Rating: 
Summary: Still the Master of Suspense
Review: What I like about Dean Koontz is that no matter what he writes about, whether it's evil bioethicists or your everyday sociopath, he manages to imbue his stories with his own unique style and spirit. You know his hero and heroine are going to be thrust into a life-threatening situation. You know you're in for a roller-coaster ride, but you also know that along the way you're going to laugh, cry and express every emotion known to man. The action in BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON is rapid-fire. Everything happens within the space of twenty-four hours. Reminiscent of INTENSITY, another favorite of mine. Dylan, Jilly and Shep are injected with a mysterious golden serum and, almost immediately, begin exhibiting strange powers like precognition, and the ability to fold space and time. Wow! As a science buff, AND a science fiction buff, I was thrilled when I learned WHY Dylan, Jilly, and Shep were suddenly blessed with superhero powers. And the scene in the church, toward the end of the book, when the three try to prevent a terrorist attack,is one of the best Mr. Koontz has ever written. Astonishing. I loved every minute of this book. I didn't want it to end, and when I finished it I was sorry I'd read it as quickly as I did. I'm looking forward to his next book with high expectations. It's going to take a lot to top this one. But, you know, I have a feeling that he can do it with the third installment of the Christopher Snow series. I miss Chris. Hint, hint...:o)
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Summary: A NOVEL ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A HERO IN THE TRUEST SENSE
Review: BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON begins with Dylan O'Connor and his younger, autistic brother, Shepard, driving across Arizona to an arts festival in New Mexico. After they stop at a motel for the night, Dylan leaves his brother in the room for a while and walks across the street to a restaurant to get some food. Dylan then makes his way back to the motel room and is clubbed from behind on the walkway as he attempts to open the door. When he wakes up, Dylan finds himself tied to a chair and about to be injected with an unknown serum by a mysterious, crazy-acting doctor named Lincoln Procter. The serum is Procter's own creation. It will cause Dylan's mind to either deteriorate or to expand to unbelievable magnificence. Once Dylan is injected, the good doctor warns him to take his brother and to run away as quickly as possible because there are hunters now closing in on them at that very moment. Their intent is to kill Lincoln Procter and anyone he has injected with the serum. After the doctor disappears, Dylan frees himself from the chair and hurriedly gets ready for the hostile journey that will change him and his brother forever. As he and Shep are preparing to leave the motel, they encounter Jillian Jackson-a female comedian who's also been injected with the serum-coming out of another room. The three of them have only seconds to readjust to this new situation as black Suburbans swiftly pull into the motel's parking lot, each one filled with deadly killers who are on the lookout for Dr. Procter. The trio barely manages to escape with their lives, but the hardest and most dangerous part is still ahead. Each of them will see miraculous changes within their own bodies and minds over the next twenty-four hours. They will develop the powers to see into the future and to transport themselves long distances in the blink of an eye. It may not be enough, however, to keep them alive as their pursuers close in for the kill. As with the author's previous two books (FROM THE CORNER OF HIS EYE & ONE DOOR AWAY FROM HEAVEN), this novel also uses cutting-edge advances in science and technology and theories on time travel and teleportation as a focus point for the storyline. The average human being uses less than five percent of his brain capacity. If a method could be found to increase one's brain capability to forty or fifty percent, or even more, what wonders could we expect to see? What would mankind be able to accomplish? Mr. Koontz is able to see and understand where modern science and research are headed at this very second and simply takes it to next level, which may be within the realm of possibility ten or twenty years down the road. He doesn't see the future of humanity with a negative gleam in his eye, but rather with a wondrous, child-like anticipation, understanding the goodness that mankind is capable of perpetuating, if given the opportunity. In BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON, the characters of Dylan and Shep O'Connor and Jilly Jackson are skillfully created to portray the "everyman" that's in most of us. They don't want what's thrust upon them. Yet, once it's realized that they can never return to the normalcy of their previous lives, none of them hesitates to move forward into the great unknown and to use their new powers to help those in need and in trouble, putting themselves at risk time and time again to do what they intrinsically know to be the right thing. This is therefore a passionate novel about what it takes to face unimaginable fear, knowing that you could die at any second, and to become a hero in the grandest sense of the term. If you want to spend several hours reading a book that's not only fun and entertaining, but also purer magic within the scope of possibilities that it sets forth, then BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON is definitely the one to get. This is certainly a book that will delight you in many unexpected and thought-provoking ways because Dean Koontz has his fingers on the pulse of humanity's heart and soul, and there's no one better to pass along the message than him. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Annoying Characters, unrealistic plot
Review: I am normally a fan of Dean Koontz, but not since his annoying character Christopher Snow, has Koontz come up with a more tiring cast of characters. Literally pages of text are devoted to monosyllabic exchanges between the hero and his autistic brother. Cute the first time, tiring thereafter. The plot of the entire novel is acceptable, but it never builds any depth and actually ends with the heroes discussing themselves as super-heros, capes, tights and all. This is so far from his best work that I almost believe it was written by a ghost writer with his name attached to attract sales. This is one where I would have to say to not just wait for the paperback, but wait for the paperback in the used bookstore.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't stop writing, Dean
Review: Another great story told with the usual Koontz flair. It grabs you from the start and compels you along without a pause. It will be hard to put down. I do miss the usual trusty, faithful pet dog in this one. I guess one of the characters might fill that void emotionally.
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Summary: strong suspense thriller
Review: Accompanied by his autistic brother Shep, artist Dylan O'Connor is driving to Santa Fe to attend an arts festival, but stops for the night at an Arizona motel. Also staying at the same facility is comedian Jillian Jackson, but neither knows the other. From out of a B horror movie starring a mad doctor, a stranger injects Dylan and Jilly with a mysterious serum. He informs his guinea pigs that they are carriers with an incredible future or a quick death, but now must flee for his enemies are near.Disbelieving and frightened, Dylan and Jilly realize they must run when her Cadillac explodes. With Shep acting stranger than ever, the trio goes on the lam. Jillian begins seeing visions; Dylan turns obsessed with a need to be the ultimate Good Samaritan; and. Shep teleports himself and others. With the doctor dead, there is no one to guide them and probably no turning back. Also they must deal with their deceased experimenter's enemy who wants them dead too. Dean Koontz is at his scariest (which says a lot) with the suspense thriller BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON. Mr. Koontz digs deep into the souls of the lead triad enabling the audience to observe the metamorphosis of the trio while understanding their varying motives. The story line is fast-paced, as Jilly and Dylan mostly try to do what they feel is right though not always agreeing. In spite of a climax that sets up sequels rather than closure, genre fans will send the grandmaster back to his usual best selling status, deservedly so. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read but A Slight Dip for Dean
Review: After "One Door Away from Heaven", which I consider Dean Koontz' best work ever, "By the Light of the Moon" is a bit of a drop off. It's a good book, but there are aspects that I feel could have been improved, primarily the ending. I also would like to have had more suspense within the chase, a la, when the bad guys are chasing the three protagonists. That said, this is a fine novel, but not quite so fine as I had hoped it would be.
Rating:
Summary: 4 and 1/2 stars...Engaging Characters in a Comic Book Finale
Review: Shame on me. Despite my father's encouragement, I've taken this long to read a Koontz novel. It was worth the wait. "By the Light of the Moon" leaps forward from the first few pages. Clearly, Koontz is one of those writers who knows how to start the story at the right spot--in the middle of the action. Within twenty pages, he thrusts us into an otherworldly and suspenseful setting, where three young people will be altered forever. The story begins when Jilly, Dylan, and Shep's lives collide in a motel where a mad-scientist type character injects them with "stuff" and promises that "it does something different to everyone." Indeed, Dylan begins to feel psychic spoors on objects he touches, Jilly sees visions/mirages, and Shep learns how to "fold" the world around him (read the book to find out more). As they focus their abilities, the characters are bound together in a race to save lives and divert heartache and pain. Koontz masterfully draws his characters, causing us to care for them and their predicament. Shep is an autistic boy, Dylan is the brother committed to caring for him, and Jilly is the stand-up comedian who stumbles into their path. Koontz lets his characters be themselves. He lets us see into their pasts and into their hearts with effective timing and skill. He keeps surprises up his sleeve, and divvies them out at appropriate moments. Although he spices his writing with rich similes and metaphors that add to the mood and direction of the story, I did find the sheer volume of them distracting at times. The climax of the book was my only disappointment. The story moved from fringe characters in a predicament to "The Matrix" meets "X-Men." The scenes are handled deftly, and the bigger issues of fate and free-will are intriguing to contemplate, but Koontz's comic book ending undermined my enjoyment of the themes he explored.
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Summary: Another winner
Review: It seems Koontz has been on a mission since "Dark Rivers of the Heart" to skewer all forms of elite self-righteousness and woe-is-me victimhood mentalities. "By the Light of the Moon" continues this trend and I am very thankful. Based on conversations with several people who had been long-time Koontz fans, it seems that a dividing line formed has formed since "Fear Nothing." Either you love his latest stuff or you hate it. If you are in the former camp, you will enjoy this one. The story is fast-paced with lots of action and plenty of humor. Koontz continues to have strong female characters. What I find interesting is that they never seem to be strong at the expense of the male character. In Koontz's world-view, it is possible for women and men to be strong side-by-side without a need to dominate the other. My biggest disappointment with this novel, as with his previous three, is that is does not feature Christopher Snow. I keep waiting for a part three of the Moonlight Bay story.
Rating:
Summary: Quite a surprise
Review: I love Koontz, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Nonetheless, despite enjoying some of recent works, "From the Corner of His Eye" and "One Door Away from Heaven" included, I have noticed that while Koontz's ideas remained fresh, his writing had gotten a little stuffy and verbose. The man can absolutely spend three pages describing the texture of the dew on the thorn of a rose. I enjoyed the quickened pace of this book and the subject matter as well. Though Koontz has shown more brvity in this novel, he has also stayed true to his norm of creating characters that are enjoyable and developing them fully. An absolute must-read.
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Summary: What is it about Koontz that we like?
Review: I am a dedicated Koontz fan, have been for a few years, but what is it about him that attracts me? I must be perfectly honest: this book seemed fluffy to me, at first. So did his last, and the one before that. But why, then, am I hooked after reading the VERY FIRST WORD. Yes, that's right; it's a cliche, but I was hooked after the first word. He always does that to me, and I can't explain why. Maybe it's the plot and the characters. Here, Koontz presents two people who are as real as you or I: Dylan, an artist travelling the country with his retarded brother Shep; and Jilly, a struggling comedian with a past that causes her to hate men. Two entirely un-related people, perfect strangers, until they are assaulted by the same man--a "Frankenstein" doctor, who injects them both with a mysterious substance. It isn't long before weird things start to happen. Jilly begins to predict a massacre at a church, while Dylan is suddenly overcome by the urge to just GO certain places...and stop the crimes happening there. And Shep is maybe affected the strangest of all...because he has this unique ability to transport himself miles away...and across time... But they are being hunted by enemies of the doctor. But in this guess, the enemy of my enemy is NOT my friend. Pursued by men who do not hesitate in killing, Dylan, Jilly, and Shep must try to survive the guns and bullets...in order to see if they will surive the liquid that flows through their veins. A novel packed with revelation, with characters that jump off the pages and sit next to you, BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON is perfect Dean Koontz. Maybe that is why I was hooked; because perfect Koontz is as perfect as you can get.
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