Book Review – The Noise by James Patterson & J D Barker – Entertaining Thriller
Table of Contents
My Rating – 3.5 out of 5
Plot Summary – The Noise
In this collaboration between James Patterson and J D Barker, it is evident that most of the heavy lifting – in terms of the writing – is done by the junior member of the duo and it probably falls on the senior partner to give the work his finishing touches. In keeping with all James Patterson novels, this is also lightning fast and carries you along like the flow of a breakaway waterfall! As seems his wont in 2021, James Patterson veers into the realm of the supernatural and into fantasy and even Sci-Fi horror as some may term it. So goes the story of The Noise…
Two sisters, Tennant (16) and Sophie (8) are growing up in a reclusive cabal of survivalists – in the surrounding forests of Mt. Hood in Oregon. Disaster strikes in the form of an unknown phenomenon that destroys everything around them and leaving them as the only survivors. The military is called in to investigate this and they in turn rope in various specialist professionals to help them understand and cope with what is happening. But before they can do much, similar incidents affect other neighboring cities and towns as well, leaving the US Government completely flabbergasted.
Amongst the Specialists roped in by the US government to make sense out of this madness, is Dr. Martha Chan – a Medical Doctor and trauma specialist. Alongside another specialist Dr. Harbin, the two Doctors start taking the initiative to get to the bottom of things as both their ‘Handlers’ – a Lieutenant Colonel Fraser and before him, a Department of Defense appointee – Holt – held back a lot of pertinent information from the group on account of the much-abused notion of ‘Need to know’. Dr. Chan takes an immediate liking for the traumatized sisters, particularly the teenaged Tennant and vows to help them and get to the bottom of the mystery.
Despite the Military’s best efforts to keep it contained within the remote confines of Mt. Hood, repeat incidents striking at nearby cities and towns, force the Governments hands into putting in place a full-scale Military response. But without the knowledge of what they are faced with, the forces are hamstrung and they need all the help that they can get. Between Dr. Chan, Dr. Harbin, and Lt. Col Fraser (albeit a reluctant participant considering the compartmentalized functioning of the military apparatus), an uneasy alliance is formed to understand what they are facing and what can be done to counter this unknown threat of such epic proportions!
Conclusion – Book Review of The Noise
The pace of the novel is blistering as is the hallmark of the James Patterson factory! Though in this case, the pace takes a slight amount of time to build up and get running. The crux of the story is quite intriguing and though there are stretches where the boundaries of believability are stretched a bit, the overall experience is interesting enough to keep the reader going. Like so many other instances in real life, the politics of crisis situations take its toll on the common citizens while those in power make decisions that affect others but not themselves!
I cannot but help recommend most James Patterson works, simply for the attractive packaging of the stories and for the breathtaking pace that they set. This one is no exception so if you like James Patterson, you will like reading this too! So Happy Reading, people!!
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