Forever Odd

An Odd Thomas Novel

By: Dean Koontz

Narrated by: David Aaron Baker

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Every so often a character so captures the hearts and imaginations of listeners that he seems to take on a life of his own long after the final chapter. For such a character, one book is not enough—listeners must know what happens next. Now Dean Koontz returns with the novel his fans have been demanding. With the emotional power and sheer storytelling artistry that are his trademarks, Koontz takes up once more the story of a unique young hero and an eccentric little town in a tale that is equal parts suspense and terror, adventure and mystery—and altogether irresistibly odd.

We’re all a little odd beneath the surface. He’s the most unlikely hero you’ll ever meet—an ordinary guy with a modest job you might never look at twice. But there’s so much more to any of us than meets the eye—and that goes triple for Odd Thomas. For Odd lives always between two worlds in the small desert town of Pico Mundo, where the heroic and the harrowing are everyday events. Odd never asked to communicate with the dead—it’s something that just happened. But as the unofficial goodwill ambassador between our world and theirs, he’s got a duty to do the right thing. That’s the way Odd sees it and that’s why he’s won hearts on both sides of the divide between life and death.

A childhood friend of Odd’s has disappeared. The worst is feared. But as Odd applies his unique talents to the task of finding the missing person, he discovers something worse than a dead body, encounters an enemy of exceptional cunning, and spirals into a vortex of terror. Once again Odd will stand against our worst fears. Around him will gather new allies and old, some living and some not. For in the battle to come, there can be no innocent bystanders, and every sacrifice can tip the balance between despair and hope. Whether you’re meeting Odd Thomas for the first time or he’s already an old friend, you’ll be led on an unforgettable journey through a world of terror, wonder and delight—to a revelation that can change your life. And you can have no better guide than Odd Thomas.

©2005 Dean Koontz (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Forever Odd is a fast and exciting read.... [the climactic scenes are] fraught with tension."—Rocky Mountain News

"The nice young fry cook with the occult powers is [Dean Koontz's] most likable creation. ... candid, upright, amusing and sometimes withering, especially when thinking about the state of contemporary popular culture."—The New York Times

"Inventive.... It's refreshing to come across a character as good-hearted as Odd.... [Dean Koontz is] an interesting writer with a voice all his own."—Washington Post

very good

Not as good as the 1st Odd Thomas novel but it was still very entertaining.

Please enjoy!

This book is everything I hoped it would be, despite the other luke warm reviews. Forever Odd was funny and smart and kept me hooked until the very last sentence. The narrator, as before, is perfectly Odd, and I can't imagine anyone better. I LOVE this series and can't wait to read book 3!

Great story, but I was hoping for more.

I WA shopping for more. Without spoiling anything, I can't explain. Great book regardless!

Eh

Is there anything you would change about this book?

First I am trying to read the books in order so I haven't read beyond this one yet. Forever Odd is like a meditation of what Odd wants to do next and why he doesn't want to do it. His way of moving forward after loosing his beloved Stormy. It's slow and there is just too much Odd by himself and in his head. I have the feeling I will enjoy Brother Odd much better because I took the time to listen to Forever Odd. I am glad I got the book in a sale.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

EH!

Did David Aaron Baker do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

He did a good job with what he had to read

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

Second just as good as the first.

I really enjoyed this book. I listened to the first 2 books and this searies and thought they were great. I can't wait to listen to the next 2 and I'm looking forward to final 3 installments. I also enjoy the reader of these books.

Best character ever, Odd Thomas!

I have loved this series for quite awhile now. I am now listening to it, and it gives such a better way to immerse myself. Excellent

Entertaining story

I enjoyed this book much more than Odd Thomas. This book is more exciting and brings in some anthropological subjects and a blood thirsty god that interests me reminds me of similar gods in Mesoamerican and pre-Inca cultures. The Odd Thomas character helps me reconsider my own beliefs and moral foundations. I find Odd Thomas a very likable character and look forward to the next book in the series. The narrator does an excellent job

Not his best but still worth the ride

I love Odd Thomas and will read anything that involves him. That said, I understand the negative reviews. A lot of the middle has a lot of details that weigh it down in terms of playing hide and seek in the dark. I dozed off and couldn’t figure out whether I’d missed anything or not, but also couldn’t figure out what the heck was going on. BUT - I LOVED the way the femme fatale kept trying to create gothic melodrama while Odd stuck firmly to being willing and able to admit he knew nothing about voodoo or zombies or ghost Nazis or famous mediums - and refusing any hint of thrill at her beauty, which more and more revealed the horror of her personality. I loved Odd’s interactions with Danny and wish there had been more. And the last piece of the book squarely confronts Odd’s grief and sone religious confusion with a beautiful and authentic setup for the unusual setting of the next book.

Well worth the credit... just skip briskly along through some of the creepy-then-boring-then-creepy sequences.

lovely listen.

perfect listen for my commute.
engaging but not too much where I dont pay attention to the road.

Another Koontz Hit!

Love this series and character. lntriguing premise. Interesting conflicts. Very engaging quirky loveable main character.