Perhaps there's a reason our memories are kept hazy... protecting us from the agony of time and all that it steals and erases.
Recursion
by Blake Crouch
Genre: Science Fiction
About: Detective Barry Sutton gets a case that sparks his curiosity - a suicide linked to False Memory Syndrome, or FMS (not to be confused with PMS). It sets him down a path that will lead him to Helena Smith, a scientist looking for a way to preserve memory and help patients with Alzheimer's. But discoveries lead to even greater ones and soon the sanity of the world rests on their shoulders.
The Good
This is a clever novel, juggling timelines and philosophy in the way that sci-fi does best. It starts off strong (in detective mode) and leads us down an emotional twist of fate. I really liked the character of Barry Sutton and connected with him almost immediately.
The Bad
Due to the nature of shifting timelines, it's hard to feel present. There isn't a lot of tension because moments keep changing and, towards the end, it's more like we're being told things rather than experiencing them. And asides from Barry, I didn't connect with any of the characters really. Not even with the other POV character, Helena. In fact a lot of the time, I found myself having to pay close attention to dialogue tags so I would know who was talking - everyone sorta sounded the same. Even the antagonist merged into another character we meet later on who, while not exactly a 'baddie', puts similar obstacles in the way and is similarly flawed.
The Somewhat Iffy
While reading this I figured out that my sci-fi jam is in futuristic outer space settings. I just don't vibe with contemporary sci-fi as I struggle to suspend my disbelief when the world setting is now and the premise is out of this world. Not the author's fault; give me a fantasy with a magical sword that can do the things this sci-fi lays out and I'll nod along and ask what else can the sword do, but for some reason I have a harder time when it's 'new tech' doing the impossible.
Overall
It's a good novel, probably a good read before bed as the sections are small and fast-paced and it does pose some interesting questions for your noggin. But I didn't really enjoy it all that much. Kinda wish it had just been in Barry's POV (although I get why it wasn't) and we'd followed more of a typical detective-type novel.
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