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Phantoms  By  cover art

Phantoms

By: Dean Koontz
Narrated by: Buck Schirner
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Publisher's summary

Closer...
They found the town silent, apparently abandoned. Then they found the first body strangely swollen and still warm. One hundred fifty were dead, 350 missing. But the terror had only begun in the tiny mountain town of Snowfield, California.

...and closer...
At first, they thought it was the work of a maniac. Or terrorists. Or toxic contamination. Or a bizarre new disease.

...and closer...
But then they found the truth. And they saw it in the flesh. And it was worse than anything any of them had ever imagined.

©2008 Dean Koontz (P)2008 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"First-rate suspense, scary and stylish." ( Los Angeles Times)
"Schirner's pacing and pitch respond to the story's context, and his characterizations of female characters are impressive." ( AudioFile)

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What listeners say about Phantoms

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    4 out of 5 stars

keeps you on the edge of your seat

Just when you think that you have it figured out then you find anther twist in the story..... It is one that you have to really keep up with...

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good story

Overall a good story to pass time with however the narrator leaves something to be desired. I almost returned the book because of it but in the end didn't.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Good, scary story

The unabridged version was long, but very entertaining. I like the way Koontz takes his time and builds both the story and the characters. Sit back, relax and hold on for the ride!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

What a sensational story! must read!

Narrator left absolutely nothing to be desired, his husky voice competently embodied everythung from creepy children singing to a villainous internal monologue. I'm a lover of Koontz and I've never been disappointed, this story included! fantastic build and a satisfying ending after a cataclysmic fight for survival!

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very interesting

I'm constantly on the hunt for horror titles, specifically with unique or interesting concepts. This book satisfies many of the expectations and is consistently giving the reader more and more food for thought. The story immediately starts with action and the narrator keeps people intrigued throughout the entirety of the story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

in depth

I seen the movie an never knew about the book an now that I did. It's vary different I'm thankful I did. it's deeper then the movie. still enjoy the movie to it's of its own world.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

slow start but then, wow!!

like the title of this review says, it did have a very slow start but then picked up the pace and interest very quickly. I would recommend this listen to anyone interested in creepy stories.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good story but…

I would have loved it if there were a lot more character development, and a lot less description of the “phantom.” It got so tedious listening to PAGES AND PAGES of descriptions of the “phantom.” I found myself wanting to fast forward. Not my favorite Dean Koontz.

Narrator did a nice job.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

This was written by a boomer and it shows..

After years of hearing people Rave about Dean koontz's work, I finally decided to take a look at a few of his works, starting with Phantoms. Perhaps I was expecting a bit too much, but his writing style sounds like he's either writing for 10-year-olds, or he's a 10 year old writing the way they think an adult talks. He wastes time on ridiculous and sudden tangents about admiration from the female lead, trying to build an out of place love story in the middle of tense horrifying situations using laughable dialogue. The Voice he gives to the evil entity in the story just speaks like any modern right-wing extremist, or internet troll. And as would be expected with any writer, he inserts his own ideals into the various characters, which in this case have been outdated since 1995.
At the very least, the concept around the antagonizing creature is a relatively creative combination of The Blob and Pennywise. The characters even keep referring to the entity as "IT", and it lives underground. 🙄
Worth a listen if you're bored. The Narrator works well with what he was given, and a lot of the out dated references and views fall into the "so bad its good" catagory.

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Loved it!!!

Really good book!!! Not scary scary but gross! Still loved it. Please listen to it!

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