Odd Apocalypse: An Odd Thomas Novel, Book 5

The Odd series, (pun intended) is a departure from writer, Dean Koontz, normal suspense thrillers and shows off more of his humor and wit, while exploring the dark side of humanity, in these supernatural horror stories.
Odd Apocalypse is book five in a seven part series but I believe can be read and enjoyed without having read the previous books. For those who have read the other books, Odd Thomas, the familiar humble fry cook with his strange ability to see the dead, is back.
I thought this latest rendition in the series, which goes a little darker than the previous books, is better than ???Odd Hours,??? which reached number one on the New York Times best sellers list.
The narrator, David Aaron Baker, gives another stellar performance.
I am definitely an Odd fan, (no pun intended).

I just really like the Odd Thomas series. I listened to the first four books in the series back to back to back to back, and finished them about three months ago. It was cool to see Koontz release a new one.

If you liked the previous books in the series, you will probably like this one as well. It was very similar to the others in the fact that you have the same unassuming Odd Thomas, with his wit and humility and determination, facing up against evil people and preternatural circumstances. (Bonus points for using one of Koontz's pet words.) You'll hear Odd in near-death situations that he somehow manages to escape in the last moment--a familiar theme in the series.

You know, it's just a good book within a good series. I didn't give it five stars just because I reserve that for books that rise to another level of awesomeness. However, I thoroughly enjoyed Odd Apocalypse, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who liked the other Odd books.

The only negative I can think of is that I got tired of Odd explaining so many things from the previous books. (Things about Stormy Llewellyn, his grandmother, his psychic magnetism, the fortune-telling machine that spit out a card that said, "You are destined to be together forever," just to name a few. I understand that it needed to be done, especially for readers who may have read the other Odd books a long time ago, and needed to be refreshed, but it was a bit tedious to me when it occurred in the book so many times.

One of the best things about this audio book was the narrator. I can't imagine anyone doing a better job of capturing every essence of Odd Thomas than David Aaron Baker. His performance definitely deserves five stars. Outstanding.

I love Odd Thomas, have read the first 4 books, and was concerned when I read the reviews, good and bad. Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised. I heard the same old Odd (namely, David Aaron Baker) with all his quirkiness and zenlike philosophy. Dean Koontz presented a darker story this time and I think there was some confusion in the plot, but I found I could fast forward through the dark parts and still not miss too much of the story. It was hard to understand the story at first, but it wasn't too long before I was hooked again. Most Koontz books are a little too much for me, but this "horror-lite" is about as much suspense I can take. As I wait for the next book, I know I will reread some of the old ones.

I really like the Odd series and Odd Apocalypse is no exception. It seems some reviewers miss the old Odd, but I find the transformation of Odd interesting and enjoyable. Yes, I too would like a living love interest (and a dog (living or dead) actually involved in the story). I was also surprised that there was no Apocalypse in the book. Koontz can do apocalypse, but this was no apocalypse. Nevertheless I enjoyed the characters and the story which kept me interested, if not at the Intensity level. There was a lot of Odd humor and some enjoyable twists, turns, and bit-part characters. This is not the best nor the worst of Odd, but it is definitely better than much else in the genre. The narration was just about flawless, with really nice characterization of Odd.

I love Odd Thomas and have enjoyed every single book in this series. Odd Apocalypse had me on the edge of my seat so many times, I couldn't stop listening to it!
What a great concept for this Odd Thomas adventure and I can't wait until the next story..especially with the new ghost that Odd will have tagging along with him!

I always enjoy the Odd Thomas books by Dean Koontz and the performance by the narrator. I also like the extra tropics brought up in the stories, like the Tesla backgromd. I also always enjoy the zen wisdon of Odd Thomas and the way he explains how things work and why he is doing what he does.

The ending came too quicly after the all the pieces came together and there was little conflict in the ending. Another weakness Koontz has is always ending his book on a somewhat postive note, with things tied up rather neatly and this one is too neat.

I think he does the Odd Thomas books and I like his performance in these books.

No - I need breaks at times to keep up suspense.

This book had almost the same plot as 77 shadow street. I enjoyed the Odd Thomas build up to the mystery, but when it became clear that this was a similar plot, it lost a lot of punch for me. I did like this story better than the 77 Shadow street story. Koontz does have some overlap in some of his books with plot, but this was more than just an overlap. A house that isn't as much a house as it is a machine built by a person who is working on time travel, Strange happenings and a group of strange charaters, including a child. A timewarp that happens intermittenly and brings monsters from another time. Too similar as this plot is from the previous novel.

What an interesting person with an interesting life and outlook, David Aaron Baker did an Excellent job of narration. He IS Odd and brings him to life. I waited anxiously for this and bought it the day it came out. I agree that the story is a lot like 77 Shadow Street. However, Odd adds a whole new dimension. The book didn't keep me on the edge of my seat but an easy and interesting read, If you;ve never read an "Odd" book you should read earlier versions first for this story and Odd's character to make sense.Mixing in the real life characters like Telsa was genius.

I will continue to follow the Odd Thomas series in hopes that Mr. Koontz finds some of the magic from the first 2 books.

I would only recommend Odd Apocalypse if you, like me, are determined to see this series through to the end.

The narrator was just ok to me, but I guess every book can't be read by Scott Brick.

If this were a movie I may see it, but only because I am hooked on the Odd Thomas series.

I, somehow, was not expecting that to happen. When I pushed that button on my MP3 player a long lost friend stopped by and told me an amazing story. That may sound silly to you, and I guess it does to me too (a little) but I must admit that when I recognized his mannerisms and felt his character and heard his same voice, well, I felt comforted. How many books do that? Not many for me unless it is a reread, but when a new book does, I am instantly happy that I bought it. It IS the same old Odd and his stories are always special. Some of his stories are funnier and some may be a little darker but they are all enjoyable. Some I like more than others but I am always sad when they end. It is so nice to know that he has continued to come back and catch us up on his life, although sometimes he stays away a little too long inbetween his stories.
I don't want to ruin the book by giving out too many facts so I will speak only of, was it worth it or not, and it was without a question worth it as always.
This review may sound cheesy to you but I wrote it based on real feelings and that is always a good thing to do IMO. Good reading and may God bless!

What a disappointment! I truly love this author, having read and loved so many of his books over the past decade. This Odd Thomas book 5 leaves the reader/listener feeling kinda empty and disengaged. The story takes place in a creepy estate somewhere filled with confusing bad guy characters and disgusting mucus snorting pig creatures that like to eat anyone and anything.
Odd arrives (exactly why we aren't sure because there is little to no character and/or story development) with a wise and enigmatic pregnant woman who we are lead to believe will be central to the plot, is glaringly absent throughout most the book.
And darling Odd, the beloved main character is mostly shallow and one demnensional here, sad to report.
I wish Mr. Koontz woudl reemerge and give us the kind of books we have come to expect. I await another and hopefully better next book from you Mr. Koontz.