Fantasy Reads discussion

Hey all! I made this so El and I could discuss about the book we're Buddy Reading — 'Dark Matter'. If anyone is interested in joining us, please feel free to comment :)

I've read the book but I think I'll tune in just to see you guys's thoughts and chat about it if that's okay?

Yeah ofc! The more, the merrier :)

Read Ch 6 (view spoiler)[ Asjdjkhdkj!!!!He SHOT Daniela! (hide spoiler)]

Ch 10(view spoiler)[This infinite worlds, possibilities thing lessens the impact of everything, makes it difficult to take it seriously. Like, I can't make myself care about that unhinged, bloody version of Jason, that was running in the box (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch 10(view spoiler)[ I'm very sad Amanda had to leave her world behind, but also glad because Jason's lucky to have her, or he would definitely have gone insane. At first, Amanda looked kinda shady, but now, I think she is the kindest therapist in the world. (hide spoiler)]

Ashi✿TheAvidReader wrote: "Read Ch 6 [spoilers removed]"

Chap 6 (view spoiler)[ My god he shot Daniella!!!!!! (hide spoiler)]

Chap 6 and the book so far :
(view spoiler)[ I'm really into it so far, I really like the main character and his relationship with is wife and son is so touching. It's also fast-paced and the plot is great. However I already read multiple books that dealt with the multiverse/character gets in the wrong world trope and so I don't find it original or mysterious enough (I got what was going on from the beginning of chapter two) and I was kinda expecting everything that happened so far (except Daniella getting shot!!) but I'm really curious about the psychopath that turned out at Daniella's appartement, oh and it's really interesting (and disgusting...) to see the other Jason in the "real world" because you both get him and hate him for stealing the life of the "good" jason. So : to me it's a four star so far and I hope we'll get to the five star level before the end (hide spoiler)]

Ashi✿TheAvidReader wrote: "Through Ch 10[spoilers removed]"

Chap 10 (view spoiler)[ Yeah I also thought she would turn out to be a bad guy, now I don't think so. She's helpful but to be honnest I can't connect with her, I just don't feel anything for her, to me she's really just a nice paper character and I couldn't care less if she lives or dies so... not so good (hide spoiler)]

Ashi✿TheAvidReader wrote: "Ch 10[spoilers removed]"

Chap 10 (view spoiler)[ I'm actually less into the book now (don't hate it, but just okay, I'm hoping it will get better in the second part). I think it's mainly because I had certain expectations after reading the blurb and some reviews : mostly, suspense, mystery and mind-blowing super-smart plot twist and revelation. And so far I had none of that, I keep hoping it will come but there isn't a single question left unanswered, so you're not driven to read by the need to have answers to your questions ; there isn't much suspense, we know where this is going (and thus I agree with you, every stop in a different world seems like an unnecessary stop to lengthen the book and so I don't want them to try every door until the end of the book...) ; and I don't find this book at all hard to follow or understand (they even explain things like the reader is a child which I'm really not a fan of). There's just a lot of action but as you know where this leads, know Jason isn't gonna die because he's the main character and as I personnally don't care what happens to Amanda... I'll finish it of course to talk to you about it (it's so nice ;)) and because I'm still hoping for a mind-blowing final (and there are some good parts : I quite liked the bloody Jason in the cube actually ;)) but I'm a bit disappointed so far. (hide spoiler)]

El wrote: "Ashi✿TheAvidReader wrote: "Ch 10[spoilers removed]"

Chap 10 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I'm a little disappointed too. (maybe I had too high expectations after reading all those reviews). I'm actually hoping Jason, the protag. dies, just so we can have something unexpected. All the 'wrong' worlds Jason and Amanda keep going into, that's obviously just to give readers a suspense of whether or not they'll find the right world before all drugs are gone. It's also obvious that the real world would be found when they have like 1 or 2 left, so this feels like an unnecessary filler. And idk, that half-dead Jason did nothing to me. 'everything that can happen, will happen' multiverse stuff makes me kinda numb all the suffering, because there must be a thousands Jasons in worse condition than Jason, the protag. I hope that doesn't make me a apathetic person 😄
Question : Is the box actually present in all the other worlds? Where is it located, physically? Does it just magically appear in other worlds when some person with ampoules enter? I don't get it. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10 (view spoiler)[ I can't make myself care much about all other alternate realities but that bit, where Jason saw Daniela dying from some disease, knowing his son had already died, and Jason couldn't even hold her in his arms, that scene was pretty heart-breaking. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 11 (view spoiler)[Poor Jason' condition is not even remotely funny, but to be shot down by the mother of his child, lol.
I'd say he's a masochist for spying on not-his-Daniela but I can understand the desperation from where it's coming from.(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

I'm lurking in the chat, but not saying anything because I'm afraid I'll spoil y'all LMAOOO

Bookish wrote: "I'm lurking in the chat, but not saying anything because I'm afraid I'll spoil y'all LMAOOO"
Thanks ;)! We're getting, you'll be able to share soon enough.

Chap 13 : getting interesting

Yeah!

I finished the book El. Where you at?

Just finished it ;)! Ready to talk!

Here's my review, figured it might be a good starting point ;)
Not a bad book and I understand why so many people loved it but I was personally disappointed. I think I started reading this book with way too much expectations (after reading the blurb and the reviews) and didn't actually get the book I was promised...
It was supposed to be a super-smart mind-blowing science-fiction thriller and I'm sorry but it wasn't. It wasn't a thriller (action-packed book at most, without enough suspense or tension (except in a few scenes) to be qualified a thriller : the reader doesn’t wonder about ANYTHING, all the answers are given almost from the start).
It wasn't science-fiction : there were only elements of science-fiction.
And (to the exception of one good plot twist toward the end (but still not mind-blowing)), it wasn't particularly smart. Definitely not the kind of book where you have to reread a scene to understand what happened, where you think to yourself that the author is a genius.
And it does get really melodramatic and mundane at times.
It tackles the multiverse trope which is interesting, sure, but not in a really original way (I've seen it done better in countless other books).
There are also a lot of small inconsistencies that bugged me and a really slow part in the middle I was really not into (I get why it's there but it didn't have to be soooo long : a lot of scenes in that part seemed to have for only purpose to lengthen the book and keep us from reaching the (very predictable) part we were waiting for.
The last part of the book did redeem the novel and really improved it but not enough (and I can't rate higher than 3 stars a book I was bored reading for more than half the book.)

Yeah a 3☆ read for me too....It had so many good reviews, I expected much more....

What did you think about the ending?
(view spoiler)[I was disappointed by the ending too. I get that such Thrillers generally leave the ending ambiguous bt I didn't like it. Specifically, I thought it was pretty stupid to let Charlie open the door. It was a nice a metaphor, but if you think about it, it was soooooooo risky. They had just one chance, and Charlie had just gone through such a traumatic experience, and if all the worlds Jason initially goes into are any indication, the whole family is now stuck in some apocalyptic world, with no way back....
Also, I felt, through-out the book, the father-son relationship wasn't much developed. It felt like it was mentioned as an afterthought (focus being wife/husband bond), or as a part of the entire family. So, the moment when Jason let their son decide their future, it wasn't as touching as it ought to be.... (hide spoiler)]

This book felt more like a philosophy about identity etc than a Thriller or a Sci-fi book. It was one of those books where I felt the author was underestimating readers intelligence. Wayy too much. Like, was it supposed to be a secret who the kidnapper was?
(view spoiler)[ The multiple Jason chatroom was the scene where I felt Oh! The book just might become intruiging... (hide spoiler)]

Yeah, I was really expecting a lot more and something different. You're absolutely right it did feel a lot like a drama with a lot of (cheap) philosophy about identity. So many unnecessary scenes and dialogues... And yeah! I didn't feel challenged intellectually at any point. Even the science : "Schrödinger's cat" and the definition of insanity by Einstein, come on... Those are like the two easy sciency things everyone know (and I mean everyone, I'm French and in France as well, those are so common). So true about the kidnapper : I thought about it in the FIRST chapter and was sure of it in the first lines of the second. That being said it's clearly stated in chapter 4 so the author was obviously not expecting it to be a final revelation but still...

Same, from the "jason chatroom scene" it got interesting, it was a really good plot twist I hadn't seen coming. And I loved his plan then (getting arrested so she would come to him). That part was quite good but I think, because I had been bored for so long and had grown detached from the story and the character, it wasn't as great for me as for everyone else. And I'm kind of neutral when it comes to the ending, I wasn't enthralled by it nor really disappointed, but I totally get your meaning. And yes, you thought it too : he really doesn't think about his son enough!! and their relation is far from developed enough (especially considering that there is so much introspection and drama over the wife, the author can't use the "that's because it's a thriller, no time" card).

And you're so right about the box : makes no sense! It shouldn't exist in all the world where Jason didn't created it : so the fact that the character can get to the world in the first place, I can forgive (door just opens and he's thrown out) but how in the hell is he supposed to be able to get back in the box afterwards. And how come no one noticed the box (especially in the futuristic world, it was supposed to be in a parc).
I also noticed a lot of other inconsistencies :
- I'm gonna sound like a monster, but I loved the author killed Daniella in Jason2's world : it was super impactful, shocking and interesting for the plot. But to me it was utterly ruined by the fact it was Jason2's colleagues that ordered it because it makes NO SENSE. How killing a woman they don't know anything about (and hiding it so bad, the police is on their tail a minute after), is the "wisest" choice than letting her live (who was she gonna tell ? and no one would have believed her anyway.) The guy is supposed to be super smart and that's so stupid!! And then he kills Ryan! This isn't the CIA, it a 20 people lab.
- Just a detail but : why the heck didn't Amanda just inject jason the compound when they first entered the box (they were in a hurry as f****, he might have killed himself if there had been oxygen in the needle, it's hard to find a vein in the dark, but NO, she had to explain every step (which took like 5 of their 8 minutes), couldn't explain later...
- And why in the name of god (and I knew it would happen the second they got in the box together...) : does a female and a male character who barely know each other but spend two rough weeks together (even looking for the wife of one) have to want to bang at some point ?? Like, come on!
- And Amanda left so suddenly, like right after comforting him! i didn't like her but still that was...

Tea ☕. okay, so I'm done lurking lol.

The Kidnapper's identity was not supposed to be a secret. It's mentioned early on. And as for the other stuff, I had been told it's a light hearted romp, rather than an epic. So I guess it was a difference of expectations. Fortunately for me, I didn't care to read the blurbs lol. I didn't care for the ending either and the philosophical bullsh*t annoyed me to no end.

Bookish wrote: "Tea ☕. okay, so I'm done lurking lol.

The Kidnapper's identity was not supposed to be a secret. It's mentioned early on. And as for the other stuff, I had been told it's a light hearted romp, rath..."
Yeah, I really wished I hadn't read it either and wasn't so mislead by the reviews.
And yeah the philosophical bullshit all the time (that's so sure it's smart even though it's quite basic) really annoyed me.

El wrote: "And you're so right about the box : makes no sense! It shouldn't exist in all the world where Jason didn't created it : so the fact that the character can get to the world in the first place, I can..."

The kidnapper's identity wasn't set as a OMG Revelation per se, but I felt it was frustrating when Jason1 didn't know what happened to him.

Killing Daniela2 was awesome. Everyone agrees. That's the only shocking moment in the entire book. But it's kinda reduced to a cheap shock when it doesn't make any sense. Because killing would raise more problems than solving them. She like Ryan, is famous enough that her murder would make the spotlight.
They must be very proficient in the art of offing people.

I think Amanda already had a thing for Jason2, because of how hurt she appears when Jason the protag doesn't recognize her. ( But on second thought, she's his therapist soooo that's very wierd) And I think because they both were the only constant in increasingly crazy worlds, and that they were even loosing hope about getting to the right world, so it isn't surprising that that 'moment' happened. But I'm relived that both didn't act on it. That'd be terrible.

I expected that Jason and Amanda will separate at some point. Didn't think she would leave like that. (not saying she did anything wrong) I'm curious what happened to her.

Bookish wrote: "Tea ☕. okay, so I'm done lurking lol.

The Kidnapper's identity was not supposed to be a secret. It's mentioned early on. And as for the other stuff, I had been told it's a light hearted romp, rath..."

I'm never again making the mistake of trusting the reviews/ratings. This exact same thing has happened so many times with me. I'd read an awesome blurb, see high-praise reviews, I'd get super-hyped, and inevitably, I'd be let down..... :(

I'm thinking about the fact that when someone goes to that place (where the family stays at the end) they'd find the entire area littered by God knows how many identical dead-bodies. And no idea who killed them. It would be the UNSOLVED MYSTERY OF THE CENTURY!

Ashi✿TheAvidReader wrote: "Bookish wrote: "Tea ☕. okay, so I'm done lurking lol.

The Kidnapper's identity was not supposed to be a secret. It's mentioned early on. And as for the other stuff, I had been told it's a light he..."
Could you tell me all the books for which it happened please ? I don't want it to happen again to me and I'll be warned with these books.
I'm sorry for you Ashi, it did also happen to me (An unkindness of magicians, throne of glass, infernal devices, cruel prince, truly devious, tea dragon society, witch boy, through the woods, night circus, scythe) but really often, high rated books recommended by my booktubers turned out to be my favorites so... I'll keep trusting them, I think, even though I'm bound to be disappointed sometimes (and it sucks).

Ashi✿TheAvidReader wrote: "I'm thinking about the fact that when someone goes to that place (where the family stays at the end) they'd find the entire area littered by God knows how many identical dead-bodies. And no idea wh..."
Oh my god! You're so right! And if this had been a mystery novel where we try to understand what happened from that massacre scene (with the same story and explanation) : it would have been amazing!

El wrote: "Ashi✿TheAvidReader wrote: "Bookish wrote: "Tea ☕. okay, so I'm done lurking lol.

The Kidnapper's identity was not supposed to be a secret. It's mentioned early on. And as for the other stuff, I ha..."

Yeah, it's a leap of faith. I was just promising myself I won't have huge expectations next time (although, I think this everytime 😅)
It's part of the way I decide what I'd read next, actually. I never follow my TBR List. I always randomly read a book that excites me....
Some books that made me go through similar pain — An Unkindness of Magician, you know coz you were there(althouh it was enjoyable) The False Prince, Legend, Snow Like Ashes....

El wrote: "Ashi✿TheAvidReader wrote: "I'm thinking about the fact that when someone goes to that place (where the family stays at the end) they'd find the entire area littered by God knows how many identical ..."

Yeah! Now that could have been a proper Thriller novel...

A massacre like none other. 11 dead bodies. One person dead–Jason. And his family has now disappeared from the face of earth. XYZ will stop at nothing to solve this impossible crime. But their only witness is the dead man himself, who refuses to talk. And their only clue is a drug no one has ever seen before...

Ashi✿TheAvidReader wrote: "El wrote: "Ashi✿TheAvidReader wrote: "Bookish wrote: "Tea ☕. okay, so I'm done lurking lol.

The Kidnapper's identity was not supposed to be a secret. It's mentioned early on. And as for the other ..."
Duly noted, thanks ;) (same for an unkindness of magicians, lucky I read it with you).

Ashi✿TheAvidReader wrote: "El wrote: "Ashi✿TheAvidReader wrote: "I'm thinking about the fact that when someone goes to that place (where the family stays at the end) they'd find the entire area littered by God knows how many..."
;)!! (imagine a crying from laughing smiley here).

El wrote: Duly noted, thanks ;) (same for an unkindness of magicians, lucky I read it with you)."

Me too... You are an awesome partner to Buddy Read with :)

Thanks so much ;) it really means a lot, and obviously you're an awesome partner too. All we need now is a good book ;)!!