You'll have to excuse me, but I'm feeling a little hungover. And it's all Blake Crouch's fault. I went on a ride with him, a magical multiverse ride, and my head hasn't been working quite right since.

His novel Dark Matter is a freakish, fascinating look at the world of physics. I'm not going to say too much about the plot because I don't want to spoil it for you, but I will say this: made sure you are strapped down and hold on tight!

I heard this book compared to Andy Weir's The Martian, and I don't think that's a fair comparison. For one thing, the main character in The Martian has a team of very, very smart scientists trying to help him solve his problem (he's stuck on Mars with less food than he needs for a rescue team to get to him--and you should definitely read this book--it's so much better than I just made it sound). Meanwhile, the main character in Dark Matter not only has to solve his problem by himself (and you're going to have to read it yourself to find out what that problem is) but also has a team of very, very smart scientists trying to find him and maybe kill him. And second, The Martian has as one of its foremost charms the (mostly) lighthearted voice of an astronaut with a strong sense of irony whereas Dark Matter has a physicist whose desperation drives him close to madness.

Now, I'm not saying not to read this book, and to read The Martian instead. I'm saying to read them both. They're both excellent novels. Just don't expect them to be similar, except that they both use science in the storytelling.

Do you like suspense?
Do you like a mystery?
Do you like to ave your mind bent in ways you're not sure you can recover from?
Do you not mind reading about being locked in a box with a door so strong it can sever someone's fingers clean off their hand?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then read this book!

Galleys for Dark Matter were provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com.