Day 16 of Lockdown. This is a genre-bending stand-alone novel by the author of the 4MK series. Mashing up Great Expectations, Stranger Things, X-Men and Stand By Me/The Body, has created a wholly original paranormal fantasy story, reminiscent of the early Stephen King books. Be warned, this is a LONG book, over twelve hours according to my Kindle, which could be considered a positive if you’re trapped at home by a global pandemic, but can feel like a bit of a challenge when your review is overdue, you can’t stop checking news updates, and the author is emailing you politely to chase it up...

Visiting his parents’ graves on the anniversary of their death with his Aunt Jo, eight year old Jack Thatch meets a mysterious girl reading a book in the cemetery, and is immediately smitten, but then she is driven away by silent guardians all dressed in white. Stella is obsessed with Great Expectations and is a horrible to Jack as her namesake in the book is, but Jack doesn’t care.
Returning often in the hope of finding her again, Jack pines for her but she doesn’t reappear until exactly a year later. Meanwhile inexplicably burned bodies have been showing up every year on the same date, leaving the police baffled. Years go by, but Jack will never give up hope, even when his passion has taken everything from him, but who is the dangerous young man locked in a room who is equally besotted with the beautiful Stella...?

I was forced to read Great Expectations for my English Lit O-level, and got a D, which for a neurotic over-achiever was a great trauma, so I never read it again. (To this day I’m crap at interpreting themes and symbolism which is why I learn so much from other people’s reviews.) Around that time Mr King would’ve been my favourite author, but it’s been a while since I read anything from him as I grew out of the horror genre. I read and loved The Fourth Monkey, and finished the trilogy but was disappointed by the last book, but this is very different.

Jack is a likeable hero, so having most of the story told from his first person past perspective was a big plus here, although it meant the parts told by Jack as omniscient third person narrator could get a tad confusing. There is a large cast of characters but I had no problem remembering who was who. While not as dark as the 4MK series, this nevertheless had some pretty gruesome scenes, and a high body count. I was rapidly sucked into the mystery of exactly what was going on at Charter and Barker does a good job of revealing just enough information and clues. There are also some great secondary characters like Jack’s best friend Dunk, and the mysterious hitman Preacher.

I was left with a few questions - like why was everything at Charter white? - and several other points that I can’t mention without spoilers, so won’t, but this doesn’t feel like the start of a series and I liked the ending. At times creepy, at others hugely emotional, this was a brilliant change of direction from an accomplished story-teller. Highly recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc which allowed me to give an honest review, and apologies to Mr Barker that my review is 10 days late - blame the virus!

I absolutely loved the 4MK series by J.D. Barker. I couldn’t wait to read his latest book, She has a Broken Thing where her heart should be. Long title? The book is also quite long with over 600 pages. However, I flew through the chapters kinda like I binge-watched all 5 seasons of Breaking Bad recently. There was just never a dull moment and the story was so enthralling that I never once stopped to check how many pages were left. If anything, I didn’t want it to end.

The premise is quite unique. Jack and Stella met at a cemetery when they were just kids. There was something eerily about the setting of their first meeting. I kept wondering what it would lead to. The author masterfully tells their story spanning over decades after that first meeting. These two characters very well-crafted. I also liked the fact that the support characters were also all masterfully developed hence providing readers with a wide array of villains to hate and likeable characters to root for.

This isn’t a book that I’d normally go for but it has now found a place in my list of favorites. Dark, eerie and twisty, the story and characters will definitely stay with me for quite a while. I like how J.D. Barker created these scenes and settings that allowed me to completely immerse myself into the narrative. I read the book in mid-March but I can still hear the sounds and smells of a certain diner. I also find myself looking at white cars just a bit longer than I normally would. I am not a fan of the classics but J.D. has me curious enough to read ‘ Great Expectations’. I love stories that haunt you long after you turn the last page.

I highly recommend She has a Broken Thing where her heart should be by J.D. Barker. It doesn’t matter which genres you read or don’t read. This is a well-written story that cuts across different genres and will appeal to anyone interested in a good, immersive read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early e-copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own.
I am already a fan of J. D. Barker, and I was really looking forward to reading his new book that was said to be a haunting tale of suspense. It did not disappoint! This book starts out with young Jack visiting his parents grave-site with his Aunt Jo. They visit every year on the anniversary of his parents' death, August 8. On this particular occasion he encounters a girl (Stella) of about his same age sitting on a bench and he immediately is drawn to her. Even though she is not particularly nice to him, he remains enchanted by her. He returns to the graveyard often with the hopes of seeing her again, but she doesn't appear until the following year on the exact same date, August 8. Over the years he attempts to find out who she is, and why she is guarded by people in white trench coats. This book is filled with mystery and intrigue and is heavily influenced by Great Expectations (If you have read and loved that book, you are definitely going to love this one). While life moves on and Jack gets older, he cannot get Stella out of his mind, and his search for her uncovers the unimaginable. A haunting tale of suspense, indeed!! I loved every minute of it. This is part coming of age, part mystery, part love story, and part paranormal. It is about friends, family, love, loss, and life. Barker is a master storyteller. He can pull you in like no other. He creates characters that come to life, and live on long after you turn the last page. I highly recommend this book.

First of all, Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be!

I read the 4MK trilogy, excited for days after finishing those because I enjoy the plot. (Although the final showdown and the ending were underwhelming, the final book is where things were there for us to confirm our theories so I am not too displeased with the whole series).

Therefore, when this new book was being teased, I was so quick to NetGalley and got a copy of my own. I thought it might be the same serial killing vibe, intelligently crafted, thrilling murders, but it's not. This’s a bit like your everyday high school teenager fantasy where a boy met a girl, got star-struck by destiny followed with a cheesy love story incorporated with their mysterious pasts and a heavy dose of The X-Files conspiracies.

There’s no doubt this is J.D Baker’s first science fiction novel where this writing is so flimsy and nowhere near compared to his strictly constructed ones in 4MK series. I mean, the premise is very promising but the way he portrays the main male characters is so unconvincing to the point that makes me hate him the most:
Jake’s a hopeless case of a romantic weirdo who at the age of 8, met a girl once. So traumatically “scarred” that for a whole year, this enigmatic girl, who he encountered once, ONCE, is the only thing in his mind when it’s time to mourn his parents (allegedly) deaths. The boy is only 8. Doesn’t he has more things swirl in his head than an image a girl who, in my opinion, didn’t make a good first impression at all, at least not enough to be reminded for that long in an male brain every year. I’m not saying the whole situation is impossible, I’m saying that J.D Baker makes it as if thinking about the girl was the only thing Jake does for a year.
So the only thing we will know about Jake for the first 100 pages is that he is obsessed with a girl and NOTHING ELSE, NOT when the keeper of the girl degrades him with most horrendous words that Jake has ever heard; NOT the obviously super healing strength that he has throughout his life; NOT the time that super power is put to the test when the white SUV hit him flying few meters up in the air; NOT when his BFF Ducan advises him to give up for his own sanity.
NO! Our boy is so determined! But not enough the subdue his teenager hormone with that girlfriend form work (the insignificant one who is just there to satisfy his lust) so that when she dies a few pages later he is extremely depressed that he has given up on everything (his aunt hopes and dreams of him building a good life with university education and a huge buck). This insubstantial relationship is more heartbroken than his aunt funeral. This doesn’t make sense, more so when his supernatural power is being tested AGAIN by the heroism rescuing, he still doesn’t take any notice of it. That’s right, my boy just rolls up in his blanket and booze, wounded like a stray cat, contradicts everything he has proven to be the otherwise.
Things only get better when it’s time for Jack to go off the grid and chasing a ghost or ghosts.

As for the other characters:
1. Stella is the girl. The infamous girl that everyone wants. Nothing much to say about this one. She is pretty, ruthless, deadly. She knows being with Jack makes things harder for him but just do it anyway in the name of love. We cannot blame her though that what our humans do. Actually there is nothing that I hate about her but how indecisive she is and how she “loves” Jack. Stringing him along as long as she can with her mystic rendezvous and ravishing body, and one day just stop everything with a letter. Any boys at Jack’s age at that time would be swooned over. No wonder she is so unforgettable. This “relationship” is dragged on for a little too long that I find myself flipping ahead just to get pass the parts with Jack and Stella.
2. The antagonist: the whole mission is to persuade the readers to despise them, which is, in a way, satisfactory.
3. The supporting roles are there enough which is fine. (Except for that girlfriend from work who is there to mark Jack’s downfall but not considerable enough to be given that role; the male detective who dies for no reason; his partner, who continues their investigation for over 10 years with no leads and an ambiguous ending, is just there for a close call).


As for the plot: Things only get better after 300 pages (almost half of the book) when the super natural elements are at their full releases. All the answers will be given along the way, centered by our obnoxious super stars. And, what’s with the opening, where Jack’s implied to be buried by Stella. Where is the explanation for that?

Overall, I think this would be better for trilogy or TV series where things are well-considered in every angles and not being compressed in one book with so much going on that undermine the whole story.

I have always enjoyed JD Barker's stories. While this one is a bit of a sci-fi story which isn't my favorite, this one had enough of murder, mystery and wonderful characters to keep my attention throughout the entire book. There are some things in the story that deals with adult content, so if that isn't your thing, you might want to skip over them, but it does add to the story in my opinion. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from Net Galley.

A Haunting read which thrilled me to no end. The story was quite twisted and long. It was about a boy and a girl who met in a cemetery, and their story spanned 30 years over 750 pages.

A character driven prose, the author was simply captivating in the way he had written this complex tale filled with suspense and horror. Emotions coursed through me as I kept turning pages, some of them caused me goosebumps. The mysterious D added to the creepy aura of the story.

Detailed and mysterious, the story spanned different genre, and I was blown away by the sheer talent of this author in the way he gave equal importance to each aspect.

It was a thriller at the core of it and quite a one of its kind. Wow!!

What happens when you mix Great Expectations with a bit of early Stephen King and a handful of Robin Cook? She has a Broken Thing Where her Heart Should Be, of course. A totally effective mashing of all my favorite 1980s books with the 1861 Dickens tale. I guarantee you have never read anything like it before.

I suggest you just request this book (it’s on Kindle Unlimited too) right now. Don’t wait! Don’t read a summary or review. A great experience is awaiting you! Okay, you might want to read the excellent graphic novel adaptation of Great Expectations by Manga Classics first or the Wikipedia plot summary. But immediately afterwards, read this book. You won’t be sorry and its almost 800 pages fly by because you won’t want it to end. 5 enthusiastic stars!

Thanks to Hampton Creek Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The book was very good from start to near the end. But God that ending was so cheesy. The Guardians of the Galaxy style ending is example of sloppy writing.

The writer is not so creative to come up with that kind of ending. Sorry I didn't like that ending.

Weird, suspenseful, and intriguing! Starts out kind of slow but builds steam along the way and becomes quite explosive toward the end. An ominous corporation, evil experiments, strange and mysterious people, unusual creepy deaths . . . and a love story! Great character development with a tale that spans many years.

I had no idea how massive of a tale this was when I first picked it up. Wow! Not only is it a tome of a book but it a saga of a story. It is centered around Dickens’s Great Expectations and the two main characters are Jack/Pip and Stella. As Barker weaves the story around an early meeting between these two as young children on August 8th and then almost yearly thereafter, you get the story of each of their lives throughout childhood and into adulthood.
This is a fantastical story that is also a romance and thriller and suspense in one. There is something for almost every reader and it is brilliant and intriguing throughout.
I highly recommend this. It is entertaining throughout and keeps you guessing.
Thank you for the early copy #Netgalley #HamptonCreekPress #SheHasABrokenThingWhereHerHeartShouldBe

EXCERPT: Pittsburgh had a lot of cemeteries. This particular one, All Saints Hollow, was one of the largest.

The mausoleums.

I didn't much like the mausoleums.

When we drove by a cemetery, Auntie Jo said you're always supposed to hold your breath to keep the spirits of the dead from finding you. I'm not sure why this rule didn't apply when you were actually in the cemetery, but if it applied anywhere, it would be at the mausoleums. The air was still here. I pictured the dead peeking out from the cracks in the stone, bony hands ready to reach out and snatch unsuspecting little boys, pulling us into those squat structures, never to be seen again.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: 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.

MY THOUGHTS: When I read the promotional blurb for this book, '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.', I thought 'Yeah, right.' I had not been having a good run with my reading. Nothing seemed to satisfy me. But this did.

I was consumed by it. I woke in the early hours of the morning after dreaming of Jack and Stella, and cemeteries, and read through the remainder of the night until it was finished with me.

And the blurb is right. She Has A Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be, is reminiscent of early King and Koontz. 'As the older woman turned, as she spun around, the wind caught the edge of her coat and I saw something beneath it, an image that is still as clear as day in my mind; the barrel of a shotgun resting against her leg.' .... 'The Gunslinger' was the first thing I thought of. But it is also so much more...there really is nothing to compare this to. It is in a class of its own.

Yes, this is horror, but it is plausible. Do we know what trials/medical experiments are/were being carried out? No, we only know what we are told. And as my favourite uncle was fond of saying, believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.

Although the main theme is horror, there's more. Barker writes with a tongue in cheek humour-
'What don't you do while I'm gone?'
'Open the door.'
'Except for the pizza guy.'
'Except for the pizza guy.'.....'What if the pizza guy is an axe wielding murderer and he wants to chop me into little pieces?'
'Well then, don't tip him.'

There is romance, and coming to grips with the reality of life and death, and adventure and heartbreak and action all wrapped into one package. And it works, brilliantly. I have in the past, and very recently, criticised authors for trying to pack too many genres into their work, of trying to be too many things to their readers. Barker proves that it can be done, and very successfully.

There are a lot of characters in this book, and yet it is surprisingly easy to keep track of them. Some of them are very ordinary, some are strange, and others just downright weird. All have depth and all, strangely, feel very real.

This book is eerie, and weird. It is enthralling and compelling. It will stay with me for a long time. I will especially remember it whenever I see a white SUV. This is a book that is going on my favourites shelf, and one that will be reread.

❤😱😱😱❤

#SheHasABrokenThingWhereHerHeartShouldBe #NetGalley

'The light of morning reached through my window and tried to grab me under my mound of blankets.'

'She wore her uniform like a hanger with feet.'

'Potential parents paraded through in search of a good find, not unlike bargain shoppers at a yard sale.'

'You don't answer any of my questions.'.....'Maybe you should stop asking questions.'

And one quote that I think is particularly pertinent right now:'Of all things, I believe I'll miss the night sky the most. The absolute vastness of it, the unknown. While we're down here, fighting our pesky little battles, we're really just a little speck on the shoe of the universe. Any problem life may present seems so small, so insignificant, when you simply look up and realise your true place in all things.'

THE AUTHOR: J.D. Barker is the international best-selling author of numerous novels, including DRACUL and THE FOURTH MONKEY. He is currently collaborating with James Patterson. His novels have been translated into two dozen languages and optioned for both film and television. Barker resides in coastal New Hampshire with his wife, Dayna, and their daughter, Ember.

A note from J.D.
As a child I was always told the dark could not hurt me, that the shadows creeping in the corners of my room were nothing more than just that, shadows. The sounds nothing more than the settling of our old home, creaking as it found comfort in the earth only to move again when it became restless, if ever so slightly. I would never sleep without closing the closet door, oh no; the door had to be shut tight. The darkness lurking inside needed to be held at bay, the whispers silenced. Rest would only come after I checked under the bed at least twice and quickly wrapped myself in the safety of the sheets (which no monster could penetrate), pulling them tight over my head.

I would never go down to the basement.

Never.

I had seen enough movies to know better, I had read enough stories to know what happens to little boys who wandered off into dark, dismal places alone. And there were stories, so many stories.

Reading was my sanctuary, a place where I could disappear for hours at a time, lost in the pages of a good book. It didn’t take long before I felt the urge to create my own.

I first began to write as a child, spinning tales of ghosts and gremlins, mystical places and people. For most of us, that’s where it begins—as children we have such wonderful imaginations, some of us have simply found it hard to grow up. I’ve spent countless hours trying to explain to friends and family why I enjoy it, why I would rather lock myself in a quiet little room and put pen to paper for hours at a time than throw around a baseball or simply watch television. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I want to do just that, sometimes I wish for it, but even then the need to write is always there in the back of my mind, the characters are impatiently tapping their feet, waiting their turn, wanting to be heard. I wake in the middle of the night and reach for the pad beside my bed, sometimes scrawling page after page of their words, their lives. Then they’re quiet, if only for a little while. To stop would mean madness, or even worse—the calm, numbing sanity I see in others as they slip through the day without purpose. They don’t know what it’s like, they don’t understand. Something as simple as a pencil can open the door to a new world, can create life or experience death. Writing can take you to places you’ve never been, introduce you to people you’ve never met, take you back to when you first saw those shadows in your room, when you first heard the sounds mumbling ever so softly from your closet, and it can show you what uttered them. It can scare the hell out of you, and that’s when you know it’s good.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hampton Creek Press (IBPA) via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of She Has A Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be by J.D. Barker. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

J D Barker has received praise from a variety of established names and it is not hard to see why. This book is over 700 pages long and is all the better for this. The novel spans many decades and follows the life of the orphan Jack and his quest to be reunited with Stella who he meets at a young age. The supporting cast of characters also add an impressive depth to this brilliant tale. A shadowy organisation and things that are not as they seem are just part of the story

Charles Dickens is one of my favourite authors and there are many nods to the great man’s work in this tale and in particular Great Expectations. However, even if you have never read Dickens this will still be a great read.

I cannot recommend this novel highly enough (5/5) and hope that it goes on to be a huge success. I will be watching JD Barker closely. He has been likened to Dean Koontz and Stephen King and having read this it is not hard to see why.

Would I recommend this book to friends, family or anyone else? Certainly yes.

Would I read anything else by this author? Definitely yes.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in return for a fair review.

Wow! Talk about an edge of your seat book! This book drew me in right from the beginning. I’d love to have the characters evolved throughout the story. I also loved the story line. The only reason I gave this book a four was it because I felt like it drug on in some places. If you are a person who likes suspense with a little bit of mystery and action, then you will love this book. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

She had a broken thing where her heart should be by J.D Barker.
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.
A very good read. Very long though. Little slow in places. 4*.

This book!!!!!! If Stephen King and Justin Cronin had a love child this would be it.

On August 8th eight-year-old Jack Thatch meets Stella while he is visiting his deceased parents grave. Upon this meeting Jack becomes enamored with Stella and thinks about this strange girl every day thereafter with a hope to see her again. One full year later Jack once again encounters Stella in the graveyard.

Meanwhile “Subject D” is being held in a lab where his power is being studied and he is not permitted to speak to anyone…………

This is a hard book to review as I do not want to give away any of the details since they are all so essential to the story. I don't remember the last time I have flown through an almost 800-page book. This book was suspenseful and yet was packed with so much love. I did not want to put this one down and I feel a strong book hangover now. J.D. Barker, you are brilliant!!!!

This book was released on Tuesday, March 30th.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book!

Boy meets girl. in a cemetery. Moments later, she's driven away in a white SUV.

One year later, the same boy, sees the same girl, in the same spot.

Is this The Portrait of Jennie? NO. This is a multi-layed, sci-fi, horror, thriller, mystery----a completely original work of art.

I love J.D. Barker and this book only increases that love.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and J.D. for the opportunity to read this book.

At almost 800 pages, I thought this book would be slow and drag on. This book was one of those that really grabbed me from page one and did not let go until I was done. A truly compelling read! Absolutely amazing! This book had everything I wanted in a good story—strong characterization and a fast-paced, twisty plot. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hampton Creek Press and J.D. Barker for a copy of "She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be" in exchange of an honest review.

Wow! This book is just wonderfully weird! I loved it. J.D.Barker is a genius. This book twists and turns and is a rollercoaster ride.
Highly recommend. Thanks Netgalley for my ARC copy in return for my honest review. Amazing!!!

She Has A Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be fits into several different categories of fiction: horror, suspense, science fiction, mystery, and romance. As such, it caught and held my attention on so many different levels. The novel follows Jack, Stella, and Subject “D” from the time that they are eight years old and continuing on until they are in their thirties and forties. Gradually they figure out the connection they have to each other and why. The final parts build in suspense until the novel reaches a very surprising outcome. And then there’s the last chapter . . . .

Running throughout the novel are references to and quotes from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations and comparisons are made to several of the characters therein. (For example, Stella refers to Jack as Pip.)

This book is long (774 pages) but the story flows and before I knew it I was approaching the end. I had to read Parts Four, Five, and Six straight through, well into the early morning hours, to find out all the connections, both good and bad and how everything ultimately fit into place. I really enjoyed this imaginative story and I highly recommend it.

Super creepy. Better to read it during the day. Will have chills crawling up and down your spine. Want something different? Absolutely pick up this amazing book. Happy reading!