Rating: 
Summary: Might have made a good novella...
Review: The version I read (listened to) was an unabridged audio version, and did it ever need to be abridged. The pace was excruciatingly slow. Koontz seemed stuck on full description mode - scenes which took three to four minutes to play out took about twenty minutes to describe. The entire book moved in slow motion, even the action sequences. I found myself not paying attention for long periods of time, but I never had to back up and begin again. Each minor plot point was repeatedly pounded into my skull. I've heard that a good writer shows instead of tells. In this book, Koontz did both ad nauseum.The story is about the mysterious circumstances surrounding a plane crash, a doctor (one of the two sole survivors of the crash - even the title doesn't work), and a surviving family member, a former newspaper journalist. If you can stay awake, you will follow the journalist as he pursues the doctor, avoids the hired thugs of a major corporation, questions the metaphysical and supernatural aspects of his encounters, and explores the depths of his own depression at great length. I almost rated this a 2 due to Koontz's well-written prose (occasionally silly, usually beautifully written, but way too much of it), and the fact that the story did become interesting during the last hour or so of the reading. Unfortunately, the brief interest only held for a short period and the story dwindled to a close, long and slow but still leaving larqe questions unanswered. If the story were reduced to no more than 10% of its current volume, it would be enjoyable. If the story adequately explored everything it hinted at, it would have been much more interesting. As it was, I only finished through sheer determination.
Rating: 
Summary: Dissapointing
Review: I absolutely loved Intensity, so went to the bookshelves in search for another promising Dean Koontz thriller. How upset I was to find Sole Survivor, an attempt at fear that stopped short with his lack of beleivability. I feel so fooled, and am quite upset I wasted my money with such anticipation
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent read, but too short.
Review: Dean Koontz is one of the most incredible writers I know of. I have read several of his books, and they all made me want to read more. Sole Survivor is one such book. It starts out in a totally normal setting and spirals into a journey through the afterlife and redemption, through heaven and hell, like a roller-coaster poace version of Dante's Inferno. My only complaint is the pace, and that the book ends far too soon. We are left with many unanswered questions and untraveled paths. This book could have been a lot more gripping and a lot more exciting if it were just a bit longer. I hope Mr. Koontz writes a sequel...I can't wait to see what he has planned for his characters next. May his talent never diminish.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as INTENSITY
Review: I'm giving this book 3-stars because it does have a pretty good storyline and original plot. One problem with it is that most of the action occurs in the last quarter of the book, unlike in Koontz's other work, INTENSITY (which IMO is the best one of his yet) which grips you from the very start. My other gripe is the fact that the book's ending is laden with loose ends. This is a novel begging for a sequel... pretty much nothing is solved at the end. The problem is still there, and we're left wondering what in the world the characters are going to do now.
Rating: 
Summary: The best book I've read
Review: Sole Survivor is a great book! Dean Koontz is also an extreamly gifted writer. Although I have never even immagined most of the events that occur in this story, when I am reading it I feel like I'm actually there. Before I read this book I hated to read! Even the thought of reading made me so unhappy and tired. Now that I've read a book worth reading, I enjoy it! Finding those books that are worth reading is difficult but definately worth the challenge. Reading can be fun and exciting if you find the right book. Reading this book, I could see the characters and where they were in my mind. Visualization is a very important part of reading and writing. Making the characters so detailed in the descriptions givin makes the story so much better. If the reader can see in his/her mind what is being portrayed in the book, the experience is much more enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: He never ceases to amaze me...
Review: This just so happened to be my first Dean Koontz book, but it wasn't my last. This book captured me so entirely that I had to go out and purchase every one I could get my hands on. The anguish of the main character Joe Carpenter was extremely believable. The pain of losing his entire family in a plane crash all at once was overwhelming. Then out of the blue a ray of hope that was dangerously like a cruel joke was just the crust of the pie. This book took me on several twists and turns, but none that I didn't enjoy! It was a captivating, interesting, suspenseful read with a totally unexpected ending. Read it! Read it! Read it!
Rating:
Summary: COULD NOT STOP !
Review: I was so excited when I read this book. And I made my husband also read it. Yes I made him do it. He never reads anything except computer magazines. He also could not stop so that should tell something about this book. If you like good thrilling and suspence and supernatural book then you should by all means read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Koontz formula wins again; new formula desparately needed!
Review: I've been a Dean Koontz fan for a long time now, and have read almost everything he's published to date. Koontz frankly admits that he writes to formula; and indeed almost every book features a flawed (usually male) hero, a conspiracy of some sort (often involving some shady governmental project); a lengthy chase; and a successful outcome for the hero. Lots and lots of foreshadowing. Often there is a dog, never a cat. And Koontz does this formula superbly. For a while there the chases got a bit over-long and dull, but then he hit his stride again with his best book to date, "Fear Nothing", and hasn't faltered since. Fans expect the formula, and Sole Survivor is a worthy addition to the Koontz canon. The main character, Joe Carpenter, is likeable enough and flawed enough--he's depressed over his wife's death in a plane crash. The conspiracy is fiendish enough and interesting enough. By itself this is a terrific book, and makes a great, quick and entertaining read. But I for one am really wishing for a significant departure from Koontz's formula, which is paling fast. I can hardly fault Koontz--he's obviously raking in the money, and who am I to say he shouldn't live in luxury? But it seems to me to be a great waste of talent, and I hope one day he wakes up with a desire to break the mold, take a chance, and really contribute a masterpiece to the genre.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent read!
Review: "Sole Survivor" by Dean Koontz is an excellent book. I've read many of Koontz's books and this stands as one of the best. It is fast paced, thrilling, and certainly keeps the reader guessing as the plot unravels. I would recommend this one to all Koontz fans - and all fans of a good thriller.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book, fast paced and great suspense
Review: This is the first book by Dean Koontz I have read, and I will certainly read more by him. I picked sole survivor at random at Heathrow airport as something to read on the plane to Stockholm, but if you are a nervous flyer then DON'T read this on a plane. (Fortunately, I am not a nervous flyer). What can I say ? BRILLIANT ! I read this in 2 sessions, and the only reason I stopped the first session was because the plane landed and I had to get off. The book is fast paced, the characters are well developed and the suspense of what is actually going on is great. Unlike other books I have read, I could not have guessed the ending of this one. I can't say that I found this particularly scary, but for pace and action if anybody asks me for a recommendation this is certainly on my list. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
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