Instead of jumping right into my review, let’s talk about expectations for a second or two. First, I love all of J.D. Barker’s books—even the ones where he is a coauthor with James Patterson. However, I think associating with Mr. Patterson gave Mr. Barker ideas. He thought that he too could just write a book plot and get an “unknown” author to write the rest of the book. It’s a win for both authors. The plotter gets to publish a book without the time consuming writing. The other author gets a ready made audience of fans of the more famous author. It seems like a win-win situation, right? However, what about the public, who is kind of sucked in by the bait-and-switch? Can Heavy Are The Stones live up to the expectations of the famous author’s fans?
Short answer? Unfortunately, no. While reading, I kept thinking about how much better the book would have been if it had written completely by Mr. Barker. It is hard to imagine how such a compelling plot could be such a slog, but somehow this book manages it. Part of it is set in a virtual reality game that is life or death to its participant. Yet the sequences are surprisingly not compelling and, dare I say it, boring. The conclusion gets back on track but it is like walking through quicksand to get there.
Overall, the plot here is great and the ending is good. If it was just written solely by the coauthor, it would rate 3.5 stars. However, my expectations, and my heartfelt desire for no more Barker collaborations, forces me to give Heavy Are The Stones a disappointed 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for providing me with an advanced review copy.