Sole Survivor

Rating:
Summary: Equal to Strangers and Lightning - POWERFUL
Review: A powerful novel, full of meaning for almost anyone who has ever loved and lost. The story isn't half as powerful as the message and the delivery - but it will keep you in the chair long past your normal bedtime. If you were a Koontz fan of times past and had not been set on fire by his last few offerings, you'll want to read this one. Your faith will return - in more ways than one

Rating:
Summary: Poor
Review: This book starts out good. Then half way through, you can figure out exactly where he is going. Then you waste your time reading how he gets to the point you have already guessed

Rating:
Summary: And the SEQUEL IS.....???
Review: After thousands of years, millions of questions and complete wonderment regarding the "hereafter", one of the modern-day masters has come upon a wonderfully fullfilling look at the beyond! This book is compelling, though at times can leave the reader questioning his/her own intelligence. The vehicle used by Mr. Koontz to introduce the characters to the beauty of an afterlife reflects the thoughts and beliefs of many throughout the world. Howver, there were many unanswered questions....if the afterlife truly exists, and the spirit is reborn, when and where will these characters again appear? Do men in power EVER realize the gift which Nina so freely and lovingly gives to others? Looks like a powerful sequel in the making to me, Dean!

Rating:
Summary: A great start then muddles into New Age confusion
Review: Every time I pick up a new Dean Koontz book I know that Im in for a great ride,yet Sole Survivor seems to come up so short I am wondering if he just gave up? Joe Carpenter,ex-reporter is in the midst of a downslide,his family gone in a plane crash he is almost dead himself yet strange circumstances begin to emerge around the plane crash that leads him on a fast paced search for answers...And this is where I ,and I bet every Dean Koontz fan are disappointed..the ride is fun for awhile but when he begins to endlessly ponder the meaning of Life,God and suffering we feel like we are either being lectured or listening to Mr.Koontz's metaphysical ramblings after a few too many ...But as with all of Dean Koontz's work you still are happy you jumped in the seat and stayed for the ride...however it ends ...

Rating:
Summary: A great start then muddles into New Age confusion
Review: Every time I pick up a new Dean Koontz book I know that Im in for a great ride,yet Sole Survivor seems to come up so short I am wondering if he just gave up? Joe Carpenter,ex-reporter is in the midst of a downslide,his family gone in a plane crash he is almost dead himself yet strange circumstances begin to emerge around the plane crash that leads him on a fast paced search for answers...And this is where I ,and I bet every Dean Koontz fan are disappointed..the ride is fun for awhile but when he begins to endlessly ponder the meaning of Life,God and suffering we feel like we are either being lectured or listening to Mr.Koontz's metaphysical ramblings after a few too many ...But as with all of Dean Koontz's work you still are happy you jumped in the seat and stayed for the ride...however it ends ...

Rating:
Summary: great start; lousy ending
Review: I thought this book got off to a great start. Joe discovers new evidence in the airline crash that killed his wife and daughters. The book rolls right along, until you find out the secret behind the crash of the plane, and the mysterious survivor of the crash. The answer comes down to vague, new Age mystical mumbo-jumbo. If the ending had been more credible, this could have been a really good book

Rating:
Summary: Joe takes on business and the gov't looking for the truth
Review: At one time Joe Carpenter had it all. He had a loving wife, two adorable children, and enjoyed his job as a newspaper reporter. All that changed when Flight 353 crashed, killing 330 people, including Joe's beloved family. For the next year, Joe stayed in limbo, existing without living. Finally on the first anniversary of their deaths, Joe visits their graves, only to observe a woman, Rose, photographing their tombstones. Rose claims to be a survivor of that fatal flight, but before they can converse any further, a large number of high tech commandos appear and stage an attack in order to capture or kill Rose. From that moment on, Joe's life changes as he now has a mission. He wants to know what really happened to flight 353 and why the cover-up. Ultimately, Joe wants to bring those responsible for the wholesale slaughter to justice. His investigation leads to the realization that on that flight Rose was carrying stolen government property that she planned to go public with once she landed. When Joe learns what the government and the technocrats are so desperate to hush up, he undergoes a new metamorphosis, becoming a man with a mission so divine that it will change the world as we know it. Dean Koontz, renowned for his ability to challenge his legion of fans, goes one step further in SOLE SURVIVOR. He takes on the Judeo-Christian belief system, but cleverly camouflages his intent by intertwining his story line into a fascinating, but frightening techno-thriller. By the time readers comprehend what Mr. Koontz is trying to achieve, they are so caught up in the wonderment and implications of the tale that they eagerly await the final revelation. The grandmaster has successfully struck again with a novel that is guaranteed to make the Times best seller list not just because of the writer's fame, but because the book deserves it. Harriet Klausner ----

Rating:
Summary: One of Koontz's best
Review: Having read many of Koontz's books, this is one of his best. It is my second favorite after Watchers. It is thoughtful and eye-opening on issues of loss. It may be an especially good read and helpful for those who understand the emotional tension of a main character who has lost close family members. He writes that "peace is to be found in the acceptance of things that we are unable to change. That friends and family are the blood of life, and that the purpose of existence is caring, commitment."

Rating:
Summary: Definitely started off great
Review: Joe Carpenter has never recovered from the grief after a plane crash killed his wife and kids. He meets a woman who claims to have survived the catastrophe, but their weren't any survivors. When she disappears, Joe tries to track her down and verify the things she said. This is another Koontz book with a shadowy conspiracy and government secrets, and it has one of the best openings of any books I read in 1997, when it was published. The book gets lots along the way a little, but it comes back together near the end. Four stars out of five.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not that good.
Review: I thought this book got off to a great start - I was hooked, and interested to know what happened to cause the death of Joe's family.

When Joe discovered new evidence from the airline crash that killed his wife and daughters, the book rolled right along. That was until I found out the true cause of the plane crash, along with the identity of the mysterious 'sole survivor'.

The ending was very disappointing and not at all believable - with vague, new Age mystical mumbo-jumbo. If the ending had been more credible, this could have been a really good book - but it seemed that this time Koontz was afraid of meeting his deadline and the ending was abruptly cut off.

That said, this book is still fairly entertaining - just prepare for a somewhat unfinished rushed ending.