‘I love Thursday nights. They have a feel to them that’s outside of time. It’s our tradition, just the three of us – family night. My son, Charlie, is sitting at the table, drawing on a sketch pad. He’s almost fifteen. The kid grew two inches over the summer, and he’s as tall as I am now.’

Jason is kidnapped one night and knocked unconscious by his attacker. When he wakes up, it is to a life he doesn’t recognise. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And instead of working as a college physics professor, he is a celebrated genius who has made an incredible scientific breakthrough. Will he be able to find his way back to his real life? And if he does, will he want to return to it after seeing the alternative?

I’m not a sci-fi fan at all. Fantasy, yes; sci-fi, not so much. As such, I was a little put off by all the references to science and physics in the blurb, thinking it might be too complicated for my liking.

I needn’t have worried. I absolutely loved this book. It’s received the most amazing reviews and, though I’m never one to go with the crowd, I have to agree with them. A stylish, clever, terrifying sci-fi thriller that will grab you and refuse to let go; pick up this book only if you’re prepared to stay up reading until the early hours.

I’ve never read anything by Blake Crouch – the author of Wayward Pines – before but he’s tempted me to try sci-fi in the future. His writing is addictive and the pace is relentless.

The only problem with the writing was that Crouch can’t seem to get his head around paragraphs. Almost every sentence is its own paragraph, which can be annoying and frustrating.

Don’t let the physics put you off. It’s all explained in a very easy, relatable way and never gets in the way of the story. It’s not too complicated and it contributes to one of the most unique and interesting plots I’ve ever read.

The questions it poses about the choices we make setting us off on different paths are ones that everyone will be able to relate to in some way. The beginning will grab you and won’t let you go until you finish the last page – and even then you won’t be able to stop thinking about it and recommending it to friends so you’ll be able to discuss it with them.

It wasn’t without its flaws. The breakneck pace creates a few problems as the characters never really have a chance to stop and take stock of what it all means. A few of the characters fall flat – and it’s inevitably the female ones who are bland and one-dimensional. I’ve seen a few complaints about the last third of the book but personally I can’t see what people are complaining about. I thought it was funny, unexpected and clever. I did see the first twist coming, but it’s far from the only twist. Suspend your disbelief and you’ll have a great time reading this book.

I started this book on Thursday lunchtime and finished it on Friday evening. It’s difficult to say too much about it without spoiling it, so to end all I’ll say is that I highly, highly recommend it. To everyone.

Many thanks to Macmillan for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.