Title: The Noise
Author: J.D. Barker & James Patterson
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror
First published: August 16th 2021
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Finished reading: July 20th 2021
Pages: 400

“If this were a wave, it would be a tsunami a thousand feet tall.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Little, Brown & Company in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

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I’m a huge fan of J.D. Barker’s writing, so I couldn’t pass up on an invitation to read his newest collab story. I have to be honest here and say that I don’t really care that much about James Patterson’s books in general, but luckily The Noise seems to be pure J.D. Barker style and it is without doubt a highly disturbing, twisted and action-packed ride. It feels like you are reading an almost dystopian Hollywood action movie script, and it’s a story that will keep you entertained the whole way!

I have to say that it is quite hard to put The Noise inside a neat little genre box. Action thriller, psychological thriller, science fiction, fantasy, even dystopia… This story has so many different elements and genres incorporated and the resulting story cocktail is highly addictive. The main feel of the story is probably the almost dystopian action thriller though, with the ‘anomaly‘ happening and people trying to figure out what is going on before it’s too late. There is plenty of focus on the scientific side, but with an always pressing sense of danger and a clock ticking away precious minutes as everyone scrambles to find a solution.

The story has a multiple POV structure, switching between the many characters in play as the story unfolds. The main focus is on the sixteen-year-old Tennant, Dr. Martha Chan and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Fraser though, who all help narrate the story from different perspectives and locations. Their development is not that extensive, but that is mostly due to the urgency of the current situation, which means there is more focus on actions and events rather than a thorough character development. I personally didn’t really mind though, as the different were easy to keep apart and they fitted the story well.

The writing in The Noise reads like a train, and once I started reading I couldn’t let go of the story. Like I mentioned before, it feels like you are right in the middle of a Hollywood action movie, and I simply HAD to continue reading to discover how things would end. Certain aspects of the plot might be a bit farfetched, but due to the dystopian and speculative nature of the ‘anomaly‘ and everything it represents I personally wasn’t bothered by it. This is definitely a story were the entertainment factor is key!

All in all this was a disturbing, twisted and highly engaging action thriller with an almost dystopian feel that you will be unable to stop reading once you get a first glimpse of the situation. Highly addictive and highly entertaining if you like your stories action-packed and lightning fast!

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