Rating: 
Summary: Superb Beginning, Less Than Thrilling Thereafter
Review: I believe I've read everything that Dean Koontz has published, and I must say that this book was quite a disappointment for me. It started out so thrilling I could not put it down, but after the first two scenes at the fire tower and the ride to the hospital, it was all too easy to lay it aside. The antagonist was such an idoitic villian he got on my nerves rather than scared me, and all the other characters were so completely perfect and saccharine sweet they had no connection to the real world where I live, where people are intriguing blends of good and not-so-good characteristics. The ending was as flat as a proverbial pancake and, overall, I just have to wonder where in left field this book came from? As a "faithful reader" of Koontz's work, I'll just wait for the next book and hope for better. (3 stars were given because of the terrific beginning.)
Rating: 
Summary: A Compulsive Page-Turner!
Review: From The Corner Of His Eye is another in the long list of compulsive page turners from Dean Koontz that will keep you on the edge of your seat. In many ways Koontz is at the top of his craft in his latest book. Not only is From The Corner Of His Eye is a top-notch thriller, it is perhaps his most emotionally powerful and complex book to-date -- describing themes such as love and hate, joy and terror and triumph and tragedy. Further, his cast of characters are so well-presented that many of them wiil stay in your mind long after you've finished the book. One factor, however, keeps me from giving From The Corner Of His Eye a 5-star rating. That is, Koontz focused so much of his effort on creating a narrative tour de force and many rich characterizations, he at times let the pace of the suspense slow down too much. The saying "Sometimes less is better" applies to this book. From The Corner Of His Eye, at 622 pages, probably would have earned 5-stars from me if it had been edited down to about 500 pages or so. Nonetheless, Koontz's latest book is well worth reading. Enjoy it!
Rating: 
Summary: KOONTZ returns with his best novel in a loooong time!!
Review: Dean Koontz returns to the top of the suspense genre with this tale of stalking, spirituality and hope. FROM THE CORNER OF HIS EYE is a moving experience that will make you think about your place in life, your meaning in this world and the next. He gives us a reading experience unlike any other, and delivers his trademark thrillerisms.The book starts out with a boy, Bartholomew, being born right after a tragic car crash. Koontz follows his growth; from his uncanny ability to walk "between the rain drops" to losing his eyesight at age 3 to his final confrontation. Also involved is the Pie Woman, Bart's mother, who is Koontz' showing of a pure-hearted person. We also get two cleverly written brothers of the Pie Woman; one who rattles off historical natural disasters and the other who lists horrendous crimes perpetrated by humans in our long bloody lineage. Koontz also gives us Angel, a child born around the same time as Bart in a different town and a result of a very horrific crime. Though they do share an ability to be revealed in the book...not here. And at the center of it all is a psycho called Junior. The things this guy does goes beyond understanding and is just pure evil. Chasing him is a former priest turned cop who gets mixed up on the wrong side with Junior. Ah, but revenge is sweet! Koontz pulls out all the stops to join these differing characters, staying true to all the characters' motivations and not changing them to fit a certain situation...they act they way they would throughout...consistently. This book has an underlying theme about Quantum Physics possibly proving parallel worlds do exist and certain people can visit them. Also is a humane idea that each person, whether they do good or bad, influences many other people that can't be considered. All in all this is the most satisfying Koontz book in years. Well-written, a plot worthy of all 623 pages, characters to live through and fight against and a moral that can be learned from as well as taught to others, FROM THE CORNER OF HIS EYE is the way to truly ring in the New Millennium. Highest Recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Great action, dull ending
Review: I love Dean Koontz, I have read almost everything he has ever written. And I loved this book -- up until the last 40 or so pages. The story is very good, the action keeps you interested, however the ending is somewhat of a cop-out. This is just my opinion however, and I wouldn't let it stop you from buying or reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Magical
Review: On the day of his father's death, an amazing child named Bartholomew Lampion is born. And on that same day, Angel White is born, a child conceived in violence whose teenage mother did not survive her birth. Her father, a sociopath by the name of Junior Cain, has no idea Angel exists until, due to the inter-connectedness of all things and beings -- a central theme of this book -- he learns that he has a mortal enemy named Bartholomew who he is compelled by his dark forces to seek and destroy. Only while searching for clues to the identity of the elusive Bartholomew does Cain learn of Angel's birth, whereupon he decides that she, too, must die. Both children are extraordinarily gifted, each in different ways, and fate brings them together as Cain draws nearer. The old Koontz legerdemain is back in this magically suspenseful tour de force. The characters are exceptionally strongly developed and the suspense which binds them together is masterfully woven. Dean Koontz reaffirms with his powerful prose that he is the master of this genre. I loved it.
Rating:
Summary: Koontz is a harsh mistress
Review: Most of the reviews on this page are written by long-time fans of Koontz who have read several of his novels, if not all of them. However, for me, this is thus far my first and only Koontz. A close friend of mine has always been a big fan and urged me to give Koontz a try. However, I am not a huge fan of the horror thriller genre, and so have been reluctant to take the leap. When I heard that this one was coming out, though, and that it was quite a departure for Koontz, I went to my local bookstore, pored over the dust jacket, read the flap, and found myself intrigued and thus decided to give the Dean a chance. I wasn't entirely disappointed, but I wasn't entirely thrilled either. The book holds a very interesting premise, and starts off rather nicely, at a comfortable pace. However, it starts to slow down before too long, and doesn't pick up the pace again for several hundred pages. Stick with it, though, because it is a very interesting story, and worth reading. I have to give the Dean his due: he knows how to manipulate an audience. He has a very polished style, even if it is somewhat formulaic. It's entertaining, though. He can present some somewhat complex layers and yet maintain a simplicity of language and style that makes it easily readable. He also knows just which strings to pull. Even though I was aware of his manipulative techniques as I read the novel, I couldn't help but invest myself emotionally in each and every one of his characters, even and especially the villain, which is always good (too many contemporary authors lack this ability). The characters are the best part of the book, and that is as it should be. However, I can't say that the characterization is fabulous. The only character that I saw grow even in the least was the villain, Junior Cain (and, arguably to a much lesser degree, the detective Tom Vanadium). For the most part, though, there is only one "bad" or "evil" character in the whole book. The rest are "good." Far too good. In fact, they're nothing short of perfect. While this makes them less interesting than the villain, Koontz compensates for this by introducing an element of tragedy into each and every one of the "good" characters' lives, an event that defines them and gives them a slight bit of depth. I think it works very well. For the villain, however, I give him much praise. He is perhaps one of the most interesting and human characters I have ever encountered, especially in this genre. One thing I particularly loved was Koontz's tip of the hat to SF Grand Master Robert Heinlein. The child Barty in the book is a prodigy, able to read at an early age, and one of his first loves is Heinlein. I love Heinlein, and have unfortunately read far too few of his works. So, I could relate to this kid. That just made it all the more tragic when the kid found out he'd have to have his eyes removed surgically to prevent tumors from spreading (don't worry, it's not a spoiler, it's in the dust jacket and foretold on the very first page of the story). Being an avid reader, I felt Barty's sorrow at the prospect of never being able to read again and being doomed to a life of (shudder) AudioBooks. ugh! The bottom line is that, although the plot is a bit weak, Koontz's characters make it all pretty much worthwhile. Koontz also surprised me by surprising me several times throughout the course of the novel (something that doesn't happen to me much lately due to my extensive reading experience). It was very enjoyable, but sadly I cannot say it was spectacular. This is just my first Koontz novel, though, and after this one I'm definitely interested in seeing what else this author has to offer. If you're a Koontz fan, you'll probably love it. Even if you aren't, though, I think it's a good introduction to an interesting and innovative writer.
Rating:
Summary: A BOOK TO STIR YOUR IMAGINATION!
Review: FROM THE CORNER OF HIS EYE is one of the most unusual books Dean Koontz has ever written. Filled with a mixture of evil, love, mysticism, and quantum physics, it will have you questioning the very fabric of your reality. The story begins on the day that both Bartholomew Lampion and Angela White are born. Entering life as the tragedy of death unfolds around each birth, these two children are unknowingly connected to one another in the cycle of life. These are not ordinary kids, but ones who will grow up with an intelligence that surpasses the genius leve, while at the same time possessing powers that could very well change the course of humanity. On the very day birth is given to these children, a man named Enoch "Junior" Cain decides to take the plunge and murder his beautiful wife...a wife whom he loves and adores with great passion. Enoch is a handsome man with a humorous outlook on life, but he's also filled with an innate evil that demands sacrifices every so often. As Enoch begins a slow journey of death and destruction, he becomes aware of a threatening force lingering beyond the horizon. This is a force that could eventually bring about his downfall. The only thing he knows for sure is that the source of this threat is a man named Bartholomew. He then makes it his life-long goal to find this Bartholomew and to kill him first. And so, the two children unknowingly find there lives interconnected with that of Enoch Cain. Over a period of years, all three of them will find themselves drawn closer and closer together, until the final outcome of life and death is reached in whatever way destiny has in store for them. FROM THE CORNER OF HIS EYE is a powerful tale of how "goodness" and "evil" are often joined together, each struggling to rise above the other. It is a story that will have you questioning the theories of parallel universes and our place in them. More so, however, this novel will demonstrate the belief that all things are interconnected with each other, from the tiniest form of life on this planet to the ever expanding cosmos. This isn't the usual type of novel the fans of Mr. Koontz will expect, but one that will asked them think and question the very nature of life itself. It is a book that will touch your heart and soul in ways unimaginable. I highly recommend this very special book, knowing that it will entertain the reader like no other novel Mr. Koontz has written.
Rating:
Summary: Koontz has once again redefined himself!
Review: What an exceptional novel! Koontz once again redefines himself, showing that he can write much more then suspensful horror and gore, but can write a well thought out emotionally charged dramatic thriller. The emotional value of this novel is like none I've ever read, I grew to love the major character Barty and feel for him and what ultimatly must happen. I also grew to love other characters, especially Celestina, Angel and Paul Damascus. Unlike many of his previous novels he focuses more on the character development, than on boring details. He drastically cuts down on violence, and turns the novel into more of a learning experiance. The surprise ending is such that I was left awe struck and spellbound! A masterpiece of modern fiction. Sure to be an epic!
Rating:
Summary: Separate Lives with One Connecting Force
Review: In Bright Beach, California, Agnes Lampion holds her newborn son Bartholemew. Even though she has just experienced a terrible tragedy, her son will give her the will to go on. In San Francisco, Celestina White watches her sister die in childbirth. She vows to hate the baby, which was conceived during a brutal rape, but her sister's last words inspire her to raise the baby as her own. In Eugene, Oregon, a killer decides upon an evil mission to dedicate his life to. Unbeknownst to any of them, they are somehow connected and will all come together with a new understanding of themselves and the world around them. As usual, Dean Koontz creates strong and complex characters. His tale of tragedy, human compassion, and inspiration is well written and excellently paced. Although I would not consider this book one of my all-time favorites, I would definitely pick it up and enjoy it again.
Rating: 
Summary: You're better off closing your "eye" & just thinking
Review: I've been trying to figure out why this book gets 4 - 5 stars. What am I missing? This book was boring, elongated, stuffed with nonsense to enlarge it to over 600 pages. The whole premise was incredible and the characters well, weird. Why, you say, did I persist in reading it; guess I kept waiting for the good part which never happened. Forget it....dust the blinds instead.
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