Rating: Summary: A good story and a great narration! Review: This was my first Koontz book, and I was impressed. I listened to it as an audiobook. One reviewer complained about the story being a clone of previous works and felt it was all a cliche, but I found it fresh and gripping. The plot elements were intricately woven and perfectly interlocked. The characters were wonderful-- colorful, well-developed, and very compelling. However, I think the most impressive thing was the narrator. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and am frequently irritated by the narrators putting on false-sounding accents or inflections. Narrators seem to particularly stuggle with the voices of the opposite gender-- many make themselves ridiculous by trying to assume high female voices when they themselves are male, or by making gruff male voices when they themselves are female. Stephen Lang however did an incredible job of making each character distinct and instantly recognizable, without any artificiality. The women's voices were just as good as the men's. I highly reccommend it, and will myself be looking for more Koontz-written and/or Lang-narrated books!
Rating: Summary: Interesting Review: Before I begin, I would like to mention that this is my first Dean Koontz book to read. I was highly intrigued by the description on the book flaps, and in the beginning I couldn't put the book down. Towards the middle-end, things went much slower. I will have to agree with Ben on this one, the storyline had much potential, then in the end it was just a violent gun fight, nothing thrilling about that. I enjoy the book and will continue to read Koontz, but this will not be on the top of my list.
Rating: Summary: Poetic Justice Review: I loved the way the doctors game fell apart. He did not count on a lot of things happening and underestimated to intelligence of his toys. It goes to show you that arrogance will get you no where.
Rating: Summary: Not what it could have been Review: First let me start off by saying that I'm not dissapointed with anything in the book. The story is well written and has the same theems you would expect from a Koontz novel. What dissapoints me, and the reason I gave this book 3 stars, is what the book hinted at, started delivering, then went off in a completly different direction leaving that early brilliance far behind. I can't explain further without giving away plot points so if you haven't read the book and don't want some plot points spoiled stop reading now.The book begins with a theme of autophobia, or fear of oneself. The books back cover description hints at this. The defintion of autophobia given at the beginning of the book hints at this and even the voer art hints at this to a degree. The early chapters all deal with the protagonist becoming autophobic. These early chapters fascinated me. I loved what Koontz was setting up. I loved how bizzare it was and what a unique original concept it was. I was also interested in what Koontz would have to say about autophobia. In other words I wanted a psychological thriller about autophobia. The book promised and hinted at this and then went off in a completely different direction. Instead of going with a refreshing idea Koontz instead went with cliches of the mad scientist (or psychologist in this case) Now in all fairness Koontz has always done well with making cliches seem fresh and he does that in this book. I don't have a problem with what he does except that what he'd originally set up was so much better. I understand the concept of misleading your audience but if you do that you have to make the final destination far more attractive then the red herrings. Koontz simply doesn't do that. Instead of something unique and original we get same old same old. If Koontz had lived up to his early promise this could probably have been his best novel. Unfortunatly that didn't happen. I still give this book 3 stars because I'm trying to take it at face value. I can't help though but feel a bit cheated by the broken promise this book represents. Let's just be thankful that Koontz usually is far superior then this.
Rating: Summary: Koontz does it again! Review: I have a little trouble with starting a Koontz book. Only because before bed or during lunch is usually the only time I have to read. I lose lots of sleep and feel the urge to "peek" at my book during work. This book did the same as most others of his work. It was a brilliant book from beginning to end. It grabs hold of you right off and keeps you with it.
Rating: Summary: Dean R. Koontz is one crazy MOFO!!! Review: Almost no one one will believe me as I right this but what I say is probably the truth. Dean R. Koontz is insane. This man is emotianly disturbed beyond everything. I don't say this because he writes about this kind of disturbing thing, many people do. But there are little things that you notice: His obsession with sexual situations, esapecialy with children. You can find this in many of his books. This man scares me, he writes more than just as a fantastic writer but more of as a crazy psycho who instead may be writing his own fantasies, if he hasnt already commited some of them.
Rating: Summary: Shock Value Review: This was the third Koontz book I have read. He has a way of drawing his readers in. There was a lot of suspense in this book. Things also get gory at times. The thing that keeps me coming back to his books is the underlying theme of a struggle between good and evil. He has a knack for making the situation look bleak for the good guys. As the story progresses you find yourself wanting to see the bad guys done in. When everything is said and done, he is masterful at constructing the happy ending. It is a fast moving book, which will keep you interested. Don't read it if you get squeamish looking in on gruesome murder scenes. One of the reasons the book is so riveting is the shock value it offers. The evil guy in this one is in a league of his own. When you final realize what he is doing to his victims it send a chill down your spine.
Rating: Summary: Becoming Indistinguishable Review: Does anyone have a count on how many of Koontz's works have dealt with psychological terror induced by nefarious means? That theme crops up again and again and again. The novels are growing in length but not in depth and breadth and originality. Koontz needs to take some time off and develop an original story before dashing out the next one at neck-break speed to meet the publisher's deadline. You want cliches? How about an evil psychiatrist, "specially designed drugs", the tender, literate blue collar worker with the beautiful wife, the emotionally and mentally crippled helpless souls, the victim no one believes, the satanic parents, etc. Considering it all, it is a suprise the story turned out as well as it did. It is presented in his classic "switch action" technique - his story / her story / his story... The premise of drug induced zombies has been approached from almost every conceivable angle and this one is far from original. One detects previous works in each book and this is no exception. So many have been released that repetition cannot be avoided. The bad guys are remarkedly similar. The trouble with popular authors is the eventual slide from quality to quantity. I am not asking for an Elizabeth George or Bram Stoker. I do ask for a little imagination and originality. The author has shown he is capable of creating works of great power (The Watchers, Strangers, Lightning). He owes his public something more.
Rating: Summary: One of his best!!! Review: I have been a reader of dean koontz's works for some time now and was at first hesitant to read this particular novel mostly due to the fact that I didn't think I would have time to finish it. When I finally began it I wasn't able to put it down. His ability to deeply define his characters while sucking you into the story is something that you can find in his novels such as Phantoms, Dark Rivers of the Heart, Watchers, and Lightning but False Memory is a new high for him. You have to find out what will happen to the characters because you begin to feel a connection with them. I STRONGLY recommend this book to ANYONE who enjoys fastpaced novels with twists, turns, and surprises.
Rating: Summary: Manipulation, Terror, and Strong Characters Review: I really enjoyed this. It took me quite a while, as it was a bath-tub book and 751 pages long. It began a bit slow, but really picked up the pace about mid-way through the novel. When Martie begins to be afraid of herself, and all the horrible things she might do to someone she loves, she seeks out the psychiatrist who was so incredibly good at helping her agoraphobic friend, Susan. But who can she really trust, and is her disorder natural, or somehow is she being manipulated? When bodies start to appear, and both Martie and her husband Dusty begin to show signs of being 'programmed,' it seems like everything in thier lives has been created to fulfill some sort of sick game - can they possibly escape, and bring the one behind it to justice? The characters in this book really stole the show from the villain, which is fine (I despised the villain - the character, not the writing thereof - which is always a good sign of a thriller done well)...
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