Hideaway

Rating:
Summary: An exciting story!
Review: Koontz's novels crest bestseller lists not only for their heart-pounding horrors but also for their celebration of righteousness and redemption. And, Hideaway is no exception. In this novel, Dean Koontz compels us to explore the meaning of death, the nature of sociopathic evil, and the transcendent power of love.

Hatch Harrison, an accident victim, dies en route to the hospital. However, a brilliant physician, Dr. Jonas Nyebern, miraculously resuscitates him after being dead for nearly eighty minutes. Given this second chance at life, Hatch and his wife, Lindsey, approach each day with a new appreciation for the beauty of life-until a series of mysterious and frightening events bring them face to face with the unknown. Although Hatch was given no glimpse of an Afterlife during the period when his heart was stopped, he has reason to fear that he has brought a terrible Presence back with him from the land of the dead.

When people who have wronged the Harrisons begin to die violently, Hatch comes to doubt his won innocence-and must confront the possibility that this life is just a prelude to another, darker place. He and Lindsey are forced to fight not only for their own survival but for that of Regina, the disabled child who has given meaning and purpose to their lives. With growing desperation, Lindsey and Hatch seek the truth along a twisted trail that leads eventually to an abandoned amusement park-and a confrontation with purest evil.

Hideaway is an engaging novel, full of suspense and moments of horror. As a first time Koontz reader, I was enthralled by the frightening presence of evil in this novel. The vivid scenery, believable characters, pure evil and the power of hope and love combine to create a thrilling and horrifying read. Dean Koontz is able to entertain the reader and maintain the suspense in this story up until the fulfilling conclusion.

Hideaway is an exciting tale that takes you deeper with every page.

Rating:
Summary: hideaway
Review: I read the book Hideaway by Dean Koontz. It was an intense, fast paced book. I really enjoyed reading it because it was scary and fun to read. The book was about a man, Hatch, and his wife, LIndsey. They were in a car accident and Hatch died. He was recessitated after eighty minutes. It was a miracle that nothing was wrong with him. Everything seemed to be going perfect until Hatch began to have visions. It almost seemed as if he had brought something back with him from the dead. The possibility of it all seemed unreal. Hatch was having visions about murders that this man was committing. When he was having his visions it was like he left his body and was doing what this man was doing. This man was also having visions about Hatch Everything had been going so good in Hatch and Lindsey's life they were about to adopt a kid, and the recessitation had gone so well. The suddenly the killer decides that he wants nothing more than Regina, so he comes after Hatch, Lindsey, and Regina their newly adopted daughted. The book is exciting and gets more intense by the minute. It is a book that will keep you up late into the reading. The ending is chilling and will make you sleep with the lights on for weeks. Koontz is a terrific writer that makes you feel like you are with Hatch every minute of this horror tale. It is a heart pounding, edge of your seat, read that you will never forget.

Rating:
Summary: A Painful Slog toward an Ugly Destination
Review: Very difficult book for me to get through, then an ending that made me wish I didn't bother. I could hardly keep my eyes opened through Koontz's drawn-out medical "drama" and his melodramatic evil characterizations. I simply found the book boring, but decided to stick it out. It did not scare me; it did not make me laugh; it did not satisfy me in the end. Life is too short for this type of over-written and under-plotted and under-characterized work. I couldn't bear to give the book only one star, because it was obvious Koontz was trying really, really hard to make a literate and informative book. But I never gave a damn about the phony characters--from peter perfect resuscitation patient to the doctor that just loved his darn patients too much to the evil man in sunglasses that lived in the realm between life and death, I couldn't buy it. It felt contrived, like most of the books from Koontz.

Rating:
Summary: There's a fine line between the natural and super-natural...
Review: ...And Dean Koontz crosses over it, again and again, in "Hideaway".

'The dead stay dead'...Or do they? After all, the hardworking folks in the medical profession are making new advances all the time, saving lives everyday. Though sometimes they must ask themselves, is every life worth saving?

Certainly that's the case in this spell-binding novel where we track the lives of two people, miraculously brought back from the other side. One a hard-working family man, the other a sociopathic killer.

You'll get inside their heads, learn what they think and how they feel. Then, watch in horrid fascination as their lives gradually intertwine, like the threads of a spider's web, until at last they come together in the ultimate battle of good verses evil.

This was one of the most well-written psychological thrillers that I've ever read. Dean Koontz has the ability to make his characters come alive. He lets us know them, makes us care what happens to them. Then puts them on the brink of danger, making it impossible not to fear for their safety. And, that's what makes this book so impossible to put down. It's a must-read for fans and new readers alike.

Rating:
Summary: Wish he would have done more with the plot
Review: This is a story that starts out great, has a few inspired moments, and then ends very disappointingly with too few questions answered. The idea is very good. A man (Hatch) is brought back from the dead after drowning in icy water. This has been done in real life after a limited amounts of "dead" minutes, but the novel has the main character "dead" for eighty minutes before revival happens. Apparantly, based on the rules of the book, when one is gone that long, one comes back with certain powers. One of these is the ability to see what other people in the same situation can see.

What makes this even juicier is that the person Hatch seems to share this ability with is a flat out nutcase serial killer. Koontz does very well here to try and create a person about as evil as modern mass publishing will let him. The bad guy, Vassago, wants to kill the right combination of people to somehow allow him to get back into hell, which he apparantly liked before also being revived. While torturing and killing a virgin or two (as well as some non-virgins) pretty much pushes the envelope as to what the publishers will tolerate, we should probably be thankful Vassago doesn't get to carry out what he REALLY wants to progress to.

All this sets up well, as we get the obligatory scenes where Hatch starts discovering his powers. We also see Vassago already established, and Koontz does a good job of teasing us by giving Vassago's background little by little. But I wish he would have given us more on the details of these powers.

First, Vassago seems to also have some other powers besides being able to see through Hatch. One of these is night vision, and there is a hint of increased physical strength and speed. I would have liked to know more about these powers, and see them used more.

I also realize that we are dealing with a killer whose oars are not entirely in the water, so any logic Vassago has can be chalked up to that fact. But in my book, if he wants to go back to Hell, he seems to be certainly qualified based on his "first" life. If not, one murder would probably ice it, but he seems to need this elaborate chain of them, culminating in one really nasty one to insure his goal. But I guess you can't have a novel about a serial killer unless you get a good example of the "serial" part. This is not bad, mind you, but I found too many holes in the motive.

All that I could live with better if it weren't for the ending. I find it too quick, too simple, too "we've seen it before". Without revealing it, I was just disappointed that after this big mental buildup between the two, there could have been some, let's say, "quality" time between them. Time to match wits face to face, and using the powers both of them have. But all of this does not come to pass.

Ann Rice may overdo it in explaining the rules to her worlds, but as least we do know the rules. I would have liked to have seen more of them explained in this work.

Rating:
Summary: Paranormal Thriller
Review: Dean Koontz's Hideaway is a master piece and a must read. It is a super natural thriller that will take you on a roller coaster ride you will never forget. With twist and turns on every page this is arguable one of Dean Konntz's better works of writing. The plot of this book is amazing. It is easy to follow, unlike this review probably! But the pages of this book fly by without you noticing and soon you will be on your next Dean Koontz's novel. The books keeps you alert at all times, and you never lose interest in the book either.

If you have seen the movie "Hideaway" and thought that was scary. Well, the book goes into more depth and contains a whole lot more the movie couldn't offer. Hatch, the character in the book has an auto accident and flips his car into the freezing cold river. His body freezes and doctors bring him back, but that isn't everything he brings back with him. Hatch also brings back a psychic power that lets him see through the eyes of a serial killer. This serial killer is on the lose killing the perfect females for his perfect collection to bring him back to Hell.

This book would be perfect for any Dean Koontz fan or any horror book fans. The only down side to the book is if you have a weak stomach, becasuse the book is beyond explicit.

Rating:
Summary: A Painful Slog toward an Ugly Destination
Review: Very difficult book for me to get through, then an ending that made me wish I didn't bother. I could hardly keep my eyes opened through Koontz's drawn-out medical "drama" and his melodramatic evil characterizations. I simply found the book boring, but decided to stick it out. It did not scare me; it did not make me laugh; it did not satisfy me in the end. Life is too short for this type of over-written and under-plotted and under-characterized work. I couldn't bear to give the book only one star, because it was obvious Koontz was trying really, really hard to make a literate and informative book. But I never gave a damn about the phony characters--from peter perfect resuscitation patient to the doctor that just loved his darn patients too much to the evil man in sunglasses that lived in the realm between life and death, I couldn't buy it. It felt contrived, like most of the books from Koontz.

Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful and chilling thriller!!
Review: Hatch Harrison and his wife Lindsay are driving home from a vacation. Before they have time to react, Hatch and Lindsay become involved in a horrendous car accident that results in Hatch passing away. By the time they are taken to the hospital, Hatch has been dead for over an hour. However, Dr. Jonas Nyberg specializes in bringing people back from the dead, and manages to revive Hatch. Hatch and Lindsay see this as a gift from God and begin to live life to the fullest. They even adopt a handicapped 10 year old girl named Regina. However, just as things seem like they couldn't get any better, Hatch makes a startling discovery. Hatch's return from death has somehow linked his mind, with the mind of a deadly serial killer. As Hatch begins to see the victims through the killer's eyes, the killer also becomes aware of Hatch's presence. Now Hatch and his family are put in danger when the killer becomes obsessed with tracking them down.

Hideaway is definately one of the best Dean Koontz books I have ever read. The book drags you in after the first page, and keeps you there until the very end. This book is extremely captivating and terrifying. The premise is what makes the book so great. The subject of near death experiences and the afterlife is one that is extremely interesting. Koontz's take on the subject is very creative and original. The character development is amazing in this book. Koontz tells the story from two different perspectives. One being Hatch, and the other being the killer. You come to see the story through the eyes of both characters which makes the story very well rounded. The killer is perhaps one of Koontz's best villans because of how savagely brutal he is. The description that Koontz uses to describe each kill, will make you flinch at times.

Overall, Hideaway is one of Koontz's most terrifying and dark books. The characters are all great, the book is filled with action and suspense, and you will love Koontz's take on near death experiences and the afterlife.

Rating:
Summary: At his best
Review: This book does display Koontz at his best.

While the topic isn't exactly likely to happen, somehow Koontz pulls you in & makes you believe it CAN happen. When you're near death & almost die, what does that do to you? Can it change you, change who you are- does it open a door to another world? While the thought of dying is scary enough, imagine if you survived, but you were changed. And not for the better. What would you do?

This book is full of suspense, mystery, terror, horror, astonishment & heart-pounding moments! Go get it & read!

Rating:
Summary: Strong Start, Disappointing Finish
Review: Hideaway is one of those books which start out great, with a big bang, and goes downhill from there. The start of the book starts with Lindsey and Hatch, the main characters, in a major auto accident that sends their car toppling down an embankment and into a river. Koontz illustrates the excruciating details of this accident beautifully. He really puts the reader rigth into the car with his characters.

After that, however, the book slowly slides downhill. It begins when Hatch starts experiencing 'visions' of horrible things that he soon realizes aren't nightmares, but actual events. Hatch has apparently carried back the ability to psychicly link-up with a serial killer, who also happens to be possesed by an evil spirit. It also just happens that the serial killer was also brought back from the dead by the same doctor who brings Hatch back from the dead. It also happens that this serial killer was that doctor's son. It also happens that this serial killer wants Hatch's wife Lindsey and their newly adopted daughter for his 'collection' of bodies that he is dedicating to Satan in an attempt to earn his way back into hell. Have all of the 'it also happens' gotten to be as ridiculous to you as they did to me?

A word about the characters in this book. Usually, Dean Koontz comes up with believable characters that I like and can root for (or against). In this case, I think he really screwed up. I began to hate the main characters in this book, Hatch and Lindsey, as soon as they decided to go ahead with their adoption even though they knew they were likely putting the child in the way of a serial killer. What kind of people are they? Who wants to root for someone like that? After that point in this book I kept hoping that the two main characters would 'get it' while the child was somehow spared.

This is not a great Dean Koontz. I seriously hope that people do not pick this up as their first DK book. I can't imagine that they would read another after that.