This was a very intriguing read.
Whilst the premise gave very little away, to its credit, the outcome was very, very questionable to say the least.
I'm going to try and review this book as evenly as I can do, although separating it from my belief system will be a challenge. But it's one I'm up to as it's a work of fiction so has to be treated independently from that where possible.
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| The Noise by James Patterson & J.D. Barker |
The Review
This was an intriguing book, sold with the tagline "terror has a new sound" and the blurb on the back giving away nothing about that. I assumed it was going to be about a different kind of terror attack. You know? Terrorists blow something up and then a special forces team has to hunt them down and stop them care of a grizzled, often jaded veteran leading the way.
Could I be any more wrong? Nope!
In a way, though, I can see why the tagline was used; taking one interpretation of terrorism and applying it in a very different manner... sound. Imagine, if you will, that sound could be harnessed into a weapon of mass destruction. It sounds unbelievable, yet it's something that many are convinced is possible (and has happened in some cases!).
Research "Havana Syndrome" and you are presented with some truly bizarre cases reminiscent of what was on that old TV show "Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina". In that show, I believe (it's been an age since I've seen it, though, so I could be mistaken!), viewers were presented with an unusual case and then different possible explanations are offered as to what could have caused these events to collide in the way that they did. I don't believe the show ever actually tells you what the truth is, just leaves it to your own interpretation.
Your own interpretation.
Isn't that what happens with the books and films we consume? We are often left to interpret these events as we see fit without explicitly being told what it all means (it's not always the case though).
I will give it credit though, at 308 pages it's not a boring read by any stretch of the imagination. Although, admittedly, you do have to suspend your disbelief for a lot of it that the authors are asking you to buy into. Furthermore, what also works in its favour is the fact that the inevitable reveal of what actually causes the behaviour is left until the very end of the book.
Hints are dropped along the way, sure, but I only ever see them as swerves; the perfect writer's narrative tool trying to lead the reader on a magical mystery tour away from the truth as opposed to towards it.
The Conclusion
In the end, though, the revealed outcome is where I have to suspend my disbelief because it is an utterly ridiculous notion that consciousness can be transferred. Yet people clearly don't want to give up on the idea that death is not the end for them otherwise fiction books like this would not be written with the outcomes attached.
It is a very good work of fiction. I cannot and I will not deny it. I just, as I've said, have to temporarily suspend my beliefs to appreciate the writing style and story itself. It's also not littered with f-bombs here there and everywhere, which is nice because that comes across as though it somehow makes their work edgy and cutting edge. I see it as a lesson that you, the writer, need to read some more books and learn to use language better (or just change who you're spending your time with!) because words do exist, you're just not using them properly if you have to supplement your work with expletives.
If it were a script for a movie or a limited run series, I'd say it's well-paced with twists and turns to, as I've said, lead the consumer away from the truth rather than towards it. The ending is never really spoiled, at all, as to the cause of the sound but it makes me think of that old fax/dial up sound in a very different way now haha.
If you're looking for a book to sink your teeth into this coming spring then go for this. I don't think you'll be disappointed as long as you can suspend your belief system for the duration.
Until next time...
Peace!
===TLP===
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