Review
Amazon Exclusive Essay: Destiny and Odd Hours Odd Thomas came to me as a gift, the entire first chapter of his first book having poured out of me as I was in the middle of writing The Face. I wrote it by hand, though I never work that way, and I never hesitated to think what should come next. He was fully-realized in my mind from the moment I began to write in that lined legal tablet. With other stories and characters, I can identify the source of the inspiration, but not with Oddie and his books. He just suddenly was. When I write about him, his narrative voice is so clear to me that I almost hear him in my head. For those among you who long have thought that I should be institutionalized
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This review is from: Odd Hours (Hardcover)
Dean Koontz is one of my favorite genre writers, and the original ODD THOMAS novel is my second favorite of his books, right after his 1987 novel WATCHERS. Given the enormously favorable response to ODD THOMAS, Koontz decided to turn the book into a series, and now plans to write six or seven novels featuring the character. ODD HOURS is the fourth book in the sequence, and is probably the best of the sequels so far. If you’ve read ODD THOMAS (and you MUST read the four novels in order to properly enjoy them) you know that these books are a unique combination of suspense, dark comedy, and spiritual uplift. Odd is a character with a very unique voice, one that I very much enjoy listening to. The pleasure of the Odd Thomas novels is not really the plots, which are often thin and unrealistic. Instead, the pleasure is in watching how Odd wryly reacts to all the insanity taking place around him. The results are often hilariously funny, yet at the same time emotionally moving. There are no other books quite like them. In ODD HOURS, the story involves a terrorist plot to smuggle nuclear weapons into a small California coastal town. This plot is in no way believable. But again, Koontz simply uses this rather silly storyline as an excuse to allow Odd to have another wild adventure, encounter another cast of eccentric characters, and pontificate about the absurd yet wonderful nature of life. After a slightly slow start, this novel works wonderfully well at this level. The end result is the best Koontz book I’ve read for quite some time. Admittedly, ODD HOURS isn’t for everyone. Some readers I know have lamented Koontz’s new style of writing, often proclaiming that his books aren’t as well written as his horror novels of the 1980s and early 1990s. I respectfully disagree. Koontz, like any other good writer, has evolved with age, and has become more philosophical and spiritual in his storytelling. Still, if you dislike Koontz’s newer books, there is an excellent chance you won’t like this one either. But if you’re new to Koontz, I hope you give his ODD THOMAS novels a try. Koontz is the exact opposite of a nihilistic writer: he believes there is a moral purpose to life, and that people must understand that purpose and act consistently with it. In our cynical age, I find that perspective refreshing, and I enjoy the Odd Thomas novels for that reason. I look forward to the fifth installment in this great series.
This review is from: Odd Hours (Hardcover)
I really enjoyed the previous Odd Thomas books, especially the first one. I do not think this book stands alone. If you have not read the others I think you will be completely lost. Having read the others I have such mixed feelings! I love the dialog and humor of Odd Thomas with Hutch, Utgard, and Chief Hoss Sackett. The downright profound observations made with Birdie on pages 218 and 219 were amazing! Yet the dialog with Annamaria drove me nuts. The first scene at the pier seemed endless. . . had I not read his other books I would not have read beyond this point. What was with the coyotes??? The bell??? The sea glass??? The grate with the lightning bolt ring??? I love the character of Odd and thought Birdie could make a very interesting main character someday. Blossom was another very interesting character. I wanted so much to like this book. I think generally speaking Dean Koontz is a wonderful, thoughtful, and witty writer and yet this book disappointed me. I hope he can make Annamaria a more interesting person in the next book. . . yes I will read the next one. I really like Dean Koontz. Not every book can be the best one. When you’ve written as many books as he has there are bound to be some that are better than others. I hope he doesn’t get discouraged by negative comments because we will all lose if he doesn’t continue to share his observations, humor, and creative ideas - they are a gift.
This review is from: Odd Hours (Hardcover)
It should go without saying that at this point in his career Dean Koontz is an absolute master at devising and then executing a story. Throughout his career, Koontz has continued to develop as an author with each new story better than the previous one. In his Odd Thomas series this is certainly true. It began with Odd Thomas, a strange young fellow living in a small California town of Pico Mundo and working as a fry cook. Then came Forever Odd, Brother Odd and now Odd Hours. Odd Thomas, the fry cook, has remained a steadfast character from the first book to the fourth even though life has not been kind to him. But while Odd has remained the same humble, innocent, and generally good guy he has always been, he has continued to develop as a character with new facets added in each story. Odd has had two companions, a ghost dog name Boo and his long time friend Elvis Presley. In Odd Hours, Elvis is seemingly replaced with Frank Sinatra. In Odd Hours, Odd is faced with perhaps his most profound challenge yet. A dream and all encompassing red tide haunts Odd. At the close of Brother Odd, Odd wants nothing more than to return to Pico Mundo and resume his quiet life as a fry cook. However, fate steps in and he lands in a small coastal town of Magic Beach working for a former movie actor and author of childrens books. With terrific characters such as Annamarie and Brush Cut, Koontz has written another terrific page turner. Packed with suspense, a dark eerieness, fast action, and tight plot, Odd Hours will not disappoint. You’ll have to suspend plausibility, but you’ll enjoy this fourth Odd Thomas installment. I highly recommend. Peace always