Review: She Has A Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be by J.D. Barker
Blurb:
A haunting tale of suspense, rendered with the masterful skill only NY Times Bestseller Barker could muster.
After the loss of his parents, young Jack Thatch first met Stella as a child—this cryptic little girl of eight with dark hair and darker eyes, sitting alone on a bench in the cemetery clutching her favorite book. Gone moments later, the brief encounter would spark an obsession. She'd creep into his thoughts, his every waking moment, until he finally finds her again exactly one year later, sitting upon the same bench, only to disappear again soon after.
The body of a man found in an alley, every inch of his flesh horribly burned, yet his clothing completely untouched. For Detective Faustino Brier, this wasn't the first, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. It was no different from the others. He'd find another just like it one year from today. August 9, to be exact.
Isolated and locked away from the world in a shadowy lab, a little boy known only as Subject "D" waits, grows, learns. He's permitted to speak to no one. He has never known the touch of another. Harboring a power so horrific, those in control will never allow him beyond their walls.
All of them linked in ways unimaginable.
SHE HAS A BROKEN THING WHERE HER HEART SHOULD BE conjures thoughts of early King and Koontz. A heart-pounding ride that creeps under your skin and will have you turning pages long into the night.
Review:
There are some authors who will take a reader by surprise. With a gift to immerse a reader fully into the story, even without a clear idea for the reader as to where the story is truly going. I picked up this book after binging the author's serial killer trilogy, The Fourth Monkey Killer, and really enjoying it. That led to me looking up some of his other works. This is the one that stood out to me and I decided to give it a go. It truly surprised me as it surpassed all of his other works by being something genuinely unique. It is a mashup of a lot of different ideas and genres, all without falling into a whole of not being a complete story. It is a mashup of X-men, Stranger Things, and your favorite detective show. And yet it starts off very innocently, just being a mystery of a boy meeting a girl in the cemetery every August 8. This is what will pull you in, wondering how this interaction will go. I hesitate to explain much more than that, but it is very captivating and will pull a reader in faster than you could ever believe.
The strength of this novel is most definitely the characters. There is a vast cast of characters that are all unique and interesting. They all play their own part, each necessary and important at a variety of times. I also found it very entertaining to see them grow up from the age of eight until many years later, without any of it being a slog to get through. It is hard to pinpoint one viewpoint that I liked more than another, but the main point of view is from Jack. It is interesting and I, as a reader, found myself cheering for him at every turn, especially as it was unfolding with all of the bad luck that he seems to have. The one thing that really impressed me was how all of the characters seemed to live their lives, with work and school being common things that they do. It was fascinating to experience the real emotions of loss, excitement, and love as they appear on the page. The science that has gone into this novel and the ideas that are contained within are shockingly realistic.Some of these elements end up bringing more of a horror-like feel to the story, a web of confusion and clues leading to so many more questions. It is a longer novel, but is all self-contained in a single volume. The questions are all answered in grand fashion, leaving no question as to what all those threads lead to. A gram of patience may be required as the answers are not the fastest in coming.
I was truly mesmerized from the opening scene in the cemetery, fully ensnared with the questions and mystery of who the girl is and what is going on. I am always impressed with the imagery that J.D. Barker is able to place into my mind, with smells and sounds at the forefront that pop out to me. This is a story that is different than most that I read, being a clever mixture of futuristic sci-fi with a murder mystery that will keep a reader guessing as the pages fly by. I was impressed to see all of the points of view being melded in a beautiful and complex tapestry that makes for a wonderful story that seems to fly under the radar. Fans of unique stories with realistic emotion will find a gem.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!
