H.E. Roulo's Reviews > Dark Matter

I enjoy mind-bending books and movies. However, many stories involving time travel, alternate realities, or quantum effects tend to have one or two great ideas but fade out, hand wave, or become overly complex. I was impressed how Blake Crouch's novel starts off with a clear idea and keeps that same clarity throughout. The book is enjoyable and sometimes moving. It isn't so much about exploring the idea of multiverse as it simply follows one desperate and dedicated family man.
The premise of the story is that the main character has an enjoyable life with the woman he loves and a teenage son. He didn't accomplish everything he might have, but he's happy with his choices. His life blows up when a 'him' from another timeline swaps places, sending him to a universe where he didn't choose family and instead dedicated himself to his career. From there, the author gives us something new in the level of simplicity and heart shown by the character. Although he realizes he has a multiverse of options, he wants *his* family back--and that leads to all the trouble.
A book well worth the read.
You might enjoy this if you liked The Time Traveler's Wife, or The Flicker Men.