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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Read this in highschool and it was the book that got me interested in reading Dean Koontz.
One of my favorite books and one I've read time and time again. I can't rate this highly enough.
4.5 stars*
I never thought I would enjoy this book as much as I did. I got attached to Watchers a lot and I even got a bit teary eyed at the end what really surprised me. My mom recommended this book to me so I decided to read it but at first it was a bit boring and I wanted to give up and read something else but I didn't and I'm glad because of it. It became so much more interesting later and I really connected with characters and I got dozen of little heartattacks while reading. You can't mess with reader like that! Damn it, Dean Koontz!
My favourite character was definitely Einstein. I never thought I would care that much about a fictional character that is a dog but I did. I don't even look at my dog the same way after reading this book and I constantly keep searching for some ingenuity in my dog (I'm crazy, I know). I was really scared when SPOILER ALERT! he was sick and I thought he was going to die and also when The Outsider almost killed him. I wanted to throw the book but I didn't. I was really convinced he died and it was so unfair but then they said that he is alive and I was so happy and I just wanted to hug the author for not killing Einstein. This was rollercoaster of feelings. It was also so funny how he read books and I really wanted him to be my dog then so we can read books together and then talk about them... that would be amazing! It was so cute and touching when Einstein said: I don't have masters. I have friends. I almost cried at that part, he is so sweet. I also liked Travis a lot, I could connect with him and I liked his relationship with Einstein very much. I didn't likeNora at all. I wanted to slap her! She changed later and I kind of liked her (I didn't hate her, at least) but she was annoying and weird. But, we did see her character development and she definitely changed and became stronger and much less annoying. I also liked Garrison a lot, that guy is crazy but in a good way. How he did everything (damn it, he swam in the cold sea in his 71st year just to get to the phone) just to help Travis and Nora and I really admire him for that. And he didn't even have the reason to help them! Another guy I liked was Jim/James (his name changed through the book, probably by accident), the vet who saved Einstein. When he burned that paper I liked him even more. Vince was interesting. He is also crazy, but not on a good way. I liked him at the beginning, I liked reading about him but when he wanted to kill Nora and Travis I wanted him dead. I have mixed feelings about Outsider. He had to die, that's not even a question but I kind of connected with him and I felt really sorry for him when we found out more about him. But, when I thought he killed Einstein I wanted him dead without a question. However, whene Travis did kill him, I was a bit sad. I mean, it was not his fault that scientists did all that to him and made him who he was!
Writing was high quality and it was interesting, I especially liked parts with Einstein and Travis and parts with Vince but the rest was very good too. As I said, it was a bit boring at the beginning before everything started to happen but later it was just crazy and super-interesting. The ending was maybe a bit unconvincing because everything ended And they lived happily ever after but it didn't bother me because I got really attached to these characters and I think that they deserve happy ending. Travis especially. I didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did and I was pleasantly surprised. Mostly because it's an adult book I wasn't very sure about reading it but recently I'm trying to be open to many different genres so I gave this book a shot. No regrets! Highly recommend!
I never thought I would enjoy this book as much as I did. I got attached to Watchers a lot and I even got a bit teary eyed at the end what really surprised me. My mom recommended this book to me so I decided to read it but at first it was a bit boring and I wanted to give up and read something else but I didn't and I'm glad because of it. It became so much more interesting later and I really connected with characters and I got dozen of little heartattacks while reading. You can't mess with reader like that! Damn it, Dean Koontz!
My favourite character was definitely Einstein. I never thought I would care that much about a fictional character that is a dog but I did. I don't even look at my dog the same way after reading this book and I constantly keep searching for some ingenuity in my dog (I'm crazy, I know). I was really scared when SPOILER ALERT! he was sick and I thought he was going to die and also when The Outsider almost killed him. I wanted to throw the book but I didn't. I was really convinced he died and it was so unfair but then they said that he is alive and I was so happy and I just wanted to hug the author for not killing Einstein. This was rollercoaster of feelings. It was also so funny how he read books and I really wanted him to be my dog then so we can read books together and then talk about them... that would be amazing! It was so cute and touching when Einstein said: I don't have masters. I have friends. I almost cried at that part, he is so sweet. I also liked Travis a lot, I could connect with him and I liked his relationship with Einstein very much. I didn't likeNora at all. I wanted to slap her! She changed later and I kind of liked her (I didn't hate her, at least) but she was annoying and weird. But, we did see her character development and she definitely changed and became stronger and much less annoying. I also liked Garrison a lot, that guy is crazy but in a good way. How he did everything (damn it, he swam in the cold sea in his 71st year just to get to the phone) just to help Travis and Nora and I really admire him for that. And he didn't even have the reason to help them! Another guy I liked was Jim/James (his name changed through the book, probably by accident), the vet who saved Einstein. When he burned that paper I liked him even more. Vince was interesting. He is also crazy, but not on a good way. I liked him at the beginning, I liked reading about him but when he wanted to kill Nora and Travis I wanted him dead. I have mixed feelings about Outsider. He had to die, that's not even a question but I kind of connected with him and I felt really sorry for him when we found out more about him. But, when I thought he killed Einstein I wanted him dead without a question. However, whene Travis did kill him, I was a bit sad. I mean, it was not his fault that scientists did all that to him and made him who he was!
Writing was high quality and it was interesting, I especially liked parts with Einstein and Travis and parts with Vince but the rest was very good too. As I said, it was a bit boring at the beginning before everything started to happen but later it was just crazy and super-interesting. The ending was maybe a bit unconvincing because everything ended And they lived happily ever after but it didn't bother me because I got really attached to these characters and I think that they deserve happy ending. Travis especially. I didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did and I was pleasantly surprised. Mostly because it's an adult book I wasn't very sure about reading it but recently I'm trying to be open to many different genres so I gave this book a shot. No regrets! Highly recommend!
Watchers is my first experience with the work of Dean Koontz, and I'm looking forward to reading more! The strongest aspect the novel has going for it is the slow-building and well-defined character arcs for the three protagainsts (Travis, Nora, and Einstein), with Koontz exhibiting his clear gift for creating a detailed narrative. I found some parts of the book, especially the anatagonist (Vince) to be riddled with cliche, and the ending wrapped up in a rushed fashion, but overall it's an enjoyable sci-fi thriller.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Okay, here’s the thing about this book: Einstein deserves 5 stars so I’m giving it 5 stars.
It’s not perfect by any means. It was published in 1987 and it shows. The writing style feels dated and the dialogue can seem stilted. Some of the character development was hamfisted. There are attitudes depicted in it that have not aged well. The sex negativity and homophobia in particular are pretty bad. There is the idea that a woman who is unmarried at 30 is an old maid, but honestly that concept is so outdated at this point (now that we millennials have destroyed marriage or whatever) that I mostly just found it comical.
I also felt like everything about the character of Vince was unnecessary. I really think the story could have been told without him. If felt like he was mostly just there to give the reader someone to hate, but I think I would have preferred one of the scientists to fill that role rather than some random psycho.
But all of that aside…the thing is I decided to re-read this book for the dog. I first read it as a teenager and I loved dogs, then, too. But now I’m grown and have a Golden Retriever of my own and I just felt like I should pick it up again. So I did. And it was worth it.
If you don’t like dogs, don’t read this book. Honestly, if you don’t *love* dogs, probably don’t bother. This is a book about loving a dog. That’s the part of it that’s timeless. It’s wish fulfillment fantasy for anyone who has ever wished they could have a conversation with their dog. Because all dogs are as extraordinary as Einstein to the people that love them.
It’s not perfect by any means. It was published in 1987 and it shows. The writing style feels dated and the dialogue can seem stilted. Some of the character development was hamfisted. There are attitudes depicted in it that have not aged well. The sex negativity and homophobia in particular are pretty bad. There is the idea that a woman who is unmarried at 30 is an old maid, but honestly that concept is so outdated at this point (now that we millennials have destroyed marriage or whatever) that I mostly just found it comical.
I also felt like everything about the character of Vince was unnecessary. I really think the story could have been told without him. If felt like he was mostly just there to give the reader someone to hate, but I think I would have preferred one of the scientists to fill that role rather than some random psycho.
But all of that aside…the thing is I decided to re-read this book for the dog. I first read it as a teenager and I loved dogs, then, too. But now I’m grown and have a Golden Retriever of my own and I just felt like I should pick it up again. So I did. And it was worth it.
If you don’t like dogs, don’t read this book. Honestly, if you don’t *love* dogs, probably don’t bother. This is a book about loving a dog. That’s the part of it that’s timeless. It’s wish fulfillment fantasy for anyone who has ever wished they could have a conversation with their dog. Because all dogs are as extraordinary as Einstein to the people that love them.
My rating may continue to jump back and forth between four and five stars. This book has more scenes that strike a primal chord of terror for jumpy people who live in or near the woods than anything else I've read so far, and for that I want to give it five stars. When I reread it, though, I also see so many stock Koontz characters, who probably were far more original in 1987 than they seem now but nonetheless it pains me. Still, the fact that my original copy was read so many times that the cover fell off and was then used as a bookmark makes me think that it's earned its five stars.
I seriously loved that book. I loved Travis and Nora and all the other characters but I especially loved Einstein. There wasn’t a chapter I didn’t enjoy in this book. It made me really happy.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes