead him into the world of the wealthy and dissipated yachtsmen who throng the region, and involve him in a strange and unlikely love affair.
Harshly realistic, yet with one of the most subtle and moving relationships in the Hemingway oeuvre, To Have and Have Not is literary high adventure at its finest.

I’ve recently been feeling incredibly burnt out from school, and not really feeling like myself. I have no clue what brought this about, but I’m hoping that a little book therapy will help me feel better. Although I have two midterms coming up next week, I think reading a book is a better use of my time, right? At least I hope so.

Let me know if you’ve read this novel, and feel free to link your STS posts below.

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