Odd Thomas

Rating:
Summary: ODD THOMAS is another best seller!!!
Review: ODD THOMAS is in the same class as SHROUDED INSANITY, by Jamian Snow and BLACK CREEK CROSSING, by John Saul. It has all the tell-tale signs of another best seller. I review books for a living and this one was a thrill. The fact that Dean Koontz re-invented the first person viewpoint is remarkable. It's totally Dean at his finest. New York Book Reviewe

Rating:
Summary: WOW - Odd is an understatement.
Review: I have read pretty much everything this man has ever written and can say quite frankly that this one blew me away. It is a lesson in storytelling. The first three pages, as rambling as they seem, immediately engross the reader, raising questions that you want answered. The novel then becomes a straightforward story that enthralls. The pace never lets up. This struck me as the most suspenseful book he has ever written and the first time I ever hoped he would write a sequel. I want more Odd Thomas!

Rating:
Summary: Customary Koontz, and he does it SO well
Review: Question: How many authors can carry a single, continuous story line, yet manage to keep you glued throughout 400 pages?

The slow unfolding of the enchanting and complex main characters is masterful. A couple of secondary characters push the limits of belief; then again, one theme explored in the story is the thin line between borders: sanity and insanity, life and death, real and surreal, dreams and wakefulness.

As always, Koontz's dry wit and gift for understatement tickle me pink! I'd read his books for the humor alone.

For the most part, descriptions are kept simple: Rather than account for every millimeter of space in a scene, a sentence or two summarize the 'feel' the objects give a scene and what they say about the character associated with them. Teasing hints of what's to come help to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Literary and cultural allusions made for fun reading, and kept me feeling close to the story and people. The wonderfully colorful language is a thing of beauty.

Scenes of horror and evil will chill you to the bone; scenes of love in its many aspects will touch you to the core. That they're often juxtaposed heightens their power. One sterling example: the scene at the Church of the Whispering Comet.

I do have one complaint: I found the 'main event' disappointing. Both the writing and Odd suddenly become lackluster. Maybe I missed the point, a change in tone and character that somehow came across (to me) as...well, ordinary. (I almost gave the book 4 stars because of this, but overall it's maybe a 4.8-star read.)

And the ending more than makes up for it, so don't let that stop you!

ODD THOMAS is a wild trip whose attractions show humanity at its ugliest and at its most beautiful. Don't miss this one!

Rating:
Summary: I love this one and agree, he is back
Review: I just want to say that Dean Koontz has written a great book here. I have read (what I know of) all his books. I loved the older ones and think that this one has brought him back to the top where he belongs. Thanks Dean, it was great :)

Rating:
Summary: Dean is suddenly a "feeling" writer
Review: I remember the old Dean Koontz where he used to hang out and write good stuff that jarred your very soul! (Midnight, Watchers, Servants of the twilight, and The Face of Fear) But then things started to go sour! The Door to December? What? All his stories are about how people feel. I want some murder, some bloodshed, some scary stuff! Come on Dean! Blah! The book wasn't too bad, but, gosh, it wasn't too good either!

Rating:
Summary: Would make a good movie
Review: I love DK. he is my man when it comes to the ODD(yes, it'a pun)Odd thomas, what a name. The story took me someother place. I stayed there until I finished the book. Bravo Dean, Bravo.

Rating:
Summary: A good read in light of recent Koontz books
Review: Dean Koontz's new book "Odd Thomas" show that Koontz can still write an engaging tale after all of these years. Gone is the lightning-in-a-bottle that he had earlier in his career (I don't need to mention the books that built his following) but, to me, "Odd Thomas" brought Koontz back from the brink of irrelevance. Compared to recent clunkers like "By the Light of the Moon" and "Corner of His Eye", this book is a huge leap in the right direction, a movement that he started last year with "The Face". At least its nice to see that he has gone beyond his fascination with writing about cleaning up crap after your dog.

The book contains a tale written by the title Character, Odd Thomas, after disturbing events have occurred in his home town. Odd Thomas is a loner who, unbeknownst to all but a close group of acquaintances, has the ability to see and communicate with the dead and other malevolent spirits. Sounds familiar, I know, but Koontz is able to put a very original spin on this tale. The character Odd Thomas was developed with a great deal more depth than most those of Koontz's recent books. Not since China in "Intensity" have we seen a character developed so well by the author. Odd Thomas has had this ability for most of his life, and while he is not full comfortable with the situation, he has come to terms with it. Through his skills, Odd becomes aware of a very bad situation that is developing in his town, which he feels he has the ability to avert if he takes immediate action. This storyline represents bulk of the novel, but more fascinating is the character Odd Thomas himself and how he deal with the situation that he is thrust into. One particularly interesting subplot involves his interactions with his family, which is even more unusual than Odd himself.

The story is above average, but read this book for the characters themselves. Hopefully this upward trend in Dean Koontz's books will continue for at least a little longer.

Rating:
Summary: Odd Thomas
Review: Odd Thomas is the best novel I've ever read, ever, period. And I've even found myself listening to Elvis a lot more after I finished this one.

Rating:
Summary: Elvis Presley sighted in Pico Mundo?
Review: Mr. Odd Thomas lives up to his namesake. He is certainly odd, but in an interesting way. Although the theme has been repeated in other arenas, his version of "I see dead people" creates a highly entertaining thriller. Odd, using his supernatural gift one day notices an unusual customer in the local diner where he works. He's unusual, because a flock of bad spirits follows him wherever he goes and multiply by the thousands. These are the spirits who, according to Mr. Thomas, only show up when death is forthcoming. This observation of so many bad spirits roaming around convince him that some major catastrophy is about to occur in the little town where he resides. He's convinced that this newcomer is at the root of this disaster. With the help of Odd's devoted girlfriend (and the ghost of Elvis Presley), Thomas makes every attempt to circumvent impending disaster to save the day.

Kudos for Koontz! He has written a remarkably exciting yarn. It's the kind of story that keeps the pages turning, because he has this terriffic ability to make the last sentence of each chapter force the reader to continue to the next. The cast of characters is unique and his incorporation of the ghost of Elvis makes it a most delightful read!

Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: I picked up this book on tape just for something to listen to on my daily commutes to school, and fell in love with his writing. This was my first Koontz book, but it will certainly not be my last.