Rating: 
Summary: Strange and very moving...
Review: The novels of Dean Koontz are peculiar, macabre, at times downright horrific, though have that familiar atmosphere of the prosaic and everyday. He has that mysterious facility as a writer to create extremely strange circumstances and involve characters that would not normally find themselves in adventures far more exciting than a weekday trip to the shopping mall. His gift is to put normal people into abnormal situations and make it believable. Dean Koontz latest novel is a wonderful example of this particular gift. Mr. Odd Thomas is indeed one of the nicest characters you will meet in the world of fiction. The young man is humble, a talented fry cook, head over heels in love with his girlfriend, and his only ambition is to move on from frying eggs to selling new tires at the local tire store. By today's standards, he would be considered a first class loser in anyone's book. But there is something special about Odd Thomas, and that is the fact that he can see and communicate with the dead. As he explains in the narrative, sometimes the departed have a hard time moving on to the next world, whether it be because of unfinished business, a sentimental attachment to the living, or an unawareness of their deadness; Thomas is always there to help if his help is required. In fact he believes it is his moral duty to aid the dead, otherwise why would he have this gift in the first place? The plot unfolds when he spots a strange looking individual enter his place of work, the Pico Mundo Grille, and orders breakfast. Surrounding the stranger are bodachs, entities that appear like swimming shadows, which only manifest when death, chaos, blood and destruction will occur sometime in the future. Odd's sixth sense, including the swarm of bodachs, tells him that something is terribly wrong and he begins his investigation. What Odd discovers is chilling and continues to be chilling to the very last page. This novel more than illustrates Koontz cleverness for characterization. In a few lines of description and simple dialogue, his characters become visually real and familiar to the heart. It is almost as if you have met these people somewhere before but just can't place exactly where - or if you haven't met them, you'd like to. Odd Thomas is a wonderful piece of storytelling with some astute observations about the human condition and our culture in general. The story's ending is very moving for the obvious reasons. An excellent read.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit of satire
Review: Okay, I'll admit it. I read this book because the ghost of Elvis was supposed to be a character. Elvis doesn't get to do much. He doesn't even talk, so that's a big let down.
Odd Thomas, the protagonist, not only communes with Elvis but also sees many different dead people, including a potential mass murderer who has targeted Pico Mundo for a wholesale slaughter. When Odd first notices the man, he is alive but is being followed by strange creatures called bodachs, who portend violent atrocities. Later, he finds the man's body in his bathroom and this leads Odd on a wild chase to find the man's accomplices.
Most interesting for me was how Dean Koontz deals with suspension of disbelief. Although he is a short order cook and has no greater ambition than to work in a tire store, everyone in Pico Mundo respects Odd Thomas, including chief of police Wyatt Porter, who has learned from experience not to doubt Odd. So, if everyone in the story accepts what's happening as the status quo, why not the reader?
Being the cynic that I am, I was less than enthusiastic until Odd's parents are introduced towards the end of the book. Both of them are sociopathic. Odd's mother is especially menacing, threatening Odd with a gun when he asks her for help. I began to think that this might be a psychological mystery, until things reverted to form with a rather typical team of killers being revealed. They're introduced earlier in the book, but you'll never be able to pick them out. Believe me.
Another interesting and original element of the book was when Odd speculates that the bodachs might be creatures from the future whose "bodies" could not make the trip. A bit of satire, since they're enthralled by violence, just like we are.
Rating: 
Summary: A little slow in the middle
Review: Though overall I liked the book a lot, there were times in the middle of the book when I made myself keep reading because the book got hideously boring. This happened about two times. Other then that, I liked the book a lot. I especially liked the surprise ending. Considering the movie Dean Koontz stole the idea for this book from (Sixth Sense), it probably shouldn't have been a surprise. But it was.
Rating:
Summary: New Twist on an Old Idea
Review: I have not been an avid Koontz reader, but the idea behind this novel intrigued me. I mean who isn't now attracted to the idea of, "I see dead people"?. I was pleasantly surprised at how Mr. Koontz turned that idea around and not only made fun of that line itself but managed to do something new with the idea. I agree that there were some slow parts. I felt the voice was hard to adjust to at first but I had to realize that it was intended to be a 20 year old male (which I am not). This is well worth a read, even in hardback :)
Rating:
Summary: Koontz is Back
Review: I have been a long time Dean Koontz fan. I've read just about every book, including some by his pseudonyms. Almost every book was a great read. I would close the book after the last page feeling both fulfilled and sad. Fulfilled because of a great story, sad because it was over. Lately, however, Koontz's books have been slipping. I think it began after Seize the Night. His books became harder to read and filled (and I mean filled) with metaphors and similes. And the ultra-sappy happy endings were very unlike the author. I didn't read The Face because of the bad reviews I heard. So, when Odd Thomas came out, I was reluctant but curious. Am I glad I picked this book up! The story was fast-paced and exciting. The subject (Odd sees dead people) may have been used before, but Koontz put his own special touch in there. The characters were vivid, especially Odd and Stormy. And the humor...Koontz has a gift when it comes to humor in his books. I literally laughed out loud more than once. Odd Thomas is classic Koontz. A great story, a quick read, funny, sad, scary, and moving.
Rating:
Summary: Odd Thomas
Review: What if Cole ("I see dead people") Sear from the film The Sixth Sense had grown up and wanted to use his special gift for the benefit of others while keeping this talent hidden from all but his closest friends? He would be Odd Thomas. A 20-year-old short-order cook, Odd Thomas seeks to avoid attention and keep his life simple, at the same time dealing with spirits (including that of Elvis) that have not yet let go of their ties to the real world. In addition, Odd Thomas is able to see other spiritual entities that swarm near people and places where future violence will occur. He narrates a story that is ripe with suspenseful possibilities and filled with an eclectic troupe of friends and acquaintances who aid him in his quest to rid his hometown of brutality and evil. Koontz has once again set in motion a compelling combination of character and circumstance, tempered with his special brand of dark humor. For most popular fiction collections.
Rating:
Summary: Impressive
Review: One of the best books I have read in some time. Great characters, humor, anticipation. I wish it had been longer because I was so involved with the story line and characters. Unexpected ending - I should have seen coming - but I didn't which is why I found it unsettling. GREAT READ! I hope Koontz's next book is as good.
Rating:
Summary: ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT
Review: That's it, two words.....absolutely brilliant. Too bad more peolpe can't write like Koontz.
Rating: 
Summary: Too bad
Review: Started out with lots of promise (best story line and writing he's done sense Fear Nothing and Seize the Night barring the excessive surf lingo etc.) but died around page 190. Koontz makes Odd and his girlfriend Stormy (dumb name) into two perfect little angels -- when playing cards Odd can feel, 9 times outta 10, when his hand is stronger than those of other players and when it is not, so he wouldn't DARE go to Vegas and gamble to make money (what Odd calls "harvesting cash"), "it'd be the same as stealing" , "I don't need money", "I don't ever want to go anywhere" "I just want to be a fry cook or a tire salesman for the rest of my life" GET REAL! After that the story, the characters and writing dies. Becomes juvenile. Too much padding with Odd's endless ruminations.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Characters
Review: This is the best of Koontz's novels that I've read so far. It is relatively short where some of his other work is way too long. The protagonist, Odd Thomas, is a Good Samaritan with more than his share of quirks and special talents. Odd's insights are both wise and humorous. Koontz does his usual great job of developing each character while telling the story. The characters are people who you can really get into, even the dead ones. All of the characters - even the bad guys - are believable within the context of the story. I highly recommend this novel.
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