J.D. Barker | SHE HAS A BROKEN THING WHERE HER HEART SHOULD BE

Plot (via Goodreads):

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.

Review:

Phewww this novel is a hefty read. Not only was there a ton to take in, but it's a whopping 700+ page book that I finished in two days. I was really intrigued with this story and was curious how it would read when I learned that the story spanned over thirty years. I felt that right from page one, I was really into it and thought it would take me a little longer to become immersed in the story with its length, but immediately I was drawn to this story and these characters just gripped me right from the introduction. The parts where Jack was a boy were reminiscent of the movie/novel IT for me. I swear, J.D. Barker and Stephen King have so much in common and yet are so different; the likeness is incredible and yet Barker really stands out among the other authors I've considered to be reminiscent of King. This one had such a strong mysterious vibe that ran through the novel, but I also loved that it was also a thriller combined with a coming-of-age story that was incredibly flirting with a supernatural element.

Majority of the book did take place during a key few years in Jack's life and a ton of stuff happened leading up to that part throughout his childhood that made this not only an immersive read, but held this emotional aspect that I felt really complimented the characters and the story brilliantly. For such a large novel, this one definitely captivated me early one with its characters and story and held my attention the entire time. I did feel that more toward the end approaching the finale, there were some slower parts but by that point, I blame my anxiety and curiosity because I was nervous and ridiculously curious as to how it would end. I don't want to give away anything more than the synopsis to this one because there are some directions this one goes in that not only shocked me, but turned the entire novel upside down and made it damn near impossible to stop. I easily read 600 of these pages in one day and if my time management skills were just a little bit better, I could have easily read the rest.

If you're looking for a unique and immersive tale that has a perfect timeline, great characters, is part coming-of-age, and will keep you up well into the night, then do yourself a favor and scoop up a copy of this wonderful story.

Special thanks to J.D. Barker for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4/5