Narrated by David Aaron and Brian Hutchinson, She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be, captured my attention with its unique concept. An engrossing tale of a  young girl who appears on August 8 each year and the boy who is obsessed with her.

First the title caught my attention, followed by the cover. Then when I read the synopsis, I immediately picked it up. A lengthy book, but worth each minute spent reading/listening.

The story began with eight-year-old Jack at the cemetery visiting his parents’ graves along with his aunt Jo. While there he encounters Stella, a young mysterious girl. He is  enamored of her and cannot stop thinking about her, but he only able to see her once a year on August 8. Around this time Detective Brier investigates a strange case of homicide involving a burnt body with clothing  intact. Even stranger was the discovery one year later of another body under the same circumstances. Amidst these strange events, a little boy known only as Subject ‘D’ was kept in a lab, with no interaction with the outside world.

This was a solid mash-up of sci-fi, mystery, suspense and action. There were so many things taking place, I wondered how they all tied together. I had several questions while reading, one of which had to do with the significance of August 8. The book may have been lengthy, but I never noticed as I found myself completely immersed in the world Barker created. Twists, secrets and surprise abound in this unique tale. I couldn’t wait to learn what would happen next. 

The story spans several years and during this time we see the main characters come of age. I enjoyed getting to know Jack. Perfect by no means whatsoever, evidenced by the poor choices he made. He has been through a lot, but he persevered. I didn’t like Stella first because of her better than thou attitude towards Jack. However, as the story progressed, providing me with more details about this mysterious girl, my feelings towards her changed. The remaining characters proved to be an interesting bunch, especially Subject ‘D’. He was indeed the most dangerous of the lot.

Narration

 This was my first time listening to both narrators. It took me awhile to adjust to the voices. I had to change the narration speed a few times before settling on 1. 5x. They both  brought a lot to the story and handled the voices for the different characters very well. However, I was not a fan of Stella’s voice, which I found annoying. I thought their narration helped to enhance the story.

Conclusion/Recommendation

Overall, a good listen/read and one I recommend without hesitation. 

 

Story Evaluation
Plot	4
Characters	4
World Building	4.5
Writing Style	4
Pacing	3.5
Cover	4.5
Narrator (Audio)	4
Enjoyment	4
Ending	3.5
Overall: