Rating: 
Summary: A suspense thriller that pushes the limits of suspense.
Review: Yes, Dean Koontz's new novel, "The Face," is complex. But you aren't wanting to read a "Dr. Seus," now are you? You're wanting a thrill with a few twists and turns, with a few tricks up its sleeve. This is "The Face."Ethan Truman was once a cop. Then the love of his life died, and he quit the force, to be hired on as a security consultant to Channing Manheim, "the Face" in modern cinema. Ethan thought it would be an easy job...until the boxes arrived. Each one was filled with some kind of riddle, something that made no sense, but implied a threat that was all too clear: Manheim had an admirer out there, one with deadly intentions. It is not a police matter. For this reason, Ethan must solve it himself, with just a little bit of help from a few friends in the department. But as the mystery begins to slowly unravel, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary "overbearing fan." This is a man who is in tune with chaos, who wants to spread nothing but anarchy and disorder. He is just a man...but the forces he serves are more powerful than any human being could imagine... Caught in the middle of this is Fric, a lonely boy who looks nothing like his superstar mother and father. He is a joke to them, ignored by everyone...a "little mouse." But Fric is smart, he is clever, and he is getting messages from a Mysterious Caller, saying that Moloch is coming, that Fric should find a secret hiding place where no one can find him... This novel is a little bit more philisophical than what Koontz fans are used to. It pretty much comes right out and deals with the forces of Heaven and Hell. Aside from this preachiness, the novel really is a delite, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the last page is turned. And yes, Koontz is at his best when he is dealing with the supernatural! Pick up "The Face" by Dean Koontz, because it's one thriller that cannot be missed. If you are a Koontz fan, you know what you're getting; if you're not yet a Koontz fan, try starting here. It will take you places you only dreamed of going.
Rating: 
Summary: Original and Entertaining
Review: From the start, the stage is set for this unusual and original tale with the rain, pouring down incessantly over the city of angels. In fact, the grey, gloomy skies and rain are major characters in the book. (Koontz refers to them constantly, and to great effect) We have all the ingredients for the standard thriller genre: troubled and sensitive cops, a dazzling Hollywood star, an exceedingly intelligent and evil antagonist and the constant threat of doom, hanging over the reader like the sword of Pericles, ready to drop at any moment. But ~The Face~ gives us something more than the prototype: stereotypes are brilliantly combined with the paranormal. Throughout the reading, my rational mind continued to search for logical explanations for the many strange events that happen to the main characters. To my frustration, however, no rational answers came forth because, in most cases, there weren't any. This novel makes excellent reading because what you see in not always what you expect or get... The strongest aspect about the writing itself is the author's skill for characterization. Even the apparent insignificant characters in the novel have certain depth, which invokes the feeling one gets when meeting someone casually for the first time. He devotes each chapter of the tale from the perspective of each major player, and we easily enter their minds, feel their thoughts and emotions. Particularly the ten year old boy, Fric, with his pubescent humor and loneliness...and, of course, the terrifying literature professor and his Deconstructive, post modern stance on the written word. As a ruthless anarchist, he could have no better or appropriate philosophy concerning literature. This guy is truly bad without being outlandishly comic-bookish, similar to many other serial killer types in the thriller market place. Corky Laputa is just plain wicked. If you're expecting the stock-standard thriller with all the tired stereotypes, you'll be disappointed with this novel. Then again, it has all the successful ingrediants one might expect, but Koontz throws in an interesting wrench into the work, which makes the book refreshing and highly enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a review
Review: Well I made it through about 220 pages (read in one day) before I realized that this is probably not worth finishing. If I didn't have a back log of newer books on the shelf waiting to be read I would have suffered through the whole thing. Then again, if I had read the whole thing, maybe it would have been worth it. For what I expect and want from Koontz, it was not. Koontz, without a doubt, has a way with words, and with these he seems to be trying a new serious form that I just didn't care for. Oh well, maybe next time.
Rating:
Summary: superb
Review: Actually I think dean koontz is superb. I am therefore a little biased in my review.
This book is actually the very best of all his books. I enjoyed his delightful humor as he mixes it with the horror. I have not read Dean's early works as I am not fond of books based on weird creatures, space aliens and such. I am so glad I did not stay away as I would have been deprived of the talent I now cannot wait to read.
Most authors burn out after awhile---not Koontz. He only gets better.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Tale
Review: In order for a book to be good, one thing it absolutely must have is interesting characters. This one does. From the ex-cop turned security chief, to the little boy in peril, these are characters I'd like to see more of, and that's always a good sign. If you read a book and at the end you wish you could know more about the people in the book, then you've found a pretty good read. But this one doesn't stop there. It also has a beautifully crafted story that builds slowly, gaining steam gradually, so you can savor the taste of it as you read along. It's eerie, not ghastly, and the ending made me weep. Give it a look, you probably won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Dean Koontz Keeps Getting Better!
Review: I started reading Dean Koontz about halfway through his career. Since then, I have read everything he has written. It is amazing to see how much his craft has grown over the years. His characters are now fully developed and he no longer can be seen as an exclusively "horror" writer.
That being said, "The Face" is by far the best book I have read in a long time. Koontz took his time developing the characters and made the reader really connect with them. I liked how "Ghost Dad" was a "Ghost" Character whose presence was undeniable but who never actually "appeared" in the book.
Koontz did not feed answers to his readers and the result was that there were times that I wasn't sure what was going on but because his characters had me so engaged I was more than willing to wait and find out how it all worked out. The reader's confusion echoed the character's confusion so I believe it was completely appropriate.
The ending of the novel was spiritual without being cheesy. Truly moving.
One of the best books I have read in a long time.
Rating:
Summary: Another Masterpiece from Dean Koontz
Review: Rather than write a plot synopsis in my review (which can be gleaned elsewhere), I will simply say that I consider "The Face" to be one of Dean Koontz' finest works. And that is saying a lot. I considered "One Door Away From Heaven" to be perhaps his best work a couple of years ago, and this is fully the equal of that. The prose is beautiful, the characters are sharply drawn and likable, there is enough humor and suspense to make the book marvellously entertaining, and the ending is superb. This is truly another masterpiece from Koontz, and I will go so far as to say that I think that Mr. Koontz, a hundred years or so from now, will be recognized as one of the great novelists of the late 20th and early to mid 21st century. Forget Stephen King -- compared to Koontz, he's a hack. VERY highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Classic Koontz
Review: Although I wasn't crazy over his last effort, By the LIght of the Moon, I still enjoyed it enough to recommend it to friends. The last few years though, I have been longing for the old Koontz. The Koontz of "Watchers", "Intensity", and "Lightning". I am happy to say that I am more pleased with this Koontz book than any I have read in the last five or six years. His characters are detailed and intriguing, and no one creates visual imagery quite like Koontz. It is a shame that the earlier reviewer could not make it past the first 200 pages. By then, I was completely enthralled. Not since I read "The Shining" have I had the chills crawl up my back while reading a book. Unlike his last several books, I'm not sure that this can be classified as a spiritual thriller. To me, this is closer to a King-type horror novel. Koontz fans should not be disappointed. I sure wasn't.
Rating:
Summary: There is substance behind The Face!
Review: First of all, I don't like reading a negative rating from a reader who can't be bothered to finish the book. It is unquestionably unfair to the author and also to the prospective reader who is interested in the book. That said, I don't agree with the previous reviewer that the book was confusing and boring. There are many story lines in this newest release by Mr. Koontz and it is anything but weak. From the first chapter, I was captured. Ethan Truman is head of security for the "Face," who is a very famous movie star named Channing Manheim. Manheim is the fourth most recognized person in the world. It is Mr. Truman's job to keep Mr. Manheim safe. Truman is an ex-cop who recognizes trouble when he sees it. After the star receives several strange and disturbing packages in the mail, Truman is convinced that there is a psycho out to get his boss. As always, Mr. Koontz also spins a web of supernatural and suspenseful subplots that have you gripped to the pages. You meet many characters that are real and interesting. There is Fric, short for Aelfric, who is Channing Manheim's brilliant, but oftentimes forgotten ten year old son. Whereas Manheim's presence is absent from the story, Fric plays a very important and critical role in it. You also encounter, Hazard Yancy, who is Truman's ex-partner with the LAPD. He is also a very colorful character. He's someone you immediately like. He is also the only person Truman trusts with his increasingly strange case. The "psycho" as it turns out is an anarchist named Corky Laputa. His only pleasure in life is to weave chaos and unrest among society. He is relatively successful in his endeavors. He wants to create as much destruction and mayhem as possible, so he turns his attention the "Face." If his psychotic plan succeeds, there will be worldwide outrage and no one will feel safe. If the fourth most famous star in the world can't be safe, who can? I think you should give The Face a try. I really enjoyed it. It is true, Dean Koontz's style has changed, but I truly think he is as masterful as ever. I adored By the Light of the Moon and all his latest creations. Please make your own decision. Jennifer
Rating: 
Summary: Ok,, Where 's the Real Dean Koontz?
Review: I have been a Dean Koontz fan for many years. I have spent many happy hours (at home, on planes, on vacation) reading totally entertaining novels such as "Phantoms", "Strangers", and "The Watchers". His current novel "The Face" is a mystery to me. I had to take notes when I first started reading "It" by Stephen King. "The Face" was beyond note taking. After 200 pages, I simply didn't care anymore. Perhaps I have read too many of his novels, but I suspect some dark forces have spirited the real Dean Koontz away to a parallel existence and replaced him with his verbose, evil twin. Whoever, or whatever you are, please give the real Dean back. We miss him. If this is the real Dean Koontz (which I seriously doubt), please throw away your Thesaurus. If you are bored with writing and want to expand as an artist, you have done that. Please stop. We acknowledge that you are cabable of writing complex, albeit incomprehensible novels. If you have been spirited away (the more likely explanation), know that your fans still love you and want you back. Perhaps we can even help you return to our realm.
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