Brother Odd

An Odd Thomas Novel

By: Dean Koontz

Narrated by: David Aaron Baker

Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

No one could have imagined Odd Thomas ever leaving the perfect, quirky comfort of Pico Mundo, least of all Odd himself. The little desert town that nurtured Odd all his life is the locus of everything he holds dear: his loyal friends, his ghostly confidants, and the place where he loved and lost his soul mate, the irreplaceable Stormy Llewellyn. Yet leave it he has, to embrace the solitude and peace of an isolated monastery high in the western mountains as he tries to find a way to live fully again.

But Odd has a knack for finding himself in the path of trouble no matter where he goes — even among the eccentric monks in their sanctuary and with his steady spirit companion, the King of Rock 'n' Roll, at his side. For a killer is stalking the ancient holy halls, and Odd is about to meet an enemy who eclipses any he has yet encountered.

Odd number: don't miss the first two audiobooks in this series, Odd Thomas and Forever Odd.

©2006 by Dean Koontz (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"The nice young fry cook with the occult powers is Koontz's most likeable creation." (The New York Times)
"An irresistibly offbeat mix of supernatural horror and laugh-out-loud humor." (Publishers Weekly)

Odds are you will LOVE this book!!!

I am an avid Dean Koontz reader & fan. So of course I have already read the first & second “Odd” books. I liked them & considered them to be entertaining though I was not necessarily a big “Odd” fan.

BUT!...This 3rd book in the series was absolutely wonderful. There are several passages that are nothing less than poetic prose; not sappy or gratuitous but enchanting. Odd was much more genuine & witty in his humor & in his observations. Though very good at figuring out where things are going, the last few chapters strayed from the assumed path & captured my complete attention to the immediate written word. During this time I was not thinking ahead to what, more than likely, was going to happen.

This book is more about the humanity of people than the inhumanity of Dean Koontz’s monsters. He has transcended his “formula” & expanded his range. For this I am very grateful. I can not wait to see more of this from him.

To put it simply....Brother Odd Thomas & Dean Koontz’s writing made me feel really, really good! Lighter in heart & spirit as well.

Lori
White Sulphur Springs, WV

Dorky & Loveable

Odd is great reading when no actual thought is necessary. You gotta love this character, his adventures are hilarious, and it's nice to take a break from "heavy literature" and just read a nice little story like Odd Thomas stories sometimes.

Odd, but terrific!

I enjoyed the first two Odd Thomas books so much that I couldn't wait until Brother Odd came out. Dean Koontz's use of vocabulary is amazing. I often wonder what kind of mind can conceive the stories that Koontz writes. Brother Odd has an interesting interaction between accepted religion and Odd Thomas' gift, which adds a new twist to the Odd Thomas series. I look forward to more Odd Thomas novels!

The odder the better!!

I don't understand some of the reviewers, I love Koontz and this is one of his best. I can't wait for Odd's next story. I am glad to see that tons of foul language is not needed to write a great novel. King's getting more foul mouthed and Koontz is getting cleaner. Thanks Dean, Keep up the good work. Maybe you are on an spiritual journey along with Odd. Enjoy the journey!!

not bad

Again not as good as the first. The plot line is better than the second book, but does not match the first book. Characters are better developed than the second book, but the evil is very difficult to visualize and understand. I would have preferred sticking with ghosts and exploring the bodocks a bit more.

Whatever Happened to Baby Odd?

I adored Odd Thomas the first time I met him in the original novel. He was quirky, fun, earnest, and kind. In this latest novel, he's become self-righteous and rather rigid. I was surprised at how Koontz seemed to insert diatribes against everything from the ACLU to unions to euthanasia every chance he got. Oh, and don't forget about science. I respect Mr. Koontz's right to his political beliefs (come to that, I respect Odd's rights too) but it's hard to like a character who has gone from complex to monologic. After this latest installment, I don't think I have the fortitude to meet an even older and more rigid Odd in the future. I liked the younger, more open Odd too much.

Tired of Konntz's political rants

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I'm quitting reading Koontz. I had detected just a trace of his Rush Limbaugh'esque beliefs in the first two Odd Thomas novels but I was able to let it slide and keep listening. However during a certain anti-government, anti-Union rant in this book (supposedly written from the perspective of a 21 year old kid), I took out my headphones, turned it off and began looking for a different author to listen to.
I can hear stupidity from people all around me. I expect my authors to be more enlightened.

The narrator is great, however.

Koontz at play

The Odd Thomas series are, I believe, Dean Koontz at recess- weaving a wierd, humorous tale. This lighthearted approach is a bit of a departure from some of his other works. Brother Odd may be a bit predictable in plot, but the story is still great fun. This reader has done the entire series, and on this book his characterizations and voices are so well done I "forgot" I was listening to a book- I so thoroughly felt I was listening to Odd himself narrating his adventures. Probably best if you listen to these in order.

Read this one

Enjoyed this book. It had been a while since reading the first one, but easy to drop right on in with #2. Interesting story line.

Enjoyable

I enjoyed this book but not as much as Forever Odd. If you enjoyed the other Odd Thomas books you will probably like this one too. After viewing the author’s Web site and his 20 reasons for writing Odd Hours I decided to ship the last book in this series.