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Kindle Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars I just can't pretend to like this series anymore
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2014
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You know, when I first started reading this series from the beginning - I thought I'd stumbled onto something interesting. This book is professed to be Dean Koontz's masterpiece with a cult following. I didn't even know they made a movie of this, which I had stated he should have done in my review of the original book in the series. I enjoyed the original Odd Thomas book enough to think that I wanted to read the next in the series. Then I had enjoyed that one, Forever Odd, so I went on to the next, Brother Odd. For me, at least, that is where this series started to go downhill.

I'm not sure why it took so long for me to realize that I'm one of the few people reading this series who doesn't find Odd's world all that mesmerizing. I have expressed a fondness for Odd's character in that he's cute in a boy-scout sort of way, but after five books of having to listen to his self-deprecating philosophies and cynicism, not to mention having to sit through the most boring and pointless dialogue from one moronic character to the next, and the overall slow and overly analogous storytelling, I just don't why I'm still reading this.

This story in particular did nothing to change my overall indifference to the series. It started out absurd and ended only a little less absurd. Honestly, I can't see how to review this without giving what little plot there is away. If you're looking for a general overview, the story info gives that much. To tell anything more than that really does tread on spoiler territory (which some of the other reviewers seemed to have already done). But I will say that I couldn't stand the pretext that a man with everything to hide would willingly invite boarders into his home simply because he was so beguiled by Annamaria, who we're supposed to buy is so magnetic in her plainness that she can get any person or creature to do her bidding by solemn word alone - get real. I don't know who I dislike hearing about more - her or Stormy. Both are enigma's in Odd's world and I just don't get his fascination for one and his adoration for the other.

The only thing that forced me through this book was the change in Odd's demeanor that everyone kept alluding to in the other reviews. I might be in the minority on this, but I'm not at all turned off by Odd's new hard edge. Why is everyone so put off by Odd packing a gun? Given the threat in this book, how would you expect him to handle it - with his bare hands? Sorry - apparently, Odd lacks Annamarie's much unfounded charm. And if that doesn't get him off the hook, then how about the fact that the man's circumstances have grown a lot darker since the events that made him leave Pico Mundo. It's a dangerous world out there and going around telling people he's just a fry-cook with a mean pancake recipe isn't going to save his ass anymore. So I welcome the change. Frankly, I think his character could use a bit of tweaking. Now, go ahead and throw your tomatoes if you disagree - I'll just dodge them anyway.

I'll go onto the next and last in the series simply because I can't not read it after having come this far in the series. I'm still waiting to find out Odd's ultimate fate.
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Sonya Combs
5.0 out of 5 stars Odd Thomas is such a good series in a list of great books by a stellar writer!!!
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2014
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I have yet to read a book that Dean Koontz has wrote that I didn't love......with that said I've even researched him enough (years and years and years ago lol) to find out what other pen names he used when writing and read those books too. While his earlier work is very different from the books he's written under his own name they were still excellent reads!! I even have both of his books he wrote for children, and while one I think is a little much for a younger child the one about Santa's evil twin is over the top funny, all of my grands love the story and really love finding the hidden snowmen in each illustration!!! I never post story line "spoilers", but I can say that if you love books about strange happenings with a sometimes supernatural or otherworld feel you'll love his books one and all!!! My absolute favorites are his Odd Thomas series, the ones he's just written lately about the boy, and later the man, that no one can tolerate looking at including his own mother, and my favorite stand alone story is probably Lightening it's about a time traveler and is reminiscent of the movie The Time Travelers Wife.....bottom line if you like stories on the "strange" side of things he is the ultimate story teller and my absolute favorite author!!!!!!!!
I will be posting reviews of his other books and since as mentioned above that I don't post spoilers I will be copying and pasting this for the reviews of those books too!!! All of the ones reviewed here are Kindle books and I should mention that the ONLY reason I even bought a Kindle to begin with was because he put out a book that was only available as a digital download!!! Sooooo Dean Koontz is responsible for me purchasing a Kindle all of his previous books I own in hard cover his books fill a bookcase in one room and parts of bookcases in other rooms as well!! Try him I guarantee you'll love him!!
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Daune Robinson
4.0 out of 5 stars Second half is excellent
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2012
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I love Dean Koontz - his books have provided hours of pleasure and excitement over the years. That said, the first half of this book was a slog, which is the reason for 4 stars instead of 5. But, read through, because the second half of the book has all the action, weird science, and strangeness of vintage Dean Koontz. The Odd Thomas character is interesting, partly because he is not the superhero we are all used to seeing in so many books, TV shows and movies today. And yet, he is a heroic character who takes the true moral path at the critical crossroads. Koontz shows us evil and horror, but with hope, because the endings are good and the characters endure in their resilience and honesty no matter how much evil they have to face, and overcome. I think that stories like this give us something to hold on to, and something to help us reject the easy slide into brutality and cultural bullying that pop culture encourages so ubiquitously.

In the first half of the book, Odd does do a lot of wandering, which seems pointless and a bit boring. But then the science "fiction" kicks in, explaining many of the discoveries of the wandering Odd and bringing the clash of irresponsible scientific research, past and future, and good and evil people into full Koontzian glory. Fast forward through the first, but slow down and enjoy the second half of the book. It has a thoroughly satisfying ending, and an engaging tromp through time travel, as well as an enjoyable glimpse of the inventor and scientist that was Tesla - not to mention the hint of a future visit with Alfred Hitchcock.

This isn't a fast paced thriller - but it is an engaging book, with good characters, an interesting plot line, and the occasional cynical humor that is almost always part of a good Koontz story. I truly enjoy the fact that Koontz is able to bring each of these stories to a satisfying end while still setting the expectation of more Odd to come - very few authors are able to pull this off, but Koontz does it well.

A good book, well worth the money, and a story that will give me something to think about till the next installment of Odd Thomas comes out!
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Superbeasto
4.0 out of 5 stars A Slow Build To A Page-Turning Intensity
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 23, 2015
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Have always massively enjoyed Odd Thomas books, and one of the strengths of the series is how varied the scrapes he gets himself into are. The first book had so many wild supernatural ideas but still managed to somehow feel grounded, and setting up that balance early on means there really isn't any situation or adventure that Odd can't fit into. That said, the occasional dips into science fiction that the series takes can still throw me a little. Hard to explain but for some reason the sci-fi elements just feel more out there than the crazy supernatural events.

That doesn't jar for long though, and it is (as always), great to stumble through another adventure with Odd. I found the pacing and structure meant the first half didn't particularly grip - there's a lot of Odd wandering about rather aimlessly chatting to the various characters and getting the lay of the land - but once things escalate they do so with a page-turning intensity (and quite a visceral gut-punch) that I probably haven't felt to this degree since the first book.

It's hard to see how any Odd Thomas book can ever match the emotional arc of the original novel, but in terms of thrills and spills this shows the series is still going strong.
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Michael Byrne
1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2016
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Truly awful, self indulgent and poorly written claptrap by what used to be one of my favourite authors. There are so many problems with this book I don't know where to begin, but my main issue is that having enjoyed the premise of the earlier Odd Thomas books (basically an "I see dead people" character living in an otherwise normal world with one or two quirks), its got further away from that into fantastical monsters, time travel, alternate dimensions such that I no longer enjoy it.

Furthermore, the writing has declined in quality and is full of superfluous padding as if Koontz was contracted to write a book and didn't know how to fill it. Situations that should be resolved quickly take ages to finish and this robs the moment of any dramatic tension. For example, in one awful scene, Odd Thomas is taking refuge in an oak tree from mysterious beasts trying to get him. Nothing happens essentially but the whole episode takes around thirty pages due to drivel like this;

"there was a reasonably good chance that these beasts were not climbers. Mountain Lions can climb, but coyotes can't. Bears can climb, but wolves can't. Squirrels are great at it, rabbits embarrass themselves trying."

I could go on quoting paragraph after paragraph of this fatuous and embarassing prose but trust me, the book is filled with it.

I appreciate that Odd Thomas has always been about his thoughts and feelings as he goes about his adventures but this for me will definitely be the last money I will hand over for this series.

Awful.
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Ian Kempen
3.0 out of 5 stars Getting stale now
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2020
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I have read all of the Odd stories up to and including this one and I am now finding they have become staler as the series goes on. What I mean by that is the stories have lost that quirky appeal and have become a little formulaic. This is only to be expected after 5 or 6 books in a series. If you are new to Odd, then I think you will enjoy this a lot. If you have read other Odd books, well this one is okay.
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laros76
5.0 out of 5 stars funny, spooky and scary
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2015
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the series of Odd Thomas are one of the best that Koontz has written, there is no doubt about it.
the setting and start is known: Odd arrives at a new place where he feels that bad things are about to happen but this time Koontz also creates some scary and mysterious characters, some monsters and beasts spooking around. what all is about is revealed bit by bit, the story always keeps a good pace and is very thrilling
I don't want to spoil the content too much but in the end it has to do with control of time and sort of a time machine
how this matches? just read!
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Barton
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect linguist talent, great characterisation.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2019
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As always, the idioms flow and the language is rich, vibrant, funny and amazing. Enjoyable plot with a lot more mystery than normal.
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