Review: She Has A Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be by J.D. Barker @jdbarker #HamptonCreekPress
She Has A Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be
by J.D. Barker
Thank you Hanpton Creek Press for this copy.
Publisher: Hampton Creek Press
Publish Date: March 31, 2020
Hardcover
774 Pages
Standalone
Genres: Horror, Suspense
A haunting tale of suspense, rendered with the masterful skill only 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.
My Review: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.
After reading the 4MK trilogy by Barker, when given the opportunity for an early copy of this book, I immediately said yes, never read the synopsis and went in completely blind. 700+ pages had me putting it off just for a bit - not because big books intimidate me, they don't, but because I wanted to get through a few others before my concentration could be put into such a large story. I am SO glad that I did.
I absolutely loved this entire book. With being such a large novel, it read extremely fast and my attention never waned. I was extremely intrigued with the storyline and I HAD to know what was going to happen with Jack and Stella. While this book does span decades, every single page has its purpose and reading the "from the author" part afterwards, I agree with Barker - the book itself is big but so is the scope of the story. Such wonderful character growth. I found myself needing answers and was willing to take them as they can and even as a fast reader, didn't rush myself throughout.
There are definite X-Men, Stranger Things vibes going on here but I didn't really think on that until after I was done reading. I truly just got lost in the pages and I suggest you let yourself do the same. Beautifully written, it's nice to see the not so darker side of this author. Jack and Stella's story will captivate you and while certain things might be clear as you read, there are plenty of unknowns to keep you guessing. Highly recommend.
★★★★★
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