Mixed reactions on this one... Loved the horror story aspect (huge Barker fan so I had high expectations!) and the unique spin on the impending catastrophe. The story was well paced and I was completely engaged and cheering for the sisters and our main protagonist, Martha. But the ending fell a bit short for me... I didn't completely understand the final explanations surrounding the "noise" and the conclusion felt rushed.

Overall this is definitely worth your reading time and I recommend to horror/sci-fi readers!

*Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

These are two of my favorite authors and the book was very well written, it just wasn't my favorite type of book as I'm not a big sci-fi person.
We hear perspectives of "The noise" from several characters ranging from a teenager to a nurse to a military leader and their roles in trying to determine what is actually happening and where it comes from. As they all eventually work together to determine the next steps, the chaos that the noise is causing is quickly building.

On the one hand, if all you’re looking for in a book is plot and pacing, this one succeeds. However, if you want a book that’s about a huge threat to humanity and actually care about any of the humanity—including the main characters—this fails.

I’ve read J.D. Barker before and liked his work. I also made the comment on one of those books that it felt like the reading equivalent of watching a movie. That’s not a bad thing, but I guess as a reader I’m used to putting some effort of my own in interpreting the novel.

When 16-year-old Tennant and her younger sister Sophie are checking rabbit traps as their survivalist parents taught them to, their father scoops them up and shoves them in a bunker, which allows them to survive the strange sound/vibration, but what they’ve survived not even an assembled team of specialists in their field can figure out.

The pacing is relentless, so if that’s what you’re in the mood for, you will enjoy this, but as soon as I switched to a women’s fiction novel, I actually cared about what was happening to the fictional characters.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 16, 2021.

<SPOILER>

This stand-alone scientific thriller, first told from the point of view of two girls, Tennant and Sophie, and then alternately from all the main characters, describes a threat, a kind of computer virus that contaminates not only machines, but also and above all the brains where it is first "downloaded" through a deafening noise. All the contaminated people form only a swarm having no other goal than to add other members to their group and to flee together or to run towards their probable destruction.

The authors make us discover little by little the political-military aspect behind this noise and the contamination it causes.

I know that research is actually being done to create a person-machine interface that would allow one to communicate with the other without having to be plugged in. Many of you have certainly seen news reports of people making objects react without a mouse or keyboard, simply by the "power of their mind". What will be the next step in such research? I hope with all my heart that it will not be what happens throughout this exciting novel, because what happens at the end is one of the most horrifying ideas I have ever read.

Anyway, the behavior of the infected people is very reminiscent of the zombies in the movies. And this novel will certainly get the same success when put in pictures.

I had never read a James Patterson novel, but I have read several by J.D. Barker. I now find that these two authors have much in common and readers of one have an excellent chance of enjoying the works of the other as well.

I must say that the suspense of this novel kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish and I read it faster than I usually do. I recommend it to all fans of political-scientific thrillers.

IF YOU HEAR IT IT’S TOO LATE!

Close to Mount Hood a group of people are living off-grid and doing just fine. They are self-sufficient and doing well.

Until the day that sixteen-year-old Tennant is checking rabbit traps in the woods with her eight-year-old sister Sophie and they feel a powerful and strange vibration coming out of the forest. Like a tornado. When their father suddenly appears and tosses them into the nearest cellar. But the sound doesn’t stop. It’s horrible and Sophie is bleeding from her ears and rocking back and forth.

And then the army comes in and takes them to the nearest base. Sophie is uncontrollable and seems possessed, mumbling a name over and over. Her temperature is way above normal and she is super strong.

Patterson and Barker writing together is genius. They both know how to crank up the tension and keep you turning the page long after you should be asleep! And of course, there are lots of puzzles to figure out and theories to test and plenty of people getting killed in the goriest of ways.

Always a pleasure!

NetGalley/ August 16th, 2021, by Little, Brown, and Company

I just reviewed Sleeping Bear by Connor Sullivan. #NetGalley. What an amazing book. I really love JD's style and the intrigue really shows in reading this one. One book that does not get boring and delivers punches throughout

I have absolutely loved everything that JD Barker has written. His "A Callers Game" and "4MK" series were among my favorite books of the past few years. While his others are generally skewed towards police procedurals and traditional thrillers, this is more akin to a "Dawn of the Dead" vibe. As usually, the writing is top-notch and suspenseful.

However, I didn't feel as engrossed as I did with some of his others. I'm not sure if it was a misfire on his part or just me expecting something else, but it just didn't wow me like I'm used to from him. Nonetheless, he is still one of my new favorite authors and I'll be sure to be back for his new one!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an ARC copy to share my honest thoughts about.

Not your typical Barker/Patterson. This one had much more of a science fiction feel. While it was a good book it was not what I expected.
It did however give you pause to think WHAT could be in the future.

4.5/5.0. This pair makes a fantastic team. Well paced suspense and engaging characters. Not my favorite trope, but well executed.

Two young girls, sisters, sixteen and seven are out hunting rabbits. A noise that can't be described pierces their ears. Their father grabs them and shoves them down a basement. The noise is piercing, penetrating.
Another awesome read by James Patterson. Once you start this book you can't put it down. Edge of your seat kind of book, all the way to the end.

Wow! Not at all what I was expecting. Would definitely classify this as a sci-fi thriller. Not my typical genre but I have to say ... this one took me by surprise and in a positive way.

Recommend!

Thank you #netgalley and #littlebrownandcompany for the eARC.

Tennant and her sister Sadie live on the mountains with a group of nomads living off the grid. While out hunting for rabbits their father and mother scoop the girls up and put them in an underground shelter to save them from the massive explosion that has destroyed their community. Tennet has earplugs in her hears from trying not to hear the rabbits squeal due to being caught in a snare. Sadie does not. And that’s when they hear a horrendous noise that will change their lives an other forever.

2 of my favorite authors J.D. Barker & James Patterson team up to write one of the most brilliant books I’ve read this year! Full of mystery, the kind of book once you start reading you don’t want to stop.
Thank you J.D Barker for the email you sent inviting me to read this!

Horrifying! A great read by two great authors. I am including this side note in case there are others who feel the same. I had stopped reading Patterson (who used to be my absolute favourite) so many co authored books made it seem more fluke quantity over quality. This book however was downright phenomenal and did not lack in quality at all. Both of these authors styles meshed well and this book was literally something from my worst nightmares. Crazy doesn’t begin to describe it. Super twisted and scary as heck. This gets 5 huge stars from me. I am so glad I gave it a chance!

Holy cannoli..

that was so good ! I went thru the 70% of the book while camping and then life took over :( and had difficulty finding time to read.

This was really good. It takes you for the beginning and just holds on until the last page! I have no idea what to say about this book other than saying how amazing it is..

Thank you so much for this ARC.

I have just finished reading The Noise by James Patterson and J.D. Barker.

WOW! What a book – I could not put it down!

This duo of very talented writers - James Patterson and J.D. Barker have done it again!!

They are favourites of mine, and their creativity and imagination never disappoint!

This is a fast pace psychological thriller/Science Fiction meets Fantasy book!

Another book that would make for a great movie script!

Taking place in the Pacific Northwest with two young sisters trapping in the forest – Then get ready!

Very unique and one of a kind storyline!!!

If you like these two authors, and who could not – read it as soon as you can!

4.5 Stars from this reader.

#TheNoise #NetGalley

In the shadow of Mount Hood sisters and survivalists, Tennant and Sophie, are out checking traps when they are overcome by a crescendo of screams. Thrown into an underground storm cellar and locked inside by their father, the noise grows ever more deafening.

But when the sound subsides, the chaos is far from over…

 
Upon receiving an email titled “Psst. Wanna be one of the first to read THE NOISE by J.D. Barker and James Patterson?”, I rushed online to claim my eARC. I have never read anything by Patterson even though he is a household name, but J.D. Barker penned one of the best thrillers I have ever read, and it was with high anticipation I began this book straight away.

Even though I was keen to read this title, I wasn’t sure whether I would like it due to the dual authorship. To be completely honest I didn’t even have a clue how that works. So, don’t quote me on this, as I had to look it up on Google, but I believe when Patterson co-writes he composes a detailed outline and then the co-author, in this case Barker, writes the chapters before revisions and rewrites are made by both parties. As I said, I have never read anything by James Patterson, and I’m sure other readers would be able to spot his trademark style, but for me Barker’s voice clearly shone through the prose in this novel and I was not disappointed!

Made up of 102 short and snappy chapters, and told from multiple points of view, this novel was fast paced and gripping. The momentum of the storytelling really conveyed and heightened the urgency the characters were feeling throughout, and I too began to feel like I was in a race against time, devouring each page.

I don’t want to give too much away and ruin the suspense for other readers, but I highly recommend this book. I’m not sure what genre it falls into, but if you’re a fan of mystery, sci-fi or thrillers, and prefer a plot driven story put this on your TBR immediately!!

My first Netgalley book and it’s J.D. Barker (*squee*) and James Patterson. Barker never — and I mean NEVER — fails to blow my mind. Is there anything he can’t write well? Is there even a genre called sci-fi horror? If there is, Barker and Patterson just won the book oscars for it.

“A mysterious explosion kills thousands in the Pacific Northwest—and only two young girls survive.

Two sisters have always stood together. Now, they’re the only ones left.

In the shadow of Mount Hood, sixteen-year-old Tennant is checking rabbit traps with her eight-year-old sister Sophie when the girls are suddenly overcome by a strange vibration rising out of the forest, building in intensity until it sounds like a deafening crescendo of screams. From out of nowhere, their father sweeps them up and drops them through a trapdoor into a storm cellar. But the sound only gets worse…”

I don’t know how collaborations work between authors, but there is a very definite Barker vibe in parts of the story and a very definite Patterson vibe in others. It almost felt like they wrote entire chapters separate and apart from each other and put them together and — poof — magic happens. I haven’t read their previous collab, but if it’s half as good as this one, it would still be a 5-star read.

If I HAD to put a genre to it, I’d say it was horror. It scared the shit out of me. 95% of it would be that something-jumping-out-at-you sort of scared. The last 5% of the story was the deep mortal fear, the kind you feel when you are alone in the storage room in the basement and all the hairs on the back of your neck stands up for no reason. I LOVE IT! I NEED MORE! MORE!!! Muahaha! No, seriously, please write more, like, next week. I need it.

Thanks for the advance copy, @netgalley . This will be my first review for you. Hope I can do this book justice. I feel a major book hangover coming on.

My thanks to Little Brown and Company, J.D. Barker and James Patterson, and always Netgalley!
I said it with the first Patterson and Barker mashup/I don't know who comes up with these stories, but I'm mostly sure that Barker writes them!
Whatever is going on? I'm happy as a pig in a mudpile! I love it!
I'll confess that this story gave me serious Stephen King vibes! Not for the writing style, but for the eerie feelings! It's been a while since that happened!
I didn't love these characters as deep as I should have though! It's just that I eventually hit a threshold, and realized that unless this is a duology, or trilogy then nothing is going to end well. Nothing.
We will all run!

“The Noise” changes those that hear it. In a race against time, doctors and scientists try to discover what it is, so they can stop it.
The result is another J.D. Barker masterpiece. A fabulous plot driven story that immediately grabs you and never lets you get to sleep until you get some answers.
J.D. Barker’s writing under James Patterson’s brand is once again a winner.

Review Copy

Well, Barker and Patterson did it again. They make one heckuva team and I, for one am so glad they started collaborating.

THE NOISE is a story best gone into blind, knowing nothing. Try to figure it out as the story unwinds and as the twists turn. The writing of the two authors blends seamlessly. I couldn't tell who wrote which chapter - their skills are so similar. And the story...maybe some people will see the end coming, but I sure didn't. What a ride!

Thank you J.D. and James for an amazing book. Highly Recommended. Check it out.