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blogthatbook's review
5.0
I first read The Bad Place when it was released back in 1990, a few other times since then, and I've just finished it yet again.
This was actually the very first novel I completed. I'm dyslexic and I struggled quite badly back then in my twenties. Dean's writing seemed so accessible to me that I went on to read over forty of his amazing creations. His early writing just really speaks to me.
Anyway, back to this book.
This novel hasn't lost anything over the years, I've enjoyed it afresh every time I've picked it up. Of course, there are a few small elements that date it, but I find these more endearing than annoying, and you have to consider every book for the time it was written.
This story is chock full of rich intriguing characters and fantastically imaginative elements and goings-on. You truly feel that every single character you encounter in these pages could warrant a novel all their own. Koontz is known for featuring disabled characters in his books, and The Bad Place is no exception. Thomas is a Downs Syndrome chap and an utterly mesmerising character. I think mainly because of how Dean has tried to get inside Thomas' head and really present him from the inside.
This book is a firm favourite of mine, and if given the ultimatum that I possess only one single book for the rest of my days, The Bad Place would be it. Mainly because it's such a fantastic creation but also because it has lifelong sentimental value to me.
If you haven't yet dabbled in the worlds of Mr Dean Koontz, may I please urge you to do so, I'm sure you will not regret it.
This was actually the very first novel I completed. I'm dyslexic and I struggled quite badly back then in my twenties. Dean's writing seemed so accessible to me that I went on to read over forty of his amazing creations. His early writing just really speaks to me.
Anyway, back to this book.
This novel hasn't lost anything over the years, I've enjoyed it afresh every time I've picked it up. Of course, there are a few small elements that date it, but I find these more endearing than annoying, and you have to consider every book for the time it was written.
This story is chock full of rich intriguing characters and fantastically imaginative elements and goings-on. You truly feel that every single character you encounter in these pages could warrant a novel all their own. Koontz is known for featuring disabled characters in his books, and The Bad Place is no exception. Thomas is a Downs Syndrome chap and an utterly mesmerising character. I think mainly because of how Dean has tried to get inside Thomas' head and really present him from the inside.
This book is a firm favourite of mine, and if given the ultimatum that I possess only one single book for the rest of my days, The Bad Place would be it. Mainly because it's such a fantastic creation but also because it has lifelong sentimental value to me.
If you haven't yet dabbled in the worlds of Mr Dean Koontz, may I please urge you to do so, I'm sure you will not regret it.
ayetreads's review
5.0
This book is a masterpiece; it's one of the few books that I'm completely satisfied with through and through. No questions are left unanswered and the happy ending is an ending that was realistic and satisfying. Definitely one of the best books I've ever read (although, I see a lot of people say this isn't the best work of the author, then I'll just to read more of Dean Koontz's work then!).
labunnywtf's review against another edition
2.0
I really don't remember this save for the blurb. For the most part, if I don't remember a Koontz book, it wasn't that good.
I'll have to re-read.
I'll have to re-read.
jbrito's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ginabyeg's review against another edition
4.0
I always find Dean Koontz novels to be thoroughly engaging. I notice I only typically read his books in the summer--I wonder if that's due to the intensity of his stories as psychological thrillers. There's always an element of the supernatural as well, and it's always fairly believable. In this particular story, I thought the part with the bug and the gems was unnecessary in advancing the plot, but it was otherwise an engaging read. Head's up, as a book that has themes of ability/disability, the language sounds a bit dated in places, as it was written in the early 90's. Some readers may be able to overlook that easier than others.
indoctrine's review against another edition
3.0
I read a poorly OCRed copy so I may have missed a few things (I know I missed the finer points of one character's death). This book is pretty messed up in content though. Although the climax at the end left me reeling for a bit because there was a lot of information dumped at once and so much happened.
marco5599's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Bobby. Can't handle chaos, gets caught up in some sort of cosmic pinball machine. You can't help but feel for the guy. In a slightly funny way because, besides Mr. Blue Light, there is a bit of awkward humor floating around here as well.
At some point my chuckling stopped, though. Maybe it caught me off guard or something, but damn, how cruel. How brutal. Mercy? Not in this Bad Place.
What it does have? Private eyes, a bad thing, darkness, fireflies and speed, Down syndrome logic, questionable parenting, hot twins, a psychotic blonde giant whose beverage of choice is blood, Punaloo and horror's favorite pets; cats.
Also, different kinds of psychic stuff all starting with tele-, a super sized creepy crawler that poops red diamonds (I kid you not), a spaceship, Jackie Jaxx, baby murders, religious delusions, sexual delusions and, oh man, it doesn't stop there.
So yeah, pretty crazy.
Pretty awesome, too.
At some point my chuckling stopped, though. Maybe it caught me off guard or something, but damn, how cruel. How brutal. Mercy? Not in this Bad Place.
What it does have? Private eyes, a bad thing, darkness, fireflies and speed, Down syndrome logic, questionable parenting, hot twins, a psychotic blonde giant whose beverage of choice is blood, Punaloo and horror's favorite pets; cats.
Also, different kinds of psychic stuff all starting with tele-, a super sized creepy crawler that poops red diamonds (I kid you not), a spaceship, Jackie Jaxx, baby murders, religious delusions, sexual delusions and, oh man, it doesn't stop there.
So yeah, pretty crazy.
Pretty awesome, too.
jpeaslee's review against another edition
2.0
I read this book when I was a preteen and loved it. I probably shouldn't have reread it.
Parts of it are still interesting and creepy, like when you get the backstory about the family of mutants (for lack of better term)., which leads to four kids with special powers. Makes no sense, but who cares? The backstory and the powers were all creepy, but frankly, King would have done it better.
That is the pretty much the only good thing I can say. There is a character with Down Syndrome who has magical powers, because Koontz gets a hard-on for magical disabled characters. It's a tired trope.
He always has one of his main protagonists go off on this completely insane rant about how much he loves Asian people because they're all so hardworking, much more so than white people (the two protagonists are hardworking white people, but okay). It's pretty messed up. A positive stereotype is still a stereotype and I don't think anyone wants to be placed into a box. Asian people, like pretty much EVERY ETHNICITY EVER, have some hardworking folks and some lazy twats. C'est la vie.
The two protagonists are boring. They are carbon copies of every protagonist that Dean Koontz has ever penned.
I went through a serious Dean Koontz phase in high school but eventually I realized that every book of his is basically the same. The protagonists are Very, Very Good and the bad guys are Irredeemably Bad. Oftentimes he will throw in a reference to "syphilitic monkeys" or have the antagonist eat a spider (seriously). He did not fall back on either of these bizarre details in this book, but it's still packed with tired repetitions. It's like he's plagiarizing himself. Bizarre.
Parts of it are still interesting and creepy, like when you get the backstory about the family of mutants (for lack of better term).
Spoiler
Incestuous relations that lead to a hermaphrodite, who self-impregnates herselfThat is the pretty much the only good thing I can say. There is a character with Down Syndrome who has magical powers, because Koontz gets a hard-on for magical disabled characters. It's a tired trope.
He always has one of his main protagonists go off on this completely insane rant about how much he loves Asian people because they're all so hardworking, much more so than white people (the two protagonists are hardworking white people, but okay). It's pretty messed up. A positive stereotype is still a stereotype and I don't think anyone wants to be placed into a box. Asian people, like pretty much EVERY ETHNICITY EVER, have some hardworking folks and some lazy twats. C'est la vie.
The two protagonists are boring. They are carbon copies of every protagonist that Dean Koontz has ever penned.
I went through a serious Dean Koontz phase in high school but eventually I realized that every book of his is basically the same. The protagonists are Very, Very Good and the bad guys are Irredeemably Bad. Oftentimes he will throw in a reference to "syphilitic monkeys" or have the antagonist eat a spider (seriously). He did not fall back on either of these bizarre details in this book, but it's still packed with tired repetitions. It's like he's plagiarizing himself. Bizarre.